Asking a parent, why judo?

“Haha! I suppose so but I have a small confession to make, I don’t pay for my children to train and practice Judo – I’m paying for these simple things, it’s more than Judo. It’s life lessons.

I pay for my children to learn how to be disciplined.

I pay for my children to learn how to take care of their body and mind.

I pay for my children to learn how to work with others and be great team members, progress their creativity.

I pay for my children to learn how to deal with failure and to brush off a loss, get up and try again. The key is to work harder.

I pay for my children to understand that it takes time, effort and training to get results and that success doesn’t happen overnight – what’s the saying, Rome wasn’t built in a day.

I pay for the opportunity for my children to have friends for life.

I pay for my children to be in a dojo and not in front of a TV or PlayStation.

I pay for those moments when my children come back so tired that they just want to rest and don’t have time to want lazy or bad things.

I pay for my children to know how to defend themselves and not live in torment of aggression or bullying.

I pay for my children to learn the teachings that this sport gives them, responsibility, dedication, commitment, confidence, coexistence etc.

It would be easy to go on but just to sum it up;

I don’t pay for the classes of Judo, I pay for the opportunities that are offered to them within this discipline and to develop attributes or skills that are useful for all walks of life. With consistent perseverance my children are starting to realise there’s an opportunity within Judo for them, whether that’s competitive, technical, coaching or refereeing. I think this has been my best investment.”