Judo break fall - Forward roll

Break falls are the basics in Judo that practitioners should start off with first before the throws. Here is a video that you can see the break falls done by the practitioners. The break fall they did is called the forward roll. You can see that they have to roll further over more people at the end and this is to show the ability of being able to do cushion the impact properly as long as they technique correctly.

Different martial arts, same kind of principles

In fact sometimes I feel that as a judo practitioner, many of the martial arts principles are kind of the same. It is all about the body movements and the differences are the techniques used by each martial arts. Like judo, it has more emphasis on the throws and grappling. For Taekwondo, it is more on the legs. But sometimes in the self defense aspect of Taekwondo, there are also throws and these throws will have the same principles as those found in judo. Therefore principles can be seen from here that they are overlapped with one another.

Judo basics

Judo to many people is all about the throws but in actual fact, judo has other techniques such as locking, grabbing and etc. But before I will want to post on the other techniques such as the grabs and lock, the basic is always important. The basic is not the throws but the breakfalls and rollings. Judo is a physical sport where people will try to throw each other down, to minimize the impact of suffering from the throws, breakfalls are actually the important skills. Once the breakfalls and rollings are practiced enough, then moving on to throwings will be much easier as you can be thrown more times to get up and practice the throws.

Judo Olympian - 73kg Olympic gold medalist Lee Won-Hee

This is another video of a Judo match at the Olympic finals. The person from Korea is one of the well known Judo competitor and in this match watch how he win over his opponent. Notice how he attempt to do a drop-knee shoulder throw but his opponent reacted fast enough to counter it. Immediately he used an Ippon to throw down his opponent. Just watched how fast he reacted to the situation and threw his opponent to win the gold.

A better understanding of the art Judo

An interesting match between Korea and Japan at the doha asian olympic final. I was thinking that to have a clear understanding of the bigger picture at the faster instance, is to watch a judo match. The judo match will serves as a good introduction of what Judo is about. Of course to perform at the match, there have to be lots of practice of the techniques to be done over and over again to perfect it and to do it so smoothly.

Full shoulder throw

Nastula (POL) throws Kim Min-Soo (KOR). Just take a look at this one. Can you see who is throwing who in this picture? The guy on the ground is the one being thrown. Notice how the smaller build opponent gave it all out to throw the bigger sized opponent. This is like a full forward shoulder throw by the person. When the throw is done it happens real fast. The picture is really well taken catching the right moment at the right time.

Shoulder throw at the tournament

Emoto (JPN) throws Vandecaveye (BEL) see how beautiful the throw is done. Sometimes the beauty of judo can be captured at such nice moment. Noticed how the ball of feet acts as the pivot and stability for the throw. When you throw it is really about the technique making use of the opponent's body weight. That is why sometimes in judo, a smaller build person can always throw a much bigger sized person.

Judo technique - Ippon

Cho Min-Sun throwing for Ippon. This technique of Judo to me is like a daring technique of ramming the other opponent. Of course the word ramming is not correct to be accurate as it involves great accuracy and timing to get the opponent down using this technique. Noticed how Cho hooked on the leg of the other opponent and using her body weight to push the opponent down. There seems to be like no escape once this fast and strong technique is performed.

The best martial art for self defense

The best martial art forms for self defense in my two cents worth depends on the individual. There are many martial arts today with ju-jitsu used and taught by the police force in some countries, others used Taekwondo and some prefer to combine the best of these tecnhiques and come up with unarmed combat skills. The lengendary Bruce Lee who started off with chinese kung fu, in his learning process of achieving his best fighting skills, has come across different types of kung fu styles, Taekwondo, Karate and eventually invented Jeet Kune Do. He once mentioned that martial art is about having the ability to know best in utilizing one's body. I couldn't agree more to this.

I have seen what Taekwondo, judo, akido can do but in a real fight, it is not whether by knowing a particular art means one will be invincible. Unless you saying about an art like we seen in Chinese Pugilistic movies when one can have special powers, in today's time, it is possible then. It really greatly depends on how that individual managed to best utilize his knowledge, intelligence, physical attributes or even resources he has.I have heard stories of how some martial art practioners who managed to defend themselves from thugs and I have also heard of a story from a friend who witness a fight on the street whereby a guy who claimed to know a particular martial used his skill to beat up some guy.

Later on that guy's friend who has not learn any martial art but gain his own fighting skills through street fighting took revenge for him and won the guy who knows martial art. Thus, why are some martial art practioners better able to defend themselves than others?One important reason would be be how well the techiques and skills one acquired. I mean techiques and skills, regardless of any art, as long as they are practical. One phrase that Bruce Lee had mentioned before that is both meaningful and appropriate in this article is "the highest art is no art, the highest form is no form."

Judo technique - drop knee

Another variation of shoulder throw also known as seoi nage. When I first started getting involved with Judo, I thought to myself they are like the same thing, to a certain extent that is true. But after practicing with the different techniques and with a partner, it is important to know various ways of shoulder throw to surprise the opponent. Using one way only to perform the shoulder throw will not be that effective to the same opponent if it is used too many times.

Judo techniques - shoulder throw variation

Variation known as hantai gawa no seoi nage. Interestingly, one shoulder throw can developed into different kinds of techniques just like other kinds of martial arts I supposed for example in Taekwondo, roundhouse kick can have different kinds as well such as the standard stationary roundhouse and sliding roundhouse. If you notice the close up, the practitioner must be careful while practicing this technique with the partner, if it wasn't done properly the partner's muscle might be pulled.

Judo techniques - shoulder throw

Just thought it might be interesting to share some of these techniques. For a start the most basic throw is the Shoulder throw also known as Seoi nage which is one of the most common and successful throws seen in tournament. It is a favorite technique of Japanese female superstar Ryoko Tani, who used t successfully while dominating the under 48kg weight class to win six world championship titles and two Olympic gold medals from 1993 to 2004.

Judo not only just an art and sport

Judo is an art where it is actually closely associated with science. The founder Jigoro Kano had explained the effectiveness of the art in terms of sound physics and psychology. It does not mean one who is bigger in size is most likely to win in the art of judo. The main thing about it is the proper technique over excessive force. A good technique actually means the sound application of strength that comply with the natural laws and scientific principles that will help to maximize one's efforts. It is also this emphasis on techniques that allows a smaller person with proper training to defeat a larger or stronger person.

Take for example in physics, newton's laws of motion are critical to how one can keep balance and to unbalance an opponent. Using momentum can in fact be real efficient than using isolated muscles to create the same amount of force. Sometimes it even involves using opponent's force to maximize the power of your throw.

Using science thus can help one improve greatly in judo. Some specific principles include applying one's energy in the direction your opponent is moving and exploit leverage to maximize your strength. Judo is as much sa science as it is an art. As much as one can express feelings, have its own style in this art, the technique of judo must be effective. Using the principles of science is essential if one is too achieve the maximum results.

Introduction to "the gentle way" - Judo

The art of judo and ju-jitsu has a very special relationship between them. It was said that judo is actually developed from ju-jitsu, by Professor Jiguro Kano, the founder. Professor Jiguro Kano graduated from the Imperial University of Tokyo, Japan, in 1881 and wanted to introduce a form of physical exercise to his students. Through the several ju-jitsu schools he attended, he adopted the best principles of the art and developed judo. Judo, literally translated means the “gentle way”. Judo today is one of the most wide-spread martial arts and is a sport event in the Olympic as well. However, the founder Jiguro Kano, envisaged judo as the development of a lifetime art, as opposed to a sport. He felt strongly that it was an art with the purpose of training one’s mind and body rather than to be a public competition.

During his time when people have a different opinion about females not able to learn martial arts due to their physique that would lead to health problems, Jiguro Kano differ from them and has set a precedence of taking in a female student. He then did a research on the impact judo had on women and the results refuted the critics’ claims concerning the negative impact of judo on women. By 1935, judo was successfully taught to women, especially in high school.

Later on judo became popular in other countries such as Great Britain and France with the first international competition held between them. By 1956, judo was being taught widely in Japan especially in schools.

I personally feel that the beauty of judo lies in the ability of able to overcome a much larger opponent using skill, strategy and technique. I have once the pleasure to learn a few techniques from a judo friend who is a champion in one of the tournaments if i could remember, it should be an inter-school tournament. He has showed me indeed how judo can subdued an opponent. I have also seen from a demonstration that a small girl managed to throw a guy who is so much bigger and taller to the ground using a judo technique. The key into winning therefore lies in the principle of utilizing one's and the opponent's body movements which is, applying the techniques of this beautiful art, judo.