Why did you choose Judo?

I began Judo kinda on accident. It was the 80s and I was a kid. I loved the karate kid and ninja turtles. What can I say; I was 5. My mother took me to the local community center and we looked into what martial arts they offered and Judo worked with our schedule. Now it's some 30 years later and I can't see the milestone events of my life without Judo.

Well this question brings good memories to me and I will add my how and why. Back in high school a classmate one grade ahead of me was a wrestler and took judo at the SRJC. He would always try to get me to come to a tournament and watch but it would require me to get up really early on the weekends and drive 1-2 hours. One Sunday there was an in-house tournament in town at the JC to watch the tournament from there I was hooked. Having done martial arts on and off for most of my life even at that point it didn’t compare to Judo, I loved the competition and was hungry for it. I quickly fell in love with judo and tried to rope in everyone I knew and loved. Being part of the community I have made friends (family) that have lasted beyond 20 years and it is more then and art, hobby, sport its is part of me.

I'll start; I was always rough and tumbly as a kid, I also got in my fair share of fights. I had actually declined trying other material arts as a kid because I knew my days of fighting were likely at a middle and honestly had no problem in fights where the other kid "knew karate". My first semester at the Jr college I bumped into an old classmate from highschool, he told me about the Judo class they had. I was hesitant but he said " no no, you get to wrestle around on the ground and throw people, like through the air!" I signed up for the next semester and had the time of my life, been playing my favorite game with my favorite people ever since.