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.
One of my players who has been training in Europe for the last year was back in San Diego for a visit. On our off-day, we decided to visit a local Judo club he used to frequent from time to time before he found his way to my club. This club touts itself as having international caliber instructors. I’m still trying to figure out why it claims that. It must be because the owners have money and travel abroad frequently. They aren’t even the head coaches for the Judo class because their primary background in the martial arts is not Judo. They have no national level players let alone international players. International caliber instructors sounds good but it’s clearly a gross misrepresentation of the truth. Caveat emptor!
“It is true in sport you should have respect for any opponent. You need to take him into consideration, but only if in the right amount. You must not be afraid of your opponent. And what’s more, you must not imitate your opponent, nor make an idol of him…It is common knowledge that a copy is worse than the original.” Anatoly Tarasov, father of Russian Ice Hockey
Bringing change to a traditional, culture-influenced sport like Judo often appears to be an exercise in futility. I spite of my best efforts to point out the latest in research or the cultural parallels in other sports, Judo people desperately cling to traditions and old methodologies sometimes for no other reason than, “But it works for the Japanese,” and, “World Champion so-and-so does it, so I’m going to do it.”
It doesn’t take long to realize that there are so many different skills to learn in Judo that you can’t imagine ever having enough time to address them all. Every time I mention to a coach that he or she should work on this or that, I get the same dejected look, and reply, “I know what you are saying, but I just don’t have enough time to fit everything in.”
If you can’t increase the number of practices or can’t lengthen the training session, then you must make your practices more efficient. Actually, you should make your practices more efficient anyhow, even if you can increase the number of practices (usually a good thing) or lengthen your session (often not a good thing.)
“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions.” Oliver Wendell Holmes
The problem with stretching man’s mind, especially in a highly traditional sport like Judo, is that it’s fraught with opposition. Recently, I had the pleasure of conducting a USJA Coach Education Course for twenty-two coaches from Southern California. Several had shown up because they had heard that I was controversial! Much to their credit, they came to see and hear for themselves, rather than rely on the words of people who have never had an intelligent conversation with me.
John Locke was correct when he said, “New opinions are always suspected, and usually opposed without any other reason, but because they are not already common.” While I am considered controversial in Judo, my courses are based on the latest research, and I would be considered mainstream in other fields.
I had the great pleasure of attending two of Sid Kelly’s Southern California clinics back in March. Although Sid and I are on the same page when it comes to pedagogy for Judo, I came away with lots of good drills, ideas, and key phrases that make my own approach to teaching Judo all the more rich and effective.
Thanks to the efforts of Hal Sharp from Gardena Judo, Coach Kelly was brought over from Connecticut and sponsored by Nanka with the intention of presenting to club leaders a different approach to teaching our sport, one that would help us attract more people to Judo and retain a greater portion of those who do join. Continue reading