Leaving 2020 & Looking Ahead to an Anniversary Year

It hasn’t been the easiest year.

But you don’t need me to tell you that. Everyone’s had a tough time. It’s been no 1347 or 1919, but still… no walk in the park. Literally. No walks in the park. Hey, social distancing has its benefits, sure. But it can atrophy the body and wither the spirit. A Zoom call works in a pinch, but when I crack a joke, I want to hear the laughs. The real laughs. Digitally transferred laughter just doesn’t have that same ring to it, you know? And high-fives go a long way. Just sayin’.  And I won’t presume to think how it's been on your side of all this uncertainty. I don’t have students to miss, let alone retention to worry about in all of this. And when a student finally hits that goal, crushes that challenge, I bet a high-five goes just as far for them as it does for me.

We’ve all had to find 2020 solutions to these 2020 problems. But that’s how tough times work. You get through them. And at some point, that’s it. You’re through. You made it. Most people struggle, and many people break. They give up. They lose their grind.

But not you, my friends. It wasn’t easy, but you didn’t give up. You kept grinding. Proud of you.

So what now?

I suppose I got on with it then. I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that the SuperShow coming up is its 20th anniversary—how time flies. 2021 is just around the corner. With it comes a lot of weight: the 20th show, post-2020, post-Covid-19 (it had better be). It has never been a better time for the world’s largest martial arts connection. And that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Connection. It has never been a better time to reestablish your place in the martial arts industry. Reassess your vision. Refocus on your future. Hell, it’s never been a better time to just have a party with like-minded, kindred spirits. And, the SuperShow Opening Night is the largest martial arts industry party on the planet. Especially for its 20th Anniversary!

And what a party it will be!

For the first time ever, the SuperShow will be opening its singular gathering of the best and brightest martial arts industry specialists with a… well, “party” doesn’t do it justice. We will be in the very heart of Las Vegas, and at its center the brand new Caesars Forum will tower over the festivities. Upon its reopening, The Omnia Nightclub will be a sight to behold. Inside Caesars Palace, the tri-level club is so decadent that even the hedonists of ancient Rome would think it's a bit over-the-top. It is, afterall, the “best nightclub in Vegas¹.” 

But bacchanalian delights are not the only draw, no! After the party of the millennium has concluded (and foolish hangovers have been thoroughly nursed) the real work and fun begins. Exhibitors demonstrating the best techniques in the business, professional lectures, and new discoveries will fill the days; the nights… more of those delights—the Linq Promenade, Vegas’s shows and casinos, and a cornucopia of restaurants will all be within reach. There’s a Taco Bell that serves tequila out of a glass boot. What luxury! It also features a nearby indoor wedding chapel, which is no coincidence I am sure.

Among the many celebrations and (non-matrimonial) connections happening at this most anticipated event, we will also be presenting Cynthia Rothrock with the Lifetime Achievement Award. As you undoubtedly know, this is no participation trophy. This is arguably (well… anything is arguable these days...) the most important kind of award anyone could ever receive for anything. Ever. To recognize the culmination of a life’s work (so far, of course!) is something that never fails to inspire.  The SuperShow has bestowed this award on some of the most prestigious figures in its past 19 years, and  no better representation of pushing boundaries and smashing barriers could have been found for the 20th. We are proud to honor her.

Like Cynthia Rothrock, we all have new boundaries and strange barriers that we never could have anticipated ahead of us. And in the new frontier of the Martial Arts Industry (digital or otherwise), now is the perfect moment to hear from and share knowledge with the best in the business—including the honored guest herself! Everyone has developed new tricks of the trade. Everyone has new insights. Of course they’re new! We’re living (and working!) in unprecedented times. And we can’t work by just sitting around! We need to learn by doing. Join us. Get out there. Tear it up. And don’t forget to have a good time doing it.

¹ trust me on this one. It’s crazy.