I just joined outsports a week or so ago and I'm interested in meeting other queer martial artists...I'm into taekwondo, personally, but I'm not so focused on it that I can't appreciate other arts/styles Anyone out there?

We did post a good piece on a martial artist's experiences during the last Gay Games.

A karate practioner here...from Canada. There is also Chuck from vancouver who is a Kung Fu practioner.

Welcome to the board.

Will you be competing at either of the games in 2006? I would mention them by name, but I don't want your thread to turn into a flame war.

[ February 09, 2005, 06:59 PM: Message edited by: rickinto ]

Hi TDK Mike. I'm the Chuck that does Preying mantis Kung Fu in Vancouver. We did have a thread going over in the Gay Sports Movement area, which is probably not the best place. Check it out for past martial arts posts.

Let's see if this one takes off here. Other Sports might be a better place.

Do any of you guys know of any GOOD martial arts message boards? I've been flailing away, but haven't found any I like all that well.

Incidentally, I DO recommend going to one or the other of the big games in 2006. Sydney was fun.

Gotta go. Class in 45 mins.

chuck

Here is the other thread. I can move it to this Forum if you all like.

Hey Chuck how was class?

I have started to run either before class, or after class..I am up to about 3 miles a session now. I can see it already improving my karate endurance, and since I am gearing up for a tourny soon, I need all the help I can get.

Rick, you are a God. I have been vowing to start running for (&*%$**!) months now, but instead remain a beer-swilling lard-ass. For several years I have only been doing forms (kata to you) and point fighting, which really doesn't need the kind of endurance Sanshou or continuous does. What divisions are you shooting for?

If somebody wants to compete Sanshou we kick into endurance/sanshou in the last class of the day, and a couple of the younger guys are making noises about that, so that would be great. Generally, we don't do physical training except for 20mins warm-up in the beginner class. If anyone wants to improve conditioning, they have to do it on their own time, like you.

I mean, really, how much energy do you use teacing or learning an arm bar or joint lock? And we only have 20 mins of sparring time per class. Yeah, I'm tired at the end of my sword form, but that's, like, a two minute burst. Not at all like "leaving it all on the mat."

I've had a knee-thing for the past week, so I've been upping push-ups and sit-ups and things I can do. Mostly I've been working on getting the underhand slash pattern with the double broadswords. Makes my brain hurt. These sort of double circular things I learn slowly and painfully. After 4 classes I'm just beginning to get it.

Have you given any thought as to whether you'll compete in 2006?

Ha..Chuck..I assure you I am far from God-like status. And I have the pics to prove it...LOL.

I started running, to build up my endurance and stamina, for the upcoming tournament, and I found that I actually enjoy the treadmill eek! I know it sounds wierd, but I put my headphones one, face the gym's weight room wink and off I go. Okay maybe its not the treadmill that I am enjoying, but the eyecandy, while on the treadmill.

AS for physical exercise during training...we do the warmups, followed by basics, moving up and down the floor, and then maybe fighting techniques (combinations, offensive and defensive) or practice self defense, or Kata. and then with about 15 minutes left, we do some lite sparring. So we do get a fair bit of exercise in class, but it is a lot of stopping, watching, then practicing, then stopping again...etc, etc. So I do try and do other activities to develop my cardio base. They do however have classes for tournament competitiors, and that is a lot of running, learning fighting combos, sit ups, push ups, kata training. These classes can last up to 2.5 hours.

I miss weapons training, my style does not do any weapons training, so the divisions I compete in are..Kata and Kumite.

I am still debating the competing in either games, in 2006. I may just go back to my swimming roots, and compete for the Gay masters team here. I will have a better shot at a medal in swimming then in martial arts, plus seeing guys in speedos is a big motivating factor...

So Chuck I meant to ask you, what level are you, I am assuming you teach, thus you have a black sash/belt. And what divisions will you be competing in?

Man I have rambled on and on in this thread, sorry guys....feel free to tell me to shut up.. wink

no, please don't shut up...I was hoping I would get some response, and this is more than I got on AOL (which was a whole lotta nothin')...thanks for the replies and the thread. I wasn't able to check this discussion board for a few days and imagine my surprise to find all these postings I am planning to go to Chicago in 2006, although I'd be up for attending both if you know any trust-fund babies out there willing to finance my travels wink Gotta go, dinner's ready, but I'll check more often and thanks again, guys.

There's also this thread in Other Sports.

So what ranking are you Mike? ANd what division will you possibly be competing in at the 2006 games?

Ah, the dreaded "what belt are you?" question...

I've been at brown belt level for 3 years and a bit now. With any luck at all, I might be tested for black in the next couple of months. It's about a ten year process for our club. The longer our Sifu teaches, the longer it seems to take. We're a traditional style, although taught for north americans. When I started in '84 my Sifu refused to have a belt system, because "belts were just a marketting ploy set up to bilk students of testing fees and not part of traditional Chinese Kung Fu." I went away to university, and when I got back, I found a belt system in place. North Americans seem to want a goal to work towards. Plus, it's so prevalent, I think fighting the belt system was a losing battle. We don't really sweat it, but I must admit I'll be happy to get it.

Like I say, I started in 84, got in a couple of years before going back to school. I took a year of boxing and a year of kickboxing there, and then returned to Vanc. I had several years where I was just spinning my wheels though. I had a torn ACL in my knee and a Bankart Repair needed for a shoulder. It took years to get the shoulder properly diagnosed and when I finally did get each injury fixed, it was 3 months off work for each and a total of five months each injury before I could train. I should have got them fixed sooner, though, because I really got a new lease on life. I would fall off my leg before (most unpleasant) and the arm would just fall out of its socket (even more unpleasant.)

Plus, I worked in theatre and film, so I missed a lot of time. Realistically, I've got about fourteen years with the Preying Mantis. I know, should have a black belt by now... It is getting a bit ridiculous. I can only claim that soft styles take longer....

Yeah, I do teach, beginners and intermediates. Of the advanced students, we pretty much teach each other. Most of us have training in other styles as well, so there is always somebody with something to offer.

How about you guys?

Oh, IF I go to Chicago (reading the schism thread really saps my enthusiasm) I'll be doing Black Belt forms, Senors (35+) forms, Weapons forms (probably my single broadsword) and kumite (which they offer in the form of point fighting.) There's also a self-defence division, but I"m not so keen on that.

All I'd be eligable for in Montreal would be Kumite, since it's a Karate tournement and only specific karate forms will be allowed. :mad: I may just go to Montreal for the ambience. $225 to do a little Kumite is kind of stiff.

If anybody should be told to SHUT UP, it's me. The film business is a little slow right now, so I'm on my own projects at home and going CRAZY, hence 3 posts in a row...

TDK Mike, I was wondering what your favorite TKD kicks are? In my style, traditionally, when there is a high hand strike, the blow meant to connect is really a low kick. (Which does nothing for my tournament fighting, as low kicks aren't allowed...) I have a great side kick, though, and the spinning back kick is pretty darn good too, but I'm not a fancy kicker in the way you TKD brothers are. I love the TKD flashy kicks. What are your best kicks, and how did you come to TKD?

UGHHH!!!!!!! Kicks, the bane of my existance...

I have a good front kick, ......side kick is coming along, but my roundhouse kick is the pits. There now that I have said that, I can't show my face, cause if we ever do met up in competition, you will know one of my many weaknesses.

Can we please change the subject?

So Chuck, I hear you on the Montreal games, being only Karate...good for me, not so good for other MA styles.. Although kata, is not my forte, in my current style, the moves are not as snappy or aggressive, as say, in a Shotokan stylists Kata, so high points are a rarity in Kata competition, or so I have noted. Maybe, I am just trying to make an excuse for not being better at Kata, in competition.

I started in karate, a while back, when going through my Divorce, I used the class time to focus my energies into something positive, and I was hooked...I stopped for about 5 years, when I came back to Canada, and just started again in September. I go for my 6th kyu, Green belt in March, but first I have a competition at the end of Feb.

[ February 15, 2005, 05:42 AM: Message edited by: rickinto ]

Rick, what's your division at the end of Feb? Other than cardio, what's your training focus?

Does anyone out there have any experience with IAGLMA? (international association of gay and lesbian martial artists)

Hey Chuck.... I am competing, in the kumite light weight division. There are no age divisions at this tournament, once you are over 18. One week left, and my training was sidelined with a cold.

My focus in training, is to be a better Karate student, I like the fact that I am working towards, my Blackbelt, and that the only obstacle on my path to that goal, is me!!(man I must have tapped into Mr Miyagi, from the Karate kid)

So Chuck, how are the knees?

My right knee sucks, but is geting better. I knew it was temporary. I do hav e a problem though. I'm traingng full speed for my black belt. Since Montreqal 2006 has told me I'm not welcome, I look at Chicago.

I am just not willing to spend $1000 US for a hotel room for a week. But Chicago offers competition. anybody know of a cheaper way to go to chicago?

Whoa! My last post does sound a little harsh, what with the 'Montreal has told me I'm not wanted' comment. I'd better soften that. It's just that anyone I know here in Vanc who is planning at this time to go to one game or the other, has said they're going to Montreal, which is where I would prefer to go. (No martial artists, mostly Hockey players.)

I do know 5 other gay martial artists in town, including 2 lesbians at my club. We are right downtown, in the heart of the West End, the gay area. It always surprises me that so few GLBT's come through the door, since we are a big club, as many as 40 beginners at any given time, and about 20 int/adv.

Rick, good luck in your tournament. Is your Kumite continuous, or does it stop with each point?

Hey Chuck...I was just catching up on this thread..and I was like WHOA! Something must have pissed you off.

Anyways, sorry to hear that your knee is still giving you problems. But glad to see that you are still commencing full force for that Blackbelt.

Thanks for the well wishes. My tourney is point sparring,stop at the point, back to starting positions. I can wear approved sparring gloves, mouthguard, Groin protection, shin guards, but not foot guards, and no head gear. There are kicks to the head allowed, and if scored they are worth 3 points... eek! (remember no head gear) No strikes to the face.

I am suprised at how few Gay martial artists there are.....I mean we have tonnes of Gay hockey players, tonnes of gay Rugby players, so it can't be the contact and implied roughness of the sport. I wonder why there aren't more of us out there?

Wow, guys...I was away for a couple of days for work and classes and officiating at a tournament at Stanford (tri-university meet)and look at the thread. To answer some questions, I've been interested in martial arts since I was 12 but didn't pick anything up until I found aikido when I was 14 and taught myself some defense techniques which came in handy a couple of years later. I didn't seriously study, taekwondo specifically, until I was a young man of 37. I found a glbt focused dojang that was just getting started in SF called Triangle TaeKwonDo Club. I'm now humbled to say that I am a second dan and instructor...and I like to officiate

I also forgot to answer Chuck's query about kicks...like most taekwondo stylists, I like kicking (we do employ a surprising amount of hand techniques, just not in Olympic-style sparring)-- my favorite "flashy" kicks are the jump-spinning-wheel kick and flying-side kick; I'm still working on a decent-looking scissor kick. I want to compete at the Chicago event in '06 -- probably forms, sparring, and self-defense

Rick, your sparring gear sounds similar to TKD gear except we do wear soft helmets - not for protection from kicks, in fact they don't cover the target area much, but to protect the head in case of knock-down/knock-out (yikes!) -- I've found that most folks who enjoy sparring don't care much for forms and vice versa, but our master encourages us to compete in both, at least for the first few tournaments anyway

Welcome Back Mike.....

I was suprised when I went to my first Tournament up here, back in October.....no head gear...the younger kids wear it, (optional I believe)

I like forms and sparring.....although, a litle less "like" on tha kata today, cause last nights class, my group spent 25 minutes on the opening squence of a Kata....if someone got the distance wrong, was too high, too low, too long, the instructor would start us all over again.....Good for learning, but killer on the thighs and groin/hips.

I compete in both Forms and Kumite also, at the request of my Sensei......besides the forms, helps me get some of the butterflies out of the system, before the Kumite starts. wink

Hey Guys:

On March 19/20, my club will be putting on the 18th annual Tiger Balm Internationals. I believe it's the biggest open Tournament in the Pacific Northwest/Western Canada. We usually average about 1500 entries. Soft style forms, Japanese/Okinowan (sp?) kata, Korean Poomse, Point Fighting, WKC Continuous, Point Fighting, Continuous Point, Sanshou, Pankration, and I think Sport Jujitsu (I can't remember and I'm out of flyers at the moment.) It's a lot of fun. We have a great regional tournament curcuit in this part of the world, and the organisers help each other out, realising that it's in everybody's interest to keep up a good tournament volume.

I'm one of the believers that kata/forms are good to compete in, even if you're more of a fighter. Totally agree, re: getting rid of butterflies. 4 of our intermediates asked me about forms competing last night. I hope they go for it. One fellow has competed 4 times, and he is very close to the over/under 2 yr dividing line. He mentioned that he would be embarrassed to go in the beginner division. It was great to hear, because he really feels he is progressing in his training and "stepping up."

I really enjoyed sparring and never considered myself a "forms guy" (still don't, and I'm not --Generally if some 19yr. old in a coloured silk suit enters my division, I'm going down. In the Chinese styles a coloured silk suit comes from the more acrobatic athletic wushu-y styles.)

Still, there came a point that I figured my forms sucked so bad I had to do something about them, so I started entering tournaments. Fear of publicly sucking seemed to be a great motivator.

I do wish I could interest more of our students in point fighting. Again, I'm not great, but then we are a low-kicking trapping style -- totally the opposite of point sparring. I'm 5'6. One of the best things about Preying Mantis is how the low kicks neutralize the height/reach advantage. But alas, they are not legal in point, which is a good thing. I certainly don't want somebody with dubious control, or too much adrenyline kicking at my leg.

I enjoyed sanshou when I did it (throws allowed, which totally changes the dynamic,) but as I mentioned in an earlier post, I am currently a lard-ass and I'm going nowhere near a ring if I'm not totaly sure I can't make it through 3 fights without running out of gas.

Soft Helmets have been mandatory at every tournament I've ever been at, except in Pankration and maybe WKC (kickboxing). We have knicknamed it the "flail division." since it's full of "tough" guys high on testosterone, but it is a Semi-contact divison, which is supposed to mean that if you knock the other guy out or make him bleed, you lose. Usually, it's full of guys that wail at each other, ignoring the warnings until the officials give up. Almost always, the most agressive wins, whether or not the agression was effective. Effective counterfighting is ignored. And the danger is that if you hit a guy 8 times in a controlled manner, and he clocks you the one time something gets through, then that hinders your ability to fight, and then he will climb all over you and try to kill you. And these guys don't seem to understand that the first 8 controlled hits would have taken them down.

I should get training and enter that a few more times (haven't in years). It is a great way to experience what a fight probably is close to: some idiot trying to kill you with no regard for their own safety. I've generally learned a ton in this division, but wouldn't want to make a habit of it.

Okay, I really should go do some work. Apparently I'm up on my high horse, and that's a good sign that I'm avoiding work.

If I can figure how to link to our tournament info, I'll log back on.

Here is is:

http://www.mantiskungfu.com/TigerBalmInter...ernationals.htm

Our club website is www.mantiskungfu.com

Me again. TDK Mike, just watched your club video. Great piece of work!

Thanks for the positive comments on our video, Chuck. I can't really take credit, other than being a featured student; they filmed it just before, during and after my first dan so I appear in various belt ranks. One of our students who has since moved to Denver is responsible for that wonderful piece of editing and flattery. I do like the way it portrays our club.
On the subject of sparring and guys flailing away at each other - Friday night at Stanford I had to stop two (much taller than myself) black belt competitors who decided to ignore my calls to break in favor of losing their cool. I gave them both one full deduction point and a verbal chastisement before starting them back up. Subtlety is very much a lost art when it comes to most forms of sparring. Triangle has started to use an amalgamation of rules which combines Olympic-style, point-style and IAGLMA rules; it even allows for controlled sweeps and ground defense for senior divisions.

Oh yeah, I'll also put the word out about your tournament in Vancouver.

Very impressive video Mike...and thanks Chuck for the link to your webpage, and the upcoming Tournament.

So as I was perusing thorugh your webpage Chuck...i saw some pics of some seriously nice looking guys....so which one were you?

Okay I need to get some work done, I have a class tonight, and after that a buddy asked me to work MY combinations with him tonight, after class..its going to be a late night....

Seriously nice looking guys? On our website? You sure that wasn't in Mike's video? Okay, there is one there... Cute Steve screaming in semi-mock pain. (He's about 9 years older now, but still cute) I'm none of them. I don't think there's any martial arts pics of me on the internet...

Yes, why are there not more gay guys in martial arts? I mean really, where else do cute straight guys line up to wrassle you? Big selling point if you ask me...

Actually it was a link from the side menu of your clubs webpage..the tactical/actor(??) link, so maybe they're not part of your club per se.

I posted a question on a forum board a while back, Baically my question was.."would you train with a Gay MA....?" The responses ranged from,

"Yes without a problem, I am there to learn and to be a better MA/Person"...to "No way in hell, they probably have HIV..." I would direct you to the link, but mysteriously the question was taken off the forum board.

I did not pursue the thread being deleted, I just figured that the moderators, didn't want the thread to turn into a flame war, which is often the case when a question like that is post on a public forum board.

[ February 25, 2005, 07:36 AM: Message edited by: rickinto ]

Too bad about your question on the other board being deleted. You're probably right about the flame war -- cencorship through delicacy. Or the host didn't want to facilitate hateful comments, or....?

If Outsports closed threads due to flame wars, there wouldn't be a Gay Sports Movement thread, nor the 40 pages on the schism on the 2 games.

On the topic of boards, do you have favorite MA boards? So far I haven't found any worth reading. I know they're out there...

I am on Karateforums, a few times a month, just to read some of the discussions.

Hey Kids! I'm Jay, and I'm actually from the same school as TKD Mike, which is Triangle TaeKwon Do in San Francisco.

Glad to find a message board for martial artists. Perhaps we should rally for our own category?

I'm planning to go to Chicago in 2006 if I can sucessfully recover from the ACL reconstruction I went through a month ago. If not, I'll go and support the rest of my collegues who will be attending from our school.

Do you watch the Ultimate Fighter on SpikeTV? Great show about guys competing to be in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Found out one of the guys will be on TV in Chicago. I got this from an MMA message board. Check this out:


"Want to let everyone in the Chicago area know Stephan Bonnar will appear live on CLTV News Saturday night, February 26, 2005.
Stephan will appear on "Sportspage Live at 9". The show is CLTV's one-hour sports call-in show airing nightly at 9:00 p.m. Stephan's interview will take place in the second half-hour of the show. He should be on set at about 9:40ish at night. We'll have him up for two segments. He'll be there to promote TUF and the sport of MMA. YOu can call in and ask him a question! The number is (630) 575-8255. It's a rare opportunity to ask one of the TUF cast members a question live. Please watch and call to show your support. Should be fun!

I'm really trying to help get TUF and MMA get some positive mainstream coverage. It'll be great to get good questions on the air. This is an excellent opportunity to let all the "Big 4" sports fans learn how exciting MMA is.

CLTV is the Tribune-owned 24-hour cable news station covering the Chicagoland area. Unfortunately it is only available to viewers with Comcast Cable. If you are on a different cable provider or use satellite TV you won't be able to tune into CLTV. Good reason to find someplace that does carry it."

I'm going to call, I want to talk to him.

too bad I read your post after the fact, shooter -- how'd it go? Did they take your call?
A big "hi" to Jay - we're going to encourage our entire membership (which is about 35-40 active) to join - we'll let you know how it goes. You know queers. We want to please our peers so we say yes...
We had a busy weekend with a gup (color belt)promotion test and a weapons seminar. I had so much fun with that...escrima sticks; nunchuku; bokken; staff and knife. A lot of stuff to take in eek! Apparently I'm still a little wound up by the hour of this post. Hope you are all having fun.

Hey Shooter, hope that you got to ask your questions, and or make your comments. I do watch the Ultimat Fighter, I mean I like the fighting, and half the time the athletes are shirtless, who wouldn't want to watch the Ultimate fighter.

Jay, I hope that your knee is on the mend.

TKDMike...congratulations to all those in your Dootang(Sp?)with the promotions.

Chuck...I did Kata this weekend, I think my performance was good, I recieved two scores in the 7.0 range, and although I did not win the kata, or come close I am happy with the improved scores.

[ February 27, 2005, 06:06 PM: Message edited by: rickinto ]

Yay, new posters!

Rick, was the Kata at the tournament you've been training for?

Jay, I had my ACL fixed about 10 years ago. It was bad before: I'd fall right off my leg. UHG! Anyway, it was a long recovery then (they told me to expect 5 months, and I had this serious leg brace...) It was totally the right thing to do. I have 98% back on it. I don't even think about doing spinning kicks off it. Yeah, the down time is annoying but DON'T RUSH IT!!!!! AND DO YOUR PHYSIO!!!!!! In the meantime there's always things you can do like stand in the mirror and do escrima exercises.... Sorry, I'm preaching. But I'm so grateful to have my leg back! I'd say that unless you screw it up again, there should be no reason why you couldn't compete in Chicago.

OK. Now. HOW CAN YOU GUYS WATCH ULTIMATE FIGHTER? I watched two. I really did, and I agree about the beef factor, but.... They're all such loudmouthed boneheads. Arrogant beyond belief and dumb as posts... I saw the one where the guy was 20lbs overweight at the weigh-in. 20 lbs! No legit contender comes in at 20 lbs overweight (Yes, I know the guy did win.) The guy was in the wrong division and shouldn't have been there at all. Sure, taking the weight off made for some real "Spike TV" television, but the whole thing was just stupid. And the next one was where the fight was about 20 sec. before it ended in a submission. I suffered through an hour of trash-talking and blather for a 20 second fight? Nope. Just can't do it....

Hey Chuck....great to see new posters, and MA posters to boot.

The tourney was fun, and yes I worked hard at the kata, that I did, but so does every competitor out there, right? Although I love practicing and perfecting my katas, when competition rolls around, there are many, many good Karate Kata performers out there.

I think, and this is just my opinion, that a lot of people(judges)like seeing kata, from a particular style, low stance, power in every technique, a Karateka, in a less "aggressive" style, may not score as well. (again just my opinion. Please do not read this as an excuse, cause like I said I am happy, with my scores.)

So maybe I will compete at the Games next year...I will be intermediate still, and although I won't know my weight class, I am hoping it won't be heavyweight...LOL Those guys are brutal....at this tourney, a couple of them looked like street fighters, with karate gis on. I saw 2-3 matches that the opponent won, because of fouls. :confused:

As for watching the Ultimate fighter.....I figure editing had a lot to do with making them sound like A-holes 24-7, but if I get tired of hearing them, I turn down the sound, and just put on some cheesy 70's style music, and add my own soundtrack.....its just like watching softcore porn...lol

[ March 01, 2005, 04:51 AM: Message edited by: rickinto ]

Hey thanks for the nice words about the knee. It's a little frustrating not being able to participate in class, but I know there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I had the same surgery done on my other knee 2 years ago and I fully recovered from that, so I have high hopes! I'm doing my therapy religiously, so hopefully I'll be doing spinning jump kicks soon. I'm determined to compete in Chicago in 2006.

Hey all of you Vancouver guys - I'm planning a motorcycle journey from SF to Vancouver this summer. Perhaps we could all get together for a drink or something once I'm there. I haven't worked out all of the details yet about the dates, but I'm looking at going around the 4th of July since we have a long weekend.

Damn, Now I have to go out to Vancouver!!!!! wink

The MORE the merrier!

Thanks Jay....hey I hope that your knee is doing good.....I just read the journal you kept.....and I gotta tell you, the pics, had me wincing a little... eek!

I have never had this type of injury, and knock on wood, I hope not to have it.

Damn, with all these MA going to Chicago...I may have to shell out the $USD to go there.

yeah, aren't those attractive? I should really update that journal - I'm 4 weeks in and haven't updated for many days.

It does look like Chicago should be a lot of fun!
I'm planning on registering when I get my bonus on the 15th. That way it will be a done deal and I'll have to go

Hey TDKJay, I'd love to have a drink w/ you in Vanc. Long time away, though. There was something on the other board about an IAGLMA seminar around SF on the memorial day weekend. Anybody know about it? It's cheap to go Vanc/SF. (Honest to God, the IAGLMA website needs a little help...The posted expectation of having the website revamped in June is refering to Last June! )

Over on the Gay Sports Movement board, Schism thread, there is info that Montreal will be offering rooms at the Universities for $60 cdn (about $48 U.S.) Chicago is supposed to be doing similar. I spent 6 wks at the Universite de Montreal, and it's right on the subway line and accessible.

That sounds cool and cheap...I may have to call in favours if I go to Chicago ......Thus, I would more then likely stay on the Indiana side about 40 minutes from Chicago. If I go to Montreal, I can probably squeeze in a hotel room with some swim buddies.....

Now about those drinks, all I have to say is...Damn, why can't people make trips to Toronto... :mad: wink

[ March 02, 2005, 01:37 PM: Message edited by: rickinto ]

Chuck - the event in SF is indeed happening on Memorial Day Weekend. It's called "Get Ready for the Games" Here is a brief description:

"A weekend full of seminars, social events, and a mini-tournament opportunity for martial artists, in preparation for the 2006 Gay Games VII in Chicago."

It's going to be at the Glen Park Rec Center right in SF. It doesn't look like IAGLMA has put it up on their site yet. It's on our clubs calendar (which I maintain) and will add more details as I get them.

I could probably host one or two people that weekend if folks needed a place to stay. I'd have to clear it with the rommie first, though. We have an extra room (without a bed, however) and a comfortable couch.

Just to add to what Jay was saying about the IAGLMA event here on Memorial Day weekend...there is also going to be an exhibit at the Gay/Lesbian Historical Society called "The Sporting Life" that should prove to be interesting...we're working on having a cocktail party/meet and greet there sometime during that weekend; I know that the some of the other sports orgs here in SF will also be hosting events during that exhibit. We'll keep you all informed as we get the info.