MORNING PRACTICE
At 11:45am I walked into the dojo feeling like a sack of sore bones. Sensei Martin and his daughter greeted me shaking hands and saying hello. I walked to the back of the dojo to the changing room to put on my gi wondering what was to be in store for me today looking forward to class and dreading it at the same time.
We began our warm up by doing uchikomi using our favorite technique. UCHI KOMI is a traditional skill building exercise of practicing a technique to the point of throwing without throwing your opponent. By not throwing we can practice the entry to a technique many more times than if we were to take our opponent over each and every time.
EXAMPLE OF UCHI KOMI
First we did uchi komi from a static position then we began to do uchi komi on the move. I was really having a hard time, my timing was off and it was coupled with the soreness I was feeling from the previous class and carrying a few extra lbs that I shouldn't be. I felt like I was moving around like a sack of potatoes.
I began to do my uchi komis using IPPON SEOI NAGE several on the right and then switching to my left alternating back and forth from left to right. Ensuring both sides got equally drilled. Trying to work out the soreness and get my timing back. It was painfully obvious to me that I was indeed missing a step. I was indeed rusty. Despite the encouragement I got from Sensei Martin and his daughter on my performance,I began to wonder about the factors contributing to my mat rust. I knew i could move better and quicker. Yes, it was obvious that time away from the mat surely effected me but I wondered if my age did too. I wondered why was I doing judo in an competitive environment and not a more recreational one.
IPPON SEOI NAGE
The drill was then changed up to moving around and doing 4 uchi komis and then on the 5th attempt throw. This is a great drill for timing and footwork something that I desperately needed. again I began working the right side and then on my next set of uchi komis working the left not favoring one side over the other. I then incorporated changing my grips from going off the tradtional sleeve and lapel to using more unconventional grips and throwing off of them. The soreness began to slowly drift out of my mind as I began to concentrate more on the uchikomi drill.
Our next drills were for newaza working a sankaku jime turnover to a choke. I had worked up a good sweat from the uchi komi drills but the switch to groundwork was a good change of pace. The re familiarization of techniques was indeed good but although I knew the techniques and could do them in my mind getting my body to respond and react as quickly as my mind could was a different story.
EXAMPLE OF SANKAKU JIME
After practice I decided to have lunch, the soreness had crept back in and again my mind was on judo, my performance or lack there of and the factors affecting it and me. Am I being overly critical, I wondered. In my heart I felt as if I was better than my performance, again how much of it is rust, how much of it is age, is it a matter of just getting back in shape or has father time began to be a factor. To early to tell maybe.
EVENING PRACTICE
At 5:00 pm I had grilled chicken and asparagus for dinner. After training for only two days I am slipping into dieting mode and eating right. At 7:30 I walked into the dojo for the second part of the two a day practices. I was aching from the practices and wondering what I was going to be put thru tonight.
The warm up started off with stretching, running and then we went on to Handstands, cartwheels and round offs. These skills are good for teaching the judoka to try and cartwheel out of the throw teaching the judoka to turn out rather than fall on their backs. Also escaping from throws as well as entering into NeWaza from a throw. We finished the warm up with calisthenics.
We then proceeded to do ukemi or break falling techniques and then right into newaza drills. Newaza is ground techniques such as hold downs, turnovers, chokes and joint locking techniques. This morning we worked on turnovers to a choke and tonight we worked on more turnovers to juji gatame. We then did newaza in three minute periods changing partners after each period. I felt I did okay though some were able to get me with techniques that I saw coming but just wasn't quick enough to counter.
I was surprised that as sore as I was I spent very little time dwelling on it. I was just concentrating more on getting thru the workout. When the training come to an end I was indeed relieved glad for it to be over. I began to critique my performance and again wondered how long it would take to get rid of the rust and get my timing back. I could see everything coming at me but couldn't get my body to react in time. I am hoping I will get sharper. I am feeling torn down and my ego has definitely taken a blow getting caught in submission techniques that I feel I shouldn't get caught in and not being able to move or react like I feel I should be able to.
Despite what I was thinking, a part of me enjoys being sore, enjoys the hard work, enjoys being committed to something. Is this a battle against father time? Is this simply my ego? A middle age crisis that maybe I am going thru but dont know it yet? Could it be that I am rediscovering something about myself? Do I need a challenge of some sort to feel some self worth or is it a love for judo? All these things are rushing thru my mind. Maybe it is a little bit of all these reasons. Whatever the reason I have jumped right in with both feet. The two a day practices are going to leave me hurting for awhile I think.
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