Today’s Google Doodle celebrates the birthday (but based on the Japanese calendar – it’s on 10 December according to the Gregorian calendar) of Jigoro Kano, the founder of the Kodokan dojo and the martial art that is known as Judo (柔道) or, the “Gentle Way” in English. The Doodle briefly depicted the late Kano-Sensei’s journey towards discovering his own version of a combat form that had been used in various different ways throughout Japan’s history up to that time.
That doodle brought back memories. I started doing judo back when I was thirteen. Judo was the only martial art being offered as a co-curricular activity in Raffles Institution (RI), and since my family could not afford to send me to taekwondo, silat or wushu classes on offer at the community centre, I jumped at the chance to try judo. I didn’t even know what it was!
I have to admit I never got particularly good at judo. The last grading examination I ever took resulted in a blue belt. I never made the school team though I did win the odd bout here and there, and even in university I never quite got the hang of it. I won’t lie, I was a bit resentful and bitter for awhile. But even back then, I knew that I was neither strong nor fast enough, and my technique was nothing to shout about.
All the same, I did enjoy those years of doing judo. It brought me friends whom I still value and am in touch with to this day. Sometimes I look back at the physical training sessions and wonder how I even managed to accomplish them. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. I even sent my kids and my sister’s kids to a dojo ran by my former coach, all the way until COVID-19 hit. I hope that maybe one of them will consider picking up judo again when they’re older.
So here’s to all the friends I met on the mats, wishing you all happiness and good health! Thanks for the good times and the bad times and for still being around!
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