Discussion and investigation into selected judo topics by Ronald Desormeaux

Judo Ron 18: Profile of great judoka

Can we really draw a photo-robot of great judoka? For the past hundreds of years they
came in all size and colours, each one displaying its own personality and characteristics.
Kano sensei was a short and fragile man with great intellect, courage and determination.
Yokohama sensei was known to be a strong and powerful judoka while Mifune sensei
was almost weightless and displayed with great stamina, flexibility and creativeness. Of
thousands of others we can describe their physical appearance or what deed they have
accomplished. There is no one profile available to sum up what a great judoka is or ought
to be. There are vast amounts of profiles which contain the technical, the physical and
mental attributes that made them unique in nature.

Trying to identify one dominant profile in the martial arts literature is next to impossible.
The general picture given in the different writings is that of great warriors or exponents
had extraordinary goals and great minds that guided their actions. It sums up the
description of great fighters as the true warrior prevailing without unsheathing their
weapons.

In judo we have a similar difficulty in determining what constitute the true judoka. Can
we assess the judoka by only what we see on the tatami or are there more to it? We surely
and easily can recognize the physical dimensions of the competitor, the students or the
master-sensei. Do we make sufficient effort to discover their mental strengths and
character which render them a model for others to emulate?

I believe that the method chosen to capture this dimension is through the study of Shin Gi
Tai. The technical mastery (Gi) can not be achieved without the other two elements that
are Shin (mental) and Tai (physical health). In my view, this triumvirate is the key by
which great judoka are revealed and which should crown who they are.

“There are no extraordinary men, only ordinary men in extraordinary situations”

 Discussion and investigation into selected judo topics by Ronald Desormeaux

It is my understanding that several judoka of renown have achieved the inner harmony of
these three factors and have realised both peace and control of their strength at different
times in their career.

Some have achieved their mastery early in their exposure to judo while others have taken
years of hard practices to reach their supreme goal. I need not list some names for fear of
missing a lot of great judoka, but I recognized that within every one of them, there was a
commitment and dedication to become a better person. Likewise, our self-improvement
journey is made of a thousand miles and that every single step we accomplish leads
towards our final goal.

Tai or physical health can be summarized by our overall strength. There are two kinds of
strength, the outer and the inner. The outer strength is linked with good nutrition,
flexibility, muscle coordination and stamina. It follows a cycle; it grows with practice and
exercises and becomes more visible at our peak period yet, with times, will fade away.

The inner strength is more linked to the strong character building, the courage to address
difficult situations and the mental control being exercised before a commitment is made.
It is unnoticeable and hidden from view; yet, it is there inside and stand at the ready for
when called upon.

When we refer to Gi, we encompass all the techniques, Waza, movements, tactics and
strategies associated towards the development of the fighting abilities and the learning to
use both offensive and defensive skills in proper space and time to surprise and overcome
the opponent.

Shin relates to the superior talents and attributes of the intelligence. It is made of the
capacity to observe, to feel, to assimilate, to assess, to judge and react in due course to
overcome or master a situation. Kano sensei refers to it as the intelligent use of energy for
the greater welfare of others.

Having attained a high level of experience, many judoka develop an ability to further
exploit their potentials through visualisation, meditation and sensory acuity. There are
also, ancient Yoga exercises that can be practiced to improve one's mental and physical
balance. The cumulative effects of such practices improve the general conditioning and
well being of the judoka who can pursue his developmental goals even longer. Ancient
masters such as Ueshiba and Mifune sensei were able develop an infinite ability by which
they could to assess and direct their inner strength as desired.

Serious meditation and mental exercises alone can not render you a super judoka.
Nevertheless, it is possible to learn and acquire better ways to observe and capture the
external signs which normally accompany a displacement or a forthcoming action by an
opponent. Sen No Sen is the expression we used when describing how one can anticipate
the movement of others and act first to nullify, distract or used that movement to
advantage.
 Discussion and investigation into selected judo topics by Ronald Desormeaux

To further develop the Sen No Sen abilities, we need to exercise our ability to observe,
detect, seek, memorize and learn new things. Likewise, we need to employ our energies
with greater intelligence. We need to curtail our movements that have no or little effect
and make better use of our displacement to maximise its impact.

Our capacity to observe and react in proper time might benefit from our recollection of
natural principles.

1. Equilibrium or balance. There is no isolated event in the universe. All things are
complementary to one another. One activity starts, another follows in a chain reaction
dispersed in time. From death comes life. When we know a summit, we can find a low
point. There are nights and days, front and back as well as action and reaction. Mystics
will say that there is Yin and Yang.

2. The Extremes. A straight line tends to curve at the infinity. When two
counterbalancing forces are carried to their limits, they look identical. We can be
surprised or blinded by a brilliant light as effectively as by darkness.

3. Attraction. Masses and volume have some influence upon each other. All actions are
interrelated and one movement may ignite or influence another. The same is true for
whatever we share with others will likely come back to us in different forms.

4. Change. All living forms are in a constant state of change or mutation. These
transformations are at times minute and under different circumstances can be of
enormous magnitude. These mutations are appearing either within a sequential or cyclical
moment. Should it stop to be animated or transformed, a reversing trend sets it and death
is inevitable.

When observing how some masters moved about the tatami, one can recognize that they
made greater use of Hara Gi or the abdominal strength and appeared to be able to read the
mind of their opponents through their acute senses of audio, touch and sight. They
seemed to be capable of establishing a special rapport with other individuals and capture
a myriad of vibrations with which they were able to interpret their intentions and steal the
offensive accordingly.

It seems that great judoka have exercised their ability to observe, detect, seek, learn new
things from their experiences and converted these experiences into practical applications.
Their mental capacities were frequently developed by exercising greater attention to
details of observed objects, situation or people. They patterned their behaviour to be in
harmony with the laws of nature. Most lead simple, interesting, challenging life.

"There is no secret except in the mind of the seeker. "

Can we learn from past great judoka and be in harmony both on the mat and in our life?