The importance of a training partner

Judo is not a solo sport. You could do some shadow randori or pulling on bands but that's not really proper judo training. To do proper judo training, you need a regular training partner.

A judo club is not like a fitness gym or a yoga studio where it doesn't matter whether you have a training partner or not. If you're doing some weight training or aerobics or yoga, you can just show up and it doesn't matter if anyone else is there. But judo cannot be done in isolation.

Ideally a regular training partner is someone roughly the same size, roughly the same age and roughly the same level of experience. If aspirations are similar (e.g. both aiming for competition), all the better, although this is not crucial.

A training partner is necessary because you need someone to do uchikomi, nagekomi, drills and randori with. But a training partner is more than that. A training partner is someone who is there to motivate you and encourage you to come for training.

We all have down days when we're a bit too tired or lazy or just don't feel like training for whatever reasons. If you know your training partner is keen to train, and will not be able to do so if you are not there, it is a potent form of motivation to be there. You don't want to let your training partner down because you know they have always been there for you when you wanted to train.

If you are lucky, there are already players in the club who are your weight class and have the same experience level, etc, whom you could easily partner with. And if you are especially fortunate, these players come for training regularly, so you always have someone to train with whenever you show up for training.

Most of us are not that lucky. Judo is a niche sport, not just in Malaysia but in most places, all over the world. The problem of having suitable training partners is a global one. If you want to improve your judo, you have to do your part.

If there is already someone in the club who could be a suitable training partner, encourage them to come more often. Coordinate with them so that when you come for training, they are there. And be prepared to make sacrifices and go for training whenever they need you. Cooperation requires both parties to make sacrifices to accommodate the other.

If there's no one in the club to partner with, help to recruit new players into the club. Don't rely on chance. Don't sit around waiting for something to happen. Do you part. Make it happen. Lastly, if and when you do find yourself a suitable training partner, remember: If you want them to be there for you, you need to be there for them.