Good and Bad Statistics

OK, I didn’t win in Melbourne!  Let’s get that out of the way right now.  Also, this is an analytical blog, not intended to entertain – boorrrrring.

Iaido

In my Shodan Iaido category we had an amazing number of sharp operators split between the two pools and each of the three judges must have had a hard time deciding which flag (red or white) to raise at the end of each bout.  Simple mathematics – you need two flags your colour to win the bout. Three would be a whitewash.

Steve Giffen of Victoria was in my half of the pool: he only lost one flag in the Shodan category and that was to me in the semi finals.  He cruised the Final by whitewashing the semi final winner of the other pool, 3-0.  I think Steve thoroughly deserved his 2-1 win against me and, true to form, I’ve already begun analysing footage to see what I could have performed better and where improvements are needed.  Call it Starting Early for 2012….. 

Statistics.  Of the three years I’ve been swinging a Japanese sword I’ve managed two semi finals and one final.  In all the years I’ve only ever lost to the eventual winner.  Small consolation and certainly not good enough to sit back in smug satisfaction.

Jodo

In the Shodan Jodo individuals I lost to Tom in the finals.  I like Tom.  He’s sincere, friendly, enthusiastic and also from Queensland (but I try not to hold that against him).  I’m not going to say much about the finals as they were held right at the end of a very hot, sticky day and it was very much a case of who could hold unwavering concentration when everyone was dog-tired.  After the Final Tom and I had a good laugh about how sloppy we both were.

New South Wales

As a State we did better than normal.  Three finalists (Bob Brown, Bosko Erak and myself), one semi finalist and one Encouragement/Fighting Spirt Award (which went to Klara!).

But, as a State, we’re not that strong in the National Jodo/Iaido scheme of things.  We just don't have the numbers and that critical-mass where good performers can feed off other good performers to achieve greater things.  Victoria (where people like Steve Giffen, Ben Sawers and Jarrod Sibbison hail from) and West Australia (Julia Chay, Pete Burge, to name just two) have strength in depth and this makes a tremendous impact. 

Unfortunately, for the quality of NSW jodoka/iaidoka, it boils down to a syllogism:

• If winning your comp equates to Charles Darwin’s “The Survival of the Fittest”

+

• And surviving the lower competition rounds can be likened to “That which does not kill you makes you stronger” (Freidrich Nietche)

• Then, inescapably, NSW needs stronger peer pressure to literally force you to improve – to win.

…..plus a goodly portion of Obsessive Compulsivity doesn’t go amiss…… ;-)

I’ll see if I can rob some photos from other people to post next time (and NOT harp on about sticks and swords).  Sermon over.