October 12, 2014
So since I have this leg injury, I cannot do much of the judo practice. But that doesn't stop me from doing some weight training during that time. At least when we are allowed to...
You see, in Japan, well Tokai at least, one of the seniors, on behalf of all those injured, has to go ask for the head sensei's (teacher) permission to let us do weight training. At first, I didn't understand, but I was explained that for the Japanese, weight-training doesn't have the same importance as it does for us in Canada. For them, watching others fight and learning from that can be just as beneficial if not more.
When we are allowed to go downstairs, I join the group, put on a shirt, and head to the small weights area underneath the club. Usually it's not too packed so I can walk around, grabbing what I need, and do my own thing. Since I don't have anyone else looking after me, I try to remember some of the exercises Barb (my trainer) had me doing back in Canada. I usually end up doing the same thing, due to the limited amount of benches, weights and machines. There is another gym on campus where we train sometimes during the morning trainings, but to go there from the club would take too much time. Besides, I still want to be part of the group. So I usually do small exercises here and there.
Today, I managed to do some pulling uchikomis with the ropes that I brought from Canada. It caught the attention of a few of those around me. See in Japan, they have many judokas that are willing to do uchikomi and who are just as serious about winning and training. Therefore, they don't need ropes. But in Canada, especially in Manitoba, it's a much more lonely path. One has to find different ways to compensate for the lack of training partners.
Now with this in mind, I think I found one of the reasons why Japan does so well in this sport. Of course, it runs through the school system and they have huge amounts of sponsorships, but I don't believe that's the only reason. See, being part of the club, I get to stand, practice and fight with world & Olympic champions. I get to see how they are as people. And guess what? They are people! I couldn't believe it. I had watched many of them on YouTube and on the Internet during tournaments and interviews and so on, and every time, they seem soo serious. They seem like they are just going to kill you, and train like a beast, and eat, breathe, sleep judo. Of course they train hard, but they also laugh, joke around, talk to many of the club members and they smile. Sometimes they are lazy too.
But that's one thing I didn't have in Canada: I didn't have fun during practice. See these guys live together, they do pretty much everything together, so they know each other very well and they enjoy being together. Back in Manitoba, I have very few partners, even fewer who are seriously motivated, and only my sister really understands my lifestyle since she had a very similar one. It is very hard to stay motivated in those circumstances, no matter how much you like judo. Enjoying what you do can greatly improve your performance, and the support of others only helps you push yourself even more.
Two days ago, I had the chance to see the elite team perform a circuit training. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. Everyone was pushing themselves to the max, of course, everyone was screaming, but really what hit me the most is that they did it as one, cheering each other on. You could feel the pride of Tokai within them and their will to win. I'm glad I got to see it.
Now I'm not saying that getting injured was a good thing, but it has allowed me to experience things I never would have otherwise. Heck, I even made a really good friend because of it. Although I hate being looked down upon by the coaches and senseis, I think I can really benefit from this.
As my father would say: "With every crisis comes opportunity."
(The elite team performing a circuit training.)
(A short clip of their circuit. I love the energy. Sorry for the bad quality.)
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