“It is wrong to assume Judo ends in the dojo. Judo isn’t what many people think it to be. It is more than a fighting art that is practiced in the dojo. Judo is the basic principle of human behavior. When this principle is applied to defense against an attack of any kind or applied as physical education in randori at the dojo, this is yet but only one aspect of judo.”
Judo is not just skill. It is a way of life. Judo is a fighting skill, however, it became absorbed into a more complex, richer, and universal Judo which evolved into a principle that can be applied across the spectrum of one’s life. So, for everyone who told me that 55 is old or those who call me an old man…. To the guys who are half my age… LISTEN UP!!! The question isn't can I keep up with you, the question is... CAN YOU KEEP UP WITH ME!
My goal in the martial arts has always been about being the best I can be as a person in every way. It hasn't been about riding the coat tails of a known martial arts personality or even my instructor. It has always been about blood sweat and tears hard training and putting in the work needed to be in shape and be the best that I can be mentally, physically and spiritually. That is kind of how one lives, endures and even survives shit.
I didn't start training in judo seriously until later in life. In 1991 at the age of 26, I stepped into a judo class. Judo was like no other style I had trained in and I was assured of two things by the Judo instructor; Rank would nt come easy nor would it come fast. I was told by the instructor that this would be an endeavor that would take years of hard work. My Judo instructor wasn't kidding.
The physical demands of Judo are unique and rather
complex. You become tough with Judo
physically, mentally and spiritually . Physically you have to endure regular pain in
Judo. You have to overcome someone
trying to throw you, choke you, arm lock, pin you. In practice alone you get slammed to the mat literally hundreds of times a night, you face
exhaustion, you deal with someone's weight on top on you in newaza or ground
fighting . Mentally enduring all this competitiveness tends to makes one competitive, strong, determined, focused.
Judo offered the ultimate in every aspect, as a sport, a martial art and an effective means of self defense. It gives one sheer will. Judo
taught me to prepare mentally, physically and spirtually to withstand the
rigors of an assault of the mind body and spirit. Judo quite literally saved my life at 51 years old when I was hit and ran over by a semi truck.
"No citizen has the right to be an amatuer when it comes to the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without even seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable." - Socrates
I am approaching 56 and I am still training and setting new goals, challenging myself both mentally and physically. I am more determined now than ever.
I am a guy who believes that hard work keeps a man honest. I don't really care about what others may say about me good or bad. I am always doing my own thing. Life is just too damn short to let others hold you back.
Defiance is ageless. You’re never too old to set another
goal or to dream a new dream. Be a wolf, be a lion. Take advantage of no one.
Don't lie. Be a better person. Live right. Eat right. Take no shit. Don't
apologize for being awesome. Be better than you were yesterday. Defy the odds and most importantly stay the course.
