This week I was on the tatami for two training sessions, Monday and Wednesday – they left its mark. Literally. I’ve started to think of bruises as little stamps saying, “Congratulations, you did judo this week!” If this continues, by December I might look like a living, breathing QR code.
For a beginner, bruises are weirdly encouraging. They’re proof you were there, rolling, falling, and learning. And they make for excellent conversation starters – nothing like someone at work asking, “What happened to your arm?” and you getting to casually drop, “Oh, just judo.”
On Monday, I finally bought myself a proper gi, and wow – it makes such a difference. Training instantly felt more comfortable and, well, more judo. There’s just something about tying the belt, stepping on the mat, and feeling like you belong there.
Outside the dojo, I’ve been on a bit of a judo binge. The past couple of weeks I’ve been watching judo videos non-stop — techniques, tournaments, you name it. When I get into something new, I tend to go all-in: thinking about it, talking about it, basically breathing it (haha). My wife doesn’t always appreciate those moments when I suddenly appear next to her saying, “Hey, check out this video!”
But the real highlight of the week was Friday. My 6-year-old son Tuukka started muksujudo (kids’ judo) and absolutely loved it. I went with my daughter to watch, and at the end little Sinna even got to join the games on the mat. She loved it – and now she’s decided that as soon as she turns four next year, she’s starting judo too. Looks like we’re slowly becoming a full-on judo family.
So, two practices, a few bruises, and a proud judo dad moment this week. Not a bad trade.
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