I just really love Judo in Journal

Possibly, because it’s difficult. Possibly, because it’s a mutual sport; you can’t do Judo by yourself. (lol) Possibly because I’m good at it.

One of the most deeply satisfying feelings in the world; when you execute a technique beautifully and Uke creates that deep resounding thud upon hitting the mat. You just can’t help but smile.
Judo is more than just winning, however. Sure, being Tori is great; you get to throw people down, choke them, lock them, armbar them into submission >D BUT. You also quickly learn your own limitations when the same is done to you. You learn that some Judokas are good to play with, and others are not; you learn to be a good Uke for those that play well. Mutual benefit and welfare not just for this round, but for many rounds spanning the entire career of all who wish to play. The better you are to your partners, the more partners you will have, the better and more diverse your skill set becomes. There is perhaps no greater compliment than being told you’re a good Uke.

Yesterday, one of my Judo Club members, and friend, tested for her next belt, yonkyu, or blue belt. With me being a gokyu (one rank lower), she was still ecstatic that I could be there to be her test partner (because again, impossible to do Judo alone, lol). The test is pretty straightforward; the testers call out techniques to be executed and they evaluate your form, fitness, knowledge, skill, control, and proficiency. So it really is like a dance because, to be a good Uke one has to simultaneously know how to execute the technique and how to receive it. In effect, to test one Judoka is also to test their chosen partner, and why choosing a good partner is vital to your own growth and success.

One week during the winter my friend came from Canada to visit for a week and, rather than miss Judo practice (never!), she elected to come with and watch. Afterwards, she told me “Michelle, you’re the only person smiling the whole time! It looks like a lot of fun…” After which she then became interested in finding a Dojo in her own town. :)

I’ve done a ton of sports in my life. If they weren’t physically demanding, I was never terribly interested. I danced competitively (you name it, I did it), I played soccer for over a decade- yes, soccer is a contact sport as some might not believe- actually did karate for about half a decade, still ride/train horses and competed in various equestrian events, and in college, played roller derby.

Of all these sports, Judo seems to me to be the least dangerous, and very physically sustainable. I can attest to the fact from having almost died a few times that horseback riding is indeed the most dangerous sport in the world- at least the most deadly. But disability is a common side effect as well. Soccer gave me a few concussions, torn ligaments and an ever present ache in my right thigh. Dance, well… ballet is performed only by young women for a reason. It will burn you out in less than a decade, if you’re lucky. Karate was… kind of boring tbh. Endless rounds of punching and kicking… meh. and roller derby f’cked up my knees for life.

Judo and BJJ (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) are the sport of choice for most upper income bracket professionals- doctors, lawyers, hard scientists and engineers. Probably because a hard left brained approach and an understanding of physics makes one a superior Judoka. But also because Judo is beneficial to complex processing, requires a high level of fitness, and increases ones bone density and muscle mass in the later years.

Judo simply culminates into a perfect combination of physicality, cooperation, competition, grace, rhythm, technique, and just plain old badassery.

Cool thing about Judo; I, as a woman, can easily disable and overcome men twice or three times my size (assuming they aren’t also Judokas). So the level of confidence and general self discipline one gains after achieving some proficiency is generally incredibly rewarding.