I can get quite romantic thinking of Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai. The idea of him taking on this ancient Eastern form of discipline is something that has always appealed to me. With this in mind it was with great excitement that I experienced the SA Judo Champs this weekend!!
Seriously!! Its a discipline you know?!!!
There they were all the teams with their flags & their uniforms... Ay ay!! KZN!! What can I say?!! They looked so spiffy in their black track suits!! And the games began...
Oh hello!! Culture shock of note!!
I'm like..."Is this like, umm... wrestling?" My ignorance ever so apparent!
The over zealous parents making the bulk of the audience, audience is not right; supporters, fans are a story on their own!! They cajole and encourage their children to bring out the bully in them!! With shouts of "Gooi hom!!" I'm thinking... where the flip am I? Doll!
They hang on to each other and pull at each other hoping to topple each other over. It is a vigorous grunting strain...
But look past the pot -bellied dad carrying four boerewors rolls & a coke as he hurries to the mat where his son is engaging in this ancient sport and past the participants who are red-faced & crack exposed, I'm sorry to say boys... and you will see something so graceful that you will think it is a dance. I sat back & witnessed the 3 minute fight between two young men and it was beautiful. It made me think a little self righteously that my original thoughts were not totally delusional and I might romanticise it by making it all about Tom Cruise, even though I am not sure that judo featured much in that movie but yes there is a beauty in movement & flowing with things...
and to leave you with these thoughts that
To me, Judo is like a ballet, except there's no music, no choreography, and the dancers knock each other down.
Jack Handey
Thus the principle of Judo, from the very beginning, is not one of aggression, but of flowing with things.
Carl B. Becker
Yes! It was a fascinating experience for me but in case you think that judo is some kind of passion of mine let me put your mind at rest and leave you with a thought to ponder, my very own, not Handey or Becker but Porky's...
Consider this... at some point we have all consumed a salad with a cucumber in it that a horny housewife recently used as a dildo!! Lol!!
See ya
