Sunday, May 4, 2008

Pain is good

I managed to get to judo twice in a 4 day period, the most judo I've done in that short a span in a while. WOW! I was sorer than after working out with the trainer at the gym. When I went again a week later, I trained even harder, but I didn't hurt as much afterwards. I guess my body is getting used to the abuse again.

Last Friday at judo was a little strange. Most of the guys there look to me for instruction. I don't mind this, since I have twice as much time on the mat as any of them, but their expectations of what to learn and my expectations of what to teach don't quite line up. The guys who have been doing judo for 5 or 6 years want to learn cool, new techniques, and I want to teach them principles that will improve the techniques they already know. They get disappointed sometimes when we practice principles. For my part, the real problem I have with teaching the techniques they don't know yet is that I've been focusing on principles for so long, that I've forgotten a lot of the secondary and tertiary level techniques and variations I used to do. I really need to get out the books and remind myself of what I used to know.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think you are describing a common dilemma - not just in judo, not just in martial arts; I see it in sewing and I am sure it is there in music and other endeavors.
At a certain point we become more interested in delving deeper into the basics to better play with the principles.
Is it possible to introduce one "new cool technique" in such a way that interest is piqued but you can teach the principle?

The Budo Bum said...

I've been trying to think of some techniques that really embody principles. I think it's going to come down to me getting out the books and doing some homework. I've been spending a lot more time on iai and jo in recent years. I need to do some review of my judo.