Judo Official Judo Thread

I just want leg grabs back.

Aren't there are rogue non-Kodokan-affiliated judo schools that do this? Teaching "traditional" or "old school" or "freestyle" judo? Coulda sworn that was a thing.

I've also seen a lot of judoka just cross-train in BJJ or sambo in order to learn and apply the "forbidden" techniques. Is that still a thing?
 
Just found out about Kurash. Knowing how popular Judo and Sambo are in Central Asian countries, I'm wondering if a lot of Judoka from Central or East Asia also cross-train or compete in Kurash?
 
Goodbye reverse seoi. :(

But also goodbye to those bullshit uchi mata "counters" where you gently lay uke on the mat for a score!

What are your thoughts on reverse seoi being "potentially dangerous?" I never heard of it before the ban (though I haven't focused on Judo in years). But trying it out on another guy before BJJ practice my thoughts are:

1) Nice unconventional throw from standard grips. Motion is similar to morote seoi on your good side, but you can catch uke off guard because it's executed on the opposite side.

2) If you spin all the way through, you can plant uke on his back with tori facing the mat, like finishing o soto gari. This version seems as safe as any other Judo throw.

3) But if there's no slack in the lapel and you can't spin through, you end up having to hoist uke onto your back with his back facing you. You can get a lot of elevation but seems it would be harder to plant him on his back for ippon and certainly harder to land him with control. Not sure a ban is warranted but I can see how this could be prone to cause injuries.
 
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Aren't there are rogue non-Kodokan-affiliated judo schools that do this? Teaching "traditional" or "old school" or "freestyle" judo? Coulda sworn that was a thing.

I've also seen a lot of judoka just cross-train in BJJ or sambo in order to learn and apply the "forbidden" techniques. Is that still a thing?

For sure. I cross train in BJJ. But we almost always start from the ground. I miss leg grabs for the counters to them. I personally suck at offensive leg grab techniques. 90% of my stand up reps happen in Judo and sometimes it's hard to switch mind set and reaction time when the lower body is in play.
 
What are your thoughts on reverse seoi being "potentially dangerous?" I never heard of it before the ban (though I haven't focused on Judo in years). But trying it out on another guy before BJJ practice my thoughts are:

1) Nice unconventional throw from standard grips. Motion is similar to morote seoi on your good side, but you can catch uke off guard because it's executed on the opposite side.

2) If you spin all the way through, you can plant uke on his back with tori facing the mat, like finishing o soto gari. This version seems as safe as any other Judo throw.

3) But if there's no slack in the lapel and you can't spin through, you end up having to hoist uke onto your back with his back facing you. You can get a lot of elevation but seems it would be harder to plant him on his back for ippon and certainly harder to land him with control. Not sure a ban is warranted but I can see how this could be prone to cause injuries.
Those things certainly can happen - I'm also sure I've seen what you described as an intentional throw. However, I don't see it as any more dangerous than o soto gari or a drop seoi nage.
 
I'd be less annoyed with the banning of reverse seoi if 1) the IJF gave an actual reason instead of just leaving us to speculate and 2) if it is safety-related they released statistical evidence to back up that decision.
 
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I'd be less annoyed with the banning of reverse seoi if 1) the IJF gave an actual reason instead of just leaving us to speculate and 2) if it is safety-related they released statistical evidence to back up that decision.
The IJF is piss-poor at explaining the reasoning for their nebulous rules. I still remember the entire hammerlock confusion from like 2015. Now that was weird.
 
After 15 years of judo I finally got my black belt last night. I'd got all my points from contests before covid but the pandemic put everything on hold. I got back on track last year and did the theory part of the grading this week.

Big congrats man! If you're based in the U.S. did you have to do nage no kata at Sr. Nationals?
 
Big congrats man! If you're based in the U.S. did you have to do nage no kata at Sr. Nationals?

Thanks mate.
No, I'm in the UK. I did some of my grading contests at the Budokwai, which was pretty cool.
Just out of interest, how do you get a black belt in the US? In Britain we have to win 10 fights in contests with other 1st kyu players and then there is a technical grading including one set of nage no kata.
 
Thanks mate.
No, I'm in the UK. I did some of my grading contests at the Budokwai, which was pretty cool.
Just out of interest, how do you get a black belt in the US? In Britain we have to win 10 fights in contests with other 1st kyu players and then there is a technical grading including one set of nage no kata.

In the U.S. it used to be the same (I believe still is) for shodan under USJA or USJI (USA Judo) and you had to perform nage no kata in front of judges at the Senior Nationals tournament with your own uke. I've been nikkyu (might be ikkyu now due to time in grade if I can find a good Judo gym and pass the skill tests) since mid 90's. But I haven't been affiliated since then, mostly infrequent open mats and BJJ (purple) regularly as of 5 years ago.

But in the U.S. there are separate promotion timelines for competitors (quicker if you win matches) vs. non-competitors (takes longer). I came up in competitor track but wouldn't compete now unless my son wants to do one with me. He just started BJJ last month. I need an excuse to get back into Judo and finally get shodan.
 
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In the U.S. it used to be the same (I believe still is) for shodan under USJA or USJI (USA Judo) and you had to perform nage no kata in front of judges at the Senior Nationals tournament with your own uke. I've been nikkyu (might be ikkyu now due to time in grade if I can find a good Judo gym and pass the skill tests) since mid 90's. But I haven't been affiliated since then, mostly infrequent open mats and BJJ (purple) regularly as of 5 years ago.

But in the U.S. there are separate promotion timelines for competitors (quicker if you win matches) vs. non-competitors (takes longer). I came up in competitor track but wouldn't compete now unless my son wants to do one with me. He just started BJJ last month. I need an excuse to get back into Judo and finally get shodan.

There's also a non-competitive route to 1st dan in the UK but it's generally looked down upon. If you haven't had to compete then I don't think you should really be able to wear a black belt. I'm in my 40s now and was never a great judoka even when I was younger. But, at least I have gone through the pain and humiliation of getting beaten up in front of a room full of people!

Here's what we have to do for the technical side of things if you go down the competitive route:

https://www.britishjudo.org.uk/wp-c...e-Dan-Grade-Skills-Examation-Form-08.2016.pdf

I hope you get your shodan. You'll feel on top of the world when you first put that black belt on.
 
After 15 years of judo I finally got my black belt last night. I'd got all my points from contests before covid but the pandemic put everything on hold. I got back on track last year and did the theory part of the grading this week.

Congratulations! That's quite the accomplishment.
 
Me and my BJJ coach visited another gyms open mat where there's an option to start standing (we can't at my club, ceiling/pipes too low, lol)

First new partner asked if I wanted to start on the feet

....threw him with a nice nogi sumi geieshi a couple seconds in...

Was satisfied and pulled guard the rest of the day
 
Did the evening Judo class at my BJJ gym today. It's been at least 2 years since I did a Judo drop in at another club. Was wearing my brown and felt really uncomfortable lining up in front of my BJJ coach who is a BJJ BB and fought in WSOF and PFL. The Judo program is new at my gym so they started everyone at white belt unless they have prior Judo training, which is pretty much everyone except me. Not my call but IMO my BJJ coach is shodan equivalent and I wish the instructor would just give him a brown so the rest of us don't have to feel stupid.

After warm-ups and break falls, we drilled the shit out of seoi nage which is not my favorite throw. Then 5 rounds of live randori. Got the better of the BJJ brown who is also proficient at TDs and has cross-trained with high level Judoka. Was throwing 3 of the other white belts at will with anything I wanted so just went full on helpful uke mode with them. Mercifully didn't have to go with my BJJ coach. Even landed a TD against the country breakfast sasquatch who outweighs me by 80 lbs. But had to resort to my single leg pick up + o uchi gari combo. Instructor yelled at me for that, "No grabbing legs!" Also got yelled at for holding onto a georgian belt grip for more than 5 seconds. Fuck me if the current ruleset isn't fucking stupid.

So a good training session and my knees and back will be feeling it tomorrow. Going on 48, I might be getting too old for this shit soon.
 
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