Design . Build . Learn . Repeat

I was heavily distracted, yesterday during work and again after frisbee, watching judo and mixed martial arts videos online. Pretty awesome and inspirational stuff.

(Not me. Via Wikipedia)

It’s official - I’m now doing judo over in Ocean Springs along with Will/Nick/various other Hands On folk. The first few classes have been very fun; it’s a new martial art for me and I’m learning a lot already.

I think that setting some goals is the most important thing you can do when you’re starting a martial art. Ideally a martial art is something you’ll continue to do throughout your lifetime. But this isn’t a realistic goal for me right now. I’d like to persevere at it while I’m here in Mississippi, but who knows where I’ll be next. That being said, here are my martial arts goals:

1. Attend class regularly and give a full effort.
2. Learn well a variety of techniques (rolls, falls, throws, chokes, pins).
3. Through whatever style I’m practicing in (judo, karate, etc.), develop my understanding of the fundamentals behind martial arts (stance, force, inertia, body knowledge).

In talking with a non-martial-artist the other day, I was interested by her perception of the idea behind martial arts: that the goal is to achieve victory without having to hurt the other person. Now, without getting into the elaborate philosophies associated with martial arts, I don’t think this is accurate - in any real-life application of martial arts, concern for the opponent’s well-being comes dead last behind protecting yourself and those around you. This is particularly the case for styles like Shotokan karate, which I trained in for several years. Shotokan counts “Refrain from violent behavior” among its core principles, but when force is required, every technique is potentially a killing or crippling blow. Judo practictioners, on the other hand, may use pins or holds to achieve complete control over their opponents without (necessarily) incapacitating them.

Karate and judo have very different techniques, but it seems to me that their spirit is similar. They emphasize the controlled application of force. The first and most important element of control is to know when the use of force is appropriate.

But essentially, judo’s fun. I’m finally getting into an active routine with judo, occasional running, ultimate frisbee, football, and construction, and my body’s making me pay for it, but it’s all good.

Today (Monday) : Rode my new bike to work for the first time — very exciting. Then I spent all day trying to finish up a drawing set to take in for a building permit, although I didn’t make it. After a late Oak Street steering committee meeting, I went for a very fun first judo class in Ocean Springs with Will.

Sunday: It being sunny and warm, we played Sunday football on the beach, the definite highlight of the day. Got lots of laundry done and sorted through most of my old receipts and bills and things. Also, luck struck at last and I came across a free bike at Hands On; it’s old, heavy, and wonderful.

Saturday: Woke up early enough for a run on the beach. Spent most of the day doing laundry and looking for a used bike, with no luck. Hung out with Hands On people, most of whom had been partying since early afternoon.

Friday: Nobody got much actual work done today as we spent all morning in a very useful and much-needed structural engineering workshop with Roger Roepke from Black Rock Engineering in Oregon. We all felt like we’d learned in several hours what we’ve been struggling to figure out for months.

Thursday: Work as usual, followed by seminar (I’ve been going to the weekly seminar with the Mississippi State studio). After a discussion about Gropius, we broke to eat the biggest pizzas I’ve seen (30″) and a miraculous invention, the fried Krispy Kreme donut with homemade ice cream on top. Also went to celebrate Katie’s birthday for a bit.

Wednesday: Most of Wednesday flew by with preparations for that night’s community meeting for Oak Street. We drew up five great scenarios to present (which I’ll put up soon) and the meeting was very useful, pointing to a consensus on some issues while raising new questions as well.

Tuesday: Getting back in the game after a long weekend, I’m too overwhelmed with work to even attend the regular Tuesday afternoon Americorps meeting. The other Tuesday staple, Frisbee, is also a no-go because it’s windy and cold.

And that’s it — the action-packed day-to-day experience of living here in Biloxi.