I knew better. Did it anyway.
Last week in Tokyo, 180 lb. Jeff stepped into a sumo ring with 365 lb. Masa. So the math wasn’t looking good.
My wife and I met a friend in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto before joining Philip McKernan and 14 entrepreneurs for Brave Adventure. Philip is a unique life coach. He says, “95% of people die with regret. I work with the other 5%.” One of his goals is to align the essence of who you are to do meaningful work in the world. That’s hard to do.
We walked for hours along the beautiful Nakasendō Trail through Japan’s inland mountains. Small villages, stone paths, waterfalls and shrines that felt like stepping back in time. We prayed under waterfalls in a Buddhist tradition, made pottery, created journals with master bookmakers, went white-water rafting and had intense growth sessions with Philip.
Japan exceeded every expectation: cleaner cities, kinder people, better food and more beautiful trails.
Back to the sumo match. I’ve practiced martial arts, so I figured I had a chance. Problem is, everything I know is illegal in sumo fighting. A jujitsu friend said: “You’re not going to push or lift him. Get behind him.” Great plan.
I grabbed Masa’s elbow, pulled and tried to spin around behind him. Nothing. The guy moved like a fast-strong-flexible king size mattress.
Plan B. Hip throw. This resulted in me spinning and getting dumped out of the ring. No bueno. That was the end of my (tourist) sumo career.
The best part was meeting entrepreneurs willing to travel halfway around the world to improve themselves. Growth shows up when you are willing to be new, take a shot and risk looking foolish.
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you learn. Either way, you leave the ring better than the person who stayed in the stands.