Long bonds between people ensure stability in everyday life. So-called childhood friends often offer support in difficult situations, and fears, worries and hardships as well as beautiful experiences can be shared with them.
Such long-term friendships have the advantage that you know each other well and can openly point out mistakes when you misbehave, whether with each other or in general, without it being resented for long. Rather, over the years we develop a relationship of mutual trust.
Already known in kindergarten
Such a childhood friendship also exists between Alexander Trapp and Ole Breese from Meckelfeld. The two 24-year-olds had already promised each other in a friendship book in elementary school that they would one day become black belts in judo together.
Around 17 years later, they actually kept this promise. Three weeks ago they passed the first dan exam in judo together.
“We only really became friends through judo,” says Ole Breese. However, “first” here means around the age of five, when the two started practicing judo. “My father used to do a lot of karate, so I was interested in martial arts from an early age,” explains Alexander Trapp.
Trapp, an equipment mechanic at Airbus, and business student Breese have always trained together at TV Meckelfeld, usually twice a week. But that’s not enough for the two of them, so they also go to the gym together two to three times a week.
“Martial arts and strength training complement each other perfectly,” says Breese. “Physical and mental fitness are equally important in judo,” adds Trapp.
However, they have to be patient for the second Dan, as Ole Breese moved to Munich two weeks ago to do his Master of Arts. “I continue to train in the TVM,” says Trapp.
“But I have no ambition to train alone for the next Dan. I’ll wait until Ole gets back and then we’ll do it together.”
Two like bad luck and brimstone
The judo exams are based on partnership exercises in which techniques are demonstrated while standing and on the ground. Trapp and Breese are a well-rehearsed team thanks to their many years of training together.
“Of course that helps, we know exactly how each other grabs and throws and can adjust to each other very well,” says Breese.
They trained even more intensively for the black belt. They began intensive preparation around six months before the exam, increased the workload to four training sessions per week and increased it to five to six times per week in the last two months.
Support from the clubs
When asked whether they ever had breaks from training during their 19 years of judo, both answered: “Of course we didn’t feel like it at times, but fortunately never at the same time.” This is how they motivated each other. “We were always a good team and stuck together,” says Breese.
“Without the support of our and surrounding clubs, we probably wouldn’t have passed the exam,” adds Trapp.
They were always provided with a training room by SV Holm-Seppensen, FSV Harburg and TSV Winsen.
The two also like to support the sport of judo: “In judo, children learn important values such as discipline, mental strength and respect for their opponents,” says Trapp. “I can only recommend that everyone send their children to judo. In addition to the stats, you also get strength and conditioning,” Breese adds with a smile.
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