Monthly Archives: January 2010

Rumblings in Las Vegas, Part I

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This past weekend I was in Las Vegas attending the All Women’s Judo Championships, a USJA board meeting, and the USJA National Coaches Conference. Here are my thoughts on what I saw and heard.

When I was informed about the All Women’s Judo Championships, my first thought was why do we need a special tournament for such a small segment of our already small Judo population? After attending my first All Women’s Judo Championships as a spectator, my opinion hasn’t changed. But that’s only because what Deb Fergus, the founder of this event, wants for women, I want for all Judoplayers, namely special development events held for the benefit of the players, not the officials and especially not the referees. Continue reading →

Ten Thousand Hours and Ten Years

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The initial finding is over one hundred years old. That finding has been validated by several researchers in the last fifty years. Now, thanks to Outliers, The Talent Code, and Talent is Overrated, the general public is more aware that world-class mastery in any activity requires 10,000 hours of practice over a 10-year period.

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One Step Backward, A Few Steps Forward

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Contrary to what I was originally told, I received word a few days ago that the Women’s Judo Championships in Las Vegas scheduled for January 23 will use the new rules. How that came about is more troubling and disappointing than the decision itself. An official from the USJA asked several of the referees what they thought we ought to do. Hello! What do you think referees are going to say? Their allegiance is to the rules, not the sport. For the life of me, I don’t understand why the tournament director didn’t make that decision? Meek sheep falling in line?

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Mea Culpa, I’m Sorry!

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I must confess that I was not careful enough in masking someone’s identity in one of my previous entries. Some readers were able to guess whom I was talking about, and I am rightfully taking some heat.  My intention is to be informational, not personal. Accordingly, I have apologized to the person in question, and I apologize to those of you who were offended.

Wielding Economic Power

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To the best of my recollection, nothing has awakened or maddened the Judo community like the new IJF rules, which make their debut in 2010. My greatest fear is that in spite of all the grumbling and anger, Judo people once again will get in line like meek sheep and do nothing to take our sport back from the lords of the rules. Case in point: an official from the USJA told me that although she didn’t like the rules, and considered them stupid, they were still going to run a January tournament with the new rules. Mind you, this tournament is not some national or state tournament. In fact, it’s marketed as a unique tournament devoted to a small segment of our athletes- female athletes. You would think they would ignore the rule changes to make this event even more unique. So far, that’s not the case.

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Happy New Year!

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I want to take this opportunity to wish all my readers a Happy New Year, and to thank you for not only reading my blog, but also for letting your friends and colleagues know about it. My latest entry, Hansoku Make, IJF!, must have resonanted with many of you because it broke the single day record for unique visits with 475, which is 150 more than the previous record!

Although 2010 is not starting off on the right foot for the Judo community- ridiculous IJF rules coupled with mindless new restrictions for air travel- I am hopeful that my blog will encourage you to take our sport back by voicing your concerns to the appropriate officials.

Let’s make 2010 the year we speak up in unison against the direction the IJF is taking our sport.