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| Author Patrick M. Burris (throwing)
frequently studied judo in Japan in the 1960s and 70s. Back then, he
claims, the Japanese did not like having foreigners in their dojo,
but now international judoka are welcomed there.
| It is Japan in 1969. 1 am curled
up in a tiny dormitory, anxiously awaiting the next judo practice. My gi
(uniform) top is serving as my blanket, and my pants are my pillow. I'm
trying valiantly to get some rest before practice. Okano Senseiwoke us up
early again this morning to begin another day of training. Every day
except Sunday, we rise at 6:30 to go for a three-mile run, followed by a
half-mile duck walk and calisthenics. After breakfast and clean up, we
head to the Keisho (Japanese Police Academy) for technical judo training,
followed by weight training. After lunch and a short break, we're off to
the dojo (training hall) for randori (free sparring). Around 6:30 p.m.,
our day is completed. We are able to rest until tomorrow.
 I'm excited and nervous
about tonight's practice. Students from the Meigi School are coming to
train at the Kodokan, the school at which judo was created. The Meigi
School has some of the toughest, biggest and meanest judoka
(practitioners) in Japan. I resolve to put all I have into tonight's
practice. Okano Sensei is expecting almost the same level of performance
from me as I am, and I won't disappoint either of us. Okano is the head
sensei of the Seikijuku School, and it is at his invitation that I am a
part of this unique group of warriors. Isaac Okano is considered one of
the fiercest judoka in the world. While fighting in the 1967 All-Japan
Championship, his arm was broken during the semifinal round. He proceeded
to win the match in spite of the injury. He continued on to the final
round, where he was defeated. Okano took the loss so hard that he
contemplated suicide. Honor in victory is very important to a man like
him.
As we arrive
at the dojo for a randori session, we see that the Meigi School has
arrived before us and is warming up. The fact that we were not the first
to arrive has infuriated Okano, and we all know that we are in for a very
long night. After the randori session, our group will stay and train until
the last judoka has left the dojo. "First on the mat and last off" is
Okano Sensei's creed.
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| Patrick M. Burris (center) has won more judo
awards and medals than you could shake a stick at. He is shown here
with members of his USA Stars Foundation, a nonprofit organization
dedicated to training Olympic hopefuls and at-risk youth.
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The last time we trained
with the Meigi School, another foreigner named Bill Sanford was with us.
Some of the Japanese sensei believed that Bill wasn't flexible enough, so
they instructed him to sit in the butterfly position while two
heavyweights stood on his folded legs, pressing them down to the ground
and consequently ripping Bill's groin muscles. It took him several months
to recover. This type of mistreatment of foreigners was typical of the
Japanese.
Randori
practice has begun, and I am in a sea of Japanese fighters with
contemptuous snarls on their faces. The Japanese dislike us, and they hate
the fact that we are here on their mat. Last year the Japanese would not
work with me unless I aggressively grabbed them to fight. This year, the
sensei have "redsashed" me. Having the red sash means that I get to stay
out on the mat for every round and the Japanese fighters must come to me.
Because I am red-sashed, the Japanese are even angrier and they are coming
after me like banshees. But I'm ready, and I will not quit until the last
matte (break) is called.
This is my fifth summer in
Japan. I come here every year to train with the best judo athletes in the
world. Back home I am an American Olympian. Here I am fighting to survive.
It's like a war every day. The Japanese are so tough! I am tougher. If not
physically, then mentally. I will not break. It doesn't matter if I get my
butt kicked on a daily basis; I will not give in. I make it my personal
quest to find someone-anyone-in the dojo that I can beat. And at the end
of the day, I go to my room with the knowledge that today I kicked his
butt. I know how proud the Japanese are. That judoka will be shunned by
his teammates because he lost to an American. Small victories are
victories nonetheless.
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| Jigoro Kano founded judo as a martial art
that could help introduce a piece of Japanese culture to the world.
When it became an Olympic sport in 1964, his dream was realized.
|
The practice is finally
over, and I have survived another day. Now it's time for rest and
relaxation because, as my father always tells me, "The sun will rise
tomorrow."
Flash Forward
More than 20 years have
passed since I last battled with the powerful Japanese judoka. It is my
students who are now going head-to-head with these warriors, and much has
changed. During my era the Japanese despised the fact that foreigners were
entering their country to learn judo with them. Today the Japanese invite
foreigners to come to them. In fact, they are now scouring the world
themselves seeking optimal training locations.
Some 78 years after Jigoro
Kano created judo, the martial art was included in the Olympic Games and
Kano saw his dream of judo becoming an international sport come true. As
judo became more and more popular worldwide, its appeal seemed to diminish
in Japan. In the 1960s and 70s judo was the most popular sport in Japan.
Today baseball has filled the No. 1 spot. From 1964 to around 1976, Japan
absolutely dominated the world in judo. Okano Sensei foresaw the changes
that would occur, and in an extremely controversial move he created the
Seikijuku School, whose name means "the rebels' path." Its purpose was to
bring foreigners from all over the world to Japan to train with the
Japanese judoka. At the time his convictions caused him to be considered a
traitor to his country. Despite the controversy and the backlash, Okano
was convinced that as judo became more popular world- wide, world and
Olympic titles would be harder for Japan to obtain.
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| Modern judo athletes must cross-train in
related sports and develop sound nutritional habits if they wish to
succeed at the international level, Patrick M. Burris says.
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It wasn't until 1984 that
America started to see the benefits of sending our best players to Japan
for training. Up until that time, athletes were forced to find their own
way to Japan. I was 18 years old when I made my first trip to the Orient.
My parents signed me up with a senior citizens' tour, and I crossed the
Pacific with a group of retired geriatrics. My first night in Japan was
spent at a four-star hotel. The next day I broke away from the tour group
to find the Kodokan. Although the exchange rate for yen was favorable, the
financial burden my family experienced was staggering. I was very
fortunate that my parents stood behind me in my venture. My mother worked
solely to support my judo career. Fortunately times have changed: United
Stated Judo Inc. and the Olympic Committee now fund some of our athletes'
training in Japan.
As Japan began to open
itself to foreigners and Americans began to realize the necessity of
international training, the preconceived concepts of both countries began
to change. For example, when I was training it was deemed essential to
spend at least three to six months at a time in Japan. The idea behind
this was that foreigners could not possibly understand a sport born in
Japan without first understanding the Japanese culture. We were made to
study judo, including kata (forms), as a part of our education. Today
American athletes make two or three trips to Japan annually, spending two
weeks training with great intensity, and they are generally treated as
equals.
Health and the Athlete
As with all sports, modern
science and improved knowledge of athletic training have revolutionized
the way judoka train. During my era, we did not consider the fact that
many of the drills that were deemed necessary to increase our athletic
prowess were actually extremely dangerous. For example, duck-walking for a
quarter mile or duck-walking stadiums while carrying a teammate on your
back is now considered suicidal for the knees. Today's athlete is much
more informed about the health and well-being of the human body.
An athlete preparing for a
competition today follows a rigorous training and nutrition schedule. He
may start his day with roadwork, distance and sprints, followed by weight
training and a technical judo session. After a break, he returns to the
dojo for drills and randori. All of this is closely monitored by a trainer
or the athlete himself to ensure that proper attention is paid to injury
prevention, rehabilitation and nutritional supplements.
The changes in the
treatment and prevention of injuries have allowed athletes to sustain
their competitive career for many more years than was possible in the
past.
Judo as a Modern Sport
The availability of media
resources has also made a great impact on judo. During my day, Americans
had very few opportunities to work with or fight against international
players. Today we can study films of great athletes from all over the
world from the comfort of our living room.
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| Because Japan was the unstoppable force in
international judo competition in the 1960s and '70s, foreign judoka
often traveled to that country for intensive training.
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The ideals of victory have
also changed. At the beginning of "international judo," it was konjo, or
fighting spirit, that motivated the warriors of the sport. Today the great
competitors around the world still have konjo, but they are also driven by
financial rewards. In 1971 1 received $3 a day while traveling to the
World Games. Today some of judo's top athletes are fortunate enough to
receive an annual salary that rivals the top competitors in some
professional sports. It is the financial influence that spurs many great
accomplishments in all sports. Impoverishment gives people great
inspiration to improve their condition, and sport provides the means. The
Japanese used judo as their vehicle, and now Americans are utilizing the
sport to create revenue and glory.
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| Despite the minor hardships involved,
training and competing in Japan is well worth it for any judo
practitioner who is passionate about his sport, Patrick M. Burris
claims. |
This trend in benefiting
from sport training is a positive method of motivating the youth of
America to better themselves. To be the best, judoka, like most athletes,
must tolerate vast hardships-including physical, mental and financial
difficulties. But all the sacrifice and suffering dulls in the light of
having the opportunity to represent the United States in international
competition. For a young person, to be able to travel the world competing
and training is one of the greatest ways to spend one's youth.
Anytime you have an
opportunity to do something you are passionate about, jump at the chance.
I highly recommend that all potential judo champions spend some time
training in Japan because, as they say, "The best always do more than the
rest."
About the author: Patrick M. Burris startedjudo at age 5. At 16 he
brought home the gold during the USA High School Judo Championships and
the Southern Pacific Judo Championships. In 1972 he was inducted into the
Wrestling Hall of Fame, in 1974 and 1976 into the Black Belt Hall of Fame,
and in 1975 into the U.S. Judo Association Hall of Fame. He is a two-time
Olympian, two-time champion of the Pan-Am Games, six-time USA nationaljudo
kata champion, seven-time South Pacific judo champion, and two-time
American wrestling champion.
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