Judo Chop

Mom and Dad walked my brother and I into the Plymouth Cultural Center, a building not far from where a couple of my kids go to school today. We were not here for ice skating, like we were a few years ago. In fact, we walked right by the entrance to the rink, by all the trophies trapped behind glass, into the big room at the end of the building. The room was already full of other student wearing white gis (pronounced gee) and multicolored belts.

We ran past the Tae Kwon Do class to the opposite side of the room. We spent the first few minutes pulling out the long, white foam mats, which would cover the floor, leaving no gaps, when we were done. We listened to the instructions of Mr. Skinner and Mr. Rapherty. They were out senseis, that's right I have a sensei, I thought. In the time we were there, we practiced rolls and falling and throwing each other. We were training.

"Speak softly and carry a big stick," was one of the saying the sensei used a lot. I know now the idea was to keep us out of trouble, keep us from puffing ourselves up, keep us from being jerks. At the time it seemed like the same thing a superhero does. An elemtary school brain is not fully formed.

My days at Smith Elemetary School, after a few weeks of Judo, those words echoed through my mind. At recess, the day felt like summer. The grass around the playground equipment was dry. I was alone with my thoughts. With this new skill, I thought, I didn't need to give into any of the bullies or cool kids. This gave me the courage to talk to the other Jason in my class, he was normally kind of mean, wanting to wrestle, but now I had a secret weapon.

As you might imagine, it took about 30 seconds before we were wrestling in the grass off to the side of the school. With just a sliver of knowledge and a whole lot of luck, I flipped him over my shoulder. I followed this up by immediately telling him I knew Judo and I could teach him. I was on my way to being one of the cool kids. This lasted about.... One recess.

The afternoon recess, I immediately started looking for Jason. He was over talking to Louie, easily the biggest and most athletic kid in our class.

"So, I here you now Judo. Let's see what you've got," Louie said and immediately grabbed my shirt. He lifted me just a little off my feet and swept my legs out from underneath me. He let me fall, hard, on the ground, which I now notice was packed solid. When I got my air back, I stood, played it off and grabbed Louis. I had to prove myself now. Other kids were watching. Louis flipped me over his hip, then hhis shoulder and then just pushed me to the grass. I was done. He and his crowd of supporters walked away. I played by the creek, alone.

I quit Judo in a year or so.