Judo Question

**Pandinha** · Posted On: 4/01/2004 1:16am

I'm having a hell of a time trying to keep my head up, and not hunched over looking to shoot for a leg while clinching in judo.

Any suggestions, and possibly any thoughts on what I can do better my base while standing.

I have a spar pro at home I'm gonna put a gi on and practice one throw on till I get it right.

First throw, O Soto Gari. :)

Everyone's first throw.

**Kensai** · Posted On: 4/01/2004 4:32am

Well, when I was training in Judo before I stopped I liked playing like a Russian.

Take the leg grips, if you like it down there then you'd better starting fighting it. Ankle and thigh grips are nice and low for the scarifice throws. Possible belt and ankle for kata garuma(firemans carry throw)!

**NHB_Ben** · Posted On: 4/01/2004 5:07am

Well... when I'm working with the kids in the kids judo class and they start to bend forward, I tell them to immediately shoot for some kind of leg sweep. Osoto, ouchi, kouchi, kosoto, sasae, etc. This usually causes them to posture up. If they continually get leg swept, I tell them to got for ankle picks, etc. This causes them to move their butts out.

I guess some better advice might be to focus on the following three things:

1) Grip fighting, don't let them get two hands on you;
2) Off balancing, pull you opponent in one of the eight directions; and
3) Work your foot sweeps to set up other moves.

You'll have a hard time bending over if you concentrate on 2 and 3.

This advice is if you're definitely trying to fight japanese style, which is good for ectomorphs and endomorphs as I've noticed. The europeans fight in a modified freestyle stance, which seems to be a lot more effective for mesomorphs. And the europeans field some tough guys. So each has it's pros and cons.

**Budd** · Posted On: 4/01/2004 8:47am

Also, a very simple trick to avoid bending down is to get with a wrestler and practice pummelling, which involves swimming the arms through various standing overhook/underhook combinations while maintaining chest to chest contact.

**mikus** · Posted On: 4/01/2004 11:13am

When you're pushing, focus on pushing with your lower stomach area (I guess it'd actually be dan tien area, for the chinese martial artists out there). Don't push with your arms. Other than that, just do it. If you don't have mats, get together with a couple friends and practice grip fighting and have a third person tell you every time you start bending over.

That said, you CAN bend over and do well, but your teacher may not know how to coach that style well, so it'd be better to stand up straight.

**Greese** · Posted On: 4/01/2004 11:30am

Fight a good sacrifice player and get it slammed out of you.

**Meex** · Posted On: 4/02/2004 12:29pm

Originally posted by Anthony
I'm having a hell of a time trying to keep my head up, and not hunched over looking to shoot for a leg while clinching in judo.

Generally, your "hunched over" feeling is in anticipation of the shoot. This in effect is a telegraph, so you need to get rid of it.

Also, as you do this (lean forward/hunch), your center of gravity is raised up, and toward the back (your ass sticks out, and your weight is on your toes).

**
Work on your footwork. Your hip possition and your balance are the most important areas for you to solidify, before working techniques to get to the target.

Think of lunges. Think of squats. Think of lowering your body vertically, without bending at the waist.

When you've got these basic movements ingrained into your body, work on quicker movements, possibly with both feet, in multiple directions
(to train some explosiveness into your initial motion for any shoot).

**
Using Mikua advice about "pushing with your lower (dantien)" - think of "sitting," keeping your hips forward as you move.

**
Keeping your head up while shooting is more a matter of proper body positioning and centering. When done correctly, it hardly feels like you did anything at all. Shooting will become effortless, second-nature, non-telegraphed, and fun!

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**Pandinha** · Posted On: 4/02/2004 12:41pm

Thanks all of you. I'm going to try to do this in class tonight.

I'm glad for all the judo guys on this forumn for being so verbose, or I wouldn't have joined back up again.

Once I feel comfortable in a month or so with Judo, then I'll be back again with BJJ. I can't wait for the look of surprise on some of their faces. LOL.

Judo 3 times a week, Jits twice. Can't wait.

**Meex** · Posted On: 4/02/2004 1:30pm

Originally posted by Anthony
Thanks all of you. I'm going to try to do this in class tonight.

Judo 3 times a week, Jits twice. Can't wait.

Over the course of 12 years, I trained 10+ years in judo, aikido, and karate.
They all began to blend together into ??

One is not better than the other. . .find
YOUR strengths in each, and practice to rid yourself of the inherent weaknesses
as they affect you.

g'luck!

`~\