Nail them!!! That seems to be the new mantra of a large group of ‘A’ referees and their acolytes, who care more about punishing players than they do seeing Judo survive as a sport. Two San Diego County national referees, one of whom is my student, tell me that’s the atmosphere they work in, at least in California.
As part of the opening ceremonies to the 2000 European Championships held in Wroclaw, Poland, dozens of young children wearing blue, black, red, yellow and green gis ran onto the floor and quickly formed the five Olympic rings. Into each ring stepped one of great Polish European, World, or Olympic champions. Each then proceeded to randori with the children in his group. It was an unforgettable, colorful ceremony that to this day still resonates in me.
I had the pleasure of attending the referee meeting during the USJA-USJF Junior National Championships in Irvine, California. Although I couldn’t stay for its entirety- I needed to head over to the USJA Board meeting, which unfortunately was held at the same time as the referee meeting- I gathered a wealth of information, which reinforced my opinion that Judo is committing suicide by rules. Needless to say, I didn’t leave the meeting with warm fuzzy feelings.