What Judo Should Be

[Joseph Svinth]

http://www.kanosociety.org/trevor_leggett.htm

(It's the eulogy to the late Trevor Leggett.)

[MarkF]

"We can learn a lot of other things from music. You do not hang on to a chord no matter how beautiful. You do not regret the end of a piece of music. The piece is played and comes to a natural end. In the same way a life is played."


The first I had read of TP Leggett's writing had nothing to do with judo. It was in the sixties and buddhist practices were being explored. Zen and Nishryn Shoshu were most popular and it was while exploring this when I came across Mr. Leggett. It was only later while discussing judo and the Budokwai with my teacher that I found out he was judoka, and a grand one.

Check out the link. It has been said that the go no kata has been performed once in the last fifty years, and there is a photo of Mr. Leggett's attempt at performing one of only two of this old kata. Perhaps the last fifty years should be extended as he was the only one I've heard that actually had seen the go no kata performed in Japan.
*****

I have occasionally compared music and judo (budo really) in the past and it must have made some impression on me as the above quote was contained in a large number of eulogies.

Mark