Karate and Tokyo Olympics (looks can be deceiving)!

My house is filled with just about every form of Martial Art movie you can imagine with basically a couple of shelves dedicated to Bruce Lee...(Master of Jeet Kune Do). I'm using Lee as a lead in due to his "Globalized" awareness of Martial Arts in general. He proves at times it is not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog. Bruce was 5' 8" tall and 141 lbs. and yet every ounce of muscle and focus made him an icon across disciplines. He had a tragically short life but his impact in pop culture and Martial Arts has spanned decades already.

The Innate Wisdom of Self Discipline and Training stand the test of time...source/ Best Quotes

Karate is set to debut in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and I am thinking that IT IS ABOUT TIME! The United States is putting their hope for the gold in the hands of Texan native, Tom Scott. Scott began the sport, art and discipline under the watchful eye of Sensei Brody Burns, who specializes in the Wado-Ryu form of Karate. The beautiful thing about the entire sport are all the variations that emerge and evolve according to not only changing times but also adapting to cultural needs. I think of Krav Maga and MMA that has become popular not only to watch but also an actual necessity for some military forces. The United States has stiff competition in Tokyo but with Tom Scott having ten U.S. Championships under his belt, America might stand a fighting chance.

6 feet 165 lb. Scott is an American Hopeful in the 2020 Tokyo Olypics/ Getty Images

Let's see a few pictures of the Texas Champ in action...
https://www.teamusa.org/usa-karate/athletes/Tom-Scott# / https://www.teamusa.org/usa-karate/athletes/Tom-Scott#photos

Here is a list of some of the American Gold Hopeful's Accolades to show to the world that perhaps everything from Texas is a bit bigger and bolder. Look Out Tokyo!

Tom Scott ranked number one by WKF, 2015

2015 Pan American Games Gold Medalist

2011 Pan American Games Silver Medalist

2015 Ranked 2nd in World for Karate1 Premier League

World Karate Federation Ranked 3rd in the World

6 Time North American Champion

4 Time PKF Pan American Karate Champion

3 Time Karate1 Premier League Finalist

7 Time USA Open Champion

(Rankings by Team USA) In 2020, there is going to be a shiny medal added to this list if things go according to plan!

As a female who spent years in Martial Arts and understand the risks of extensive training and landing moves just right... I sincerely hope that Tom Scott makes history and takes home the Gold. He is not only an all around excellent and highly motivated athlete but also a role model. In an age where mumble rap and anti-social behavior and narcissism is encouraged it is refreshing to see someone who has their act together and cares about being a positive influence on the next generation.

INSPIRATION "Take notes and study your sport and never waste a tournament. Know what you did well and what you would like to fix coming out of every single event, big or small. Always focus on the aspects that you love and that you want to improve in. If you focus on winning, you will lose. Focus on moving, punching, kicking, and you will find satisfaction." Tom Scott