Major Judo Mistake Leaving After You Lose

What do you do after you lose in a judo competition?

Do you pack your stuff up and go home or back to your hotel?

More often than not I've seen judoka make this error. Most of the time judoka make it because they get emotionally involved in the loss of a judo match or competition.

After you've lost the match or the competition, it's over. There's nothing that you can do about. What you can do right then, at that present moment is make the best, quality decision for that moment and that means, you immediately transform from a judo competitor, to a judo student.

To explain, right after you have lost the judo match and are out of the judo competition, your job and primary focus for the rest of the day should be to watch, learn and record.

WATCH, LEARN & RECORD

1. Watch the judo players who have advanced further than you. Watch their warmups, how they play their matches, the strategies they invoke;

2. Record their matches. Film their matches so that you can analyze their matches as you will analyze yours after the competition. Study your competition. Always create more opportunities to study and scout;

3. Learn what it is that they have done and are doing to get to the point which they are and learn what it is that you did not do which has you watching from the spectator position.

IN SUMMARY

The golden thread here is that you must become a student of the game of Judo if you want to be a successful judo player. Practicing is only one element of the judo puzzle when it comes to getting good and being good. Another element is studying. Without studying the game of judo and gathering information to study, it is almost impossible to be good.

I had to learn early in my judo career to turn my losses into wins even if I lost on the mat. Meaning, even if I lost on the mat, I would win in the long term because I had more data to study, more matches to watch and I had observed more judo on that day that I lost, than I had previously. I always found a way to become a better judo player, even when I lost a match or judo competition.

Having A "Okay Now I've Lost" Strategy is important too. When you lose, and you will lose judo competitions from time to time, make sure you do not lose the lesson!

And NEVER leave the competition after you lose. You've already paid for the competition. If you are not competing, stay and observe!

http://www.JudoScoutingReports.com - Dr. Rhadi Ferguson is a 2004 Olympian in the sport of Judo a Mixed Martial Arts Coach and Competitor and was nominated for one of USA Judo's highest coaching awards in 2006, The "Doc" Counsilman Science Award which is for a coach that utilizes scientific techniques and equipment as an integral part of his or her coaching methods or has created innovative ways to use sport science. It is Dr. Rhadi Ferguson's hope and goal that all persons will study and become better judo players and he has created various judo products to help the masses. One of them being http://www.JudoScoutingReports.com

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Judo Training Techniques

Although the Japanese origin of the word Judo, reflecting upon the martial art style, means "gentle way", Judo is hardly a soft martial art. It is instead fiercely and harshly competitive, designed to throw opponents to the ground using grappling techniques and the principle of leverage, either simply forcing them into submission, until they quit the battle completely. Judo belts will determine your advancement later on.

As such, it is highly effective and practical as a means of self-defense, serving its purpose admirably, as Judo is designed to be a martial art focused mainly on defense, rather than offense. If you are just looking for exercise, then you can check out some Tae Bo classes. They are going to help you jump higher and, at the same time, look pretty. Judo is about competition and quick results, and the training techniques reflect strongly on these qualities.

Judo training techniques generally revolve around three types of training. These are exercise, freestyle and match. The first technique is directly linked to the repetition process of all fighting moves one knows, either having a partner to spar with or not. The instructor will shout out the name of a procedure, which the pupil will repeat four or five consecutive times on their partner. After one has finished his turn, the next follows.

Freestyle involves solo practice and focuses mostly on elegance and style improvement. Judo principles act mainly on balance, gravity and weight distribution. If you can master your won body, to reflect certain poses in Judo, then your opponent will have a true fight on his hands. The last Judo training methods is, of course, the competition itself. There is no better way to learn then competing in Judo, and the competition will help you get out of a tight spot or simply move on.

Your body is your only weapon, since Judo as this martial art style does not focus on other weapons such as sticks, swords nor spears. Physical conditioning is a major part in Judo. In order to be a good Judoka you must at least lift your own body weight off the ground. It sounds harsh, however it is one of the main techniques in Judo, that will later on help you send your opponents flying off ground. It takes years to become a true Judoka, however in this time you will have learned, not only to control your body, but also your emotions, as Judo is a very strict and disciplined sport. Acting Yin and Yang, Judo combines pain and strict training with inner peace and serenity.

All I can say is that the best Judo techniques are taught by a Sensei and not by a DVD. If you are looking for the gentle way, then Judo is what you are surely looking for.

Adrian is the editor of this article. He also writes for http://judobelts.net/. This is a website where you can find out more about judo DVDs.

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Judo and the New IJF Rules

Obviously in the Judo community there has been a huge uproar in the changing of Judo rules regarding leg grabs, pickups and Russian style techniques. I have travelled all around the world and experienced different styles of Judo, from the traditional Japanese judo, the Russian pickup style of judo and even the weird Mongolian and Kazakhstan styles as well.

On the internet there are constant threads about the new rules and people who keep on complaining about how Judo isn't a martial art anymore due excluding grappling techniques that are used in various forms of wrestling.

For a while I was very against the new rules of Judo due to the fact that it clashed with my own style of Judo. Although recently I have travelled to Taipei, Rotterdam, Samoa as well as Brazil and Japan and I believe the new rules have been great for a number of reasons.

I have participated in many training camps over the last few months and have noticed that a lot of the top judo guys who utilized pickups and leg grabs are still doing judo and still performing at a top international level.

Due to me being in Japan and having a lot of time on my hands I have been doing a lot of thinking regarding other sports who have changed rules for various reasons.

Taekwondo: A few years ago in competitive Taekwondo competitors were able to punch to the head. But what tended to happen was amateur boxers would enter the tournament. These amateur boxers would block kicks to the head and proceed to close the distance and knock fellow competitors out. The essence of Taekwondo is their amazing kicking skills, but due to the amateur boxers never kicking spectators were not seeing spectacular kicks anymore they were seeing a boxing match. By banning punching to the head the complete Taekwondo fighter using the very essence of the sport would more often than not win the match. By changing the rules they could keep the essence of the sport alive so that when people came and watched they would watch Taekwondo's amazing kicks not just a boxing match.

I understand that they were taking out an effective attack but to keep the essence and spirit of the sport alive they did what they needed to do. Therefore I see no problem with the change.

Rugby League & Rugby union: Rugby league and rugby union at first can look very similar especially when the scrum in rugby league was contested. It would collapse and they would start over which is very similar to Rugby union. Therefore the rugby league powers decided that by not contesting the scrum onlookers would be able to see the difference between league and union. One major aspect of rugby union is the contested scrums and rucks, while in League it isn't a huge part of the game. By eliminating contested scrums from the game rugby league and rugby union could stay visibly different and spectators can notice the difference between both sports.

Brazilian Jujitsu: It is my understanding that in Brazilian jujitsu once you throw or perform a takedown you must then engage on the ground, if you don't you may lose a point. These rules are in place so that the throwing sports such as judo and wrestling cannot come in and (due to superior stand up) throw and break away repeatedly. If these rules were allowed the essence of Brazilian jujitsu wouldn't be there. The fundamental nature of competitive Brazilian jujitsu is the ground game. Without the ground game Brazilian jujitsu is simply a judo or wrestling match. By keeping these rules you are keeping the essence of the sport alive. Imagine going to a Brazilian jujitsu competition and all you saw was stand up and no ground work. This is similar if when you went and saw a judo tournament all you saw was ground work and no standing fighting.

Judo What makes Judo Unique? Is it the GI? Is it the throws? Is it the Japanese names? In my opinion Judo is the most superior unarmed martial art as well as sport. It has all the making of real world self-defence as well as a sport. For example in judo the fight starts standing and in most cases the ground game is well and done within sixty seconds. I have never heard of a street fight or a fight in a pub where both fighters were wrestling on the ground for ten minutes and the fight finishing with a submission from rubber guard.

What makes Judo unique is the techniques used in the sport. Imagine if at a judo competition all you saw was double and single leg takedowns, fireman's carries and bear hug techniques. These are all valid attacks but are stereotypical of wrestling matches rather than judo matches. Spectators need to be able to the difference between both sports besides one is contested in a gi. For example imagine coming to a Judo competition and all you saw was Uchimata, Tai otoshi, Seoi nage and foot sweeps and then the next week going to watch freestyle wrestling and seeing mostly doubles and singles being used with an occasional Uchimata or foot sweep. You would be able to easily see the difference between the two sports.

That is what the international judo federation is trying to achieve with the rule change. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with trying to keep Judo unique.

Another example is from fir sthand experience at a few training camps around the world. For a long time there is a fighter from Georgia (nestor khergiani) who has been the number one in their country for the past 10 years. His style of judo was a bent over, wrestling style posture and the only techniques he ever used were a kata guruma, pickups and an occasional drop Seoi nage. Now the new rules have been implemented and the country of Georgia have two new players in the sixty kilogram division. Asumbani and Papinashvilli are two fighters who have a completely different contrast to Khergiani. These fighters both have huge Uchimatas, Tai othoshi's and Seoi nages. These guys are showcasing the stereotypical 'judo' techniques while their predecessor was showcasing more wrestling styles of judo. In my opinion the new style is a lot better than the old style.

In the end I see nothing wrong with the new rule change because it will keep judo unique in the eyes of spectators as well as competitors.

Another quick example I have which is completely unrelated to Judo but the point is still valid. One of my favourite authors, David Gemmell writes medieval fantasy. Although once he wrote a suspense mystery novel under an alias. When asked why he wrote under an alias Gemmell replied that when people pick up a Gemmell novel they are expecting a medieval fantasy novel, but if they pick up a Gemmell and its a murder mystery they will be disappointed as that is not what a Gemmell novel usually is. Gemmell wanted to keep the genre of medieval fantasy and not have a variety of different genres, by doing this he remained exclusive and the general public know what they were getting. This is the same with Judo, way when you come to judo you want to see Judo; you don't want to see a wrestling match.

In conclusion, this article is written from my personal opinion regarding the new Judo rules that have been put in place by the international Judo Federation. I know that there are many people out there who may disagree but as a current international Judoka I believe these rules will keep the original essence of the art.

Author: Matt D'Aquino http://www.workoutsforjudo.com

Matt D'Aquino is the founder of Beyond Grappling fitness and conditioning. He is a 2008 Beijing Judo Olympian as well as nationally ranked freestyle wrestler and National Champion in Brazilian Jujitsu. Matt has a passion for teaching all forms of grappling and is on the journey to qualify for his 2nd Olympic Games.

To learn more about Matt and his fitness and conditioning training visit http://www.workoutsforjudo.com

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5 Ways to Get Better at Judo

There are a few things that I tell people that will help them get better at Judo.

Have a good gi:

I always encourage judoka to invest in a good gi. Don't go with a no name brand, but buy a well known gi brand, such as Mizuno. A judo gi is like a good suit, when you wear it you feel good and it is nice to feel good. Secondly a quality gi is tailored nice so the cut and design of the gi will fit nicer than a run of the mill gi. Wearing a good judo suit will also make you look the part and it's like the saying "fake it til you make it." People spend hundreds of dollars in a dinner suit they wear once or twice a year but a good judo gi you wear two to three times a week.

Have a good club:

You must have a good club in order to improve your judo game. Many people believe that a good club should be a huge club with six mat areas a sauna and a gym. But many of the top judo clubs in the world are one and a half mat areas and a small weights area. The space of the club isn't what makes a good judo club it is the people that make up the club. The judokas in the club should represent the fundamental aspects if judo, mutual welfare and benefit."

Therefore they should understand that not everything is about them and that everyone is there to learn and enjoy the benefits of judo.

Have a good mindset:

You must have a particular mindset about judo. If you do not like to learn then judo is not a sport for you. If you do not like to lose then Judo is not for you and if you do not like to grow and develop your current skills into better skills then judo is not for you. Judo requires dedication a d a lifetime of study. Judo is not just a martial art or sport but a journey. Not just a journey from white to black belt and beyond but further. Judo is an art where you never stop learning and growing and there is always something new to learn and develop. The day you think you know it all is the day you will begin to plateau in not only your judo skills but in your enjoyment for the art of judo. So stay strong mentally and you will go far in judo.

Have a good strength and conditioning program:

You have heard me say it over and over again. You must have a good strength and conditioning program if you want to get better at judo. I don't just mean any strength program or a power lifting program or a cross fit regime. I am talking about a program that is written specifically for judo. I have written fitness and conditioning manual called workouts for judo that answers all your questions about fitness and conditioning for judo. By having a program written for judo will help you get better at judo and quickly due to the fact that you won't be gassing out or worried that you are going to run out of steam. You can just keep on going and keep on working your technique.

Be critical:

Be critical about your judo game. What aspects of your game do you need to improve on? Do you need to develop a better ground game? Is your ground game good but your transitions bad? Do you use enough foot sweeps or do you grip fight too much? If you are critical about your judo game and put strategies in place to rectify these holes then you will become a more complete judoka if you critically analyse your judo and adjust what needs fixing. You may need to film yourself doing uchikomi and analyse you technique to make sure you are doing everything correctly.

If you implement all of these aspects into your Judo you will slowly begin to see results.

Author: Matt D'Aquino http://www.workoutsforjudo.com

Matt is the founder of Beyond Grappling fitness and conditioning. He is a 2008 Beijing Judo Olympian as well as nationally ranked freestyle wrestler and National Champion in Brazilian Jujitsu. Matt has a passion for teaching all aspects of grappling especially the fitness and conditioning aspect. Recently he has been traveling the world aiming to qualify for his second Olympic Games.

To learn more about Matt and his fitness and conditioning training visit http://www.workoutsforjudo.com.

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10 Reasons Why You Lose Judo Matches

With all of the talk on the blogs, internet, books and magazines about how to win, I thought I'd take a different approach on success in the sport of Judo.

I thought that instead of telling you how to win a judo match, I'd explain how to lose one.

Why?

Well Lord knows that I've lost a great deal of them so you could say that I'm somewhat of an expert when it comes to losing.

So, that's what I'm going to tell you about.

Here's How To Lose A Judo Match

1. You LOSE a judo match by practicing with other losers. Your practice partners are your greatest asset and your greatest crutch. 2. You LOSE a judo match by training with other losers. Sharing the training hall with persons with the wrong attitude and motivations can stifle your improvement. 3. You continue to lose matches when you do not review the video of your matches. Not studying and acquiring data for scouting is a sure-fire way to fail. 4. You continue to lose matches when you leave the judo tournament right after you've lost instead of staying and watching. Leaving a tournament after losing is the dumbest investment you can make. You have already paid for the tournament. No matter if you are fighting or not you have already paid for it. Fight in it or stay and watch, but do stay until the end of your weight division. 5. You LOSE judo matches by thinking that all you need is better judo in order to win. You can't drive a car faster and hope that it gets faster. You have to pop the hood and change the engine for it to be able to go faster. The sames goes for your judo career. 6. You LOSE judo matches by refusing to take an in-depth look at the grip fighting game. Gripping is part of judo. Accept it and learn it. 7. You LOSE judo matches by thinking that judo is about throwing. Judo IS NOT ABOUT THROWING YOUR OPPONENT FOR IPPON. (That is only one of the goals of the sport). 8. You LOSE judo matches by treating the sport like a hobby when practicing against people who treat it like a profession. If you treat your career like a hobby, you will get "hobby-esque" type joy out of the sport 9. You LOSE judo matches because you refuse to accept that you are practicing the SPORT of judo, not the martial art of judo. You are practicing the sport. Learn HOW TO WIN. 10. You LOSE for the same reason why people fail tests; because you refuse to study and do your homework. Study! Study! And study some more!

The great thing about this list is that there are some things on here which have been identified that you can immediately fix and work on today and become a better judo player tomorrow.

So now that you know how to win, you can start finding out how to win.

http://www.JudoScoutingReports.com - Dr. Rhadi Ferguson is a 2004 Olympian in the sport of Judo a Mixed Martial Arts Coach and Competitor and was nominated for one of USA Judo's highest coaching awards in 2006, The "Doc" Counsilman Science Award which is for a coach that utilizes scientific techniques and equipment as an integral part of his or her coaching methods or has created innovative ways to use sport science. It is Dr. Rhadi Ferguson's hope and goal that all persons will study and become better judo players and he has created various judo products to help the masses. One of them being http://www.JudoScoutingReports.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dr._Rhadi_Ferguson_PhD_