Category Archives: Judo Development

Time to Revisit Submissions

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I’d like to start off my first post in 2013 by wishing you a Happy New Year, and by thanking you for your continued interest and support of my blog.

You’re probably not going to hear me say this very often, but the IJF’s latest decision to allow armbars for 15-16 year olds is a good move for a change.  USA Judo promptly followed suit since it never preempts or contradicts the IJF.  Players competing in the Juvenile B (USA Judo) or IJF Cadet division can now do what thousands of BJJ fighters and submission wrestlers participants have been doing all along- straightening arms out or bending them.  Participants in these divisions must hold the rank of sankyu though.

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Playing Well or Winning Ugly?

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I was talking to one of my judoplayers about our women’s soccer team win over the Japanese at the London Olympics, and I told her we won, but we didn’t play very well.  Her mom was sitting nearby, and said “Who cares?  We won!”  She was, of course, right…but also very wrong, especially with the message her daughter heard.

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Experiment!

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A few weeks ago, Steve Scott emailed me wanting to get my opinion on whether the AAU should have a third set of competition rules to attract more grapplers who may not dig our stand-up game and the fact that in Judo it’s one good throw and you lose the match.  After much discussion, we came to the conclusion that Freestyle Judo rules were all that we needed for mainstream competition.  The only thing left to do is tell more people about Freestyle Judo.

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When Helping Actually Undermines

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From time to time, I have fathers with little or no Judo background who insert themselves into their child’s Judo training.  They’re well-meaning, perhaps a bit overly-involved in their child’s sport experience, and usually create problems for the coaching staff and by extension the child they seek to help.  This problem is not unique to Judo.  It’s pervasive anytime sports and fathers come together.

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Sell the Educational Benefits!

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I just finished my cardio workout, which as usual consisted of riding my mountain bike around my neighborhood, and in particular through one of our community sports parks with baseball fields.  Observing baseball kids in inactivity for 95% of the time they’re on the field has encouraged me to say that we in Judo are missing the boat on the powers of our sport, especially when it comes to physical education benefits.

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