Bow to Your Sensei!

It's been on my mind for some time now to start a Judo-focused blog.

The first martial art I ever tried was Judo. At a young age, after checking out some books on the subject from the local library, I spent several weeks inducting my younger brothers and sisters into my one man Judo club, often as they crossed the yard, looking for other things to do. My invitation to them was usually unexpected, always impossible to decline, and invariably involved them playing the role of uke. Shockingly, my little club wasn't popular and didn't last long.

Later, I tried other things - wrestling in elementary school and junior high, Tae Kwon Do in high school, and Tai Chi for several years in my mid-thirties - before returning again to Judo. Once again, I'm in it with my family, but this time, of their own free will and choice. Each Tuesday, I participate in a local club with my son and two of my three daughters. It's great fun and a great way to exercise as a family.

While there are disadvantages to getting started again in Judo later in life (think "younger, stronger opponents" and "older, weaker body"), there is one advantage: thanks to my age, I'm already a "master". Never mind that, in my case, I'm only a green belt with about a year and a half of experience. In Judo, if you're over thirty, you're considered a master.

As a master, I want to use this blog to dispense some of my wisdom. So, what will that look like?

Since getting started in Judo again, I've realized I'm not that great at it. Wait a minute, now, you must be asking yourself, if you're not so great at Judo, why should I listen to you? Let me tell you - I've found that the people who struggle the most to learn something are often the best teachers precisely because of what they learn through their struggle. As someone who struggles a lot, I hope to pass on to you what I'm learning. To that end, each week, I'll hunt down, think up, or make up tools, tips, and drills to help improve my technique. As I do, I'll document what I'm doing and what I learn from it. Where something actually helps me improve, I'll let you know and where it doesn't, I'll do the same. Along the way, I hope you'll comment if you find something I share helpful or if you have your own tips to share.

So, with that, let's get started.