COMBAT JUDO: JUDO IS NOT THE GENTLE WAY

Judo is an intricate and complex martial art. It takes significant study. You aren't going to pick up a trick here and there by attending a few classes. A "trick" will not advance one in skill level or competition. If you train judo committ to the level of study that it requires. Throwing someone who doesn't want to be thrown isn't a simple thing that one just "picks up". A throw isn't just a throw there are many technical intricacies, nuances to learn and develop to have good judo.

In actuality judo is the most efficient use of a person's mind and body. Judo is based on practical considerations and not theoretical. Judo uses strength to its most efficient means, yielding when necessary and then applying force tactically. The most efficient use of power is a necessary component in the application of judo. Power however, should not be confused to mean brute strength. Power is force multiplied by the distance that you are able to move your opponent when you are moving him to set up your throw or when you are executing your throw.

Judo is often termed or defined as the gentle way however this is not an accurate description of judo. Simply describing judo to mean "gentle" or "soft" does not accurately describe the concept behind judo. Ju is flexibility, it is also the efficient use of power and lastly Ju relies on a well conditioned body.

Central to the principle of ju is the application of kuzushi. Kuzushi is the most efficient and most effective use of a person's body movement. When applying kuzushi, you break your opponent's balance and posture by controlling his movement. How well a judoka can control the movement of his own body and the movement of his opponent's body determines if his throw will be successful. A important factor in controlling your opponent’s movement is how well you can maximize your power and are able to transfer it efficiently to your technical skills. Ju is the most efficient use of physical and mental energy. It is adaptable, flexible and practical. Judo is athletic, explosive and dynamic in action. For the principles of ju and kuzushi to be effective, you have to be physically fit enough to efficiently apply them.

This applies to all judoka from the elite judo athletes to the noncompetitive recreational judoka. It goes without saying that judo specific training and conditioning is essential. Judo is a rigorous and demanding physical activity and it’s demands are unique and rather complex. A Judo fight is too long to be pure anaerobic effort, and too intense just to be purely aerobic.

I tend to get right into static and dynamic uchikomi (speed drills and power drills) as my warm up process instead of a stretching routine. I find that the uchikomi drills tend to get me loose as much as the stretching does.

A judoka must be powerful and ALSO have great endurance, be fast and very strong in ALL planes of motion. The battle ropes have very quickly become one of my all time favorite training and conditioning methods. It is a very versatile and eclectic piece of equipment and the varying degrees of workouts make the battle ropes extremely fun and enjoyable...not to mention extremely effective for judo. The versatiliy of the tempo and the intenisty of Battle rope training makes it possible to go back forth either gradually, suddenly and explosively from a pure muscle strengthening exercise into a collection of more mixed exercises going back forth ranging from pure strength to cardio to strength endurance, aerobic to anaerobic.

The battle rope is really an essential tool that is ultra-specific to the judoka. It simultaneously develops grip strength, wrist strength, the muscles of the back, the rotator cuff, scapula stabilizers, abdominals, biceps, triceps and the forearms. A major cardiovascular and injury preventative dimension is added with the intense muscle engagement.

As mentioned before one has to use strength in situations strategically and tactically. We may find ourselves in a position where our base isnt stable and often we are even on one leg during throws. One of the neglected aspects in training is co-ordination of both hands and feet. Battle ropes offer a great method of training because you can make both huge improvements in strength and stamina yet also incorporate the feet.

Benefits of battle rope training:

You can maintain a high intensity over an extended period of time.

You can use it to get in a full-body workout.

It increases lactic acid threshold in the upper body which is super unique because most of the time work like this is done with the lower body.

You can alternate between low and high impact by the way you move the rope.

Great for developing grip strength.

You’re able to work the upper body independently.

You can engage the wrists to develop wrist strength.

Helps improve balance and coordination.

Circuit battle-rope exercises to boost arm and shoulder strength.

Effective exercise for grip-fight in Judo.

A battle rope is one of the few pieces of equipment that targets almost every major muscle group in the body. You can use these ropes for individual exercises, as a finisher, or as an entire training routine.

As a judoka, in practice one gives 100 percent and engages with the opponent constantly using everything you have physically in randori/free practice. The battle ropes can be used hundreds of different ways to “mimic” the exertion that a judoka has to put forth in randori/competitiion.

My own personal training and conditioning program is very Judo specific. An average day consists of three different workouts; a bodyweight/calisthenics and core workout in the morning, a conditioning workout at mid day and a strength workout mid after noon followed by judo in the evening. This generally is about 5 to 6 hours a day.

The following is one of the conditioning routines:

JUDO MID DAY WORKOUT

Judo specific training/conditioning.

Battle rope workout with Seoi nage drills using bicycle inner tubes for resistance at the end as finisher. For this particular workout I will finish it off with specific throw uchikomi using bicycle inner tubes for resistance.

BATTLE ROPE

4 sets of 40 reps of each exercise. 30 seconds to 1 minute rest between sets. 1 superset of all 4 exercises 30 to 40 reps each no rest period between exercises.

1. Alternating waves

2. Rope Slams

3. Hip toss

4. Snakes on the ground

One handed Ippon seoi nage drill - 20 reps to pick up only - Finish throw on last rep

SEOI NAGE DRILLS w/inner tubes

I will pick a few different throws and do five sets of 20 to 30 reps of each techniques with 30 seconds of rest between each set for more of a power uchikomi drill and then I will do 3 sets of each technique for speed.