Another thought on Freestyle Judo

When I first heard about Freestyle Judo, I was a fan.  Not completely sold on the rules, but I was happy to see that someone was actively trying to undo some of the garbage that the IJF was pushing down, and glad to see someone trying something new.  After my interview with USJA president Gary Goltz, however, my feeling was that since the USJA would back a tourney with decent rules, I would prefer people to go that route (using non-IJF rules in a USJA/F sponsored tourney) rather than requiring people to join another organization (the AAU) to compete...

Thinking further about it, though, I think the distinction between "allowing" and "promoting" a decent rule set is really important.  JA/JF will allow different rules, but they promote the IJF nonsense.  AAU and Steve Scott actively promote the different rules, and I think that is what our dedicated Judo organizations should be doing, as well.  So, until they do, I'm all for AAU and Freestyle Judo.  Maybe the competition (if there turns out to be some) will get these organizations' heads right.

Judo for Girls and the Sexist 60s

I came across a book titled "Judo for Girls" in Amazon, but there was no description or reviews associated with this book.  I thought that this could be an informative read, as I have never been a girl, and have considered that there may be some unique concerns from the female perspective that I haven't really considered...  So looking for a review (which I didn't find), I came across this article from Black Belt Magazine (1965):

http://books.google.com/books?id=r9kDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA35&dq=%22Judo+for+girls%22&hl=en&ei=u8fKTrnJLKTx0gHP_Mkd&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CEcQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22Judo%20for%20girls%22&f=false

My favorite part was the caption for the photo at the bottom of the first page:  "Ruth stands husband Nick Horan on end in a Ju-no-Kata position.  Girls in the class find this technique helpful for getting loose change out of their husbands' pockets."  Seriously?  Also interesting was that they apparently didn't let women participate in Shiai - kata competition was the only option.  Well, I guess they were encouraged to only ride sidesaddle back in the day, so we're progressing on all fronts?

Anyone out there know anything about this "Judo for Girls" book?

Book Review: Winning on the Mat by Steve Scott

A solid, well-rounded book that focuses, as the title says, on "winning on the mat."  Three stars (out of four).
Winning on the Mat: Judo, Freestyle Judo And Submission Grappling

Here's a review for (probably) the first Judo book that I have read cover-to-cover.

The Upshot:
This was a really good book.  While most Judo books out there focus solely on technique, and thus significantly overlap with... most Judo books out there, this book has a heavy focus on the practical aspects of winning a Judo contest.  Mind you, the bulk of the book is technique description, but there are sections on defense, gripping, etc.  Steve Scott (interviewed here) shares a deep knowledge of Judo, and a his framework for "organizing" Judo is fairly unique.  I enjoyed the book (even if the numerous typos were annoying), and I think it is a great addition to your Judo library - even if you aren't a competitor.

What's In It and How It's Organized:
Winning on the Mat covers standing and ground techniques, in addition to gripping, defenses, other tactics, and more.  Each of the technique sections begins with principles, frameworks, and key points on the subject at hand.

• Winning Concepts:  Definitely my favorite section of the book.  It's here that he discusses "Control Judo" and has tips on things like scouting opponents, mat-side coaching, grip fighting, defensive tactics, and more.  This is the section that really differentiates it from other books.
• Winning Forward Throws: Not as self-explanatory as one might think.  His classification of "foward throws" describes those throws that, while standing, involve taking an opponent over your body from back to front (e.g., Ogoshi, Seoi Nage, etc), and does not include those throws listed as other sections.
• Winning Knee Drop Throws:  Basically those throws that involve dropping to one or both knees.
• Winning Uchi Mata:  3 guesses...
• Winning Pick Up Throws:  As this book focuses on winning using Freestyle Judo rules which (appropriately) don't forbid attacking the legs, Scott devotes a nice section to pick-ups.
• Winning O Soto Gari/Harai Goshi (titled "Winning O Soto Harai")
• Winning O Uchi Gari
• Winning Leg Hooks (titled "Winning Ko Soto Tani Otoshi"):  In addition to the "Gake" throws, this also includes Tani Otoshi.
• Winning Foot Sweeps
• Winning Tai Otoshi
• Winning Sacrifice Throws
• Winning Groundwork (title "Winning Newaza Pins):  Includes not just pins, but also general groundwork principles, breakdowns, rollovers, sweeps, guard passes, and basically all aspects of groundwork, save submissions.
• Winning Armlocks:  Fairly self-explanatory, with lots of nifty entries for Juji Gatame.
• Winning Strangles: Strangles - including a nice bit of history that mentions how "Shime Waza" originally included a) constricting the neck (same as today), b) constricting the body (e.g., Do Jime - illegal today), and c) smothering your opponent (one of my personal faves - never knew I was still performing Shime Waza!)
• Winning Final Thoughts:  Primarily Freestyle Judo rules.

The Good:
One of the first things you'll notice is that this is a big book - over 400 pages.  So he's not holding much back.  Among these 400 pages, there is healthy section (~150 pages) on groundwork, which I think often goes lacking in most Judo books.  As I mentioned above, my favorite parts of the book are when he isn't describing techniques; not because there is anything wrong with them - indeed, I picked up some new approaches from this book - rather, it is here that the most unique insight is shared.  There also is a decent smattering of history and language in there, both topics of interest to me (though he does have a definition of Zanshin that is markedly different than everything I had ever heard...  but that's just a couple of lines of text, and it may be that everything I had heard before was wrong).

Could Have Been Better:
I think it is telling that the only two complaints I have about this book have little to do with substance... The pictures in this book are almost entirely competition shots - I like the approach, but in many cases, it can be difficult to see exactly what is going on.  Neither here nor there, but at first, I thought it may be due to low resoultion in the cameras used, but I think it may actually be to low resolution in the printing...).  Another downer is that there are tons of typos in here.  Tons.  Mutiple chapter headings (repeated on every page of the chapter) have typos, and it can be annoying if that sort of thing bothers you.  Other than that, I would have liked to have seen more real-estated devoted to pins, but given the Freestyle Judo approach, it is understandable that he placed the emphasis where he did.

One Thing I Learned:
There was a lot, but I think one of my favorites was a slick rollover into Juji Gatame from when you are sprawled on your opponent after he attempted a leg pick or something similar, such that he is still grabbing your right leg.  It involves swinging your left leg over, and hooking it on to his left leg, grabbing his right arm with both of your arms, and then rolling to finish in Juji.

As a side note, Gerald Lafon recently reviewed Winning... in his blog.  I generally try not to overlap other blogs I read, but in this case, I just recently finished this 400+ page book, and I'll be damned if I'm not going to post my own review after such an investment!

Throwing Principles: Come in Low

This one is simple:  you know you need to bend your knees before you throw.  Many reasons for this:

• You can straighten your legs to get lift.
• You lower the fulcrum for your throw, which generally makes it easier to execute.
• And much much more!

But when does this bending of the knees need to occur?  When practicing, beginners will often wait until they have set in to bend their knees, but that is TOO LATE!  You need to lower your body before setting in (a.k.a., before you fix the Glue).  If you wait until you have already fit in, and then you lower yourself, your uke will just lower right along with you, which negates both the benefit of your lift (because when you lift, you will just be putting uke back to the original level) and the benefit of lowering your fulcrum (because uke's body will be dropping right along with you).

So you need to be low before you get there!  If you are taking steps to set in, increase the bend in your knees with each step such that you are at the desired level by the time you have set in.  If you are hopping in, make sure that by the time uke makes body contact with you, you are at the right level.  This means that your level will have to be dropping as you hop.  When you practice your uchi komis, take note of your level.  For most throws, you will want those knees bent, and bent before you have set in.

COME IN LOOOOOOOW!

The Value of Competition

"He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool..."
We have a tournament coming up (the Ken Tamai Classic in Beltsville, MD, on 10/15/11) so I wanted to post a few words about the value of competing.  Most - if not all - of the Akari Judoka are the so-called "recreational" Judoka - those with no serious aspirations of winning the nationals or going to the Olympics.  We learn and practice Judo because it is fun, and something we want to get better at.  We (generally) tap before we get hurt by an arm-bar, because it is more important to function well at work than it is to "win" in Randori or Shiai (tournaments). 

That said, I still think that it is vital for us to compete.

Why?  One of the things I love about Judo is the ability to test what you learn.  You can try it on your training partner in static or dynamic repetitions, and then you can test it in Randori.  If it works?  Great!  If it doesn't, you can keep practicing, figure out why, and tweak it until it does - or abandon it.  So we learn a bunch of techniques and then we figure out what we like to use.

But Randori doesn't teach you all that you need to know about the technique. 

• Intensity:  Some Randori sessions may be pretty tense, and you both may be giving your all... but there is still something different about a tournament.  Putting yourself out there in Shiai is a different experience - and a necessary one to get the full benefit of Judo.  Just being out there is a type of training in and of itself - it's usually uncomfortable at first...  but the more you put yourself in the position, the less uncomfortable you feel - and this ability to stay more centered can be applicable in your Judo and beyond.
• Different People:  There is a huge benefit to exposing yourself to different people (no... not that way).  I mean testing your Judo skills against folks that you don't normally see.  You're sure to see some new techniques, and get different responses than what you are used to.  Great learning.
• Calibration:  Closely related to the last point - Whether you are the best at your dojo, the worst, or somewhere in the middle, this still doesn't tell you if you are any good...  Some dojos may be great, such that the 10th best in the club may be the 20th best in the world.  In other places, it may be such that the best in the club can't ever win a match...  So in getting out in the world, you can see how you stack up outside of your own pond. 

I'll be honest... reading this, it doesn't even come close to getting across what I feel is the true value of competition.  Judo was meant to be tested, and a competition is a great place to execute that test...even in a loss, you walk away with so much (perhaps more than in a win)...  And if you have the ability to compete with any regularity, then you can really use the time between your competitions to put some specific goals on your training (which then, I think, improves the quality of your training)...  Anyhoo... Compete.  It's good for your soul.

Lots of people have written good stuff on the topic.  Here's one article I found on JudoInfo.com (the best Judo website out there):
http://judoinfo.com/new/alphabetical-list/judo-competition/282-why-every-recreational-judo-player-should-compete-by-todd-brehe

Throwing Principles: Shoulders Forward

Haven't been around in a while... Work and family have been keeping me away... And should be keeping me away right now, but I wanted to get something posted.  So here goes:

So, you've heeded my last post, and you are staying on the balls of your feet, but you still find yourself getting thrown backwards? Well... there's more: 

Another of the really basic throwing principles is that your shoulders should darn near always stay in front of your hips.  Said differently, you should almost never lean backwards.  The simple reason for this is that it is just too easy to be thrown to your rear once your shoulders are behind your hips.  Your body simply wasn't built to be in this position... There are a lot of normal activities that involve bending forward and standing back upright - even with a load -  but there aren't many that involve bending yourself backwards.

"Well, Chad... shouldn't I just stand up straight?"  If you aren't tethered to someone that wants to put you on your butt, standing perfectly upright is fine.  But there is someone nearby that wants to put you in the ground, if you stand up perfectly straight, then it will be too easy for the bad guy to make you lean backwards... and we've already covered what happens then.

Lastly, just to be clear, I'm not saying that you should bend 90 degrees at the waist.  A slight bend forward will do the trick.  If you bend too far forward, your opponent will be able to snap you down to the ground and face-drag you, or at least be able to keep you from standing up, taking away most of your attack options.

I most commonly see people bend backwards when setting in for a throw.  As they raise their leg for the osoto gari, as they get their grip for their ogoshi, or as they spin in for their ippon seoi nage...  Keep your eye out for these trouble spots, and you should have more success in your randori.

Groundwork Principles: Limit Your Scope

Control requires letting go...
***A quick note before I start:  This is not a fully-formed thought... I hope to start a discussion with this post, and I'll update the post occsasionally as warranted.  So please, if you think I got something wrong or missed something, let me know. ***

Control is a huge part of groundwork...  Gaining control over your opponent, and preventing them from getting control over you.  But too often, I see people try to exert absolute control over their opponents,  trying to prevent any part of them from moving an inch.  I can manage this pretty well against my 2 year old son, but not against another 170-pounder... 

Don't think about controlling "your opponent" - think about controlling parts of your opponent.  Sensei Virgil Bowles, may he rest in peace, used to demonstrate the two-finger hold down:  with his victim laying on his or her back, he would put one finger on the wrist of the victim's oustretched right arm, and another finger on  the victim's jaw bone, forcing them to face left.  This proved to be quite effective at keeping the bad guy down - and even more effective at illustrating his point:  If you control the right pieces, you don't need to control that much.
When you focus on one part, you can apply all of your weight/strength to that part.  Or maybe you can apply 70% to one part and 30% to another...  But the more parts you add, the less of yourself you can apply, and the easier it will be to overcome your control at each of the points...

What are some useful things to control?  Here are some thoughts:

• Head Direction:  If you can make his head look one way, you can bet he won't twist the other way.  People tend to try to avoid twisting their heads off.  And you get to fight against relatively weak muscles.
• *A* Shoulder:  Most of the time, its a waste to try to control both of them...  Focus on one.  Don't let it up (too far, anyhoo), and don't let them pull it away from you. 
• The Hips - A Hip, maybe?:  Not as good as the shoulders, but a person can't turn over to their stomachs with their hips facing the ceiling...  Though I have seen some Gumby-esque kids who have come close.
• A Floating Rib:  Maybe a half-rack?  My original thinking here was about controlling the side... but that's too generic, and too large of a target.  If you can focus on pinning the floating ribs down, that will make it hard to breath and difficult to turn away.  Turning in is still a risk, though.
• The Neck:  Generally, you would use this to prevent the bad guy from rotating, or from sitting up.  But beware that wrapping your arm under the neck can trap your arm if bad guy presses his head down.
• An Arm (Part):  The arm is too big of a part as well, but I didn't want to list all of them.  Trapping a wrist or controlling above the elbow (that is, on the humorous) are two good candidates.  Similar to how opponents like to keep their heads screwed on, they also like to keep their arms in socket.  A lot of arm control will be a part of shoulder control, though.
• A Leg:  Legs are probably my least favorite.  They are big and strong, and can be a terrible waste of energy.  But there are times when the legs will ... present themselves as useful tools.  Similar to the arm:shoulder relationship, I think control of the legs (from a pinning perspective) should generally be aimed at controlling the hips.  For instance, if you can press the legs down and make the hips face one way, that will prevent the bad guy from turning the other way.  You just need to be extra-careful about them turning towards their legs.