Two steps forward...

What links ballroom dancing with judo?

It's true that they both should have graceful movement and perfect timing but there's something else I was thinking about.

Have you seen the TV show Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing with the Stars?

On this show, behind all the glamour you will also see people working very hard and occasionally getting hurt, whether it's a blister or something more serious.

So how can judo be linked with ballroom dancing?

Both are safe and low risk activities where accidents can happen and these accidents can hurt.

I bring this subject up as I've been recovering from a stubbed toe this week.

It's not been a terrible injury but it was sore as heck and looked as if I'd jammed it in a car door.

Other than gingerly stepping on the mat and being a bit more cautious than usual, my toe didn't effect things that much. But it got me thinking...

What can we learn from injury?

Having a couple of strains and sprains already, I wouldn't say I'm eminently qualified, but from my own experience and that of other judo players the following springs to mind:

Patience – I took advantage of the recent Christmas holiday break to stop judo and rest as I had been suffering from strain in my abductors / adductors. I stopped from early December to mid January and after the first two weeks it was really irritating! I wanted to get back on the mat. After four weeks I understood that my life on the mat and off it, would be better without this slight injury. After five weeks I was increasing the stretching and yoga exercises. After six weeks I felt great and raring to get back to judo. Patience had paid off.

Exercise – I have been a regular gym user and taken some cardio classes. This has been done with a unclear 'it's good for me' ethos. Now doing judo, I go to gym and cardio with a more realistic purpose. I want to keep healthy for life and for the sport I love. Lifting weights and cardio work is done with judo needs in mind and so are my yoga stretches. It makes gym work that bit easier knowing that I have these end goals in mind.

Appreciation – As I said previously, thankfully my injuries have been relatively slight and I hope they stay that way! Nevertheless, being made aware of how fragile my body is (eg a stubbed toe making my day that bit more painful ) makes me grateful each time I do judo despite some minor aches and pains.

And finally, I have discovered something completely unforeseen...

Encouragement – In the early stages, starting judo at an older age, I was conscious of any possibility of injury. I still am, however after experiencing one or two bumps that have left me very sore, I now have the courage to take things to the next stage. It's as if my worst fear hasn't happened and I have lived to 'fight another day' with a little bit more courage and confidence each time.

I hope that what I've written about makes some sense and have tried, wherever possible to be positive about the lessons we learn from the tough, physical sport of judo.

With this in mind, it would be great to hear from you about what you have learned from any tough times you have experienced in judo be it from injury or anything else. If you could focus on the positive from your experience that would be great!

Look forward to hearing from you soon.

Bye for now.

Mike

Things that make you go grrr...

Thought: 'There is no "i" in team but there is in win.' Michael Jordan.

A simple thing helped me make a lot of progress this week.

Ever since I have been studying judo, learning to do tai otoshi (body drop) effectively has been tough.

In fact, I'm not sure whether judo has helped or hindered me in performing this throw.

I came to judo a year or so ago after studying sub grappling and could do tai otoshi in this class.

Then I start judo and lose the ability to do tai otoshi!

I then spent large amounts of training time trying to relearn it in the judo way.

Believe me, I examined this throw from entry into completion with hands and feet position.

I even did the classic tai otoshi 'throw where the head's looking' and nothing helped me improve.

This throw had become clunky, even difficult for me.

Until this week.

Then, suddenly, after the club coach made a comment about feet position, I got it!

It clicked.

Tai otoshi became natural for me to do and I can't stop spinning around with the footwork (and hand position sometimes too) when no one is looking.

Am I the only one who does that? ;-)

Now I could say that I'm delighted to be able to do tai otoshi (which I am).

However, what's given me even greater pleasure is the fact that I have persisted, in the face of growing frustration, and achieved a key objective.

Despite overwhelming feelings that I would 'never do it'. I have done so.

With this in mind, I would like to hear from you about what has frustrated or caused you problems in your judo.

It would be great to hear people share how they achieved despite circumstances being against them and what they learned from the process.

In this spirit would be grateful if you could focus on issues you personally have had to face rather than judo politics or personalities.

Look forward to hearing from you soon on this.

Till next time.

Mike

PS sending out motivational Twitter quotes from @goodkuzushi.

Oh the irony...

This week, I have a story to tell you then I have a question to ask.

First the story...

A while back, in a groundwork practice session, I had a 'Hollywood' moment.

Why 'Hollywood'?

Well, my training partner and myself were working a move to 'flatten' out an opponent from defensive (turtle) position and ultimately apply a choke.

I was uke and waited for him to drop me to the mat and apply the move.

My training partner started this but he (a strongly built man) dropped me to the mat surprisingly quickly.

The 'Hollywood' moment came as I 'peeled' my nose out of the mat then to be choked in the next part of the move.

It reminded me of the Hollywood stars pressing their feet / hands for posterity in the concrete in the Hollywood Walk of Fame outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre.

Unless I'm mistaken I could say that somewhere in a London judo club there is still an imprint of my nose on the mats!

Although I may exaggerate about the above, this and quite a few other 'moments' I have had in training got me thinking about the origin of the word 'judo'

The question I have is not about the meaning of the word 'judo'.

'Gentle way' is the accepted translation of this word.

No, my focus is not what judo means but WHY is it called 'gentle way'?

I found myself asking that question as I peeled my nose out of that mat.

I've subsequently found myself asking that question on being grabbed, dropped, arm-barred and strangled on quite a few occasions.

Don't get me wrong though, judo is a safe sport and martial art.

But, it is also a very physical activity, which requires energy, courage and MUCH determination in the face of very real obstacles either from opponents or from oneself.

Very occasionally mishaps can happen (my nose in the mat is proof of that), but even when things are working more or less as they should judo requires tenacity in the face of difficulty.

So why, oh why, is it called the 'gentle way'?

Is it Japanese irony or huge understatement?

Even before a judo players engage in throws or groundwork, judo is far from gentle.

Fighting for grip is a case in point.

I realise that taking a correct grip on the gi is a fundamental skill and it's NOT gentle.

Same thing goes for chokes, strangles, arm bars and throws. They aren't gentle either.

And yet...

When I think of the people I have trained with, the most difficult to take on in randori are the judoka who use power and speed at precisely the right moment.

And not a moment before nor after.

They do not use power unnecessarily and have an almost gentle approach until they execute the required throw or move.

Whether it's a foot sweep that comes out of nowhere or an opponent who spins around me very lightly in groundwork, gently hiding intentions until the very last moment seems an efficient way to succeed in judo.

Where an opponent gives little to fight against, he gives little to fight with.

As I believe I have said before, I haven't got much judo experience (just over a year) but I can respond to someone better who gives me an inkling of what they are about to do.

When the throw or groundwork move comes as a complete surprise it leaves me smiling and scratching my head in equal measure!

WHY our sport is called the 'gentle way', also leaves me smiling and scratching my head so if you have an answer to this question please contact me at this blog or goodkuzushi@yahoo.com or via Twitter @goodkuzushi.

I can't wait for the answers!

Till next time.

All the best,

Mike