I had my first judo class yesterday.

…and today, I’m sore. Shocker. In part, from having used muscles that my yoga/calisthenics/hiking body never use, but honestly (and quite probably) in no small amount from having been repeatedly slammed on the mat. I've done a little bit of Japanese martial arts from a friend in the village over the last year or so, but very little and very sporadically. Very reminiscent, bodily speaking.

But it feels good. Strengthening. As in, doing hard shit that over time makes me better (#849395).

My early yoga journey awoke a similar feel—back then, I guess, more authentically (#846361) because I wasn’t attuned to what my body was feeling or caring much for it. Instead, my ignorant lil pleb brain back then just let it do its work, brushing off the spiritual words and om chants and namastes; yes, yes, whatever.

It is truly fascinating to see the movement patterns of the body, the “weak points” in an attacker or how to get a bigger opponent off balance and on the ground. I saw that a lot yesterday, when people half my size but triple my technique (and dozens of times my understanding) quite easily could bring me down.

Yoga uses similar points in the human body but in order to release emotions, to awaken mental clarity, to calm the ever-loud noise of your chatty, doubtful mind. In my own yoga journey, I never thought much about that (#851050) until just a few years ago—and more obviously and directly during my teacher training.

Like yoga, judo—as far as I understand—is this ancient tradition of moving the body. The difference, perhaps, is that yoga aims to quiet the mind whereas judo aims to overpower an opponent (defend from an attacker?).

So yeah, it’s a good thing to explore your body, try some new discipline, move it in new ways. (It is a new year after all.) We can only grow from trying.

Will probably be back.