Shiai

I started writing this post as I was supposed to be competing on Sunday. Unfortunately I received a phone call last night from one of the organisers who informed that due to low numbers the senior’s event would be cancelled. This is very frustrating as I am in good shape and injury free. I had also managed to keep below 90kg and was looking forward to competing for the first time in the -90kg division, especially as I am currently 89kg and therefore likely to be the biggest in my class. My gym work has gone up a notch for the last couple of months with me doing 4 sessions a week of weighted circuits. Add to that one boxing class and two judo sessions and the result is probably the fittest I have been in quite a while.

Of course there is a flip side to not competing on Sunday and that was the takeaway curry that I ordered almost immediately after my phone call with the tournament organisers and the half tub of Ben & Jerry’s Fish food that I forced down afterwards. Not surprisingly I weighed in at 90.5kg the following morning.

Anyway back to the original point of my post which was more to do with why one should compete. I read the below on the Judo forum recently and thought it was spot on, so I thought I’d share it.

“Shiai cannot be stressed enough as a key and vital element of judo. It can also not be stressed enough that shiai is not the whole subject of judo but one of its tiniest parts. Shiai is where we take our practice and put that theory to the test. Not only is ones technique tested in shiai it’s the place where the greatest character changing opportunities are offered by the practice of kodokan Judo. Ultimately in facing a partner in shiai we are facing up to our own fears, insecurities and self doubts. It’s a time to test our character and providing we enter shiai with the correct mindset shiai is the fire where we forge the character that makes a judoka what he can be.”

Daniel Larusso certainly faced up to his fears and insecurities and in the process earned the respect of John Lawrence of the Cobra Kai's. (yes I know it's Karate and not Judo btw)

The British public will never forget this touching moment when Gemma Gibbons guaranteed her place in the Olympic final