![\"\"](\"\/..\/mbsensei.png\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The more judo tournaments I attend, the more I like. \u00a0We’ve been to a couple in Nanaimo, we’ve hosted two at our club, and we even went to one in Victoria last year.<\/p>\n
The Mill Bay tournament, though, seemed a different premise right from the start. \u00a0As a kid I hung around Mill Bay, though it was very small then. \u00a0I wondered, therefore, where the judo club might be? \u00a0We were told there would be only one mat. \u00a0We were also given the impression that everyone really liked going to the Mill Bay Tournament.<\/p>\n
Two hours south of home, we pulled off the busy highway onto a country lane less than a kilometre long. \u00a0We parked on the side, then walked back to a building reminiscent of a small barn. \u00a0We approached the open door that led in from the south end.<\/p>\n
Reaching the stairs, I was immediately impressed. \u00a0Looking up from a clipboard, a kid in his late teens asked us who we were and from what club. \u00a0We answered, then entered. \u00a0A man behind a desk asked us again who we were and from what club. \u00a0“Just double checking,” he smiled.<\/p>\n
We noticed that our kids’ matches had already been planned and posted on the bulletin board.<\/p>\n
When you come from out of town to attend a tournament, reassurance that you are in the right place – and that you are expected – is key. \u00a0Now, we could find seats and relax.<\/p>\n
The surprises didn’t stop coming, however. \u00a0We walked up a few steps into a club unlike any I’d seen. \u00a0The place was made entirely of wood. \u00a0Although it had only one mat, it was spacious and comfortable. \u00a0The spectators sat in dim light so familiar if you’ve been in a barn in daytime.<\/p>\n
The matches got underway. \u00a0During breaks in the action, you could look out the far window at a flowering maple tree.<\/p>\n
My kids did alright: \u00a0one silver and one bronze. \u00a0This time, my younger got the silver. \u00a0My older son fought four times – the most he’s ever done in a tournament. \u00a0He lost two split decisions. \u00a0He took them hard, but you’ve got to learn to lose. Of course, it’s easy for me to be philosophical: I wasn’t competing.<\/p>\n
Overall, even my older son could tell he’d done pretty well. \u00a0He’d earned his bronze medal and some valuable experience against more seasoned opponents.<\/p>\n
The trip itself showcased some differences between the North Island (where I live now) and the South Island (where I lived from the mid-80s until the mid-90s). \u00a0The Mill Bay judo club – all-wood, set beside a rich pasture of lush grass just off a major highway – echoes qualities typical of the South Island. \u00a0The relaxed, comfortable wealth, set right beside bustle – it’s what I remember. \u00a0Though it has its spots, the North Island’s more rugged.<\/p>\n
Here’s a sensei from that club. \u00a0He’s drawn from memory, like all my drawings from judo tournaments. \u00a0Thanks, Mill Bay, for putting on a great tourney and having us all come.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My kids participated in a judo tournament in Mill Bay last weekend. The more judo tournaments I attend, the more I like. \u00a0We’ve been to a couple in Nanaimo, we’ve hosted two at our club, and we even went to one in Victoria last year. The Mill Bay tournament, though, seemed a different premise right … Continue reading “Another Judo Tournament”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-daily-posts"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66"}],"version-history":[{"count":35,"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":921,"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66\/revisions\/921"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/facebooklet.ca\/blog2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}