My second return to the WKA North American tournament in 2010 didn't turn out as successful as it did in 2009. I originally had gotten the bye in a three man bracket because of my previous year's championship. However, thanks to a late entry, the 3-man bracket turned into 4, and I got an opportunity at a having two fights to win the championship belt.
My first fight in the ring felt more like an exhibition. I spent three rounds chasing my opponent around the ring, occasionally corralling him to the point where we would clinch up. I found his clinch surprising with his ability to reverse my reversals every time I was up against the ropes. My ability to track an elusive opponent is improving, but the fight still highlights some of my weaknesses in gauging range and timing in and out of the clinch.
My second fight is rough right from the beginning. The moment I feel the first set of punches land, I know that his power isn't a joke, but I went into this fight wanting to avoid the clinch and stand out and bang. In fact, his power seemed to excite me a little bit that I was gonna get a real good battle. However as I pushed forward against the opponent, I quickly realized that what I was throwing at him wasn't working, but he was reading me like a book and landing shots like I was standing still. I'm proud to have stood through the battle, now I just gotta start practicing tucking my chin a little bit more.
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