This past weekend, I successfully tested for my brown belt (Sankyu) in Judo. I had started Judo in college (last century) and for over 15 years couldn’t find the willpower to get back in to the sport. Then Kayla Harrison won gold in the 2012 Olympics. Something about an American finally winning Judo gold gave me the motivation I needed to find Sensai Barnett at the Jiu Jitsu Institute in downtown Chicago. Searching the internet for judo clubs in Chicago, you’ll find the current web page is optimized for the Mosaic browser — (note: a new website is in the works) — but perhaps the club’s web presence is an allegory for the style of training one will receive: traditional.
Roneye (left), James (Right) and me (the only guy who broke a sweat).