Painting scenery from a Train

There is a saying in Judo:



"In Judo, you can throw people over your shoulder"



Yes, you can. But you can be thrown over someone else's shoulder as well. More than likely depending on your skill level, it's usually the latter. Well, for me it is anyway.



The martial arts has been a journey for me. And when you hop on now, you are getting on a train that has been through many seasons and many stations. The smell of the carriage has been infused with the sweat and perfume of many gyms and training sessions. The interior of the train has a patina of wear and tear that on my better days, i would like to describe as what the Japanese would call 'Wabi'. The train still chugs along on steam, it is obsolete, an anachronism of the past...



..but it still goes on, by the grace of God



And everytime it passes by, it engenders a myriad of reactions. Sometimes it gets calls of derision from those who say it should be in a museum. Others admire it but don't want to get on. They prefer sitting at the station.



This blog is to detail that train's journey. It is more of a philosphical and personal journey into the martial arts rather one concerned with the minutaie of technical details. However, at times, I might be tempted to go into the intricacies of a morote-seio-nage, a Gogoplata or a Chancery if I feel like it. These days, I'm into Judo, BJJ, MMA, and CMDP Boxing; so this blog will refer to those arts almost exclusively.



Lastly, this blog is for me and my training partners. If you choose to visit, feel free to do so and you may leave comments. But please be respectful and courteous. I won't hesitate to delete posts which are inflammatory or abusive. There's enough of that in the world we should all aim to be what Maxwell Smart said in 'Get Smart' : "If only he used his powers for niceness..". I would go one step further - show some love to each other, my brothers and sisters


Because between Heaven and the mat - there's a real need for it



SDG