In addition, my son, Michael, and I have nearly finished our first novel together.  This has been two years in the development and “simmering” process and we decided to take summer break to get it done, so to speak.  Nearly finished and just about ready to send it off to the agent.  Very exciting.  We both have other writing projects we are involved in, but took time away to finish this and it has been one of the most exciting things I have been a part of…period.  Lots of fun!

Not finished with that project, or with personal time I’m taking, so I will talk to you on the flipside.  Take care and enjoy the rest of your summer (if you have any left)!

In the next week or so I will post an update on some new things, including my newest project in the realm of physical training…and it is very exciting.

I will also share about some upcoming martial arts tournaments I will be at and make sure the info gets out.

For now, just trying to keep you in the loop, and I appreciate all your continued support!

Onward and upward!!!

New Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Motion Picture Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, in association with Mirage Studios, 4Kids Entertainment and TMNT Productions, will host an OPEN CASTING CALL for martial arts experts to audition for the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, hitting theaters in 2011.

Get the full scoop at Kickgen.com!

More updates from our “Quest” coming soon…stay tuned!

Doug with Mike Chaturantabut (aka Mike Chat), founder of XMA and popular actor (Blue Power Ranger), and part of his XMA Trick Team at the U.S. Open

Here are some fun pics of people I got to meet and hang out with as well as some more competition pics.  More will come in future posts as I have time.  Right now I am back to preparing for more tournaments and working with a couple of organizations in the Orlando area on the development of martial arts programs for students.  It is very exciting to be able to inspire and give back.  I will be attending and competing at some more NASKA tournaments and competing in several southeast regional tournaments in the coming months as I continue to climb upward in my competition again.

Doug bringing some pain to Michael during the Self Defense demonstration after just taking his weapon away and just prior to slamming him to the ground with it! Yeay, Baby!!!

The Quest continues…

World Champion Kalman Csoka (Weapons), Doug, and Nathaniel at the U.S. Open following Kalman's dominance as a World Champion once again. He is one of my, and Nathaniel's, favorite competitors to watch...this guy makes the double swords miraculous!

None of this would be possible without the help of some key individuals and organizations.

My wife and best friend, Holly, is a never-ending source of encouragement and tough love for me.  Through it all she has stood by my side, and though she hasn’t been training

Michael, Doug, Chuck, Mike just after our Self Defense competition

much since the birth of Nathaniel (gee, I wonder why?), she has pushed me to go further and accomplish more than will ever be publicly known.  I love you Holly and thanks for sticking it out with me…the best is yet to come!

Nathaniel at the Night of Champions..."You wanna piece of me!?"

Nathaniel, my youngest son…well, he’s two years old this week and a ball of non-stop energy.  Every time I come home from training or from working, he is always there to say, “DADDDDYYYYYY!”  As a father, this makes my spirit soar to the highest heights.  I have looked at him every day with hope that he will be proud of his Daddy through all of this…I believe he is.

The rest of my family…my sis, Melanie and her hubby (who wishes he could be like me and their two boys Christopher and Nicolas have cheered me on from across the miles each day.  Holly’s parents here in Otown have been a huge support for which I am eternally grateful, and my parents joining us  for the U.S. Open weekend was a special treat and a huge support.

Doug and Michael performing synchronized forms at the U.S. Open

My training partners Mike Tatum and Chuck Bloom who gave tirelessly of themselves to compete at this level and overcome their own set of challenges along the way.  I thank you both and hold the utmost respect for you in my mind and heart!

Doug hanging out with World Champion Marc Canonizado at the U.S. Open

To all of my friends at Kickgen.com…you are some of the most inspiring and encouraging people on Planet E!  I love hanging out with you online and celebrating in all of our victories together along the way.  Thanks for hanging with me during this “Quest”…and congratulations to all of you who were competing during this time as well.  You all are champions!!!  And GO! Mrs. Lindy Woods as you prepare to receive your Master’s Rank in just a couple of days…prayers and encouragement go with you!

Doug and Coach/Broadcast Partner up on the big screen at the U.S. Open providing some coverage and commentary of the event for Kickgen.com

To Janet Bold and Natalia Moyano at The Bold Look who took care of us in the uniform department.  You made us look sharp and we tell everyone about you.  Bold Look is truly a great place to get your hands on uniforms, gear, and supplies.  Check them out at www.boldlook.net.

Doug with World Champion and World Combat League fighter Ross Levine at the U.S. Open

I am personally certified with Lifeworks CPR in both CPR and First Aid and if you or your organization is needing certification and you are in the Florida, Georgia, Alabama region…these are the guys to call.  Thanks for your support along the way (I actually needed to use my training from you guys at the tournament for an injured fighter…thanks!)  BTW…Lifeworks has also represented me as a coach in MMA and provided corner/ringside assistance for my fighters in the past.  Did I mention to call them?

Nathaniel hanging out with his friend Harry, from BlackBeltPrinciples.com, at the U.S. Open...

To all mi amigos and amigas on Fb and Twitter…thanks for hanging out with me and putting up with my crazy posts.  I appreciate all the love and support you’ve thrown my way and I will defiinitely keep you updated with the new stuff as it happens.

Looking forward to much more WINNING in the months ahead and at next year's U.S. Open!

More news to come in the next few days as to new tournament schedules and upcoming projects…lives are being changed and it is a blast helping to lead the movement!

Nathaniel all dressed up and ready for U.S. Open Night of Champions!

I am setting up right now for tonight’s LIVE Stream Broadcast of the 2009 U.S. Open Night of Champions!  This is so exciting and you are going to LOVE this event.  The Best of the best of the best in the world on tonight’s stage.  Go to www.kickgen.com and click on the Kickgen LIVE tab up top and watch the event streamed LIVE and join in our online chat, watch our interview and hang out with me online during the Super Bowl of Martial Arts…

Earlier today after I finished my event, the main judge walked up to me and said, “You took this division…except for one small foot slip during your form.”    To say the least I was just crazy bummed, but I felt really good about my performance and I know I showed up well.  The competition was soooo razor thin close that a single heel slip (that I didn’t even know about until I later watched the vid) separated me from winning the entire division.

It was a great day and I was honored by my competition, ranked among the tops, and look forward to learning more and moving up and continuing my competition training.

As a matter of fact, Michael and I have mapped out my tournament schedule for the next several months and I am excited to be BACK in tournament competition after being away for so many years.  The U.S. Open has been fabulous!

Fireworks from last night...Happy 4th everyone!

I will post more details and some cools pics over the next couple of days and have a special announcement coming for some new developments that  are sure to be life-changing for many people over the next year.  It is good to be about making a difference in people’s lives!

Medals from today's Self-defense competition. See story below for details. Congratulations Doug, Michael, Chuck, and Mike!

Competition is still going strong at the 2009 U.S. Open World Martial Arts Championships.  We have taken a break after our day’s events and grabbing something to eat, getting some rest, and prepping for tomorrow.  The day started off pretty calm and got a little crazy come event time.

The team synchronized event (for me and Michael) was scheduled at the same time as the Self-Defense competition (the whole team) and we were told to contact a coordinator to make sure our times were not conflicting.  Well, the coordinator said it wouldn’t be a problem because they would not start the events over the top of each other and it would be okay…um…not so sure about that   It ends up, they were calling me and Michael for Self-Defense at the same time we were walking on stage for the team-synch event.  I ended up, like a dipwad, starting on the wrong side of the stage which threw

Father and sons arriving for the U.S. Open this morning (Michael, Nathaniel, and Doug)...Beautiful day in Orlando for the tournament!

Michael off at the beginning with our timing, so we were constantly catching up with each other through our form.  Big lessons learned for us in that type of event, but despite my goof up, we did good and got some great feedback and Michael said we got pretty high scores considering.  I didn’t get to see any as they were yelling at us to go to Self-Defense and pulling us off the stage.  We still don’t know how we placed in that event and Holly is doing some checking with the judges to find out how we did overall.  Michael said what he saw was that the scores were all pretty close, and there were definitely some really good teams that bettered us, but I was proud that we overcame the chaos and stood our ground and kept going.

Bit of a blur...but here is Michael in the forefront throwing down some moves, with Doug mirroring him in the back (the blur is pretty much representative of the entire morning:)

I am really proud of Michael as he is not a big competitor type (if you know Michael, you know he is shy and very artistic and stays pretty much to himself).  He really showed up well and it was a great tribute to our time training together over the past few months.  We have never competed in an event together, so I am really proud of our job together.

The Self-Defense competition went well.  We had some pretty stiff competition from several groups and the scores there were super tight on some things.  We placed 7th overall out of a pretty big division.  That’s right people…7th in the World in Self-Defense in our first year competing at the U.S. Open.  I was really proud of our team, who performed well.  Side note:  I have made friends with the other six teams ahead of us, so we never get into with each other if we bump into one another on the street…wouldn’t be pretty I assure you   We learned a lot about this division as well, which is not as well-publicized but is always a crowd favorite.  Having never seen it before or been a part of it, I learned a lot about taking real life self-defense and presenting in a more dynamic way.

Our Team presenting to the judges during Self-defense event...very proud of everyone on our team!

I got a chance to congratulate the winning team from today who you will see tomorrow night during the Night of Champions.  Really impressive and I can’t wait to see them perform again.

So, after a day of crazy scheduling, running between events just to make it to the ring on time, placing 7th World wide, and getting to compete with my son for the first time ever…I am pretty happy with the experience and am looking forward to tomorrow’s event.

Tomorrow’s event will be against the very best in the world in my division, and I have taken a BIG chance in even challenging them as I have no seeded position in the circuit, so I will have to claw my way up to the top.  This will be no easy climb at all!  I decided, with my coach’s guidance, to do it this way…kinda jump in the big pond from the getgo and take on the big fish!  After all, I’m not here to play ping-pong!

Nathaniel enjoying some pre-tournament fun...with a bo staff in his hand of course! (People better watch out for this one in a few years!)

For now, enjoy the day, get some grub and mentally shift gears for tomorrow morning.

I will update you as soon as I know what is happening for tomorrow!

Happy 4th tomorrow by the way…thanks for all those who give of themselves to deliver and protect our freedom!

Hope to see all of you there.  Details and info in my last two posts as to where I will be over the course of the next couple of days.  I will post as I have opportunity to following competition events.

Thanks again for all your prayers, support, and encouragement!  We do this together!  We do this…NOW!

Mike Tatum, Chuck Bloom, Doug McGannon, Michael McGannon having some fun after training!

Time seems to be moving so fast right now.  We are so close to the U.S. Open now…one week and one day.  Our team is working around the clock on preparations (sometimes, literally).  Overall it has been a good week of training, and going into the weekend I thought I would introduce you to the full competition team,and share a small bit of their stories as well.  Pictured are Mike Tatum, Chuck Bloom, Yours Truly, and Michael McGannon.  Mike, Chuck, and Michael will be assisting me in one event, and Michael and I will be competing together in another event, and then I will compete solo in yet another event.  A lot of people have been asking me if I am competing in any fighting events, and unfortunately the answer is no…this year (but rest assured the events I am competing in are no less grueling and will test every limit I have, just ask my Coach, Lauren Kearney).  Using wisdom, I am going to give myself another year for the fighting events to completely heal and recover physically from past injuries.  Some of my background is in fighting/wrestling/boxing and I do want to step in “the ring” again before I completely step away from competition…but that is for another season.

However, one of our team-mates WILL be fighting, and you bes’ be believin’ we will be there supporting him.  Mike Tatum will be fighting in the Sport Jiu-Jitsu (ISJA) events as well as the NAGA events (check out my interview with the owner of the U.S. Open to learn about these events and some of the other major additions to this year’s Open).  He will be representing his Bunjikan Tenguzake Dojo during those events and we are honored to have him part of the team.  According to Mike, this is somewhat of a new era dawning in his life, and following the U.S. Open he will depart for what is known the Japanese Warrior Culture as “Musha shugyo”…or “The Warrior’s Journey”.  He will embark on his own spiritually and physically demanding quest that will no doubt usher in a very exciting season of his life.  After just earning his Black Belt…he is in for one heckuva ride!  Way to go, Mike!

The Bold Look is our uniform sponsor for the U.S. Open...picture of Doug below in one of his new uniforms!

After our training session today, Chuck turned to me and said, “You know, seven months ago I wouldn’t have been able to do this.”  It was this long ago that Chuck began working to overcome knee injuries.  Chuck has a martial arts background and has known and enjoyed success in competition.  When we were looking for another team-mate to work with, Michael (my son) suggested that he would really enjoy working with us.  I asked Chuck, and he accepted…but was cautious as he hadn’t put much pressure on his knees for a while.  Now he is competing at the U.S. Open World Martial Arts Championships and I must say, he is quite impressive with what he has accomplished and been able to work through.  This is what this Quest is all about…overcoming what has kept us back, and moving to new heights and inspiring people to accomplish their dreams…and, of course, winning !

Chuck has been working with trainers at Orlando Barbell here in O-town to strengthen and regain full use of his knees…and shape up and get strong overall.  Orlando Barbell, run by Brian Schwab, BS, CSCS, is a 24-hour gym offering Personal Training and Sport Specific Training.  Check ‘em out at www.OrlandoBarbell.com.  Thanks a ton to them for assisting Chuck in moving forward strong again, and thanks to Chuck for being such a dynamic addition to this team!

My oldest son, and primary training partner, is overcoming a huge set of obstacles himself…he is dual-enrolled finishing his last year of High School and completing his first two years of college…AT THE SAME FLIPPIN’ TIME!  We are talking full course loads in both schools year-round, so that he can complete them both at the same time before next summer.

Doug sporting his new uniform from The Bold Look. www.BoldLook.net has sponsored Doug and the team with new uniforms so we will look sharp at the U.S. Open. Thanks Bold!!

Michael is a skilled martial artist, but if you know him, you know he is kinda’ shy too so this is a huge stretch for him to compete at this level.  I have given him every opportunity to back out, to which he has responded, “No way…I will be ready.  We are gonna’ do this!”  Couldn’t be more proud, me!  Michael and I are competing in two events together as a tribute and honor to our relationship both as father and son, and as training partners.  He has walked every step of this Quest with me.  I love you, Michael!

Currently, my computer is still in the shop getting a new muffler or something like that. I should be getting it back tonight or in the a.m. sometime…fingers crossed. It has been quite a week without the little bugger. I will have a lot to catch up on when I get it back.

I do have some exciting news about sponsors coming when I can get fully logged on again. This week opened up (apart from the computer problems) with a new addition to the “Quest” Team in the way of a Corporate Sponsor. I will wait for a full announcement so I can do this proper in the next day or so. Very thankful.

Tomorrow is heavy training on self-defense and kata out in the open fields again. I love training outside, but am also getting some indoor stuff going more these days too as the tournament will be inside on matted surfaces. Gotta get the feel of the mats under my toes again so I don’t trip like I nearly did training with Lauren last Sunday.

All in all, it has been a challenging week personally and with training, and then throw the compy issues in and I feel like I’ve been catching my tail all week. Going now to get some reading in and calm my mind for a bit.

I will catch you up on everything soon, as soon they finish with installing the new muffler or whatever these kids call it these days.

Oh, and GO MAGIC! NBA Finals are on and we are gaining momentum… I know it’s not martial arts, but these guys are living their dreams and they are right here in my backyard, so, of course, I’m sharing some love their way!

Still training hard and had a good session with Lauren Kearney in South Florida over the weekend. Lots to work on and think through and adjust…feeling very confident and know that I have much to work toward.

Thanks for your continued support!