Of course, a Judo mat is not an office.

However, there are several parallels in my mind:

• All Judo contest areas are 8m² - like a designated office workspace
• All contests are run over 5 mins – most offices run 9am-5pm
• Competitors wear uniforms – tired of that same suit and tie much?
• Competitors wear identifying back patches – CEO, trainee, etc, what does your     name badge say?
• I spend 30+ hours per week on the mat – same as most white collar workers
• At the end of the day, I get home tired and complain about my ‘office’ on          Facebook – we’ve all been there.

I relate to the office analogy because when I break down the amount of hours I have spent refining my game, I can be calm – regardless of whom I am fighting. I am calm because I see my opponent as a work problem ^__ not as a finely tuned athlete willing and able to tear me apart limb from limb.

Figuring out how I am going to throw, pin, choke or arm lock this individual is to me the same as an accountant filing someone’s tax return forms or a marketing manager developing a strategy to become the dominant player in a market.

I am quite comfortable in the knowledge that to most I am that office nerd. The guy who comes in early, stays back late, asks the boss a million and one questions. Because, once my opponents bow on to face me in a contest then they are stepping in to MY OFFICE, I WILL do my job and I am bucking for a promotion.

Here end the ramblings of a crazy Judoka.

Ivo