More IJF and Modern Kata - BetterJudo.comBetterJudo.com
Author: Gerald Lafon
Description: The IJF has struck once more. To placate the Japanese who have complained that their fighters are not seen often enough in a white gi- a crime for sure!- the top seeds will now wear white and be listed on … Continue reading →
Date: 2011-06-17T00:41:25+00:00

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# More IJF and Modern Kata

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Gerald Lafon

The IJF has struck once more. To placate the Japanese who have complained that their fighters are not seen often enough in a white gi- a crime for sure!- the top seeds will now wear white and be listed on top of each match, thus making sure they remain in white as long as they win. Scoreboards and match sheets will have to be changed to reflect the change. At present, I don’t know if that also means that white is now to the right of the referee or whether the placement of white and blue on the mat remains unchanged. As always, while the IJF claims that this flip-flop is only for major IJF events, will national organization also make the change to stay “current?” How much will this needless change cost the Judo community?

Although this color flip-flop is not a major change, it’s another telltale sign that the IJF’s main intent continues to be the purification and Japanification of Judo to make it more spectator friendly. When you add what appears to be a final diktat against a front bear hug, which eliminates not only the “not-from-Judo” Mongolian body lift, but perhaps also an acceptable version Ko soto gake, you have to wonder what’s next. I don’t know what IJF leaders are smoking or drinking, but none of these changes benefits Judo here in my country.

My position on the value of traditional, classical kata is firm. I find them utterly useless when it comes to developing real Judo skills. One caveat is that the randori kata might provide some minor insight into real Judo performance in the absence of drill training, or informal kata. If, however, your training does consist of drills, then formal kata is a waste of precious and limited time on the mat if your goal is to improve your fighting skills. Having said that, in spite of my dislike of classical kata, I find the idea of modern, innovative kata to be worthy of our consideration.

As you’ll see in the examples below, modern kata used to demonstrate the power, athleticism, and beauty of Judo can pay great dividends when it comes to attracting new participants to our sport. I also sense there would be greater participation in kata competition if we could liberate ourselves from the exclusivity of traditional kata. You be the judge. Which kata will attract more kids to our sport? Overall, which kata can better serve our sport? Watch the videos. Tell me if I’m on the wrong track.

P.S. Several of my readers have already contributed to my daughter’s Olympic Travel Fund. For that, I thank you. Please remember the power of $1.

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## 5 thoughts on “More IJF and Modern Kata”

1. You are corect. No doubt the IJF at best stinks. Most, if not all observers would go a step farther and say it is corrupt. That sadly is the nature “human” The IJF is obviously not alone, FIFA, and the IOC are as bad or worse. We (the US) are not immune. One just has to look in house to the USJA, USA Judo etc. to see; well all that is wrong with organized anything.

   The Japanise have influence because of relevance. It is human nature to placate, associate, and emulate relevance. Bobby Fisher impacted the politics of chess, because he was relevant. In any bowling ally the secound tyre players will purchase the same equipment that the dominate players use. The same thing happens at the gun range. We buy what the best shooter uses. When Chris Everet started using the two handed back hand it was frowned upon. When she became dominant……. Johnson sprinted in a unconventionally uprite posture, broke the world record. You got it relevant.
   It is only natural that the Japanese use there influence for the benefit of Japan. After all the Mongolians were becoming relevant.
   The IJF will happly serve American interests. If we ever become relevant.

2. ‘Tell me if I’m on the wrong track’

   You are VERY MUCH on the wrong track. Start practicing traditional kata. Really practicing for years and years, and you will understand their value. Most ( 95% ) of the criticasters can only produce the bare sequence of techniques of the randori no kata, and have only seen a performance ( at best ) of the other kata, and still think they are in the position to judge their value. Those are not Judoka.
   Kano Jigoro did not develop them for nothing.
   But first start reading some more about the history of Judo, and what the purpose is. Try doing this without having your mind clouded by the modern competition games, and the commercialisation, which both have little or nothing to do with Judo.

   Kano Jigoro would turn in his grave when he would see that Judo has really become what he alway’s hoped ( and warned for ) it would not….

3. My mind is not clouded by modern competition games. It’s clouded by biomechanics, motor learning, training relevance, etc. What traditional kata is supposed to teach us is more realistically learned under a sound drill training regimen, which is nothing more than non-traditional kata. If Kano were alive today, being the educator that he was, he’d tell you to get a good book on motor learning and improve on his version of Judo training.

4. Well, we then totally disagree on that. And when you think it is reasonable to state that Kano would nowadays state that his life-long effort to create very valuable learning methods ( by that, not dismissing óther methods btw ), are in fact a waste of time, you clearly are not a person to start a serious discussion with.

5. Can’t have a serious discussion with me…because I disagree with you? I credit Kano for being an innovator and an educator, not for being infallible. If you keep in mind the evolution of Kano and his Judo, the times in which he lived, and the training methods he was familiar with, yes, I believe that had he lived another 50 years he would have realized that traditional, formalized kata may not have been the best training methodology available.

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