ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

JUDO-RON 79-The ABC drills for judo proficiency In my last discussion paper known as judo Ron 78,i it was recognized that the pedagogical approach used by Pro essor !ano "igoro in 188# was still a $ery suitable and applicable training method amongst the current judo training philosophies% "udo as a path o conduct was proclaimed to be &!, in that it ollowed the known patterns o a good learning process% 'hat path recognizes the de$eloping the habits o obser$ing correctly, intellectualizing the processes through knowhow and embarking upon e(perimentations with practical e(periences% In other terms, the judo learning process is made up o obser$ations and instructions which are then used to construct a set o beha$iour through e(perimentation and consolidation% 'he need to obser$e, to understand and e(periment with di erent scenarios is the hallmark to the process o learning new judo skills that will last% )s we participate into $arious training sessions, there is a need to de$elop our abilities or obser$ing, assimilating and properly de ining what is $oluntarily or in$oluntarily presented and accepted by us as it is con$eyed by our teachers and peers and then trans ormed as means o skills ac*uisitions and enhancements% It is by our continued interests in, the e(posures to, and the e(periences gained rom trying di erent techni*ues that we e(pand our possibilities o retention and thereby diminish the amount o e orts or energy needed to reproduce those same mo$ements in the uture e$en when associated with di erent circumstances% +y the hundred and thousand repetitions per ormed under di erent scenarios, with di$erse partners or when embracing altered angles o displacement, we get to practice our reasoning and enhance our senses o sight, hearing, smell and touch who will continuously eed us the necessary impulses rom which we can build di erent action,reaction patterns% )s we mo$e along the judo path, we soon realize that we need to orm reliable habits that incorporate all the new indings and enhance our automatic,re le(es% 'he -kemi or break alls are good e(amples o this liberation against our ear o injuries or about the potential shame o losing% .hen mastered early in the training program cycle they jettison our desire to push on without urther hesitation and brings us to new heights where we can gi$e the best o oursel$es% Objecti e .ith this kind o security net in the background, we can de$ote more o our training time to learn and ac*uire the )+/ o judo pro iciency% 'his essay will attempt to outline those steps%

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

The !o"yo or set of fi e b#sic ele$ents )lready armed with a good physical and mental preparation, we can place our attention towards achie$ing $ictory o$er an opponent through the application o numerous techni*ues contained in the 0&!1& syllabusii and e$en enlarge our repertoire by adding personal $ariations and modi ications as need be% 'he ollowing 0okyo plate is just one o many e(amples o ering the possibilities towards mastery% 'he i$e segments were designed to progressi$ely teach the student to make use the legs, the hips, the hands, the side sacri ice o the body and the back sacri ices with the entire body%

In so ar as to the choice o techni*ues, judoka need to be guided by the e(perience and knowledge o their teacher as well as gain rom their habits ormed during engaging e(ercises with both di erent partners and opponents% 2eeking mastery will demand that each chosen techni*ue e(press all the coordinated principles in$ol$ed% .e will now discuss these key principles%

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

The %ey principles used in the $#"in& of technic#l $#stery' We have to seek to understand everything, from the global picture to the minute details and work our way up from the smallest to the biggest element Miyamoto Musashiiii It is well recognized that indi$idual will power, strength, skills and techni*ues are parts o the general training schedule ollowed by the majority% 'hese attributes will carry most judoka towards the attainment o some degree o e iciency% 4astery on the other hand, will come only to those judoka who are able to control a gi$en situation rom the best $antage point and who are able to synchronize their actions,reactions with and make use o the opponent5s power and strength% 'his is the essence o judo6 To overcome with flexibility% 'his latter path is o ten re erred to as6 7J !" #$, or responding with suppleness and in harmony% Co$ponents of # thro( 'o demonstrate true mastery o judo techni*ue, one must understand the correlation and the complementarity o the ollowing ten elements6 )' *hisei-+osture or the (#ys the (hole body is held #nd e$ph#sis is pl#ced on the n#tur#l st#nd' ,' *hint#i- Displ#ce$ent of the hu$#n body (hen (#l"in& -Ayu$i-Tsu&i Ashi.' /' Deb#n#- Opportunity or the $o$ent #n object or person st#rts to $o e0 #ct or inter#ct' 1' %u$i %#t#-2or$ #ssoci#te (ith the preli$in#ry holdin& for the en&#&e$ent #t the coll#r l#pel or slee e' 3' %u4ushi- Action of bre#"in& b#l#nce of the opponent in one or ei&ht directions #s # prep#r#tion for # thro( or # hold' 5' 6#-#i- is #ssoci#ted (ith dist#nce $#n#&e$ent of the sp#ce bet(een t(o co$b#t#nts' 7' T#i-*#b#"i -Body positions shiftin& #nd ch#n&in& directions' 7' Tsu"uri- The #ction to set up # techni8ue follo(in& the br#"in& of b#l#nce' 9' %#"e- the s(ift e9ecution of the techni8ue includin& the $o$entu$ of $o e$ent' ):' U"e$i- the result#nt #ction of bre#"in& the f#ll #s # $e#n of protection #nd s#fety' I ha$e pro$ided some additional details on each o these elements in my #887 publication called 9isco$ery o "udo, 'okui,.azai$% 'hat document can be re$iewed and reely downloaded rom ...%2cribd%com

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

Addition#l co$$ents #bout the "ey ele$ents 'ai sabaki +y ma(imizing upon the natural posture 72hizen,tai; you ha$e to accomplish swi t displacement o your body and suddenly appear where you are the least e(pected% )s such, you need to obser$e and understand your en$ironment and manage the angles and the correct distances between you and the opponent% 1ou need to secure the ree space between you and the opponent% 1ou will ha$e to de$elop strategies to naturally e(tend or shorten the distances needed to place your techni*ues% 1ou also need to entertain your ability to change postures in order to adapt to $arying opportunities% 'his is a sur$i$al strategy% )s you decide to engage, not e$erything will be clear in your mind, there are some risks but they can be minimized% +e patient and always ready to go with the low and be able to spring a surprise mo$e when the situation warrants% 2hintai <$eryone can learn to walk orward or backward but only a ew can master the displacement in all directions while keeping proper balance% I you ne$er learned to displace yoursel or the opponent with the minimum o orce, you really ha$e not per ormed real judo% "udo is a dynamic process, immobility is a killer% 1ou do not want to become an immo$able object in the path o a strong and power ul opponent% Instead, you should practice mo$ing about in all directions in order to adjust to the circumstances% =et the opponent make the irst mo$es and choose the right moment to inter$ene swi tly as you synchronize your action with the incoming power% 'ry to obser$e the ongoing rhythm and place yoursel in accord with it so as to minimize the e ort needed to impose or de$elop a counter choreography% !umi !ata 'his is your key link with the opponent% 1ou ha$e to master di erent grasps o the judogi in order to ma(imize your chance o displacing the opponent in the desired direction and place your !uzushi accordingly% !eep your arms le(ible and not o$erly stretched in order to make greater use o natural le$ers% .hen pushing, pulling or li ting do not rely e(clusi$ely on your arms and shoulder power, make sure your entire body in summoned to produce the desired action%

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

9ebana ?or each opportunity you can identi y and take ad$antage o , you will ha$e to select the right time to impose your appropriate techni*ue% )s such, you ha$e to be on the lookout or signs re$ealing potential o ence or de ence intents re$ealed with the opponent5s tactics and displacement% 1ou need to retain your le(ibility and de$elop a *uick response appropriate to what is happening between you and the opponent% 'ry to a$oid the use o e(cessi$e strength to stop or delay an incoming attack% 1ou should rely more on the use o emptiness @e(tracting yoursel or shi tingA so that the opponent will be orced to deploy all his energy in a $oid,like situation% 1ou can then pro it rom this e(tension o line o attack to prepare your !uzushi and make your mo$e with creati$e manoeu$res% .ith e$ery opportunity presented, consider making use o the rationale6 R)R< which stands or Recognize, )dapt, Redirect and <(ploit% 9o not go into combat with a strict game plan as both o you will surely in luence the outcomes% 'ry to let e$ery action you intend to per orm, correspond with the needs o the moment% 'here is an old say that goes6 7I/BI 0&, I/BI,< which can be translated as6 'ry to make the ma(imum o each uni*ue opportunities% 4a, ai In any combat situation, you will note that both distance and timing are crucial% 9istance starts with one own space and control o your own body posture% 'he space near you is important or the kumi kata and the management o the ree zone between the two ad$ersaries% 'he space arther away rom you contains all the signals to identi y the opponents5 manoeu$res% 1ou ha$e to e(ercise acuity and be able to read the opponent and anticipate his ne(t mo$es% 9e$eloping your ad$ancing and retreating skills will be important to master the yielding displacement @yinA and the attacking mo$ement @yangA% .hen committed, mo$e with impetus and determination without looking back to seek additional in ormation that may alter your control o the situation% It is to be remembered that i the opponent can touch you or in$ade your sa ety zone, he can throw you% It is there ore important to recognizing the smallest orms o potential danger% 'hese dangers are not always physical, they can appear in mental, physical or social dimensions which can harm your spirit, set doubts and pre$ent you to accomplish your techni*ue% Remember that it is more important to recognize what is dangerous than trying to o$ercome it%

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

The synthesis of the "ey ele$ents i$bedded in tr#inin& $ethods Dow that you know what it takes to make an e icient techni*ue, you ha$e to practice it% 'he "udo training methods $ary rom one country to anotherE yet, they can be summarized in the ollowing% 'andoku Renshu 'his is a solo e(ercise whereby an indi$idual re,enact a gi$en techni*ue with repetitions intended to de$elop the right orm and apply the key principles% It is normally per ormed at a slow tempo% 2otai Renshu 'his e(ercise is conducted in pair and each partner tries to deli$er a ree e(pression o a techni*ue with a partner that does not o er a resistance% 1oku 2oku 0eiko In this e(ercise, each partner is deli$ering his chosen techni*ue with the aim to highlight the key elements% 9emonstrations are occasionally stopped to permit some analysis and correction related to gi$en situations or scenarios% !akari 0eiko .ith its e(tended $ersion, the Renshu, they orm part o training modules within which partners per orm alternating roles in attack or de ence or the speci ic purpose o learning breaking balance, body shi ting and use o bodily power% Randori and 2hiai 'hese complementary e(ercises demand that both partners try their utmost to outsmart the other and de$elop their a$orite techni*ues when direct opposition is present% In the ormer, there is no scoring, just lessons learned% In the latter, both players try to merit a superiority score within a gi$en time limit%

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

-chi komi 'his e(ercise consists o de$eloping approaches, irming up !uzushi and ensuring 'ai sabaki% 'hey are conducted with or without resistance, with or without throws and are re*uently called +utsukari% 'here is a constant danger o losing the ocus i and when your span o attention to details o your surroundings suddenly decreases% 'o ensure ma(imal grasp o a gi$en techni*ue, you need to practice it o ten under di erent scenarios so that you become accustomed with all its nuances and possibilities% 6ore co$$ents #bout repetitions or Uchi %o$i In many dojo, there is still strong emphasis placed on the use o -chi komi drills as principal methods to rein orce the de$elopment o gi$en techni*ues% In some *uarters these e(ercises are $iewed as a general conditioning scenario or an endurance process% /onsidering that the current 2hiai $ogue is demonstrating a greater use o strength and power and limited displacement by the actors, some trainers ha$e seriously considered the greater use o strong -chikomi to deal with con rontational situations% -chi komi training has thus been partially modi ied to impro$e strength and endurance capacities in lieu o technical prowess% It is the opinion o many trainers that the practice o -chi komi or repeated entries should be practiced in all directions and not simply against a static partner or one which entertain making a orward displacement% ) ormer technical director o our national ederation, 2ensei 4 !awaishi insisted that we practice +utsukari$ in a orm that was understood by all o us to be the practice o -chi !omi in all directions in luenced by $arious increased tempo and inclusi$e o the throws to make the IPP&D% It is without say that the inclusion o the throwing phase or each per ormance will demand a $ery high le$el o training and resistance rom both partners% ?or the majority, the throwing phase can be introduced a ter proper appraisal o the skills le$els o the per ormers, the composition o the practicing team as ar as di erences in weight and le(ibility and the appropriate concerns or age di erences, sa ety and security o the judoka% 'he old ma(im that the hard body training session will liberate the spirit needs not to be pushed to e(cess% -chi !omi drills, when well,managed, will contribute to the impro$ements o the grip, !uzushi, speed, positioning, and consolidate 'okui waza%

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

About perfor$in& routines 'he reliance upon the practice o only static -chikomi without the throwing phase as we witness currently, has come to be challenged by many authors and coaches% Remarks made by )% 4orrell 7th dan$i o the -nited !ingdom attest to this opinion% In his article about the $alue o such a limited practice, he noted as did other sports psychologists that6 % Judo techni&ue is a dynamic motor skill to be ac&uired' To repeat or practice the skills in part does not improve the total skill ac&uisition( $n order to improve throwing skills, the throws must be completed and practice in an environment that resemble as close as possible to the environment encountered in the performance of #andori and )hiai' Dotwithstanding certain di iculties associated with the per ormance and completion o certain techni*ues because o the precarious positions o either 'ori or -ke during the inal phases o the throws, or the se$erity o the impact with the ground, it is still recommended that they be per ormed to completion and that judoka not stop at the last phase o !ake% 'he completion o the entire techni*ue will permit an assessment o the outcomes be it an Ippon score or otherwise pro$ide an opportunity to engage in a ollow,up action with additional transition techni*ues% It is said6 The only time art suffers is when you try to copy what you did before or follow the rules to the letter' *e original and experiment';$ii 7When you have become successful, you will not get better if you do not try again and have some fun' Just do not repeat old things'viii /opying a techni*ue or repeating it is not su icient to make ma(imum progress, you need to personalize it, to add to itE to recognise the per ormance,puzzle rom di erent approaches and to e(press the solution with con idence and spirit and accept the end results be it in the orm o a win or a lost%

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ZUIHITSU- RANDOM NOTES ABOUT JUDO BY RONALD DSORMEAUX

Conclusion I presented in a nutshell the main elements to be considered in the training cycles to seek the mastery o judo skills% 'he )+/ o judo is a logical progression rom obser$ation to construction and ending with the e(ploitation o mental and physical skills% )s you entertain to pursue your judo career, you will e(ercise and per ect di erent techni*ues% =ike most judoka, you will obtain key trans ormations in the deli$ery o your techni*ues% 1our physical and mental skills will be modi ied and you are bound to pro it rom each o your e(periences% 1ou will reach new insight le$els and you are likely to per orm your techni*ues with more grace and aesthetic% .e all ha$e to understand that 'R-< 4)2'<R1 I2 D<G<R )/BI<G<9% .< )=.)12 ?ID9 )D&'B<R )D0=< '& +<' +<''<R )' .B)' .< 9&% .e ha$e to make a constant e ort to cope with our inner sense o de$otion to become better% .e ne$ertheless, ha$e to remain satis ied with e$ery e ort we make towards that goal% Ba$e a good training session% Ronald 9Hsormeau( "udo teacher, -ni$ersity o 'oronto% Bart Bouse 9ojo "anuary #81:

References;
Ronald 9Hsormeau(, Judo #on +,, Judo is "'-% Iuihitsu series, ...% 2cribd%com, 9ec,#813 "igoro !ano and <ditorial +oard, -odokan Judo, !odansha International, 'okyo, 1F8C iii 4iyamoto 4usashi, .o/#in/!o/)ho% 1F83 i$ Ronald 9Hsormeau(, 0iscovery of 1udo2s Tokui/Wa3a, Pri$ate collection, "une #887 $ !awaishi 4, Personal =etter to the author; "n *utsukari, 1F>F $i ) 4orrell, "n the 4alue of chi -omi in the development of 1udo )kills, ...%"udo In o 2ite,#888 $ii 2%)%9%?letcher, The %rt of 5ife and 0eath , Tuttle Publishing, 'okyo, #81#, page F: $iii Ibid, page FF Dote6 'his document contains J copyrights and is registered with the electronic 9ata +ank o the Dational )rchi$es o /anada, Reproduction or non,commercial use is permitted% ?or additional in ormation, please contact Ronalddesormeau(K0mail%com
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