tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30500538.post-17864528034958561342008-02-23T21:29:00.010-05:002008-03-08T19:20:17.534-05:00<div align="justify">I want to take this opportunity to thank, from the bottom of my heart, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Sensei</span></span> Jeff Miller and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Sensei</span></span> Dave <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Shorey</span></span> of <a href="http://www.acadianjudo.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Acadian</span></span> Judo </a>for offering such a wonderful training experience this weekend. I also want to especially thank my honorable opponent, whose name I missed, but who gave me a great match and a good lesson today.</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="justify">Today I participated in a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">USJA</span></span> judo referee clinic and mock <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">shiai</span></span> at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Acadian</span></span> Judo. By the end of the ref training it was apparent to me that there was no way I was going to get in the ring as a referee, so I jumped into the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">competitor</span> pool. There were only two people in my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">weight</span></span> division and they were beginners, so Dave, who was arranging the pairings coaxed one of the referees into giving me a match. It was my first match with real-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">shiai</span></span>, non-gentleman's rules in about 12 or 13 years.</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="justify">My opponent was younger and larger than me, though I outranked him considerably. He was quite solid too. The first half of the match I was blind - I don't have a clue what was happening, but somehow I ended up with a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">koka</span></span> (minor score) over the other guy - God only knows what I did to get that. Then I started calming down and prodding him and probing with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">deashibarai</span></span>. I didn't get a score, but he got a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">shido</span></span> (minor penalty) for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">noncombativity</span></span>. Then at literally the last second I threw a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">sumigaeshi</span></span> (sacrifice throw) as a counter to his infernal leg picks that he kept throwing on me (we'd previously spent half the time grounded after a leg pick with him lying prone and me trying to turn him over but the ref got bored and stood us up). Anyway, I got an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">ippon</span></span> (full point) off of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">sumigaeshi</span></span> and won the match.</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="justify">The lesson I learned... The guy <em>appeared</em> to be afraid of me going into the match. Not like quivering or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">un</span></span>-manly or shameful fear or anything, but he <em>seemed</em> to be taking into <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">consideration</span> the difference in rank, as if expecting me to bust him or something - and it put him on the defensive. Can't really fault him, out of the blue he was thrown into the ring with a black belt that he didn't know. The lesson I (re)learned - it is <em>really</em> hard and <em>really</em> exhausting to attack a defensive man your size or larger for several minutes. Besides the excellent lesson, I got a cracked or strained rib (I think he speared me in the ribs with his head and the ref missed it but I'm not sure) - but that's what I get - you've got to pay to play.</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="justify">I had a great time and I hope to be able to play at another of these events March 15<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">th</span></span> in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Denham</span></span> Springs at <a href="http://www.wallmartialarts.com/">Wall to Wall Martial Arts</a>. Between now and then I hope to work on a few of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Rhadi's</span></span> strategic tips on his <a href="http://www.judosuccesssecrets.com/">Judo Success Secrets DVD </a>and perhaps I can control my next match better.</div><div align="justify"><span style="color:#ffffff;">.</span></div><div align="justify">Again, thank y'all</div>Patrick Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04471858995477729220noreply@blogger.com