Key To A Lifetime Of Learning
Since we have moved, we have had an explosion of memberships, which I would like to thank all of our members for their support and kind word of mouth endorsements, as we rarely advertise. Not only have we added new memberships, but the quality of the people who have joined is outstanding. I have seen a very high commitment to training from both kids and adults alike. It is a rare find to see this many who are so dedicated in this area.
Recently, one of the new members, Marcus Day, asked what he needed to concentrate on during his new introduction to judo. Before this question, he had asked what books he could look for to help him. Of course, I offered Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano
I asked him if I could take some time on this question and post it online, which he agreed to. After thinking about it, I kept coming back to what I have firmly believed to be the foundation to success in judo. The basics. The basics win. Sure, strength and conditioning, power, strategy, they all come into play, but the basics are the foundation of success both on and off the mat. And yes, there are some really cool things on YouTube, and yes it is great to try some out from time to time, but always remember the basics. So, for someone new to judo, my main advice would be to concentrate on the basics, take your time and pay attention to detail, and be consistent.
- Ukemi, or falling technique. Your body learns faster than your mind. by learning proper falling, and overcoming your natural resistance to taking falls, your body can feel what really good throws feel like. Proper falling will eventually translate to proper throwing technique. I remember a story by Karl Geis, relating to this. He was studying in Japan in the 1950’s and was sent out in the country to study with a man known for his O Soto Gari (outer leg reap). He said that the man couldn’t speak any English, and at the time, he spoke very little Japanese. He said that for about a week or two, he felt abused as he was thrown over and over…and over by this man in O Soto Gari. He was frustrated, because he could not communicate with him, and he didn’t feel like he was learning anything. After his time was up, he went back to his coach furious. When asked what he learned, he said he went off him, telling him he did not learn a thing, that he couldn’t understand anything the man was talking about and he never once showed him how to throw O Soto. However, after stepping on the mat, he found that he was throwing a near perfect O Soto, and was able to catch everyone with the throw.
- Kuzushi or proper off balancing. This is the one basic that everyone seems to have a problem with, whether they are a new student or a nidan (second degree black belt). Kuzushi is so important, yet so overlooked by many. If you can incorporate proper kuzushi and make it habit every time you practice, then it will pay off. You will never forget how it feels to throw someone, someone who doesn’t want to be thrown, with pure technique. It feels like you are throwing air, no matter their weight. You will feel very little contact, because you will have obtained proper, if not perfect, kuzushi. Kuzushi has been said to be the key to a lifetime of learning in judo, and it is essential on all the throws. Gene Shin’s father, Shin Kyung Sun, has said before that judo is very hard to learn, when compared to other martial arts, but it is also very hard to forget. I saw an old photo of him one time, it was black and white, and he was outside in downtown Chicago, in the snow, practicing kuzushi on telephone poles with a large rubber band. Very cool photo.
The other main factor to learning proper judo is consistency. Judo is hard. It is hard on your body-physically, but also hard mentally and emotionally. When you go to a practice and you get thrown, over and over again, and you try, but still get thrown, it can be frustrating. There will times you want to quit, but just like anything else in life, you have to continue to learn. I was at a clinic by Saulo Ribeiro, 6 time World Champion in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and friend Rafael Lovato, Jr.’s coach. He had a truly outstanding philosophy on training, and it definitely made an impact on me. I remember him talking about the complexity of Jiu Jitsu, which I believe is very similar in judo. It is ever changing, ever evolving. He emphasized the fact that if you miss a week, a month, or period of training, you will never get it back. It will forever be lost. There is so much to train, so many variations, and in training you absorb all of it and put it into your toolbox so that when needed, you can take it out and use it. There are things that I remember that I have learned from people 0ver the years that I just forget about. And sometimes they just “pop up”, and I think, “Man, I remember that!” More than not, I have to stop a minute and try to remember the proper use of it, but it feels really good when that happens, and you can revisit something that you learned in the past that is useful.
I know I am probably starting to sound like a broken record, and there will be times when you may get bored with the basics, but remember, the best in the World do one thing really good…the basics.
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