Judo: A Pleasant Change In Life

To say that Judo is a way of life would be the understatement. Judo has not only helped me mature physically, but also mentally and emotionally. Coming into the dojo at IJC Martial Arts my first thoughts were, “What can I hope to achieve with the practice of such a demanding martial art? What can I hope to gain, and would this type of sport be beneficial for me as an individual in the long term?” In retrospect, it wasn’t until after my first competition that I had realized that slowly but surely Judo had begun to hone me into the person that I am today and had created a passion for learning and studying its style.

To most beginners, Judo is an Olympic contact-sport whose focus is for two contenders to throw, pin, or submit the opponent. However, once one begins to ask questions about why such a practice takes place or what one hopes to achieve by accomplishing such a feat, then they begin to understand the true purpose of Judo. 

Consequently, what distinguishes Judo from other sports is the amount of time, dedication, and commitment that one is willing to put in to truly grow beyond the sport. Rather than aiming at prizes and awards, Judo focuses on how one evolves as a person, thus its name Ju-Do (the way). Furthermore, every session of training is a series of personal tests that builds mental endurance and sheer discipline that can later be used to relieve pressure in real life situations and encourage clearer thinking.

Throughout my experience, I had realized that Judo is not just a sport to be practiced, but also a knowledge base from which an individual can reuse and repurpose Judo’s teachings into life. Starting Judo, my only focus was to train. After training for months, I had wanted to employ my skills in tournaments and decided to attend my first competition. I hadn’t expected much, yet to my pleasant surprise I had been placed first. That day I remember being so ecstatic that I had called every member of my family to proclaim how proud I was of earning my first trophy. In essence, that competition had changed me. Naturally, I had begun to understand that commitment and a desire to learn unlock not only room for personal improvement and character development, but also traits of yourself that you never really knew you had. After that tournament, I had listened closer to what my sensei was saying, had more interest as to what the art was about, and had developed an eager desire to learn more day by day.

Ultimately, someone recently suggested, “Always leave the mat hungry… Try to learn this grip…Try to learn that throw”. Remembering it vividly, I had discovered that in a sense, life offers more than what one perceives it to be… that life, like judo, offers many opportunities where all we as people of passion must do is stand up and grasp it. 

Conclusively, the art of Judo is an investment in yourself. Though it may feel unnecessary at times to dedicate yourself to a sport as demanding as this, one must always remember that his or her sacrifices lead to an immense amount of increased endurance, tolerance, and immeasurable discipline. Thus, though I have yet to learn a lot, I am excited for what the future holds in store for me and thankful to the world of Judo for providing me with the eye-opening experiences that have transformed my life and character into the person that I am surely becoming.