journeyjjbluebelt

Should I go to throwing class which was right after advanced grappling?  The judo junkie, deep within, was calling.  The voice,  Do it! You know you want too!   I admitted it. I wanted too and I didn’t care about the consequences.  I hated that voice.  I lined up.  All five of us.

45 minutes later.  ” We’re running out of mat.  I thought to myself.  Sweat dripped off my forehead. We were by the front entrance corner.  I was hip to hip, side by side, and leaning forward with Ramon Sanchez, ex Cuban judo olympic team member of 1980s. We were even in height and weight.    I had a tight grip around his belt and waist. I tried a sit down foot sweep. He rotated his weight back on his heals. I looked foolish.  I went back to the hip grip.  I frantically tried to think of the throw’s Jimmy had taught. Jimmy was the previous throwing instructor.  I came up with nothing.  I sensed something bad was coming.   Pow!  I was sailing through the air.  I hit the mat.  Ippon.   He threw me for an Ippon ????? An Ippon was a throw where the opponent was completely in the air, no body part touching the floor. He landed right on top of me. I couldn’t remember ever being thrown like this.  I dreamed of being in the judo olympics as a kid.  Today, I had the closest simulation that I would ever get to Olympic judo. Finally, I could put that dream to rest.