http://www.leaguelineup.com/Tournaments.asp?URL=pacificjudo&sid=409261733&TournamentID=124734

Is anyone else from bullshido going to be there besides me?

I guess not...

Anyway, it's double elimination, so I should at least get to fight twice! lol

Link doesn't work.

Hm.

Well, try www.leaguelinup.com/pacificjudo and follow the tournaments link.

Original link works again, too bad I didn't know about this sooner...

Yeah, I shoulda posted sooner. We basically have one local tourny here in Spokane every year. And this is it. It's also going to be my first one. I'm actually getting kinda nervous.

Well it was a great tournament. I went 1-2. Read about it here: http://www.bullshido.net/bullies/node/392

I'll use this thread to offer up a quick review/overview of the whole show. There were well over a 100 competitors (120+ last I heard, with more last minute entries coming in), though that does include the kiddies. The tournament seemed really well run, with one exception which is that they shut down one of the 2 mats and sent the refs home when there was still about a dozen matches to go on the other mat. They should've kept running to fights at a time and been done quicker, IMO.

I don't know about the kids, but for adults there were enough to run three weight classes (light medium and heavy) for each adult div (mens/womens advanced/novice). There ended up being 9 guys in my class/div., which I thought was decent sized. Our club did really well, too. Nobody got shut out, and we took 1st or 2nd in each div we competed in.

This was my first Judo tourny, so it will be interesting to see how others compare in the future.

Well done in the tournament. I love shiai, such a different atmosphere, I can never sleep the night before.

I felt pretty good after weighing in the night before. So, it really was't too bad then. It was the entire preceding week that I was nervous as hell! lol

Weird, I'm usually the exact opposite. What thoughts went through your mind as you first stepped up to the line?

How was your gas tank? I always blow my load in the first match.

What thoughts went through your mind as you first stepped up to the line?


My main thought was, "Don't get ipponed." And though that may sound like I'm joking, I'm not. I really was conserned about not just walking out there and, WAM, done. I wanted to make a good fight of it, win or lose. So, naturally, I fought defensively. Actually, my post tournament reflection has made me want to focus on being more agressive in practice from now on. But for my first tournament I wanted to stay with what I was comfortable with, and (in practice) I tended to do better countering. At least for standing up, anyway. On the ground I'm pretty offensive.

As for my gas tank, I never did look at the clock, but the first match felt long. And when it was over I was VERY tired. I've actually been working on my cardio, running on the weekends and such, but I was done after that first fight. Got that cough you can get after intense physical exertion and everything! Fortunately, I had a long wait in between fights, so I was fine for the next two, neither of which lasted quite as long.

Funny thing is, in the days preceding I couldn't wait to "get it over with." But now, I just really want to do it again. I feel like I could do so much better now. Shoot, I even feel like I will train better now, since I saw so many things I did wrong.

My main thought was, "Don't get ipponed." And though that may sound like I'm joking, I'm not. I really was conserned about not just walking out there and, WAM, done. I wanted to make a good fight of it, win or lose. So, naturally, I fought defensively. Actually, my post tournament reflection has made me want to focus on being more agressive in practice from now on. But for my first tournament I wanted to stay with what I was comfortable with, and (in practice) I tended to do better countering. At least for standing up, anyway. On the ground I'm pretty offensive.

It's not that weird to have that thought. Getting thrown hard at the beginning can be pretty embarrassing. Stick with what you're good at, but make it so your opponent has few options than what you want him to do (grips is key to this).

I have a weird thought where I feel like I'm going to die. I've only had one or two near death experiences (like falling off a steep cliff) and shiai for me feels the same way. A small part of my mind is telling me for some reason "you don't have to do this." Funny thing is, I have so far done well in tournaments, and am totally different during randori.


As for my gas tank, I never did look at the clock, but the first match felt long. And when it was over I was VERY tired. I've actually been working on my cardio, running on the weekends and such, but I was done after that first fight. Got that cough you can get after intense physical exertion and everything! Fortunately, I had a long wait in between fights, so I was fine for the next two, neither of which lasted quite as long.

Yeah I have the same thing. Sometimes I think I hold my breath during the whole first match.


Funny thing is, in the days preceding I couldn't wait to "get it over with." But now, I just really want to do it again. I feel like I could do so much better now. Shoot, I even feel like I will train better now, since I saw so many things I did wrong.

I'm also the same way, I just want to do the tournament and go home. After though, I'm really glad I did. Training will be much better now, it's really odd actually, I guess that Kano guy knew what he was doing...

Congrats again, and sorry for the stalking behavior, but I rarely get to talk Judo shop here on BS.

lol No sweat man. I kinda wanted to hear what other people thought, and you're the only one who responded! So I didn't mind at all.

I'll talk judo with you guys!

sounds like you had a pretty good first shiai experience. much better then mine was that's for sure.
i was doing judo for about 6 months (only going 1x a week), i was a white belt, and everyone in my category was orange and about 20 pounds heavier then me. i got smashed for ippon in both fights in the first 30 seconds. lol. that was like 11 years ago. thankfully that doesn't happen anymore.

i was doing judo for about 6 months (only going 1x a week), i was a white belt,

Hey, that part is pretty much me! Except I do have some other grappling exp prior. That sucks having to go against people so much bigger though. Actually, both guys I lost too were taller than me and slightly heavier. The guy I beat was about my size. Hm. I'm sensing a pattern! lol

Tonight's my first night back to training, so I'm looking forward to the post fight breakdowns. Also, I may get some video that I can upload.

i'd love to seem some video!

once you get some more experience and technique the size difference becomes less of a problem. last november i fought and won against a girl who was 85kg and another who was 120kg. i weighed in at 78kg. And it wasn't like i had tonnes of experience on them. all 3 of us were black belts.