This is Harolds Story

 
 

Harold was a gentleman who worked in a convenience store. One day I stopped in on my way home from practice. I had my GI (Judo Outfit) on. He inquired about my method of dressing up to go to the store. After explaining about my GI, and that I had just finished with a class/club meeting, he asked me about taking Judo. The way he asked, told me that this man lacked self confidence. His statment was "I don't suppose I could take Judo!"  Harold was 39 years old at the time and had been paralyzed since he was 13. He was struck by a car while getting off the school bus. The damage effected the part of his brain that controlled motor skills. This man had been paralyzed on the left side of his body for 26 years. He would take a step  with his right foot and drag his left foot up to his right. His left arm was bent at the elbow and held at, and across, his waist. I ask him if he had any structural damage. He said "no, it is all mental". The tendons in his leg and foot had shrunk and he could not point his toe/foot up. It was always pointed out, or straight. His left eye looked outward. He had no control over the muscles in that eye. When  he talked to me, I always thought (It felt like) he was looking at someone else. We would laugh at this. Because Harold could laugh at himself, it made it easier to work together. We started with physical therapy and eventually he worked his way onto the Tatami (Mat) with the other Judoka. In the begining all he did was the "Judo" exercises. He did every thing we did during the class through mimicry. He made mistakes, but they were good mistakes. The main thing I wanted out of him was a raise in his self-confidence. He saw everyone else make the same mistakes and before long he was requesting to be active on the mat with the rest of the club. Harold was with me for over two years. He came during class schedule, which was 3 times a week, and I told him that if he wanted to come more, and I was available, we would practice. Harold showed up at my Dojo 5-6 times a week. We practiced for 2-3 hours per session. At the end of two years, Harold was a Sankyu, (brown belt)  ran every day and walked without a limp and he played basketball with me on our time off. I had to leave the area because of college, and I lost track of Harold. He said he was going to have his eye fixed with cosmetic surgery, and then pay a visit to the doctors that said he would never walk straight again.  We both felt bad when we parted. If your reading this Harold, e-mail me.  This is the type of thing I used Judo for. I have a lot of stories like this but I won't bore you.

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