First the details.A large group was in attendance. This made me feel good as some of them came specifically for the opportunity to be part of this promotion with us. Among the visitors (all former club members who haven't been with us in some considerable time) were Rich Callahan, his brother Kevin Callahan and old training partner and club members Will Dampier and Dave Dawson. The room was quite full and rather hot. I led a warm up, then we jumped directly into randori. we played 5 sets at a time and did somewhere between 10 and 15 - 3 minute sets. The sets are on video and are mostly a blur. I will have to go back and see how many I did and who I had.
Randori Video 1
Randori Video 2
Randori Video 3
Randori Video 4
Randori Video 5
Randori Hilight video
By the time we stopped I was tired but felt good to have done the sets despite my advancing decrepitude. I didn't do every set and there were certainly people I would have liked to have had in training who I missed, but, it was still a very good work out. In fact it went so well and everyone enjoyed it so much, I think I will do it every so often. Just come in and do a big open randori session then do a big ne waza session.
While jumping through all of the hoops and paperwork issues we had to get the promotion application in a reviewable format, it quickly became apparent that I lacked any urgency to get it done. Both Art and alma pursued it more aggressively. I think this was largely, though not exclusively because of the importance and symbolism of this particular promotion. The Yodan promotion and subsequent promotions are generally viewed as an instructor promotions. It is symbolic (to me at least of the end of the competitive career and the focus as an instructor. I'm proud to have earned this opportunity with 1000s of hours on the mat learning and teaching, but, it rankles me that I have to face the end of my competitive career. I was never a great competitor, but I was a pretty good one considering when i began Judo I think I reached my ceiling. I don't think I could have been much better than I was without quitting the rest of my life and walking the earth doing Judo. I'm a little too rational for that so I feel reasonably comfortable with my competitive career. There were certainly matched I could have and should have won and tournaments I could have fought that i found a reason not to do. But, in general, I'm comfortable with what I did as a competitor. However I don't feel like I am ready to accept that it's over. I still feel that I have some (Masters) matched to fight. so, as a result, when I was reflecting on what class to run to celebrate the promotion, it struck me to do the opposite of our regular formalized promotion. I decided to just do what I love best in Judo, warm up, then get a bunch of my friends together and bang heads in randori with them until everyone is dripping in sweat and too tired to do anymore. That has always been what I loved most in Judo so that is what we did. It was also symbolic of the idea that I am not done with competing and fighting, competition may think it's done with me, but I'm not done yet.
Alma did a great Kata demonstration of a very rarely seen Kata as her part of the promotion. I think it will be up on Youtube eventually. If so I will link to it.
Itsutsu No Kata
Art, Rich alma and myself all said (more than) a few words. It was great to hear so many good things and intelligent reflections from them both. Art is someone I respect and I have a great deal of affection and admiration for him. I didn't learn everything I know in Judo from him, but, everything I learned was due to the opportunities he has afforded me to be a member and an instructor in the club.
I had the chance to share some of my own thoughts on how important the club is to me. The Judo club is my home and everyone in it is my family. It kills me when they get hurt, I glory with them they win, I find a silver lining when they lose, I lose my shit when a referee costs them a match, and so much more because they really are all my brothers and sisters. I always try to get people into the club, firstly because it really is the best thing I have ever done and I am baffled when someone tries it fails to agree with me. I guess it's possible not to love doing Judo, I just can't imagine it. But, also, whenever we get a new member, I get a new member of my extended family. Some I like better than others, some are better fighters than others. but, one has little to do with the other. You always like some members of your family more than others, but, at the end of the day, you go to the wall for any of them.
The club is strong right now and has been for some time. Art and Rich both mentioned how the Philadelphia Judo club can trace an unbroken line from 1948 until now. sometimes it may have lost the path for a time and sometimes things were better than others, but, There was never a break. I'm genuinely proud that we are strong and successful on my link in the chain of the instructors. I want to make us larger and stronger with more and better players, but, I will take the people we have right now and take my chances. It's an excellent group. They are talented but, more importantly they work very hard, they compete, they win and lose with grace, dignity and pride and I feel fortunate to be associated with them.
It has really been a pleasure training and learning under you for all these years. Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication to the club.
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