Lessons learned

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has emailed or directly posted to this blog.

Please keep on sending your comments and views, they're much appreciated!

Finally, if you would like to contact via twitter (motivational quotes and much more) then follow me @goodkuzushi

Thanks once again!

Mike

Thought: “It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.” Vince Lombardi

Following on from my previous blog entry, I came to judo for two reasons:

1. To get fit
2. To learn some self defence

After one year of judo, I've got closer to my goals and there's been so much more besides.

Nine times down, ten times right back up again...

Judo is a contact sport and it's also a martial art.

That being said, it's also very safe.

In the couple of clubs I have trained with, each one has rigorously enforced safety procedures.

Unfortunately injuries can happen, as in all sports.

But for every knock or bruise I have had, it's also been a very real learning experience.

This experience has ranged from stretched tendons that taught me not to take a warm up session too lightly (despite it being a fun warm up session).

Strained abductors / adductors taught me to rest after injury and to work a body part in the gym that I didn't work enough (legs).

And a sore wrist has made me consider building my wrists and my grip strategy.

Getting to grips with complexity (part 2)

I wrote previously about just how much there is to learn.

From the standard throws / holds (as if that's not enough) and their variations to the counters, escapes, combinations and more besides.

Well I probably simplified things.

I have an inkling that grip strategy, breaking balance and a full range of tiny, intangible yet ever so important things could also have a huge impact on whether or not things work and work well.

Then to add to these levels of complexity the fact that judo has to be executed instinctively, efficiently and under pressure in practice or competition.

If it gets more complicated than this, please don't let me know right now.

I've already got enough to do just trying simple judo and getting that right ;-)

The complicated stuff can wait until the basics work themselves out!

If at first you don't succeed...

1. Not getting the throw right the 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd or nth time and still trying to throw.
2. Getting right back up, throw after throw.
3. Getting back to judo after an injury.
4. Trying to make the throw work when a training partner or opponent is trying to do the same.
5. Trying to make ANY hold or throw work when I just want to stop and breathe again!
6. Trying to teach a white belt a throw, he can't 'get it' and yet still persisting (thank you by the way for persisting!)

I could add other items to this list, but in spite of, or perhaps because of these difficulties, judo builds patience and focus.

How could it not?

When all is said and done, judo has brought me greater fitness and still does.

It has also shown me some very useful techniques.

And then, judo has frustrated me to the point that I actively want to improve physically and in my day-to-day approach.

I don't think I could ask any more from 'the gentle way'.

But if there is any more, please keep this 'under your hats' too..

The journey's been fun (and frustrating) so far and I can't wait to find out for myself what's next...

That's all for now and I look forward to hearing from you with your experience of judo and all things associated.

Bye for now,

Mike