Having just returned from the Belgian Ladies Open competition in Arlon where I battled my way through 7 bruising matches to finish 5th I am giving my body a day or two of respite although tomorrow I will be back at the gym and judo and preparing for the Austrian Open in two weeks time. Judo is an unforgiving sport at the top competition level, having no set 'season' and an Olympic qualification system that means people are constantly competing for points. Add to that the sheer physicality of the sport and the training demands; add to that the strength in depth (usually) of the competition across the world: well it does take a certain kind of mentality to actually want to compete at that level. I've been doing it for years now, was indoctrinated into the competitive side of the sport as a young child so it's all pretty standard for me. However, outside of that smallish sphere it might seem less comprehensible. Teaching judo to kids I rarely emphasise the winning part of the games we play and don't put too much emphasis on results. Teaching a beginner adult class the emphasis is on efficient movement and technique; judo for judos' sake. Coaching a class of regular competitors, the emphasis is on tactics, gamesmanship and effectiveness in a match. Some people are natural competitors; they have a winning instinct and thrive in a high pressure environment. Other people crumble under the pressure and cannot produce their best. In judo there are lots of very skilful 'randori' players who can throw the best in the world in practice but can't work within the confines of a competition situation. I think I'm somewhere in-between. I don't always have to win at everything and I do believe in taking part for the sake of it. At the same time I don't like to be told 'no' or 'you can't'. So if someone is stopping me getting what I want then I'm gonna fight them! The fighter in me comes out more when the chips are down. I also like the idea of testing myself; putting what I've learnt or trained at to the test. And I think this is where sport and exercise can crossover and co-exist. If people can be encouraged to enjoy learning a sport and see benefits in terms of increasing skill level as well as fitness I.e. test themselves a little, then sport in the traditional sense could appeal to a lot more people. Doing something like judo is really functional and can cover every aspect of health, fitness and well-being. There are plenty of other sports/activities like this and there really is something for everyone.
interesting thoughtful incisive as always love dad
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