I\u2019m competing in a small, local judo tournament this morning. It\u2019s a monthly \u201cshiai,\u201d which is traditionally an opportunity for students to get real competition experience in a friendly and supportive environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While I\u2019ve been working out vigorously and even doing \u201crandori\u201d (loosely translated as \u2018free play\u2019), I haven\u2019t actually competed in a very long time. Shiai is very different from randori. Randori is an extension of class. You\u2019re expected to work hard \u2013 but also to support your partner. If they execute a technique well \u2013 and you\u2019re thrown \u2013 the expectation is that you go with it. You bounce back up after a throw and continue to work. In particular, you do not focus all-out on blocking, countering, and cranking your partner into the mat. The key difference here is \u201cpartner\u201d as opposed to \u201copponent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Competition is something else again. For one thing, only a few matches go on at a time, and everyone watches. There\u2019s a referee. Also \u2013 the \u2018one point\u2019 aspect of Judo comes into play. Winning and losing is sudden and complete. A well executed throw simply ends the match.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So it\u2019s time to go pack my full day\u2019s exercise into perhaps 10 minutes. Woo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sometimes it\u2019s useful to go back through the archive<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I took my first judo lesson in late November, 2007.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Looks like the last time I actually competed was in January<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In mid March I got my knee scoped<\/a> (about seven months ago). Apparently that was also the last month in which I brewed beer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n