Ainsley Walters, Freelance Writer

GEORGE McFarlane, father of Jamaica's World Seido Champion, Bruce McFarlane, has been summoned by Jamaica's Combined Martial Arts Team to prepare a special three-man unit to compete in the sparring section of the US Open World Championship in July.

The Combined Team will also field a six-man squad, which will participate in the World Continental Team Fighting Championship under the guidance of coach Claude Chin.

Both tournaments will be staged at the ABC Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Florida where Jamaica will be trying to win both titles.

The World Continental squad comprises Combined Team captain Jason McKay, Arthur Barrows,Dwayne Brown, Sean Cummings, Kenneth Edwards and microweight Alrick Wanliss.

Vast experience

McFarlane, a local martial arts icon for the past two decades, has vast experience in competing overseas, having also won the World Seido Championship.

Among the fighters he will start training at the end of this month is his son, Bruce, a Combined Team regular, in addition to Omar Rose and Kenneth Edwards. Rose is a former middleweight world champion and Edwards is a superstar on the local karate scene.

Edwards, a versatile fighter and key member of the Combined Team, will also compete in continuous fighting for the Continental Team Fighting Championship due to his versatility.

McKay says he has high hopes for both teams and described McFarlane as ideal for the job.

"He is Jamaica's most successful point fighter ever," he said.

Up to the task

McFarlane said he is up to the task. "My son is here with me in Mandeville, but the others will be coming in for a series of weekends, starting at the end of this month," he explained.

"It will be a point contact championship, which will be based on speed, accuracy, agility and fitness," he added.

"They need to be moving quickly, able to think fast and not lose their composure. They will have to be way better than who's there to win," the veteran fighter pointed out.

McFarlane said the Combined Team has a lot of experience, but the US Open will be tough.

"They have fought in several different tournaments so it is nothing alien to them, but in the US Open you will be meeting the best of the best, guys with vast experience in tournament fighting," he said. "You may be better than them but experience counts. You're talking about guys who fight tournaments every weekend," he added.