I couldn't stop thinking about it

I can't stand being away

Why can't I escape this... this addiction!

Just a few more days, just a few more and I'll be fine... I can wait till then, I must wait till then.

That's how I felt when I went to sleep every night on my 7 day vacation. Every night i would lay awake and envision myself at the Dojo. Judo practice is 1.5 hours, three times a week. I had been away for seven days and already I was having separation anxiety.

This is how I feel about my sport. Judo is not only a martial art, but it is an olympic sport aswell.

History of Judo

In Tokyo, Japan during the late 1800's a man named Jigoro Kano decided to create Judo. He was a talented Jiu Jiutsu student, and created Judo by using only the techniques of Jui Juitsu that were least dangerous, and adding a few new techniques. That is why Judo means "The Gentle Way."

Usually it had been him that threw me. Now, instead of being thrown, I was throwing him with increasing regularity. I could do this despite the fact that he was... especially adept at throwing techniques. This apparently surprised him, and he was quite upset over it for quite a while. What I had done was quite unusual. But it was the result of my study of how to break the posture of the opponent. It was true that I had been studying the problem for quite some time, together with that of reading the opponent's motion. But it was here that I first tried to apply thoroughly the principle of breaking the opponent's posture before moving in for the throw...

I told Mr. Iikubo about this, explaining that the throw should be applied after one has broken the opponent's posture. Then he said to me: "This is right. I am afraid I have nothing more to teach you."

--Jigoro Kano

This is a vital part of Judo, which consists mainly of throws. He explains that in order to execute a throw, your opponents center of balance must be manipulated. Once your opponent is off-balance, It is effortless to throw him.

Uchi Mata--Inner thigh sweep

Ipon Seoi Nage--One-arm shoulder throw

Tomoe Nage--Stomach throw

Morote Seoi Nage--Shoulder throw

O Soto Gari--Major outer reap

Tai Otoshi--Body dropping throw

Kata Guruma--Fireman's Carry