February 28, 2013
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101…. 101
There are a number of new people in the judo class. Whether it’s judo or any other activity where there is a progression of skill, I always feel that one of the things that stands out the most about new people is their fighting spirit– or more specifically, when there is a lack thereof. A lot of it probably has to do with how you grew up, the activities you’ve done before, and how much self-confidence you have. Maybe some other people care about how friendly or nice a guy you are, but I don’t really look at that. There are plenty of nice people in the world– there are lots of cute puppies and kittens out there too– but I wouldn’t want to do an activity with them, because their commitment to an activity has nothing to do with that.
When you start a new activity, it’s a given that you do not have the skills that the regulars. When I say fighting spirit, I’m not talking about arrogance, or even self-confidence. I’m simply talking about the willpower to throw yourself into the activity. Willingness to make mistakes is a large part of it. Humility is another. However, whining about how hard something is gets you nowhere, and being decidedly stubborn about things from outside the world of that activity doesn’t help either.
Example cases can be found in some of the new judokas. One of them kept on getting her bracelets caught in her sleeve when people grabbed her by the arm, and when asked to take it off, she would insist it was okay. Another insisted on wearing glasses, even through the warmups. Apparently he sees more than well enough for the purposes of sports, so I don’t see why having your glasses falling off every time you do a roll is very smart. The final example are all those first-timers who show up at class without a gi (training jacket)– that in itself is excusable, because gis aren’t cheap, and if you don’t know yet if you want to commit to this activity, it’s unlikely that you’d be willing to shell out a hundred bucks for something you might never use again. But for god’s sakes– at least wear some athletic clothing! Who shows up at a gym expecting to start a workout in designer jeans? All the more ridiculous when they’re low cut ones.
I’ve gotten in the habit of not using the expression “common sense” anymore, because frankly, what the fuck does that even mean nowadays. Because for every 10 new people at the judo club showing up and expecting to participate, 5 of them are wearing jeans that are too tight for the to move in, or that they have to keep pulling up because they’re falling off their asses.
So maybe what I want out of newbies isn’t necessarily even fighting spirit– it’s just a bit of pre-reading on how to be a newbie.
