I remember first learning Judo when I was 6 years old. Following the older children around the mat doing breakfalls and watching them take it in turns to lie down so that their friends could leap over the top of them to land with a roll. Trying to make sense of how the Tai Otoshi that I was being shown could possibly make anybody fall over for real (I found out exactly how, soon enough!). And then discovering in the playground over the next few years just how many times a Judo roll could save my trouser knees from getting ripped. Not to mention the benefits in the rough and tumble of lawless lunch queues and my resilience on the rugby field. Just a few months of Judo training did me the world of good.
As I write, it is that time for looking back at successes and failures and making plans for the future. This New Year, I get to reflect on my daughter's first 12 months of Judo - she's still younger than I was when I first stood on the mat. It has been wonderful to watch her puzzle her way through the mysteries of the grips, footwork and positioning needed to make each of the throws work. Plus of course, it's delightful to see the way the older children have made her feel welcome and passed on their understanding both of the throws and the culture of the Dojo. She has made new friends, improved her physical strength and agility and gained in confidence. All that I was hoping for her from Judo back when we began 2024.
I've always thought of rough and tumble play as being of particular value. It's a way of developing resilience, discovering boundaries and learning how to interact with others which doesn't require any verbal skills. These interactions are so rich with information and need to be judged differently for each new person. Children actively seek this kind of play over many years if not discouraged, but in modern society, the inevitable upset that can be caused when misjudgements are made leaves many adults (and particularly institutions such as schools) seeing it as a burden. Judo with its culture of self-respect, courtesy, respect, courage, humility, friendship, honesty and modesty, provides a safe environment for everyone to discover how to make these judgements for themselves. Even before they have the words to articulate them.
So for 2025, our plan for the New Year is more of the same. Time very well spent. Thanks Mike! Thanks Ted!
Paul
(Father of a Kensho Judo Tots regular)
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