1point2 @ West Point Judo NOOBERY

[1point2]

YouTube - My first judo tournament

West Point Judo tournament November 22, 2008. I'm a white belt in the White-Green (novice) 178lb division. I lost my first match to a yellow belt via overreaching for ouchigari and getting summarily uchimata'd (osotogari'd? I couldn't see). Lots of adrenaline.

Second match my gf caught on video.
I like the action at 1:25 and 2:10 (reversals) and my opponent won by ippon at 2:45. Originally it was called as Ippon for me by the head judge (via tani-otoshi-sort-of), but he was overruled since the corner judges saw the kouchi-makikomi win. I thought I countered intelligently (it was actually part of my plan!), but apparently since he initiated, he got the point.

My opponent and my teammates mentioned that I need to get a better grip, move laterally, and create more kuzushi in order to attack. Any other ideas? I completely A) gassed and B) entered a mental block after the first minute.

[Kentucky Fried Chokin]

You should mention which one you are.

[Omega Supreme]

You should mention which one you are.

Besides mentioning he's the white belt?

[DKJr]

Good job Grizzly Adams.

[Omega Supreme]

Your opponent was shorter. My strategy advice for you on this is to let go of his right lapel and control his left shoulder instead. This will set up O soto gari. If you can face in the same direction, he's heavy on the left foot, and do an advancing foot sweep (Judo name debatable.)

[Omega Supreme]

PS....liked the throw at the end.

[1point2]

Your opponent was shorter. My strategy advice for you on this is to let go of his right lapel and control his left shoulder instead. This will set up O soto gari. If you can face in the same direction, he's heavy on the left foot, and do an advancing foot sweep (Judo name debatable.)

Thanks for the feedback, Omega. And yes, I am the well-bearded white-gi man.

I'll work on that. I also tend towards a poor yama-arashi/soto-makikomi with that grip, more from desperation than anything. I'm also going to ask my judo coach the rules for cross-gripping. I thought it was illegal, so I tried to avoid it.

Another thing I noticed was that I need to commit more power to all the throws. I'm gonna start doing squats and focus on entries--I felt like I was repelled with every attempt to move in.

Last week I sketched my general "game plan," based around what throws I've learned, and the moving-uchikomi combinations we've worked on. I'm trying to see if I can upload/attach it...

Oh, and I had a plan for kouchigari-to-ouchigari...I didn't feel confident with it, but seem to have tried it more than anything else. :P

[Omega Supreme]

That actually is a good plan. Cross gripping doesn't become a factor. You simply don't grip at all. It's a weird set up I learned in SAMBO not Judo.

[CoffeeFan]

hmmmm.... honestly I say you threw him, but I do sorta see the kouchi-makikomi. IMO you were the one who initiated and threw him so I would have given it to you, but I'm not even a judo novice so perhaps someone else can enlighten me.

[1point2]

Thanks for the support CF :) I see both sides of the argument--he definitely entered first, and I definitely had intent to throw.

But what's really important isn't how the throw is scored (except that, same as with the shidos, it's good to know what judges look for), but rather, what strategies I should look for in the future.

After class today, I know I still need to work on my osotogari and seoinage entries, though for gripping, I just need to be more aggressive, and develop favorite grips for my throws. I didn't get a chance to work Omega's suggestion, since all my randori partners today were nikyu+ and did not feel like being osoto'd. My tai otoshi might be pressed into service someday, too. I think I am overrelying on kouchi and ouchi-gari due to nice partners in class.