Korean Judo

[Runar Bjaaland]

I was at training last night and a visitor came with a book written in Korean, but the pictures said it all.
Does anyone have any experience with the Korean form?

Cheers
Runar Bjaaland

Judo student

[starkjudo]

I've worked out with a now-retired Air Force officer who did Yudo (the Korean Judo) From all I saw, it's directly transferrable with the Judo - no real difference at all.

[Webmaster]

Yudo is the Korean translation for Judo. There are some historic events that have made the Japanese and Korean arts a little different.

Following the defeat of the Empire of Japan in 1945, the Japanese martial arts were officially proscribed by government decree. When the Kodokan was allowed to reopen, it reopened as a sports training center, practicing the “reforms” initiated by Mifune Sensei. Thus Judo as practiced in Japan has taken the turn from Martial Art toward that of a Martial Sport.

From 1910 to 1945, the Japanese imposed Judo training upon the school children of Korea, along with Kendo training for all boys in grades five and above. An office of the Kodokan on the Korean peninsula regulated all Judo matters therein. Kano often visited to personally supervise and promote the leaders of Kodokan Judo among the Koreans, and many Koreans were sent to the Kodokan for advanced training.

In 1945, the Chosin Judo Association was formed under the leadership of those who had been direct students of Kano. When Judo became an official Olympic sport, the Korean government directed the division of this association into the Korea Judo Association (KJA), for the practice of the Olympic sport of Judo, and the ROK Yudo Association, for the continued practice of Kano’s martial art.

The KJA is the national governing body (NAB) for Olympic judo in Korea and the member, for Korea, of the International Judo Federation (IJF). The KJA is a member of the Korea Olympic Committee.

The ROK Yudo Association remains the traditional military art organization for Kano’s art in Korea, retaining its position and status as the repository of the Korean lineage within the martial art taught by Professor Kano. It also safeguards his teachings and philosophy.

So what we have is a split in which the two forms of Judo/Yudo took place. One for the sport of Judo/Yudo, which is BTW very popular in Korea, and another for the continued preservation of Judo/Yudo as a martial art. So when you are talking about Judo/Yudo, you have two separate arts.

[Cliff Hargrave]

Robert,

Is there any cross over there? Like do any members of the ROK Yudo Association try out for the Olympics or compete in regional tournaments? Also are their ranks recognized by each other?

[Webmaster]

Robert,

Is there any cross over there? Like do any members of the ROK Yudo Association try out for the Olympics or compete in regional tournaments? Also are their ranks recognized by each other?

Not really. You have to consider that while the Yudo taught by the ROK Yudo Association is similar to the Yudo/Judo taught within the Korea Judo Association, there is the reality that they are taught for two separate reasons, and have different requirements. One is a sport, and one is a martial art. Think of the similarity of Jujutsu and Judo. Yes, they share common techniques and principles, but that is where to commonality ends. I am sure that there are individual kwons with in the ROK Yudo Assoc. that might for their own reasons choose to recognize the KJA rank of a sport practitioner, but I would think that in the case of the KJA recognizing a ROK Yudo rank, not likely. Consider that like the Judo organizations in this country that require competition experience to gain rank, the same applies with the KJA who also has competition requirements. Remember, the KJA's job is to promote the "sport" and it is to their benefit to require competition for advancement. This lack of mutual rank recognition is not because they do not get along with each other. To the contrary, they actually do work together whenever it is beneficial to both. They just recognize that what they both do is different. Also, note the difference in names. ROK Yudo Association, and Korea Judo Association. By the use of Judo and not Yudo in the KJA name, they are acknowledging that there IS a difference in the two arts.

[Runar Bjaaland]

I hope I can crystalise the relevance of this post.

Reading that the Korean and Japanese forms are considered distinct I remembered a technique from the Korean book of Judo mentioned earlier that may support that statement.

e.g
Uki executes a successful right footed Sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi, but instead of allowing Uki to fall he intercepts with a right shouldered seoi-nage. The ensuing change of direction is disorienting to say the least, resulting in ukis airborn hips and legs still following the Sasae-tsuri-komi-ashi while ukis head and shoulders are plummeting headward towards the mat.

The Korean form certainly appears to favour spectators of the sport.

Cheers
Runar Bjaaland

p.s.
Thanks for the Historical background messrs. Webmaster and Moderator