saint

Hey All,

I just wanted to give you a heads up on our next tournament this year.

Austin, Texas - What does non-stop action and heart pounding excitement have to do with Saturday, April 16th, 2005? The answer is simple. Austin's only weapon based martial arts tournament, The Edge 2005 will be debuting its fourth event. There will be seven Divisions awarding 23 medals, three Team Awards and three National Title Belts! This will also be local Champion Roberto Vallarino's first two Title defenses!

All of this action will take place on Saturday, April 16th at the Givens
Recreation Center in Austin, Texas. Givens is conveniently located at 3811 East 12th Street near the intersection of Airport Boulevard just East of IH-35. The competition will begin at 11:00 AM and go until 4 PM.

Tickets are available to witness The Edge 2005 in person for only $15 in advance and $20 at the door. When you purchase your tickets you will receive a raffle ticket for prizes from some of our best local, national and even international sponsors. You can purchase tickets by visiting the school or online at www.edgefighting.com.

If you are interested in competing then get your space reserved today. Take advantage of the early bird registration special by phone calling at (512) 339-8264 or you can register directly at www.edgefighting.com.

For competitors and judges, attend the free Rules Seminar this February 26th, 2005. On this Saturday, we will take the time from 2pm - 5pm to work with everyone on the The Edge Rules. This will be done in both discussion and in practice so please bring your sparring gear. Some gear will be supplied if you need it. The goal here is to allow everyone the time to practice and stop in the middle to ask questions and find out how to get better according to The Edge's Rules. Whether you are wanting to just help support Filipino Martial Arts and judge at the event, or you are dying to compete, this seminar is for you! Call or email martialway@hotmail.com to RSVP now!

Thanks for you time and more news will be on its way!

Sincerely,

Larry St. Clair
The Edge 2005
www.edgefighting.com
martialway@hotmail.com
512 339-8264

TexasKurt

Howdy, y'all. I'm Kurt, occasional competitor and lead judge for the Edge tournaments. I know Larry has already mentioned this, but I wanted to add some info on the rules seminar. (Saturday, Feb 26th, from 2-5pm)

Since the Edge uses a different basis for judging than many other FMA tourneys, we're hosting a FREE seminar on rules, scoring, and judging. This provides an opportunity for potential and returning competitors and judges to learn the rules in a comfortable setting, instead of in the crucible of the ring. In addition, we want potential competitors and judges to feel comfortable enough that they attend the competition. The more judges, the less work I have to do.

Basically, we'll go over the rules in detail, have a few demos, and allow everyone the opportunity to both spar and judge. Anyone can stop the action at any time to ask questions, check their perceptions against reality ("Did he hit your hand or your stick?"), and get as good a picture of the rules and criteria as possible.

Bring whatever gear you need to spar (at minimum, a cup and mouthpiece, but we recommend a helmet, gloves, and shin/instep guards). There will be some equipment there, including ActionFlex sticks and knives. We do not expect the same level of aggression as in the actual tournament, but be advised that it will be live sparring.

I believe we're serving grub at the end of it, but I don't have a definite word on what we'll have or how much there will be....

If cost is a consideration, I've got a spare bed, a sleeper sofa, and an inflatable mattress, and I'll probably cook for everyone who stays overnight.

Email me at kurtNO_SPAM@austin.rr.com if you have any other questions. (Remove the NO_SPAM.)

Hope to see you there,

Kurt Schneider
Lead Judge
Edge Stick and Knife Tournament