Considering Heterodoxy, Maybe Hersey !

**Abbax8** · 10-30-2011, 14:12

There's one thing I have always found lacking in Judo, a way to practice in a significant way by yourself. Sure, you can do uchikomi training, drilling a throw with resistance bands and such, but that is about it.

Also, Judo is more than throws, it is also strikes and locks. The striking component of Judo is probably the least studied. There is a solo warmup kata that drills strikes, but all the other kata require a partner.

Karate and the Korean counterparts are rich in their Kata. They provide the serious student a way to practice each day if they so wish. While these arts are primarily striking in nature, hidden inside the kata are the throws and locks.

So, I am thinking that Judo needs to have something similar to the Karate Kata. They should be composed of scenarios where the practitioner defends against an attack, using strikes, throws, joint locks and chokes.

Thinking more along these lines, the initial kata would deal with the throws in first set. Then with training, techniques from the second, third, etc. All kata would feature strikes, either punches or kicks with fists, ridge hands, palm strikes, feet, shins, etc. Strikes would also be aimed at vital targets of our imagined partner and used also as a means of kuzushi.

So, what's your opinion. I'm especially interested in hearing from the Judoka on board here, but please, everyone feel free to join in.

Dennis

**Erik** · 10-30-2011, 15:37

My first thought reading the title was, "oh no, Dennis is having surgery?"

I think doing judo kara with a line and/or opponent's feet marked on the floor could be useful for footwork.

**Jonathan Randall** · 10-31-2011, 04:01

From a former junior Judoka, I found that I could actually practice o-goshi against my Wavemaster. Sounds funny, but a decade after leaving judo training, I was able to use the throw against a much larger and stronger opponent (in a friendly match) with only my practice against the Wavemaster as my drilling experience. BTW, the Wavemaster is superior, imho, to using a tree and obi as the tree does not yield, regardless of the correctness of your technique, and if you do the technique wrong a fully loaded (with water, and on a friction surface) Wavemaster does not yield - you do. If you do it correctly, well don't take it too far or you'll be sponging water off of your carpet...

As to solo kata, be careful what you wish for - you may get it. The great strength of judo is that it does not require a compliant partner (air) and only works if you can pull it off in the real world. Not knocking kata, it has its place, but McDojos - as opposed to the type of real, traditional karate that Tony Urena, etc. practices - have replaced martial skill with performance skill. Liberace has replaced Perlman.

**Ramirez** · 10-31-2011, 09:21

Originally Posted by Jonathan Randall

Liberace has replaced Perlman.

lol....I love this quote!

**wab25** · 10-31-2011, 14:56

We do lots of wrist locks and finger locks. One of the ways we practice is "warming up" our wrists during the warm up period of class, usually after all the jumping jacks, shrimping, push ups etc are finished. The "wrist warm ups" we do consist of applying the different wrist locks to our other hand. We do three to four locks on one hand, in a row. Then we apply the same set to the other hand.

This does a few things, first you stretch your wrist, allowing you to take a bit more of the lock. It helps improve your grip for each lock. It helps work on transitions from one lock to the next. After you get the techniques down, you can apply pressure against the lock, thus building muscle to resist the lock in one hand, while improving your grip with the other. Best of all, it is done completely solo.

**Jonathan Randall** · 11-01-2011, 20:40

I haven't seen this video, but, apparently, the instructor has developed an entire solo workout for Judo and the grappling arts:

http://www.budovideos.com/shop/custo...roductid=27191