First judo competition and grips

**anomic** · Posted On: 4/22/2011 7:30am

Hi

I recently started doing judo at university judo club, after doing BJJ for about a year (mostly no-gi). I'll be grading for my yellow belt in about two weeks, and I'll be competing a couple of days after that, in a fairly large tournament. I figured I might as well jump into it sooner rather than later.
Of the 8 throws we've learned (some of which I knew from BJJ), I feel most comfortable with osoto gari, ouchi gari and ippon seoi nage. I also like o goshi but I have a hard time getting my arm in deep enough to grip around the back (I get it from clinch in BJJ, but I rarely get that tight in judo). I think I have the technique of these throws down about as well as is expected of someone with three months of judo experience, but we've learned little to nothing in the way of setting them up, with regard to grip fighting. In effect, I can perform the throws when we drill, but I feel like a total spaz doing them in randori, since I have no clue how to set them up and work towards them.
Help me out here guys. I want to do well at this competition. Can any of you offer some insight on how to set up good grips in order to score these throws?

**BKR** · Posted On: 4/22/2011 1:48pm

Originally Posted by anomic

Hi

I recently started doing judo at university judo club, after doing BJJ for about a year (mostly no-gi). I'll be grading for my yellow belt in about two weeks, and I'll be competing a couple of days after that, in a fairly large tournament. I figured I might as well jump into it sooner rather than later.
Of the 8 throws we've learned (some of which I knew from BJJ), I feel most comfortable with osoto gari, ouchi gari and ippon seoi nage. I also like o goshi but I have a hard time getting my arm in deep enough to grip around the back (I get it from clinch in BJJ, but I rarely get that tight in judo). I think I have the technique of these throws down about as well as is expected of someone with three months of judo experience, but we've learned little to nothing in the way of setting them up, with regard to grip fighting. In effect, I can perform the throws when we drill, but I feel like a total spaz doing them in randori, since I have no clue how to set them up and work towards them.
Help me out here guys. I want to do well at this competition. Can any of you offer some insight on how to set up good grips in order to score these throws?

You are on a normal curve for learning Judo, so don't sweat it. Going to a shiai after only 3 months of Judo is not something I would reccomend, but, it's been done. If you will only compete with other noobs, plus I assume you've competed in BJJ, you may be OK.

As to the gripping, there isn't much I can tell you to help. Get both hands on your opponent ASAP, both elbows down. You can try pulling him to you a bit as you move, kind of a downward pressure. Other than that, go and enjoy yourself.

Ben

**anomic** · Posted On: 4/22/2011 6:09pm

I am expecting a bit of spazzing since I'm still new, but I'm obviously trying to get over that stage as quickly as possible. I am entering the competition simply get over those "first competition jitters" while I'm still a beginner, and no one has great expectations of me.
In addition to the above, where would you grab your opponent in order to best set up each of the throws I mentioned?

**Dr. Sleepless** · Posted On: 4/22/2011 8:25pm

don't be spazzy. Keep your posture straight.

**BKR** · Posted On: 4/22/2011 9:59pm

Originally Posted by anomic

I am expecting a bit of spazzing since I'm still new, but I'm obviously trying to get over that stage as quickly as possible. I am entering the competition simply get over those "first competition jitters" while I'm still a beginner, and no one has great expectations of me.
In addition to the above, where would you grab your opponent in order to best set up each of the throws I mentioned?

You are making things too complex. Anything I or anyone else tells you now won't do you any good given your lack of skill in Judo. A normal sleeve and lapel grip will work for the thows you mentioned. If you cannot do that, get a double lapel grip.

As Sirc noted, try to maintain good posture as well. No gi grappling tends towards bent over stances from what I've seen.

Your current coach should be going over normal gripping with you, the basics of where and how to hold the judogi.

Basic is to hold the lapel level with your own shoulder, elbow down, with the thumb side of your hand facing you. Hold the sleeve between the opening of the jacket and the elbow. Try to take the slack out of the sleeve into your hand. Keep both elbows down. Normally, if you hold in a right hand grip, your right foot will be forward.

Ben

**anomic** · Posted On: 4/23/2011 6:11am

Yes, tend towards the bent-over stance out of habit. My couch told me to knock it off, so I'm trying to shake that habit.
We have learned the basic one arm on lapel, one arm on sleeve grip. Reason I ask was that it feels like a pretty neutral grip, with neither of us having a marked advantage, and I often see more skilled players go for more advantageous grips to set up their throws. I'll follow your advice and stick to the basic grip for now.

**CrackFox** · Posted On: 4/23/2011 7:27am

Originally Posted by anomic

We have learned the basic one arm on lapel, one arm on sleeve grip. Reason I ask was that it feels like a pretty neutral grip, with neither of us having a marked advantage, and I often see more skilled players go for more advantageous grips to set up their throws.

You're not going to learn how to do this in two weeks, and if you try it you'll probably **** up. As a complete beginner, your best hope in this competition is to keep things simple and not **** up too much.

Take your sleeve and lapel and start trying to move your opponent around a bit. Keep good posture and don't let your feet cross as you move. Opportunities will come. Pacing yourself correctly is important, but you should have your coach giving you directions, make sure to listen to him/her.

You'll be fighting other beginners, it will be messy. The chances of scoring a clean ippon will be lower, and a lot of the time you and your opponent are going to fall in a heap on the ground with no clear winner - so make sure that when this happens you go straight into working for the hold down. Don't stop fighting until the ref tells you. As a beginner he will go out of his way to make himself clear, so don't worry about having missed a call while you're on the ground. He'll tap you on the back or even pull you off the other guy if there's a problem.

**BKR** · Posted On: 4/23/2011 9:58am

Originally Posted by anomic

Yes, tend towards the bent-over stance out of habit. My couch told me to knock it off, so I'm trying to shake that habit.
We have learned the basic one arm on lapel, one arm on sleeve grip. Reason I ask was that it feels like a pretty neutral grip, with neither of us having a marked advantage, and I often see more skilled players go for more advantageous grips to set up their throws. I'll follow your advice and stick to the basic grip for now.

It is true more advanced judoka will try to get a "dominant" grip, controlling the sleeve (keeping it off their lapel or low on it). This happens because they need some sort of advantage,however slight, against equally skilled opponents.

What you have to watch out for as a beginner is focusing on learning how to do that instead of learning how to do the throws. The basic sleeve and lapel grip is the best one to use in order to learn the throws. You will need to work on straightening up your posture before details of gripping due to your no-gi background.

You are correct, if both judoka have equal sleeve and lapel grip, it is a neutral position in terms of advantage due to gripping, for the most part.

I won't lie, it's possible to teach a white belt how to frustrate another noob or kyu grade with gripping tactics and thus "not lose", and implement their non to barely existent judo skills. It's a slippery slope, though. I prefer to introduce gripping skills commensurate with ability to do judo.

Ben

**anomic** · Posted On: 4/23/2011 7:35pm

Thanks for the good advice, guys.

Also, there are no belts in this tournament. I might very well come up against a black belt in my first match and be out of the tournament in 10 seconds flat. That's also partially why I'm doing this, that I don't have the highest expectations. I've competed a little bit in BJJ, but not enough that it feels "normal", so I think it's just as well I pop my judo tournament cherry early so that I don't have to worry too much about doing well.