A new judo school was born in Battipaglia, a city where the Japanese discipline has a very strong tradition with ancient roots.
It was Maestro Nino Agresti, in fact, at the beginning of the 70s of the last century, with his “Ikuei judo”, who made the noble art known in the main city of Piana del Sele.
The “Tusciania” gym of the Porcelli family opens the doors of the new dojo From now on, in addition to the many other sports disciplines on offer, it is also possible to practice judo in the historic Battipaglia club. The sector was entrusted to Maestro Andrea Pastore with more than thirty years of teaching experience and his collaborator Maestro Umberto Serio, an engineer in life but with a great passion for ancient Japanese art.
I had the pleasure of interviewing the technicians and the first questions, as respect required in judo, were addressed to the “elder” Master, Andrea Pastore.
Teacher, can you explain judo for us and when it was born?
“Judo can be defined in different ways: a martial art, a combat sport and also a way of self-defense. Judo was born in Japan at the end of the nineteenth century thanks to Master Jigoro Kano”.
How long does it take to learn judo?
“The good question and the answer is not simple, in the sense that it takes the necessary time and it varies, above all, based on the commitment of the athletes and their frequency of training. Usually it takes several months to climb -on the basics and years of practice to reach a good level.
Judo is also an Olympic discipline, right?
“Yes, judo became an Olympic sport in 1964 and let me add that this noble art was declared by UNESCO as the best initial training for children and adolescents and as a practice, however, suitable for any age. And also that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) considers judo one of the most complete sports and that promotes the values of friendship, mutual cooperation and respect”.
After thanking Maestro Andrea Pastore, I also asked Umberto Serio.
Teacher, many people think that judo is a harsh discipline, what do you say about it?
“A harsh discipline! (Eng. Serio smiled) The term judo translates to “the way of kindness”, because this discipline, although it is a martial art and a method of personal defense, does not involve the use of violence. It consists of techniques and holds whose goal is to make the opponent harmless through his immobilization.
I will tell you more, Master Kyuzo Mifune in his ‘The Canon of Judo’ wrote:
“…Training in the discipline of jūdō means attaining perfect knowledge of the spirit through attack-defense training and diligent effort to gain physical-spiritual development. The perfection of the ego thus obtained must be directed to social service, which constitutes the ultimate goal of jūdō…”.
Why are parents advised to let their children practice judo?
“Among the most important teachings, judo emphasizes respect for the opponent. This discipline teaches that even in a sport of self-defense you can abandon violence, giving place to techniques involving spirit and balance. Judo increases self-esteem, helps socialize, fights shyness and is the school to learn to respect others and oneself.”
What are the values of judo?
Judo is a discipline made up of deep values and I have already said about first, respect, then there is: good manners and humility. These are values that are embedded in every aspect of judo practice and are also essential to the rules of judo itself.
At the end of the interviews, I thank the Masters and Prof. Enzo Porcelli, patron of Tusciania, to welcome me. As an old judoka and lover of this unique discipline, let me fully humble myself to add that judo, if taught well, corrects aggressive attitudes and increases concentration. Those who practice it, in fact, learn to meditate before acting and not to be carried away by emotions even in the most dangerous situations.
I end with one of the aphorisms of Master Jigoro Kano that I love, “Jita Kyoei”, which I translate simply and a little loosely as: “Friendship and help each other”. To show that with cooperation the whole community can reach a satisfactory state. In the original thought, Master Kano wanted to explain, in fact, that through the progress of each of us we can achieve a progress in society and that progress should also be the main goal of every judoka.
Article by Massimo Guarino