Photo by Arik Dao
By Matt Weiner (@MattWeiner20)
An extension of my right arm, clasp of a slick metal door knob, creek of a door followed by a bow and I’m immersed in a sanctuary.
This sanctuary doesn’t have religious scriptures or stained glass walls possessing a beautifully diverse array of colors and designs.
In this sanctuary, varnished wooden pews are replaced with cold gray bleachers and the pulpit is a cushiony mat that’s no thicker than fun-size Halloween candy and is both 18 meters wide and long.
Located inside San Jose State University’s Yoshihiro Uchida Hall, the Spartans’ judo team serves as its congregation.
When I nervously crept in, I was prepared to write about Olympian and six-time U.S. National Champion Marti Malloy and her post career life as a coach for SJSU’s judo team.
My original plans changed after being inebriated from this new atmosphere and all of its inhabitants.
Instead of focusing on Malloy, I wanted to understand the people around her who have a hand in positively impacting her now and from the past.
One of those people was sitting next to me in a chair draped in a dark palette of clothes and a smile that held the shape and rich sweetness of an orange slice.
It also happened to be the namesake of this sanctuary who is still observing and analyzing practices at the ripe age of 102.
Yoshihiro Uchida is the ‘Master Splinter’ of the judo world and Malloy is one of his many Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Over the years, he has plopped heapings of tough love, technique- centered criticism and guidance on Malloy’s plate and she’s perpetually gobbled it up.
Before coming to San Jose State, Malloy marveled at Uchida’s status and acumen.
So much so, her decision to become a Spartan was largely based around him hoping that his two cents could turn into a million dollars worth of experiences. Not to mention the countless wins leading to enough medals to dislodge vertebrae if worn all at once.
I carefully approached him, not wanting to be nosy and disrupt his peace.
Approaching coaches usually doesn’t strike fear in me, but strangely his bliss intimidated me. I was also in a new world that was closer to Narnia than reality for me.
Thankfully, he was receptive and excited to answer any question I had, no matter how foolish they might’ve been.
His voice was soft and the cadence made words pour out like quick sand.
I could see why Malloy held him in high regard.
He was the embodiment of when patience meets passion and chutzpah.
The practice I was witnessing for the first time was in the ballpark of the millionth time he’s seen it. Even so, I never got a hint of boredom from Uchida.
One pillar of Malloy’s achievements begins with a respected mentor that would have to physically leave Earth to stop showing up.
Until death do Uchida and judo apart.
The next pillar are the other judokas, who make training sessions manageable byway of laughter and care.
I arrived on picture day, so the horsing around in front of me was turned up a few notches.
It was refreshing to see impromptu piggyback rides and a never-ending flow of laughter in between lightning strikes from the flash photography.
When I brought up this spectacle to Malloy, I was expecting a bubbly anecdote to pop out her white judogi.
Instead, her voice grew a stern conviction while explaining to me the unique family aspect judo brings.
“A lot of them are away from home and half of them are from Hawaii. They haven’t left the island before,” Malloy said. “They come here and they’re all alone without their family, friends and comfort of the town that they’re from.”
With each golden sunset and flavorful chomp of pineapple that Hawaii’s geography brings, there is a degree of isolation involved as well.
Because of Judo’s stringent nature, it’s easier to grab the moon than say yes to a coffee date proposal made on a whim, which emphasizes the importance of bonding with teammates.
Teammates Nina Seoane and Mayu Wise are a battery pack of spirited chaos to the enjoyment of the team, but to the chagrin of Shiloe Skeeling-Peña.
“Me and Mayu always giggle with each other,” Seoane said. “I think we banter a lot like making fun of Shiloe or stuff like that … whatever is there we take.”
This is where the beauty in judo lies.
In other sports, one doesn’t need someone else to practice with.
A basketball player could walk up to any old hoop and proceed to visualize the presence of a defender while performing step-back threes.
This couldn’t be further from the truth for Judo, a discipline where you need to be grabbing, pulling and wrestling with live flesh.
It’s with this necessity for a partner where an invisible cloak of respect is placed on both participating parties.
“If you hurt your opponents you won’t have anyone to train with and get better,” Malloy said.
With this comes an unbreakable bond with teammates and training partners.
A sense of trust and care can be built on the mat that leads to laughter and connection off of it. The busting of chops I witnessed from Seonae and Wise toward Skeeling-Peña was a melting pot of love and care that judo can provide for those who are fully invested.
The ubiquitous ear-to-ear smiles across the room from me are an incentive to show up to practice and work. Incentives don’t have to be in the form of money or gratification from performing well, it can be the “banter” Seoane mentioned earlier.
As one minute unfolds into the next, I slowly realize that Malloy’s success would be insurmountable without having essential characters in her life like Uchida and bubbly, chaotic teammates.
It takes more than an iron-strong will and self discipline to reach the heights she did and to still have an opportunity to coach at a high level.
There needs to be surrounding characters who provide guidance, accountability, competition and small windows of horsing around before and after practice.
From an outside perspective, Malloy’s success can seem like a once in a lifetime ordeal. A pie in the sky summit if you will.
But after spending time in her sanctuary, with her beloved congregation, it’s as if her excellence is feasible enough to be pulled off a tree like a ripe fruit.