Kano on Randori

[KIT]

Thought I would collect a few good quotes I have found here and there for discussion:

This one was originally from Aikido Journal #85 (1990), now on-line at Aikidojournal.com. BTW, Aikido Journal has about the best articles on judo anywhere on the web, including sites that are more directly focussed on judo.



"Reasons For The Deterioration Of Practice

There are two reasons why recent practice has deteriorated. One of the reasons is the fact that we encouraged practitioners to participate in matches such as tsukinami (monthly matches) and kohaku (red and white) matches in order to stimulate the spread of Judo. In order to hold matches it was necessary to make specific rules by which we could judge them. Shihan (senior instructors) are not always available as judges. Even when I myself attended and acted as a judge it was necessary for me to follow the set and simple rules. Otherwise, it would not be clear to the others who had won or lost. In addition, when those other than shihan had to act as judges it was necessary that they follow rules which were uncomplicated and clear. Once it was decided to judge matches according to specific rules, some problems naturally arose because people became too concerned with the rules, and this prevented them from achieving my ideal of natural movement.

The second reason for this deterioration has been the shortage of qualified instructors who can teach randori properly due to the rapid increase in the number of Judo practitioners. Because of this shortage, my original method of randori was not sufficiently followed. The practitioners no longer had the opportunity to learn it properly, and in many cases they just wrestled with each other, and matched force with force. We now see many people practicing randori in a way contrary to the original method.

How To Correct Bad Influences

Because of the prevalence of this false method of randori, we must try to find a way to rescue the future of Judo from this bad influence. In order to succeed, we should first of all identify the points to look for whether we consider Judo as physical education or as martial art. When we study Judo as a physical exercise the best posture is naturally not one with our necks stuck forward, or with our bodies bent or stiff. We should stand in a natural and relaxed way, and be able to direct our energy freely and instantly into our necks, arms, legs and hips when necessary, so that we can immediately react as we will with harmonious movements. When we study Judo as a martial art, we should be able to move our bodies freely, lightly and swiftly so that we can dodge whenever our opponent attacks us with a kick or a jab. At the Kodokan, we grab our opponents by their sleeves or lapels when we practice randori. This method is, however, only necessary to help beginners, so as we become advanced we do not necessarily do it. Even when we grab our opponent we should do it lightly, otherwise we are not able to dodge swiftly.

If you practice Judo following these points, you can avoid bad tendencies that are seen today such as using unnecessary strength or tackling each other. Our posture should be similar to that of boxers, rather than that of wrestlers. Wrestlers assume a forward stance because they do not have to be prepared for punches. However, if we are expecting atemi (punch) we must take a posture similar to a boxer's. In Judo, we do not necessarily keep distance between ourselves and our opponent like in boxing because we not only punch, but can also throw or execute a counter. We approach our opponent and try to grab him by his clothing, hand or neck. In these cases, we must be prepared for him to punch or kick. So how should we approach our opponent? When we pull him by his right wrist or sleeve, we should move to his right side. By doing this, we can avoid any counterattack, because his right arm is not free. Although his left hand is free, it is not so dangerous because it is far enough away. His left leg is not in a convenient position from which to attack either, while his right leg is too close to attack properly. We have to keep this in mind when approaching an opponent. We cannot move close to him. What is, then, the most efficient way to practice randori? We have come to the conclusion that we must return to the way it was done in the beginning of the Kodokan."


I find the comments regarding striking fascinating. Also regarding the "boxer's posture." Really puts a different spin on randori.

[KIT]

From http://homepage2.nifty.com/shodokan/en/kyogi1.html


"In a radio program in 1926 entitled 'Judo, Past and Present' Kano Sensei said, "Finding a way to do randori and hold competitions which allowed the use of atemi waza would be extremely difficult. Judging the techniques would be even more so." (see The Life Story of Jigoro Kano published by Kodokan). Kano Sensei thought of ways to incorporate atemi waza into judo but was unsuccessful. Following his ideas, to modernise the techniques of the old styles of jujitsu another randori system separate to judo was required."

[Cliff Hargrave]

It's amazing how much Brazilian JJ is mirroring Judo in it's evolution. More and more schools are concentrating soley on sport JJ and leaving behind their roots of self defense and vale tudo. Even the places I train at are falling into the same mode. The first guard pass I ever learned involved opening up with a headbutt. Now I have classmates training the proper way to stall when you are ahead on points.

[KIT]

Cliff-

In more ways than one. Now we see BJJ -ers actually talking about lineage. Lineage! Why? Black belts are now not so rare, and it is interesting to note black belts seem easier to come by with some instructors and associations than with others.

I find it interesting that many of the old school Brazilians now complain about the loss of the self-defense aspects and vale tudo and submission oriented competition versus sport only, points oriented competition as well as the ranking issue - can a correlation be drawn, I wonder?

[starkjudo]

I dunno - I think one distinct difference can be found in the foudners. While Kano was big on randori, he was cool to "sport" shiai - he thought it had its place, but that was as far as it went. In contrast, the Gracies, arguably the "founders" of BJJ, made their name with competition, starting with the UFC. So, for BJJ people to say that it's getting too far away from traditional seems a bit odd to me.

Having said that, i'm not familiar at all with the BJJ world, so your mileage may vary.

[KIT]

E.J Harrison's preface to Kawaishi's My Method of Judo ( W. Foulsham & Co. Ltd., of London, in 1955).


"TRANSLATOR'S PREFACE

In my opinion this work by my friend Mikonosuke Kawaishi Shihan, 7th Dan, which I have been privileged to translate, is by long odds the best and most comprehensive exposition of the Art of Judo hitherto published in any language, not even excluding Japanese. It is not, of course, and does not profess to be exhaustive. Such a magnum opus has yet to be produced and if ever it is, then the price at which it can be published may very well prove almost prohibitive for the rank and file of judoka. In these circumstances and confronted by a problem well nigh insoluble at the moment, every contributor to the rapidly swelling judo bibliography must reluctantly yet ruthlessly sacrifice an enormous quantity of less valuable "corroborative detail" for the sake of including as many practical methods as possible within the maximum space vouchsafed him by his publishers. And, so it seems to me, such has been the primary objective quite brilliantly achieved by Mr. Kawaishi in his method of Judo.

Not so much the first part of his book devoted to Upright Judo or Tachiwaza which is fundamentally conventional, but the second part which deals at far greater length with judo on the ground will come as a revelation to most European judoka unfamiliar with the French original. They are more than likely to experience a shock—let us hope an agreeable one—when they see that Mr. Kawaishi has had the courage and good sense to ignore the fatuous Kodokan prohibition of dislocation locks on the leg and neck and the use of one or both legs in the application of strangleholds. For that reason every progressive judoka who shares my avowed contention that judo must be regarded not only as a high-class sport but also as a fighting an, and who is therefore anxious to keep himself appraised of the latest developments under this head, will be well advised to study carefully Mr. Kawaishi's convincing descriptions of no fewer than 29 Strangulations, 25 Armlocks, 9 Leglocks and 6 Neck Dislocations, many of these entirely new to most English and probably to numerous Japanese Yudansha as well. Even Tsunetani Oda, 8th Dan, whose method of judo on the ground I have tried to interpret in my latest book, has evidently found it necessary to defer to The Kodokan's ruling against leglocks and has therefore omitted them from his exposition of Katamewaza.

Now in the wake of Mr. Kawaishi's revolutionary step, unless The Kodokan looks to its laurels and is willing to relax its erstwhile embargo and permit the inclusion of leglocks and dislocation necklocks in the Yudansha curriculum, it may in the near future find itself outdistanced by non-Japanese Yudansha in this unorthodox branch of an art which must ever continue to be dynamic if it is to be spared the dreadful fate of slumping into a state of static complacency.

Mr. Kawaishi is rightly careful to warn his readers against reckless and irresponsible recourse to these dangerous techniques. It may even be advisable to exclude them from formal contests. But in this perilous and lawless age the protagonists of the great art of judo simply cannot afford to run the risk of humiliation at the hands and legs of ruffians who may have taken the trouble to specialize in precisely these hitherto tabooed and crippling locks calculated to cool the ardour of the toughest Uke subjected to them! To incur this risk would surely be tantamount to doing a grave disservice to the worldwide reputation of judo. And that disaster must not be allowed to happen.

I have tried to discharge my grateful task as both translator and editor in a catholic spirit. Almost the sole latitude I have permitted myself has been the standardization of the English renderings of the author's Japanese names of the, so to speak, "classic" or approved methods, more or less in conformity with accepted usage at The Budokwai and in affiliated clubs in this country, in preference to a literal translation of their French equivalents in the original text. I have felt justified in doing this in order to avoid confusion in domestic judo circles and to facilitate the speedy identification of the relevant techniques. In the case of the less familiar and ample residue I have had to adhere more closely to the French version of the Japanese terminology. Moreover I have not scrupled to number Jean Gailhat's striking line drawings of all methods for the purpose of ready reference—an expedient neglected in the original but none the less advisable. However, apart from these minor deviations and the effort to make the English letterpress read not as a slavish translation of the French idiom but rather as an independent rendering, I have not presumed to tamper with the distinguished author's text. For the rest his Method of Judo may confidently be left to speak for itself.

E.J.H."