Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy Boy
Here is a new one.
How did you all do at your first tournament?
I had 8 fights, won 5 and lost 3.
First matches were in the team event, won the first against a green belt with a big but very rugged koshi guruma. The second team match had to fight a guy who had a bronze in teh common wealth games and had been a black belt for about 14 years. Lost, surprise surprise, via hold down after trying to go for broke and shoot in. The other wins were good ones, all ippons with the same koshi guruma, the losses, slammed once and the last one was so gassed that I was in some dude's guard briefly and he swept, and I ahd so little left I just slumped over and got held down.
Great day, felt magnificent after it although so tired I was told to really take it easy after getting brought to the site doctor after my last match. Body was so sore the following week, every part ached.
Good times, great memory.
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First tournament was the Great Lakes Open in 2006. I competed as a white belt with four months in judo. I competed in the 100+kg senior novice. It was a modified double elimination with four of us in the bracket. I went 1-2, both loses to the same guy who is 6'6" 320. I ended up with the third place medal.
I lost by wazari-awasete-ippon in the first match, won via osaekomi in the second (kesa gatame) and lost by ippon to a hiza guruma in my third match.
I was really nervous in that tournament and had a huge adrenaline dump in my first match. Now I'm pretty relaxed when I compete, which makes me think that I've come a long way since then. But the coolest thing about judo tournaments is how chill and friendly everyone is. I've met and talked to every one of my opponents over the last year and a half and every one of them has been really nice. I firmly believe that the judo spirit is what makes the art so much more than just training and competing. -ken