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.
Over two billion people worldwide are now watching the 2010 Soccer World Cup in South Africa. That includes me. You’re probably wondering what that has to do with a Judo blog. Well, there are things that the soccer world can teach the Judo world. If we are perceptible enough, soccer also serves as an example of what Judo should not be.
Most judoplayers don’t know it yet, but the International Judo Federation (IJF) issued new judogi guidelines at the end of 2009. For now, these guidelines directly affect only players who participate in the premier international events, i.e. Grand Slams, World Cups, World Championships, and Olympics. Sooner or later, these guidelines may affect all players. This is both good and bad depending on how you look at the issue.