Inadequate ukemi

For whatever reason, my ribs seem to be my biggest weakness when it comes to Judo. Just a week or so after getting over my first round of contused ribs in the front left part of my ribcage (induced by a classmate practicing a Hon Kesa Gatame hold-down), at yesterday’s class I fell hard on ribs in the back right part of my ribcage, possibly leaving them even sorer than those injured the first time. Even after a night with a big of frozen vegetables against them, it’s intensely painful to cough and difficult to get up off my back.

Bruised ribs are quite a liability for Judo practice. They make warm-ups hard in terms of push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises (even jogging was painful at the end of last class); side breakfalls inevitably involve putting them on the mats; and practicing throws like Ippon Seoi Nage and (especially) groundwork involves more pressure on them.

I hope they recuperate more promptly this time around.

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. Between 2005 and 2007 I completed an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. I worked for five years for the Canadian federal government, including completing the Accelerated Economist Training Program, and then completed a PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto in 2023. View all posts by Milan