My 2021 Resolution: Judo
"Please, 2021, bless me with the agility to step out of my own way"
Omar Gallaga’s New Year’s resolution is to apply the principles of judo in his daily life. There’s just one problem: He doesn’t know the first thing about how to do judo.
by Omar Gallaga
I have never studied judo formally, but have always admired the principal of using an opponent's strength against them, the thing where you duck out of the way and let your sparring partner sail past you into a wall, Wile E. Coyote-style, or flip them with almost no effort by harnessing their own momentum. "Judo techniques enable a weak and small man to overcome a large and strong man because they are based on scientific principles such as leverage and balance." Leverage and balance. I like that.
I'm not going to take actual judo lessons, but I do want to apply this skill more to my life, to be fleet-footed and graceful and avoidant in allowing forces greater than me to push me down or make me feel powerless or take unanswered shots at me. Whether it's a virus or myopic state politicians or rude people or The State of The World Right Now, I want to more regularly respond to bullshit with Clever Bullshit Diversion Tactics, to counter darkness with wit and explosive light, to step out of the way at just the right moment and allow oppressive forces to fall right into the sinkhole they forgot they created.
Please, 2021, bless me with the agility to step out of my own way and the way of dark forces, to divert that energy toward laughter and kindness, and to expose stupid, hateful things when I see them. My only real effective tools are this brain and these swift typing fingers -- let me achieve judo mastery with my words.
Maybe I WILL study actual judo. Do they have Zooms for that?
Omar Gallaga used to be the tech culture writer for the Austin American-Statesman. Now he is part of the Latino Comedy Project, is a multicultural Emmy-nominated sketch comedy troupe. In June, he contributed “An Ode to Letters to the Editor.” Follow him on Twitter at @omarg.
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