Goodbye to Jerry Saravia … again

Last night, Monday, we said ‘goodbye’ to our boy, Jerry Saravia as he leaves to start his new job in Boston. Our boy - our ‘boy’ is pushing 30, but he started training with Dō Gakuin at age 10, so he’ll always seem like our boy to me. We reviewed his higher katas and kobudo, making sure he leaves with skills as sharp as possible.

Jerry went to college upstate at Rochester Institute of Technology for six years. During that time he did internships in Oregon and Boston, and did a semester overseas in Paris. After getting his Masters degree, he came back to Long Island for almost a year. His job search included Long Island and NYC, but he accepted a job in Boston that lasted four years. He did come back from college and work occasionally, and he always looked sharp. Jerry returned to Long Island last May for a month before departing on a cross-country bicycle trip that would last four months. Jerry’s trek finished in October, and he trained with us regularly right up until last night.

Statistics show that students who go away to college, who intern in different parts of the country, who study abroad are much less likely to settle down in their hometown. I knew each return would probably be short-lived before Jerry would leave again. I was talking to a coworker late last night and she asked me why his leaving hit me the way it did, especially since he left a few times before. Diligence, dedicated training, apt at teaching others, a gentlemanly manner while sparring, a tournament champion, all make him a pleasure to teach. His day-to-day energy, personality, quirky sense of humor, and frequent chuckling make him a pleasure to be around. His birth date is in January 1986; Dō Gakuin was founded in January 1986. I’ve watched the boy grow and mature into a fine man, and see his life as representative of our dojo. Most Black Belts have their own way of performing techniques depending on their body types, abilities, and personal preferences. Jerry Saravia’s form comes closest to ‘textbook’ Dō Gakuin.

Am I showing favoritism? Our dojo has several fine Black Belts, and a couple would be considered ‘elite’; Jerry Saravia is definitely among the elite. Best wishes on your new job, Jerry, and come back to visit often. You will be missed.

Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao

Had the chance to talk at length today about a great Judo match that occurred late last night/early this morning: Mayweather vs Pacquiao. I thought it was a boxing match. Judo match?!? Yes, Judo match.

Pacquiao was the brawler; tenacious fighter. He would have to give Mayweather a serious beating. It was Pacquiao’s fight to win.

Mayweather (winner by unanimous decision) was the skilled technician. He would have to hold his own, and not let Pacquiao score heavy. It was Mayweather’s fight to lose.

Two main principles of Judo are: ‘Maximum efficiency with minimum effort’ and ‘Mutual welfare and benefit’. Mayweather showed minimum effort slipping Pacquiao’s attacks, while Pacquiao worked like crazy but received little for his efforts. Both fighters showed mutual welfare; neither really hurt the other boxer. Since they’re both basically unscathed, do I smell ‘rematch’ in the foreseeable future for a gazillion dollars?

There is a story famous in Judo circles, and written on the back of Jigoro Kano’s master text ‘Kodokan Judo’: Asked his impression of the match after being defeated by the Master, a ranking judoka once said, “It was like fighting with an empty jacket.”