Description and Goals
I used to play Judo a little bit as a child and got up to the second belt. However, i have left the sport and stopped for a long time due to school and my interests in other sports. However, lately, I found myself watching you tube videos of judo fights and again, the love for the sport has come rekindling. As part of this sport, it is heavily encouraged to learn the japanese names for each throw and fall and I have done so for all the moves I have learned in the time spent.
My goals for this are: 1) stay fit, 2) improve my skills at judo/self defense , 3) learn a few things about japenese culture.
To measure my first goal, I will be monitoring my performance in sparring sessions and judo sessions in general. I will make sure that I am able to last longer in these sessions without having to stop to take my breath. Additionally, to monitor my progress for the second point I will be asking the coach for feedback and carefully listening to what he has to say. Additionally, the sparring sessions will be able to provide me with some feedback. Finally, monitoring the progress in the last goal will be done through the tests we take at each stage we reach in the dojo when the teacher makes us recite the names and the meaning behind them.
LO1- will be targeted through learning the new moves and perfecting the ones I know.
LO2- will be making time for judo and planning out what I will be doing during these sessions.
LO3- will be targeted by supporting my teammates and learning from them as well as teaching them what I know.
LO4- this is targeted through sportsmanship and not letting emotions out during the match.
LO5- In judo, when you first start out, it is often frustrating as you keep getting knocked down however, to be able to win a spar, it will take time to learn the skills, I will be trying to perfect each move and quickly execute it as to be able to do it in a spar.
LO6- sometimes judo can get challenging and irritating when you keep making the same mistake, therefore, this will be targeted by always being keen and on time to learn.
LO7- learning more about the japenese culture and their heritage.
The dojo had a strict no phone policy therefore, I could not gather many pictures. The dojo I attended was at the Shooting Club in Maadi.
My first lesson, I learned the 3 main falls of judo so that I am prepared for the spars which will involve a lot of falling and grappling therefore, this is in preparation so that I do not get seriously injured or fall on someone and injure them. Moreover, I needed to plan the lesson times so that I can manage continuing judo throughout school. I knew that going into IB2 it would be difficult to continue therefore, i had to make sure that the times allocated for judo were also the times where I would workout so that I would only have to go out once for both judo and working out at the gym (as they are in the same place). I will be following this till the 1st of January and see if I enjoy the sport enough to continue. I worked and collaborated well with my class to ensure that I was improving. Additionally, I kept making sure that if I noticed my teammate's form was off I'd point it out and would listen well to criticism.
I have been doing judo now for over 2 months and I am very excited for my upcoming match against a much heavier and more experienced opponent. Right now, the odds are against me however, I am confident If I work hard I will manage to defeat him. I have come a long way in the couple of months I spent here and it has been very exciting . I have learned over 16 judo throws (and their japenese names) and have regularly practiced them even at home (not with an actual person but shadow practice) however, it has been useful in ensuring I am at the top of my class.
Unfortunately, this is my final lesson at judo, I would love to continue however, to continue I would have to move up to the club's judo team which is very competitive and requires 3 sessions of 2 hours practice. Despite my love for judo, I feel like that would distract me from my academic goals and distract me from some of my other favourite sports. Right now, I would like to explore other sports and see which I like most then, settle down on one or a couple . However, I still want to explore other sports before making a decision. It has been a wonderful time at the dojo and I would definitely like to revisit this sport when I have time. My fight went as planned and I got the victory. Some of the things to improve if I am to continue with this judo journey would be my focus in the match and also attempt to learn from my opponent as he is an asset before being a liability. Further on, during the fight I recognized that it was always a nice gesture after pinning the opponent down to offer him your hand to get him up and do the judo 'rei' which is a bow to show respect to the opponent. Further on, judo has taught me to respect everyone no matter what position (of power or lack of) you are in. To me, judo is not just a sport but a way of learning about cultures and ethics of other communities. The founder of modern judo was once made fun of and humiliated when he was spreading the sport. He decided to demonstrate a throw at one of the people who made fun of him. However, he also put his hand down so the man would leave without injury. This is the essence of the beauty of the game.
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