While the IJF marches forward with its effort to create a Judo that looks more “classical”, there are stories trickling out from several sources that the IJF is messing with the rules to prevent some countries from winning Judo tournaments. In the past, these countries were lumped together under the generic “East European” label. Now, it appears that Georgians (leg grabs) and Mongolians (bear hugs) are specifically being singled out. So what’s at work here? Chauvinism, aesthetics, or both?
My first thought is if these countries are winning according to our rules with techniques that may not be classical enough or Judo enough, the rest of the world needs to figure out a way to prevent them from winning. Training needs to change, not rules. Like everything in life, Judo techniques cycle in and out of favor and effectiveness. Constantly evolving, innovative techniques make Judo competition interesting.
Even the Japanese are not totally enamored by a system that may reward them more than it penalizes them. Haruki Uemura, the 1976 Olympic champion, was perturbed to hear that the innocuous Ko uchi makikomi would be illegal if the leg were grabbed. Throw in the grey areas associated with counters to techniques like Sasae tsuri komi ashi, and combinations that culminate in a perfectly good leg grab, and there is enough to not like about the new rules. Too many good techniques are eliminated because somebody wants to purify Judo and eliminate perfectly good, dynamic mongrel techniques.
Secondly, if certain techniques are effective in a Judo setting, we need to embrace them and learn to deal with them, not ban them. This goes a long way in making sure that Judo remains an effective and viable fighting system within the martial arts community, and the grappling community in particular. If we seek to position ourselves as a comprehensive self-defense method, we can’t continue to cut away at our repertory of acceptable techniques and actions
Rule changes to safeguard certain results is not new to Judo. The Japanese created a system for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to ensure that should one of their players be defeated in the preliminary rounds, he would still have a chance to make the final. In fact, this is exactly what happened to Akio Kaminaga, who lost in the pool play to Anton Geesink, and still wound up in the final against the same Geesink.
Introducing koka and yuko when the Japanese were winning everything is sight might have had some effect against the Japanese, but it was short-lived. Perhaps making Japanese players wear a blue gi flummoxed them even more. Throughout the last forty years that I have followed international Judo, players adapt to the ongoing ebb and flow of techniques, rules, and tactics. And like techniques, national supremacies come and go too. So let’s quit the drastic re-engineering of Judo just because we don’t like who is winning tournaments or what they are using to win.
Back in July, I reported that the IJF is trying to ban bear hugs. While this still seems to be the case, U.S. referees have been told to ignore the preliminary information, until official clarification from the IJF. Boy, I just can’t wait to see the outcome of that decision.
I’ll be attending the 2010 World Championships in Tokyo. I hope to bump into some of the IJF officials. Perhaps I’ll get a chance to quiz them and voice my concerns. I’m sure I’ll have a lot to report about the event itself.
Sir,
I do agree with some of what you said, I think perhaps you should look at Judo differently.
The question is what is Judo?
We both know there are two sides, a sport and an art. The art side of Judo hasn’t changed much. While it is an opinion that the majority of rule changes have effected the playing of Shiai Judo, in reality it has not. Why hasn’t it?
I was taught Judo and adapted that Judo to whatever my opponent gave me and not a specific throw. It was always about the opportunity to throw, not a specific throw! While I find the leg grabbing rule to be a much needed one (to eliminate tackling) I don’t like taking away real throws that involve the legs and arms (like the Ko Uchi Maki Komi).
In Northern California, they’ve banned children under 12 from doing Seoi Nage from the knees. It was rationalized as safety, however the question could be asked, why not ban it from all division? Does it somehow give an unfair advantage? Yes. The student that knows Judo.
Question yourself on this: The goal of a boxer in a boxing match is to knock out your opponent. This is rarely done. In fact, the great majority of boxing champions don’t have/barely have a 50% knock out ratio. Why?
Banning bear hugs, taking away leg grabs, limiting the time in Ne-Waza were all made in an attempted to give the appearance of dynamic judo. Players will adapt, coaches will adapt and the sport can survive.
We need to get around the win at the penalty game that is so much of US Judo’s problem. We need to get back to the roots of fighting, throwing, chocking, pinning in order to advance. We need to get back to teaching and doing Judo!
I agree we need to get out of the “win at the penalty” game. The solution: take away any and all penalties that don’t cause injury. If it damages the spine, or is directly involved in throwing them on their head, or breaking a leg, knee or shoulder, then yeah, penalize them and get it out of there. Get rid of everything else and simplify the game, make it easier to process for the referees and easier to appreciate for the fans. It’s a lot easier to understand why someone’s getting penalized for a spine lock than it is from grabbing someone’s sleeve or lapel the wrong way.
Second, you want to stop people from tackling, doing bear hugs or leg grabs? Simple. BEAT THEM WITH JUDO. All of these tactics have been around forever. The main difference is that we’re seeing more wrestlers, BJJ players and grapplers who don’t know much throwing. The wisdom of the IJF Referee Commision is we need to outlaw these techniques, so as to prevent the newcomers from using their skills and making “dynamic Judo.” NO! We’re Judoka, dammit! We are martial artists as well as athletes and if we can’t beat these guys at our own sport, why the hell does the sport of Judo exist? We’ve crammed ourselves into so tight a corner of what Judo can be, we’ve lost sight of how we became such a great sport in the first place.
I’d love to see us minimize infractions and maximize scoring incentives. Most of us know how to fix the sport’s rules. There are plenty of ideas being thrown around. The greater problem is how to get the IJF’s attention.
Get their attention? Let’s withdraw from International Judo for a year or two with our own rules.
I would like to get some feedback from you and others on what I am doing for the 2010 Heartland Team Judo Tournament. I am dropping wazari’s and calling for 2 ippons to win, 8 yukos or one submission. This is mainly to support the use of only one referee on the mat, who will be brown belt and above competitors. Leg grabs will still be illegal, however, it will be a bit more relaxed, and it will consist of the standard issues of shidos, so no direct honsakumke. Also, because they will be competitors refereeing, we are going to put an emphasis that if there is action on the ground to let it continue in ne waza. We will be running 5 man teams in the seniors, and 3 member teams in the masters and women’s divisions. Interested? Check out our website for more info.
This swell has to come from the local clubs and coaches. USA Judo will not pull out of the IJF for good reasons. Our athletes still need to compete even under crappy rules. On the other hand, USA Judo could grow some balls and lobby the IJF for some santity to return to Judo competition. Fat chance of that happening with the “leaders” currently running the show.
The only real thing we can do as US athletes is, below the national level, which is really everythign but 4 or 5 tournaments, set our own rules. This can easily be done if USJA would allow such a sanction, if not, anyone who their own insurance could run such a tournament. Better insurance than what JA/JF/USA Judo can offer is out there for a reasonable price.
I’m skeptical of USA Judo having much power to influence things in the IJF. Japan, Russia and the EU seem to have control there, considering they can point to the medals and have the financial foundation that Judo in the US lacks. We don’t have much influence, at least in my mind.
The bigger question to me is, why are the above entities allowing these rules to exist?I find it hard to believe there aren’t senior members in each org who have the same complaints we do.
I’ll address some of your comments in Part II of my World Championships report. Part I will be out on September 22.
I have been absent from Judo for a while. When hearing of the no leg picks rule, I posted a tongue in cheek deal in Jud forums, called it Judo or Ballet. Kinda ruffled feathers. I agree with you, If a wrestler is beating you with a double leg, single leg, counter it!. Changing the rules looks like we, (Judo) are afraid of something. Remember, when a wrestler does a double leg, he’s doing a morote’ gari for crying out loud. How many more kids do we want to lose to Ju jitsu or submission wrestling?. Not to mention mma !.
I think the sport should stay true to the concept of “Grappling your opponent from standing and taking them to the ground”. In my opinion, that is the essence of Judo. I think the rules should keep the athletes safe from harmful and dangerous techniques, but never hinder the arts development to its highest potential.
Let the sport grow through unhindered fully free judo, with leg grabs, with takedowns, with bear hugs, and other grappling throws and takedowns.
I support what I believe is the true essence of the art of Judo.
I agree with Dave S and Archilles 1000%
It’s really sad that we’ve “evolved” to changing the sport itself. After I initially heard about the banning of Kata Guruma, my first thought was this story…
Kano once trained with a strapping young man named Kenkichi Fukushima, who weighed about 208 pounds to Kano’s very puny 99 pounds. Although Kano had no reason to think he could beat Fukushima, he wanted to throw him more than anything. He studied sumo and physical training books from other countries, until one day he came up with an idea he thought he would try. He lifted hefty Fukushima onto his shoulders and tossed him down as nice as you please. The technique he used was what we now call the kata-guruma.
This technique is part of the essence of Seiryoku Zenyo and the heritage of Judo. It’s beyond criminal to bastardize the very core of what developed the “way” of Judo. Frankly, I have no desire to compete under these rules. After 30 years of Judo I have far to many conditioned responses that are going to get me hansokomake’d anyway (because grabbing a leg isn’t a shido anymore…now its a DQ). I’ve become so demoralized with “modern Judo” that i’ve spent more of my time in BJJ dojo’s, and frankly, I’m having more fun.