Judo? What's that?

There’s one type of person that I really don’t have time for.  And that’s the type of person that just doesn’t have a thing.  Bear with me here while I explain.  A thing,  anything  they’re really passionate about that they spend at least a little of their day thinking about, that when you get them talking about it you can see a bit of a spark in their eyes and excitement in their voice.  Just something that makes them tick.  It might be a sport, it might be stamp collecting, or some kind of music, following a team, hairstyling, F1, pole dancing, jigsaw puzzles…… anything,  just as long as there’s something.  Because if you don’t have a thing, what’s the point?

Judo isn’t my only thing….. I absolutely love cooking.  I’m not always very good at it.  I’ve had some out and out disasters and being inherently clumsy, have burnt myself a fair bit.  But I love trying new recipes and creating something.  I’m happy in the Kitchen.

But this isn’t the place for a stuffed chicken thigh recipe or debate on the best chocolate brownie.  

For non Judoka who really haven’t got a clue what it’s all about or why I love it so much, here’s a short intro.  (watch the links! They really are worth it!)

To win in Judo you must throw your opponent flat on their back, pin them down for 25 secs, or strangle or arm lock them into submission.

If we’re looking at throws.  This is my favourite player … watch this, you’ll love it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9QV_CUP1ZQ&feature=share

 

Illias Illiadis is  a great example of why this is so true.

 

And on the ground with hold downs, armlocks and strangles.... bring on the submissions...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fa_W6e6qhVY

its a real art form.

And finally if you're still with me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcdrhNIwJX0

So that's it folks,  it might not be judo,  but whatever it is you're passionate about... go do it!

Next post will be from Malaga!  Bring it!

 

 

 

It's all about PMA

TBH…….I’ve not forgotten the blog, I really haven’t. I’ve just been waiting and waiting for a really good moment, a good day, to have something really positive and inspiring to write for the next post. That moment just didn’t seem to come. And now I fight in two short days’ time. Don’t get me wrong, training’s been going well. I’m feeling fitter, faster and sharper. But prep for this comp has admittedly been an uphill battle. For whatever reason (and trust me I have many theories on this) I’ve found it easily twice as difficult to lose the weight (to get into my weight category -63kg) this time than any other comp. As such I’ve become overly obsessive about all things food and exercise and the dreaded black scales in the middle of my bathroom floor have unhealthily seemingly taken over my life, their figures determining my emotional mood for the day.

Post training pic with Mabbsy and Gallagher

 

Then last week disaster struck. In the middle of a training session I injured my MCL (the ligament on the inside of the knee) turning in for a throw awkwardly against a heavier opponent. I was devastated. I’ve had this injury before on both legs and know what sort of realistic recovery time it can take. And trust me it’s longer than the week I had. On the way home that evening there might have been a bit of a mini melt down in the car. I was 7 days away from everything I’d been training towards and my knee was in shreds and I still had a ton of weight to shift. (ok not a ton 3.5kg to be precise). I’m not gonna lie, giving up and eating a large cake and drinking a bottle of wine seemed a very real consideration at that moment in time.

 

Realistically I had two choices. There was the wine and cake route…..Tempting! Or I could do everything in my power to help the knee recover and get stronger: Ice, rest, mobilise, stabilize strengthen. Buckle down and keep working on the weight. And above all and sometimes the hardest one, stay positive and keep believing. I only had to take one moment to think about the people I’d be letting down,  to see there really was only one choice.

 

Two days later something small happened that made me smile and made the staying positive that much easier. I was lying on the physio bed talking to the physio about the injury and my judo, when my 5 year old boy Archie piped up all excited with pride in his face and all in one breath told her ‘my mummy’s good at judo she wins lots of medals she gives them to me sometimes I got a brown one last time, I do judo I’m going to win medals’ I was shocked, happy shocked. I’d not heard him say something like that before.

 

So, for Archie and for the rest of you Blog readers out there ….and for myself. … I will go out to Malaga on Wednesday. I will make my weight, no excuses. I will strap the hell out of my knee and I will fight hard to beat whoever they happen to put in front of me.

 

(And then I will come home and eat cake and drink wine)

 

Muhammed Ali and Preparation

 

Judo is an unforgiving sport.  In tennis if you lose a point, no biggie, you still get untold chances to win the game, set or match.  Fall over in a race?  No problem, get up and run faster!  (Don’t believe me? Watch this clip of Heather Dornidan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsOBaV_93yQ ) But in Judo one momentary lapse in concentration and you’re flat on your back with no chance of a comeback at that elusive Gold or even Silver medal, after sometimes years of training for that moment.  Many of our London Olympian GB Judo Athletes know the painful truth of that. 

Please do not think I am trying to compare myself to an international level full time athlete, far from it. But with just 21 days to go until the World Veterans Championships, my mind is sharply focused on being as prepared as I can be, otherwise I’m just setting myself up for a big fail.

The basics should be simple enough. Sleep Right, Eat Right, Train Right.  Actually not so simple.  After work I miss my little ones (Sophie is 8 and Archie is 4) and want to make sure they have my time.  The new term is starting, Archie’s birthday is next week and if you do make an unannounced visit to my house please don’t expect to be able to see the floor and feel free to wash up your own tea cup before getting a drink.  Lost school shoes, babysitters, games of hide and seek, early morning networking and late night training make getting ‘sleep, eat, train’ right, a piece of precision logistics, that I don’t always get right. But like Dory says…

 

 

‘Even superheroes had to start somewhere’ is the mantra for Absolutely Fitness.  (Watch out for a random picture of me in Malaga in a superheroes outfit!)  Far short of reaching superhero status, I have at least come some way from where I was, largely due to building a team and support network around me.  Many players have an individual coach and train primarily at one club.  The coach, players and players families form one self -supporting team.  My team is a little more unorthodox, but I simply couldn’t survive without them.  At the centre are my two training partners and my mum (Ta Mum!) Then there are key coaches at a couple of clubs that are invaluable. After this and definitely no less important are a core group of friends and family whose support comes in many forms.  None of these people need naming. They know who they are. 



Abu Dhabi/National Teams/Inspirational Tom Reed

The last part must come from me.  My focus and my work ethic have to be right up there or I’m simply letting myself, my team and my sponsors down.  And more than that, I want to be that example to Sophie and Archie so that they can work hard to get what they want.

I’ve just re-read through this post and realised that it might come off as moaning.  Truth is, although in the future I have plans and ambitions in and outside of judo;  I have a beautiful family, amazing friends,  I know who I am and what I want.  Right now I’m the happiest I’ve been in a long time.

 (Or I will be when I get my hands on that medal)