by Miljan Tomic (Judo athlete & Judo Dad) –
Judoka & Judo Dad
As parents whom are actively engaged in sports, we were looking for our children to continue in our foot steps. With our older son Novak, we tried a few sports such as kickboxing, basketball, soccer and baseball however it seemed those sports were not the right fit for him. It was at that time I thought we should give Judo a try. After one year of practice, Novak expressed he did not want to continue judo because he learned all the moves and it became boring for him. In the meantime our younger son Konstantin joined the club, but he was more playful and acting silly at the young age of 5. So I decide to pull Konstantin out temporarily and I joined judo as a last resource to motivate my sons. This was a life-changing decision for me. I was hesitant myself to join because of the toll it was taking on my body after just a few classes and I asked myself it is worth it if I sustained any injuries or pain at my age would it be a problem and interfere with my work and daily life?
And then, Randori day happened. Coming from a striking background myself, and where sparring plays a big roll in my skill development over the years, I was so pumped after the first session of Randori. As a 250lb man, this session got me tossed around like a small child that never had a fight in his life. After so many years of training, boxing, kickboxing, and playing soccer few times per week, Judo left me beat up, all out of breath without an ounce of stamina left in me. It was at that time, an incredible satisfaction was felt in my head and heart. I fell in love with Judo. I felt grateful that in my late thirties I was able to find a sport where I can apply myself wholeheartedly. With great physical and mental commitment to Judo, I would gain incredible knowledge and skill that would benefit me for the rest of my life. Mastering judo techniques has not been an easy feat. Initially, I worked through the soreness and pain. Eventually, all the pain, injuries and soreness went away.
Judo has brought me a feeling of youthfulness I’d long forgotten, and a strength I thought was unachievable. The biggest surprise was the change in my kids. After watching me weekly, Novak began loving Judo. Now, Judo is his go to sport. As for Konstantin, he was eager to come back to Judo and promised he would take it more seriously now that his brother and father were in the sport. It worked out perfectly. Kosta loves Judo so much that he takes two classes back to back, 3 times per week; one before his brother, and one with his brother. Now, all three of us are training and competing in judo. I feel blessed that Judo created such an opportunity in creating lifelong memories. Ultimately, Judo continues to give our family a strong foundation, strengthening our unity, discipline, principles and bonding us closer as a family.
