If there was any doubt that the IJF, and by extension the national organizations, didn’t care for the athletes, here’s proof that the only thing that matters is how much each organization can make off rank and file players, coaches, and officials. I call this highway robbery.
I thought you would all appreciate this beautiful statue. It’s located in Chelyabinsk, Russia. Looks like a young Kano or Mifune, although it’s hard to tell from the picture. Are there any other statues dedicated to Judo in your cities?
I had the pleasure of attending the first two days of the 2011 World Championships in Paris. Here are my comments.
I ran into Michel Brousse, the French Judo historian (among other things) in the hotel lobby. He was kind enough to acknowledge that my daughter Natalie was participating in the championships. He also informed me that there would be an International Association of Judo Researchers symposium the next morning, and invited me to attend. I did, and came away with lots of good information from the morning session, which was dedicated to Judo history. Unfortunately, I had to miss the afternoon session as I was meeting my 86-year old father, whom I hadn’t seen in some twenty years.
I just received the following comments from David Gordge, vice-president for World Judo Federation Oceania, in response to my post “Move over IJF!” Rather than bury it under the comments section, I’ve decided to highlight it as a new post. Let’s hope that the WJF is not just the IJF with a different name.
Rest assured that Iâm not talking about Kiss, the rock group, but rather the acronym that stands for âKeep it simple, stupid!â KISS is the opposite of information overload. Itâs a simple principle that seems to elude many coaches who feel the need to show off the depth of their knowledge, rather than make it easier for students to learn. The Japanese call this kuchi waza. I call this diarrhea of the mouth.