Unbroken Nemanja Majdov fights for country and family

Serbia is in a lock-down and practically everything is closed. The situation seems under control though but people have to stay at home. It’s a good reason to speak to Nemanja Majdov, the man who wrote on the door of his club that became the new world champion in 2017 and so he did. He speaks about the past and present and future and his mental health.

JIC: You can say you are a lucky person in this period of time with such judo family.

NM: Luckily, I have at my home my dojo of my judo club where I usually train and my gym "Unbroken" which I owned before 3 months. But right now, I only do gym trainings, push my limits of weights. Judo I still didn't do. I chose that name “Unbroken” because I already have a T-shirts od my Team with that name, and that word describe me in lot of ways.

JIC: You are lucky to have a brother in a similar weight class. Do you train with him at home?

NM: Yes my brother Stefan is my main sparring partner. Our father Ljubisa is our coach since I know for judo. He was the best male European judo coach for 2017 and push me and my brother so much. He and my mother Biljana, they are most responsible for our results. But now, we don't do judo trainings because also we use this time to heal our body.

JIC: Is your mother also judoka? Or she just supports judo activities?

My mother is not judoka, she is doctor in medicine. But she follows everything and live our life. But she deserves a big gold medal for what she has been going through with us.

All injuries, surgeries, comebacks, risks...It's not easy for a mother.

JIC: Was your father very strict coach? How was it like growing up with your father as your coach. Some judo players whose father was their coach said there was a lot of pressure on them. Did you feel the pressure from your father?

Yes he is. He is very disciplined, we called him "Doctoree", as a coach of Spartans, he likes a really hard work and always but always keep learning. He says that we can never know everything, there is always something new to learn. For the pressure, I don't know how it looks like when coach is not you father, so for me in really good, judo is here 24/7, we are one team together, so if there is some pressure, then is on both of us. My father knows when he should make pressure or make it comfortable, this is key for the results we booked. He knows how I breath, so he is the best in his job.

We always make a deal who wins

JIC: Have you competed against your brother before? If so, how does it feel to fight against your own brother?

NM: Yes we competed six times, it's 5-1 for him ha ha. One of very few fighters who has really positive score with me. But to be honest, we've never really fought, we always made a deal before who will win. Father chose that on facts who needs more to win in that time. He is older, and I always went to fight older guys, so that was his territory. Why we never real fight? Because we have "bloody" fights every day on trainings, and we never wanted to brother vs brother fight in that way in public. Judo is not a game so we can play, in judo we fight each other with rules.

JIC: You have always lived in Bosnia close to Serbia so you are loyal to both countries.

NM: Yes, I was born here in East Sarajevo, in Republic of Srpska, it's Serbian half part of Bosnia Herzegovina. And there is my family and my base of training with my sparing partners and almost the whole Majdov team.

JIC: Can you tell us about your judo club? Is it a famous club?

NM: Since end of 2012, I am in my Judo club Red Star from Belgrade, which is the most successful club from Serbia ever. We have medals from Golden League and European Club Championships. We have a famous President of the Federation. Ivan Todorov and he built the club in the same way as the in Judo federation of Serbia and also my career. Stojan Vujko is now president of the club and we are all well paid judoka. I love that club and try to give them all medals that they didn't have before.

JIC: So the club culture is very important. Do top athletes train together in a National Training Centre or do player train at their own club?

NM: No, we train all in own clubs with own coaches. The National centre is just being built in Belgrade.

Friend and colleague Kukolj

JIC: Aleksandar Kukolj is from another club. So you are separated.

NM: Aleksandar is in another club from Belgrade, so we never train together, not even a single session, what is in one hand weird but I'm living in another city so it's normal.

JIC: Well it’s also normal that you train separate. Are you friends or just teammates?

NM: Not just teammates, we are friends. We are not close ones because we're living in different cities and see each other only at tournaments. My family however and me likes him, and he has my respect for what he did. He also started from the bottom and did big things. I know that is not easy. And I think he has same opinion for me. We are not rivals as people think, we just respect and push each other higher.

JIC: I saw that indeed, also after the World Championships where you were both honoured for the European title (Kukolj) and World title (you). What are the differences: I mean he is very technical, also a ground expert, and you fight with the heart, he is more a thinker in advance. Explain to us.

NM: We have lot of differences, but also one similar thing, that's that we are both champions. He is left sided, tall, long arms, I am right sided, normal size. There are fighters that I win more easy then against Aleksandar, and there are fighters that he can win more easily than me. The similarity is that we are both doing good kumi kata. Another difference is that, because our sizes and sides, I always have to go for war, what is for me a daily thing, but he can do half of it from distance because of his long reach and inside war is not his daily thing.

JIC: Aleks’ thing is the ultimate preparation and make the film in advance how he wants to do it.

NM: Well, he is also experienced. I am young wild blood so say it in short terms.

JIC: Both of you had enough points to qualify for the Olympics but your ranking is much higher. Does that mean you were selected for Tokyo 2020? Now that the Olympics are postponed does that mean new selections will be made for Tokyo 2021?

NM: Yes, I was selected for the Olympic Games just before this situation. I had a really good last season with gold medals at Grand Slam and Grand Prix, and with medals at World Championships and Masters, and I also won when we fought each other at Grand Slam in Abu Dhabi. This is sport, somebody has to win, the one who is in better shape at the moment. We have to be real in this situation for the Olympics, respect the results and help each other. For 2021, I think nothing has changed. Serbia needs an Olympic medal.

JIC: You surprised everyone in 2017 by winning the World title. How did it feel when you won the final match? Could you believe it?

NM: It was a shock for everyone at the Worlds in Budapest, with 7 wins that day, but I didn't shock myself. I said before that I will be the next World Champion, I told it at national television and posted those words on instagram 8 weeks before and counting every week until that day. Just I had that vision all the time. After the final match I was calmed and saying myself "okay I am not surprised, I told I will do it." But one day later a the next 365 days I couldn't believe it, Majdov smiles: A childhood dream came true.

JIC: Most people thought Kukolj had a better chance than you at that time. Did he speak to you after the competition?

NM: Nobody can predict that, because I just came up from juniors to seniors and came up from 81 to 90, two biggest change in this sport. But I did it with God’s Grace. When God is with you, nobody can stop you. This is my believe. We didn't speak later because I went to doping test after and we went back home because Budapest is near and we used a cars for drive.

Despite injuries I kept unbroken

JIC: After that, you had some injuries? Can you tell us about that? How bad were the injuries and how long were you out?

NM: Yes, I was injured for eight months. At the Worlds at fourth match against Celio Dias I tore my shoulder ligament and in the fifth match against Ushangi Margiani I broke my rib. So my 6th and 7th match, semi-final and final was crazy.

JIC: How did you manage to fight those two last two?

NM: Well, I didn't tell anyone about the injuries, only my coach knew, because if I tell someone, I will make space in my head like an excuse to lose the next one. So I didn't because that day was really important for continuing my career. If I didn't win, maybe I will stop or I don't know, just I had to win for different reasons. In fact my whole career is about injuries and comebacks...2012, 2015, 2017, 2019...I had knee operations five times. Also in January 2019 the left knee and in July the right knee, but I always came back mentally stronger and won big after that. That’s what I mean with “Unbroken”.

JIC: So you doctor is happy with you and vice versa?

NM: Well I broke a lot but we always did operation with stem cells and PRP with my Doctor Aleksandar Jakovljevic, we never did a classical surgery. This method always helped me to be back in time.

JIC: During the recovery period how did you feel? How do you stay positive when you cannot train?

NM: Recovery period is always hard, but I did it lot of times so it not that stressful for me. Some years ago I always did half year in bed and half year on tatami, but I managed each year to win something big. I always remain calm, because I know that everything happens for some reason and just we need to read a message that God sent us and learn from that. In that time I work on my mental health and prepare myself to be the best when I make my comeback.

JIC: Are you full-time training in judo or do you have another job as well?

NM: I'm full time in judo do does my family. We have our judo club Randori here with a lot of future champions. We live for judo 24/7, but it will change that when I finish my career. I'm also in the Police, I am inspector and instructor for special forces. But I am off duty when I need time to prepare. I proudly help them and work when I have time. Also I own my gym and my shooting range since this year, that's my hobby and it doesn't distract me from judo.

When you finished your career, do you want to stay with the police or be a businessman owning a dojo, gym, rifle range what will it be?

I will keep doing as much as possible. In the police and continue with my gym and shooting range, and also being a coach for my kids in a club, I already have four good talents to compete next year as cadets in the IJF World tour for cadets. For sure I will continue my business. I already have a pension after my career in Serbia, so I can enjoy in my business ideas as much as I want. I don't want to be an athlete only, I want to be a successful person in a lot of ways. At the end of this year I will also get a Master's degree at the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport. I was the best student so next goal is Master's degree.

Personal branding

JIC: Are you sponsored by the government or do you have to find corporate sponsors?

NM: Yes in Serbia it is well organised, that is one of the reasons why Serbia is at top of the world in many sports. Olympic Committee of Serbia is very careful about good athletes and we have all payed, just we need to win big things, other things are on them. I also have my own sponsors and they help me a lot in many ways.

JIC: I noticed you have a proper website. You are one of the few judo players who have proper websites (most only have Instagram). Did you do this so you can get more sponsorship? I think you understand the power of branding. You are a judo player but I think you have a keen business mind also, am I correct?

NM: Thank you, I have a very good website where you can find everything, news, video of my every fight, my team, sparing partners, videos...all, I did it because I should have it, in my country I am a public person, especially in the Republic of Srpska, where I really often meet with the President of the country and all Ministers. They really respect me as a champion, they are my real friends and we are always in contact for help each other. All news and important information I post on my website so everybody can see it, and of course when I make a deal with any serious sponsor, everybody like to see that you are professional to give them exposure.

JIC: What do you like most about competitions?

NM: Maybe it’s weird to say, but except the feeling of a victory, I like a lot the feelings between various contests, when the tournament and feeling starts rolling fight after fight...when I'm walking in the warming-up area with music and mix with emotions, thinking about everything in my life. Those moments I miss the most.

JIC: Do you find competitions to be stressful? Before each fight do you feel nervous?

NM: Not it's not too stressful and I am never too nervous. It is my dream to be here, I chose that and I know lot of kids wants to be right here on my place, so I thank God giving me that opportunity to represent my country. Just always trying to enjoy and make my people and my fans proud of me.

Spread my arms as a symbol

JIC: When the referee says “Hajime” you like to spread your arms wide. How did you develop this habit? Does it have a meaning?

NM: Yes it goes in three phase for me:

1) In the junior time, despite all injuries was my territory and considered myself the king there. When I won the European titles for the second time, it was a good sign.

2) Later that year I came up to senior level and entering in a new weight class, so big changes, but I went into the fight and knew I'm a kid for them but I spread my arms and go directly to touch them first. I showed that I am young but I am not afraid of big guys and big champions, maybe he will kick my ass but I will show him that I'm not afraid to win him and everybody remembers that and no one like to fight people who have no fear, no matter who is my opponent. Seven months later I became World Champion and beat them all.

3) Right now, I am a big guy now, not some kid anymore. I spread my arms in meaning that I am on a front line to my people, seconds before I see in mind my main people’s faces and my nation...and told myself: "Stand behind me", and I spread my arms to protect them because I imagine If I fall, everybody's fall. So I will do everything what is in my power to prevent that.

That’s it, spreading my arms is my symbol and meaning maybe now from this position looks weird, but it helped me and still helps me in my mental game.

JIC: What does judo mean to you?

NM: My passion. Everything. Love. I gave my everything to judo and judo gave me everything back.

JIC: Any words for people out there who are under lockdown?

NM: Stay positive, keep disciplined. Everybody wanted rest and time to spend with the family so it’s time to heal and keep your smiling.