One Two... Parry... One Two... Endure...

Lately I have been on a Hajime no Ippo kick and can’t seem to put it down. With each match that I read, I’m severely reminded of how much they endure in order to be crowned the victor at the end of each match. Of course, some of their battles are won in a one round KO; but for the most part, the victor rarely comes out unscathed and is often sweating profusely and breathing heavily when holding is victory pose.

Being the go player that I am, I couldn’t help but draw connections between the two sports (albeit physical vs. mental, but you get my point). Too often, I have found that players are often looking for the easy win. The one-sided match where only a miracle might possibly save the opponent. And I’ll be honest, I have been and still am (to some degree) guilty of that. After all, it feels good when you’re knocking your opponent around and in full control of the game.

However, the pursuit of that type of dominating game is unhealthy for a go player. More often than not, the constant attempt at trying to throw that KO punch will be met with a timely counter that reverses the position and knocks you out before you know it. It is a terrible mindset that will only corrode your go as time goes on.

Instead, we must strive to be patient. Use your strengths and strike while maintaining a manageable level of risk. Endure your opponents attacks and the dips that will inevitably come with most games. All you need to remember, as you parry the board against your opponent, is that you don’t need to win by KO or by 30 points. You only need half a point to be the victor.