MCKINLEYVILLE’S ALEX STICK, 61, IS IN PEAK FORM
Resident recognized as No. 1 in Chinese hard forms for those 18+
In all honesty, Alex Stick isn’t really even supposed to be here right now.
Not because he just obtained the No. 1 world ranking in the Men’s 18+ Black Belt Chinese hand forms division of the North American Sport Karate Association despite competing out of remote Humboldt County. Or that he did so at age 61. Or that he accomplished this feat after not competing for more than a decade.
It’s because he nearly gave up on karate. Twice.
“I started out taking some karate classes for years,” said Stick. “I didn’t really like it and dropped out.”
Stick had only started learning karate in his mid-20s at the recommendation of a friend who thought he would enjoy the physical challenges mixed with the deep philosophical approach behind it. But it didn’t take initially. Then Stick gave it another shot, this time with an elite instructor.
“I kind of circled back around a couple of years later and found a really good teacher. A guy named Paul Sun,” said Stick. “He took me under his wing and he was brutal. I mean, he was just absolutely critical, but in a good way.”
Sun didn’t take on just any students. But, as Stick recalled, Sun saw something in him. The discipline laid a solid foundation as Stick became more educated in kung fu and eventually began competing. But again, he stopped.
“I did some NASKA tournaments, didn’t do so well. I ranked maybe one year, way down somewhere,” said Stick. “Again, I took a little hiatus off. I thought that was the end of the road for me.”
He began teaching as the owner and head instructor at Seven Star martial arts in McKinleyville. But he continued to refine his craft and routine. The divisions that Stick competes in, the “forms” as they’re called, is about exemplifying elite technique and precision in addition to a level of creativity. The time away proved to be the perfect preparation for a return to competition.
“Being a little older, being a little calmer, and being a little more efficient,” Stick explained as benefits of that refinement. “So, I’m one of the old guys and I’m still competing against guys in the 18-and-over categories. A lot of these guys are young, they’re doing backflips and all this kind of stuff.”
But for all that flash of the young crowd, it was Stick’s efficiency and experience that led him to the top spot at the Warrior Cup in Chicago, the first major NASKA event of the year. In addition to that victory, Stick also finished in the top three of the divisions for Chinese weapons (broadsword), creative hand forms, and creative weapons forms (nunchaku).
The Warrior Cup is the longest-running martial arts tournament in the United States. It features competitors across multiple different categories, including actual fighting as well as the forms. Many of the competitors are part of sponsored teams, one example being Team Paul Mitchell (yes, after the hair care products). With that level of infrastructure, it can be hard to compete.
And Stick isn’t certain about how many tournaments on the NASKA circuit he’ll ultimately be able to attend this year.
“The next one is next month in LA, so I’ll have to fly out to do that,” said Stick. “So it depends. A lot of that is just simply the financial restrictions and travel, plus I’ve got family stuff going on. I’ve got other responsibilities. So I don’t know how many tournaments I’ll get to this year.”
To have had this moment is special for Stick. And as a steward of the traditional martial arts, he hopes to see the sport continue to grow. In particular, as someone who picked up the sport relatively late, he hopes that more people will get to see the benefits — both in terms of well-being and with a certain degree of self-defense. There is the cliche of older folks doing tai chi, which is obviously not at the level of self defense of mixed martial arts, much less traditional martial arts. But Stick mentioned the practicality of what that precision and focus can provide.
“There’s a certain beauty to that and also a certain effectiveness, that they’re very deceiving,” said Stick. “Get a grab on one of these old guys who’s moving real slow, and you literally can’t get your hands on him. He’s like water, just slips right through your fingers. And before you know it, you’re in some awkward position on the ground.”
It’s that type of utility that makes the modern vision of traditional arts to be the perfect compliment to the rigors of mixed martial arts training. There’s also the simple exercise and rhythm of it.
“I see a real future in the traditional stuff combined with music,” said Stick. “It’s unlimited potential. Because once people get a combination of popular music and the performance, if it’s synchronized and tied in with that, it’s really spectacular. That’s my favorite. In fact, I almost always train with music.”
The variety of music is as wide-ranging as the versatility of traditional martial arts. Stick enjoys classics like the Rolling Stones as well as modern pop like Harry Styles.
While all that potential in the future is an exciting proposition that Stick hopes to see grow, he’s also enjoying the present moment. His experience has been as valuable to getting results as it has been to maintaining a healthy perspective.
“People often complain about the results, but I’ve learned to just brush all that off,” said Stick. “Whatever happens, happens. You did your best.”
Of course, it’s also nice when your best also happens to be the best in the world.