Making the weight for judo

Hungry? Losing weight for an upcoming event? Read this blog from Lauren Jackson, a judoka and Sports Science graduate. Lauren is the Judospace Communications Assistant.

It is 4 weeks before a major competition and the scales read 5kg over the category allowance, to move up a weight category or to drop weight? This is a difficult yet commonly faced scenario for judo players, regularly resulting in athletes undergoing rapid weight loss in the run up to a competition (Coufalova et al., 2013). 

Why? Because being at the bottom of a weight category can seem like a disadvantage, because change is risky and sometimes because of the social connotations associated with weight gain (especially for those more sensitive about body image, in particular female athletes). For some players this rapid weight loss is seen as something that has to be done and commonly achieved through food and fluid restriction and sweating off. Understanding the adverse effects that are associated with cutting weight can help a judo player make an educated decision about what is the right decision or weight category for them. 

Here is the key information that all judo players need to know about what happens when they undergo rapid weight-loss. Rapid weight loss has been associated with: 

1. Reduction in strength, posture, dynamic balance and perceived exertion (Jlid et al., 2013). 
2. Negative mood profiles (Caulfield et al., 2008) which have negative effects on performance (Lane et al., 2001)
3. Reduced cognitive function (Labadarious et al., 2007) which will threaten performance and increase injury risk.
4. Side effects such as dizziness, tiredness and headache (Dolan et al., 2011; Labadarious et al., 2007)

Rapid weight loss has been associated with reduction in strength, posture, dynamic balance and perceived exertion.

The results achieved in training are sacrificed for the sake of weight loss. The negative experiences of the cutting strategies can put a player off competing in the future and an accumulation of these factors will increase probability of drop out.

Extreme weight loss methods have been passed down through generations of judo players that have developed from a cultural rather than scientific rationale. I will consider weight loss through dehydration in a future blog. Those judoka attempting weight loss over a few weeks through diet and exercise should consider the following:

• Is weight loss the right option?  Players should only attempt weight loss if they are carrying useless mass, i.e. they have sufficient body fat to drop the required amount of weight. Scenarios in which excessive fat may accumulate include as a result of a habitual energy imbalance (the player consumes more energy than they use up) or during injury when a player is less physically active. Younger players should not be attempting weight loss due to weight gained as a result of growing.  

• When weight loss is the chosen option it requires analysis and manipulation of current diet/training.  Manipulation should acknowledge the following:

1. Weight maintenance is achieved by energy balance (energy intake matches energy expenditure). Athletes with a moderate to high training volume (more than 3x40 minutes per week) will require +2500kcals a day (Leutholtz et al., 2001). The first thing to consider is whether the player is over consuming and if so to what extent, it is of importance to stop the player from eating excessively to prevent unwanted weight gain.  Energy demand is mediated by activity level, size and muscle mass – if you are unsure about the correct energy demands all changes to intake should be small and gradual.
2. To lose weight there must be an energy deficit (energy expenditure must outweigh energy intake). Aim for weight-loss effects from the smallest amount of deficit then when a plateau is reached total intake can be reduced further, (e.g. about 100kcal/day every 2-3 weeks) this will keep weight loss gradual. High deficits should be avoided as they increase the breakdown of lean body mass (muscle) rather than fat-loss (Garthe et al., 2011) and create hormonal adaptations to combat fat-loss (Trexler., 2014).  
3. For athletes completing above moderate levels of training a diet with a higher carbohydrate and protein intake is recommended however too much carbohydrate or fat in the diet may be causing unwanted weight gain. For athletes, as intensity and volume increases as does carbohydate and protein intake. (Kreider et al., 2010)
4. Frequent ingestion of protein during a deficit period will help to satisfy satiety and minimise LBM (lean body mass) breakdown (Mettler et al., 2010). This cannot be completely prevented during a high energy deficit and carbohydrate must be ingested in sufficient amount to supply the body with the optimum fuel source. 
5. Increasing energy expenditure is another way to create an energy deficit. Additional training sessions or physical conditioning can promote maintenance of muscle during weight-loss (Bryner et al., 1999). 

• It is difficult to predict the rate at which weight loss will occur, larger players will lose weight more rapidly than a leaner player – however would need to plan for more time to lose a greater amount of weight. Monitor the weight loss to help make realistic targets, think about the long term targets rather than just the next competition. 

• Manipulation should be determined by the initial behaviour and physical condition of the player in addition to their previous attempts of weight loss and strategy preferences. 

• Be sure to monitor the effects on the player. A change in habitual behaviour could lead to increased fatigue, physical weakness or cognitive impairment which will affect performance in training and competition and can increase injury risk.

Monitor the weight loss to help make realistic targets, think about the long term targets rather than just the next competition. 

All individuals have different body types and demands meaning there is no one answer for all players. As a coach, if you are in doubt of what is best for an individual then seek further professional help before giving any advice to the athletes.

I believe that if we want the best performance from judoka, a change in the social acceptance of extreme weight making strategies is needed. One way is through increased education of more optimal methods to manage weight for judo. 

As a coach you may be balancing the long term health of the athlete against the expectation of another medal, at what may be a minor competition.

As an athlete you want your optimal performance. Your energy balance and hydration levels are important contributors to you delivering that performance.

At Judospace we try to help the education of athletes, coaches and federations.

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References:

Bryner, R., Ullrich, I., Sauers, J., Donley, D., Hornsby, G., Kolar, M. & Yeater, R. (1999). Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. Journal of American College of Nutrition, 18, 115-121. 

Coufalova, K., Prokesova, E., Maly, T. & Heller, J. (2013). Body weight reduction in combat sports. Archives of Budo, 9, 267-272.

Dolan, E., O'Connor, H., McGoldrick, A., O'Loughlin, G., Lyons, D., & Warrington, G. (2011). Nutritional, lifestyle, and weight control practices of professional jockeys. Journal of sports sciences, 29, 791-799.

Garthe, I., Raastad, T., Refsnes, P., Koivisto, A. & Sundgot-Borgen, J. (2011). Effect of two different weight-loss rates on body composition and strength and power-related performance in elite athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism, 21, 97-104. 

Jlid, M. C., Maffulli, N., Elloumi, M., Moalla, W. & Paillard, T. (2013). Rapid weight loss alters muscular performance and perceived exertion as well as postural control in elite wrestlers. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 53, 620-627.

Kreider, R., Wilborn, C., Taylor, L., Campbell, W., Almada, A., Collins, R., Cooke, M., Earnest, C., Greenwood, M., Kalman, D., Kerksick, C., Kleiner, S., Leutholtz, B., Lopez, H., Lowery, L., Mendel, R., Smith, A., , S., M,, Wildman, R., , W., D, Ziegenfuss, T. & Antonio, J. (2010). ISSN exercise & sport nutrition review: research & recommendations Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7, 7.

Labadarios, D., Kotze, J., Momberg, D., & Kotze, T. J. (1993). Jockeys and their practices in South Africa. World review of nutrition and dietetics, 71, 97.

Leutholtz, B. & Kreider, R. (2001). Exercise and Sport Nutrition. Nutritional Health, Humana Press, 207-239

Mettler, S., Mitchell, N. & Tipton K. (2010). Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42, 326-337. 

Trexler, E. T., Smith-Ryan, A. E. & Norton, L. E. (2014). Metabolic adaptation to weight loss: implications for the athlete. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 11, 7.

Principles of Judo

I share below some thoughts from a module entitled “Judo Technical Principles”, about some fundamental judo principles. In particular, the 3 principles of judo as outlined in the Illustrated Kodokan Judo, 1955 edition; the principle of softness, the principle of maximum efficiency, and the principle of mutual benefit. (I led this module as Visiting Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, teaching the European Judo Union Coach Award).



Principle of softness

We see the concept of jū, [柔] in Ju-jutsu / ju-jitsu as one of the six martial arts, or Roku-bugei, the 6 compulsory martial arts for all samurai, these are; Kenjitsu (sword), Kyujitsu (archery), Bajitsu (horse), Sojitsu (spear), Hojitsu (gunnery), and Jujitsu (hand to hand).

柔, is also known as Yawara. Commonly translated as softness, yielding, pliable, as in the example of snow falling on the willow tree. 

In the year 700 there was a Chinese military code in Japan, Lao Tzu's "Three Strategies", the "San-Ryaku". In this code we find the four character phrase: "jū yoku sei gō”. Another way to say this is; jū yoku gō o seisu, 柔よく剛を制す, meaning "Softness subdues Hardness" meaning that flexibility overcomes rigidity.

As we all know the techniques of Judo enable a smaller person to utilise the opponent's own power to throw him in spectacular fashion. Thus demonstrating the principle that "Softness overcomes Hardness". Indeed it is this drive to show the spectacular throwing techniques of judo that motivates many of the rule changes to international competition judo, brought about by the IJF in recent years. It could be argued that the implementation of the IJF rule changes are in fact a desire to demonstrate the fundamental principle of softness overcoming hardness, the principle of jū, enshrined in the first kanji of the name judo.

Lao Tzu illustrates the point with the phrase; 

“Water is the softest thing, yet it can penetrate mountains and earth. This shows clearly the principle of softness overcoming hardness.”

In 1922 at the age of 62, Jigoro Kano founded the Kodokan Cultural Council, The Kodokan Bunkakai. This was the 40th anniversary of the Kodokan. He chose the founding of the Cultural Council to launch the two underpinning principles of judo. By considering the date of the launch we can understand that these principles were formulated after 40 years of reflection about the principles of judo. Each of them is expressed as four word phrase.

Principle of maximum efficiency

seiryoku zen'yō, 精力善用, the maximum efficient use of power, also described as; maximum efficiency, minimum effort, or maximum efficient use of physical and mental strength. 

Jigoro Kano realised that the principle of jū alone, did not encompass all of the techniques in judo, for example, armlocks, or atemi-waza. The answer was about applying your power in the most efficient way. This underlying principle for training in the techniques of judo, can be applied to all actions in daily life.

The judoka learns to be efficient with their training, to be efficient with their time, to fit all the training around other commitments of work, study and relationships. The ideas of “not too much, not too little” that underpin maximum efficiency can also be applied to daily tasks, such as cleaning. Trevor Leggett often gave the example of holding the pencil half way up, for more efficient writing. (I had the great fortune to study zen under Trevor Leggett in the 1980s.)

Principle of mutual benefit

jita kyōei 自他共栄, or mutual prosperity for self and others, often translated as mutual welfare and benefit.

At the opening of the Kodokan Bunkakai in 1922, Kano explained that seiryoku zen'yō  was required to provide the platform for jita kyōei.

For individuals, anger, worry and conflict, are not efficient uses of their power. In fact they are a waste of power. For a society, if many people are inefficient in their power, the society will fall into decline. The most efficient use of power for a group, relies on them supporting each other, providing mutual welfare, and then the whole society can benefit from that mutual application of maximum efficient use of power. In this way when seiryoku zen'yō is applied to society it becomes jita kyōei.

Examples of jita kyōei, include; respect for others, consideration to ukes, consideration to losers, helping people who need help, and helping the world to be peaceful. 

Often some of these ways to communicate jita kyōei in the dojo, is by encouraging young judoka to follow a version of the judo moral code.

I believe that a judo club can achieve great things, and make a significant contribution to their community, by the judo coaches and teacher taking efforts to apply the principles of judo into their daily classes.

If you would like to understand more about how to coach judo to build your club, improve your athletes, and improve society, then consider following the path of hundreds of successful coaches, by registering on the EJU Coach Awards.

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Judo Values

Gunji Koizumi, the father of European Judo, wrote in April 1954, some 60 years ago, about the values in judo in an article entitled, “Live and let live”. In this blog we consider the relevance of his words today.

In today’s modern society it is impossible to miss the speed at which technology, industry and lifestyles are changing. Civilisations are progressing rapidly and these developments are incessant and inevitable and can be reflected in the world of sport. So judo has changed over time. Koizumi, describes how judo in 1954 was growing into an organisation that demanded rules and regulations - far from the origins as a ‘formless form’. 

The growth in participation opens up the opportunity for differing opinions to enter the judo world. This was taking place 60 years ago and is no different among today’s judo family. People may train Judo for mental development and stimulation, recreational enjoyment and social factors, exercise and health, for self-defence, or indeed as a dynamic modern competitive sport.

Koizumi describes how these different incentives are born from urges within individuals that were thought at that time to be mainly influenced by age. He was of the opinion that at a young age judo is mainly appealing for emotional satisfaction; then at the age of physical prime our focus shifts to a more competitive nature, before at approximately 30 years, when our physical capability is diminishing, our interest shifts into that from a more mental perspective.

We believe that there are more factors at work than age in influencing an individual’s motives in judo, those of most significance being an interaction with their surrounding environment and their previous personal experiences.  A person’s characteristics and experiences along their judo path have a significant impact on their judo values; differing judo values result in differing views as to how judo should develop.  This of course means it is difficult to find the all embracing progressive solution that Koizumi deemed necessary - however it seems that 60 years ago he may have been onto something. 

How many times have you heard (or even some of you may have said) how much better judo was back in the day? That the traditions of judo must be upheld and protected from modernisation of the sport? That competing was harder back then? 

Of course, sometimes you would be right, and sometimes, you are looking through rose-tinted spectacles. It is also interesting to reflect on whether Kano-shihan was trying protect judo from modernisation, or in fact the opposite.

The fact is that there is no single answer to pleasing everybody; but judo can be inclusive of all motives, judo can provide something for everybody if everybody works to support each other. Jita Kyoei.

This does not mean to change your values to suit another, as long as you hold on to your values and learn to pass them on and promote them they will remain and be safe. It means to work as one to embrace all values born through judo, to promote the fulfillment that judo brings to anyone that seeks it. For the judoka, an understanding of this lesson may be better achieved through reflecting upon the fundamentals taught in practice. These being the importance of the body working as one to be effective in movement. If all of us with different motives work together as one to include and promote all aspects of the way, we as a judo family will be stronger. As Koizumi stated: “man is no judge of man, live and let live”. 

We ask you to think over your judo values, how you came about them and what you are doing to pass them on. We ask you to consider whether you share the respect for other people’s judo values as you do your own, even if you may not fully understand them. 

Recently we had the sad occasion to attend the funeral of legendary coach, Don Werner of Pinewood Judo Club. Afterwards Dr Callan was asked by EJU Level 5 Graduate, and England Team Manager, Matt Divall, what he had learnt from the days events. He responded;

"Good coaches teach judo, great coaches teach values. 
Good coaches build systems, great coaches build cultures."

(Callan, 2014)

As a coach are you just teaching technique, or are you building people, and teaching values. In your dojo, is judo more than a sport?

We work to help coaches shape and reflect on their values, through our delivery of the EJU Advanced Coach Award and Performance Coach Award, together with our colleagues at Anglia Ruskin University. Find out more here…

Good luck to you trying to instill good judo values to younger members of the judo family.

Thanks to our friends over at Judo Klub Samobor for the great photo.

[Ref: Koizumi, G. 1954. Judo, Budokwai Quarterly Bulletin. April. p 21.]

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Judo and Science

We found an article published in 1949, some 65 years ago, written by eminent judoka and Budokwai member Douglas Mann, entitled, Judo and Science. In this blog we consider its relevance today.

We present this to contrast our earlier blog on the art of judo.

In hearing the word “science” what’s the first image to be pictured in your mind? A man with crazy hair, a lab coat and a board full of equations? Do you welcome science as a method of learning, or shun it because of anxiety about its complexity. 

But the judoka among you are learning a science every time you step on the mat. We hypothesise, when we think about how we might throw, who might beat who, or how we could deal with a tactical situation. Randori practice is the trials and testing of the scientist; then our throws are displayed in competition, donated to the collection of others – in the same way that significant findings are exhibited and published in science.  With this comparison, Mann explains that we as judo players become the experts of our own science.

Mann goes on to state that “By painstaking, objective study of nature, man learns to control the powers of nature”, in this example Mann refers to science as an objective method of study. This can then be applied further; through study of the body we can learn to control our health and our physical conditioning for performance and through study of judo we can learn technique, tactics and develop control of our actions. 

As Mann identifies, science plays an important role in judo, he describes the scientific approach to learning judo as the study and application of biomechanical principles and the understanding and manipulation of an opponent’s cognitions. Over time developments have been made in the core sciences, leading to an influence by sport scientists in many sports. Such developments in judo have allowed us to gain a greater depth of knowledge about how our sport is evolving and about those partaking in it. 

Effective coaching requires keeping up with and driving forward the direction of sport science – in order to effectively educate others it is vital to first educate one’s self. Is this something you too feel is important in order to be a great judoka or coach? Are you utilising and making the most of resources available to you to be the best you can be? 

“In order to effectively educate others it is vital to first educate one’s self.”

Some readers may insist that judo is instead an art, as if by being an art, something cannot therefore be a science. This view is clearly flawed. One only has to consider the fibonacci numbers we see in nature to realise that, science and art are locked together. Mann recognises this when he concludes his article with a comment about the “Middle Way”. An important concept in judo and budo. 

At Judospace, our view is that coaching needs to be founded on evidence. We call it evidence based coaching. Science relies on evidence. If we are not using evidence based coaching, we must be using “guess based coaching”, at Judospace we believe that athletes deserve more than that.

We work with the European Judo Union, and many forward thinking federations to help coaches apply science into their work. Module titles on the EJU Level 4 Coach Award at Anglia Ruskin University include; Applied Pedagogy in Judo, Physiology for Judo, Biomechanics in Judo, Judo Technical Principles, Talent Development Pathways in Judo, Strength and Conditioning for Judo, Performance Analysis of Judo, and Psychological Profiling for Combat Sport. These courses are delivered by some of the top judo expertise in the world. Four members of the IJF Hall of Fame have taught on the EJU courses, (George Kerr, Kosei Inoue, Peter Seisenbacher and Neil Adams).

This Easter (April 2014) on the EJU course, Juergen Klinger, Nuno Delgado, Emanuela Pierantozzi, Yoshiaki Tsuruoka, Katrina McDonald, Bob Challis, Darren Warner and Mike Callan will share their expertise on subjects related to Judo and Science. You can find out how to enrol here.

To find out more about Judo and Science visit our research pages.

Wishing every success to you and your athletes.

In an attempt to keep up with the latest waza, we have other ways you can follow our information. on website, facebook or twitter. You can also connect on LinkedIn, or subscribe to our newsletter.

(Judo and Science by D. Mann. First published in Judo, Quarterly Bulletin, January 1949. Vol. IV. No. 4. Published by the Budokwai. London. p 33-34.)

Trees on a judo mountain

“Looking at the poems of Basho (one of the most famous Japanese poets), one finds that the concepts of Immutability and Change are very much at the centre of his thought.

The immutable backbone of Judo is the aim of human perfection through judo training, the ideal being the peak of universal morality.

In judo this high ideal is accepted as the aim, but in the practice of the technique (jutsu) itself it is made clear that the ideal is always to be kept before the mind, and this I think is the immutable aspect of Kodokan Judo.”

Kano, R., 1953. Immutability and Change. Judo Quarterly Bulletin, July, IX(2), pp. 14-15.

These are some of the words of Resei Kano. The former President of the Kodokan and the International Judo Federation, written in April 1953, in the Kodokan magazine, Judo. (The reference is for the English Translation in the Budokwai Quarterly Bulletin).

That took me to research a little more about Basho. Born in 1644, near Ueno, now part of Tokyo, he is famous as a writer of haiku poetry. Then I came across this haiku by Shoji Kumano. It seemed rather topical at the moment;

Enjoying three bowls of zoni 
At the New Year's breakfast;
Millionaire as he is!

三椀の　雑煮かゆるや　長者ぶり  (Sanwan no　zoni　kayuru ya　chojya buri)

 (http://www.hokuoto77.com/buson00.html#new year's day)

Background: 'Zoni' is a soup containing mochi (rice cakes), vegetables and other ingredients. To cook zoni was very expensive for the common people in the Edo period(1603-1868). 

Earlier in my career, I was lucky enough to be employed as a manager by Syd Hoare. Syd is a legendary judoka, who competed in the Tokyo Olympic Games. His company was called Yamagi Ltd. Hi told me that the company name was drawn from a traditional poem about a secret principle of judo;

The trees on Mount Tsukuba are extremely thick but from time to time a moonbeam penetrates.

(Tsukubayama ha yamashige yamashige keredo
Konoma konoma ni tsukikage zo moru)

This is article 171 in Syd’s book “Judo Strategies”.

Earlier this month I had the privilege of giving a lecture at Tsukuba University. It was formerly known as Tokyo Higher Normal College, and the Principal for 25 years was Professor Jigoro Kano.

I was talking to around 200 undergraduates. Discussing matters related to violence and bullying in sport.  I reminded them that they are the generation to deliver the legacy of Tokyo 2020, and that one legacy could be the eradication of violence from the Japanese sporting society, far more lasting than any bricks and mortar.

Hopefully some of you reading this will have athletes with aspirations to compete with distinction at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Judo Competition. As they eat like millionaires to celebrate this new year, they will dedicate themselves to another year of hardship and hard work. They are trying to create a personal legacy.

I have chosen to dedicate the rest of my career to supporting the athletes, coaches and federations who choose that journey of hardship and hard work. I founded Judospace Ltd, so named as S.P.A.C.E. (supporting player and coach education). I work with a remarkable team of people, committed particularly to helping coaches transform their athletes into judoka.

As we step into another year, another step along the way, we would like to thank everyone that we have worked with in 2013, and re-commit ourselves to having even greater impact in the coming 12 months.

Happy New Year.

A dream for judo

While the IJF 2013 World Senior Judo Championships were thrilling the audience in Rio de Janeiro, the free world celebrated the 50^th Anniversary of the civil rights march to Washington DC, and the famous “I have a dream” speech of the visionary Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.

http://www.archives.gov/press/exhibits/dream-speech.pdf

Recently there was a discussion on social media about coaching and the development of a judo system. One post referred to the speech and said that his dream for judo is “'- that every town, borough or city will have a permanent dojo with quality facilities.”

The comment got me thinking, about what my dream is for judo.

I have a dream that those dojos in every town and city of the world will be based in a place of learning. That every school, college and university, will have a dojo, and that judo will be synonymous with education. That the values of judo will be taught in the classroom, and the values of the classroom will be taught in the dojo.

I have a dream that those dojos are led by great coaches. That those dojos are led by educated coaches. Are led by coaches who have devoted their own time to the study of how to make their dojo better, the pupils better, their athletes better. Coaches who have studied diligently about how to change lives through judo.

Without great coaches, dojos are empty, sometimes intimidating, sometimes scary, and sometimes dangerous. Without great coaches that embrace the values of judo, dojos can encourage arrogance, deceitfulness, even bullying.

Great coaches, educated coaches, encourage the development of the whole person. They encourage hard training, technical excellence, respect for others, seiryoku-zenyo and jita kyoei.

At Judospace we are committed to helping coaches become great. Recently we have teamed up with KokaKids to create more opportunities to link judo and education.

http://www.judospace.com/news/koka-kids-and-judospace-educatio/

http://www.kokakids.co.uk/benefits-of-judo-for-school-children-guest-blog

To find out more about our work visit www.judospace.com

or follow us on facebook https://www.facebook.com/Judospace

Judo: the art of communication

All teachers will understand pride in the accomplishments of their students. I have been fortunate to support the development of many judo coaches, a number of whom have gone on to significant positions in the sport. Increasingly, many of them share their thoughts online and communicate with the whole judo family.

I have chosen to highlight in this post the thoughts of some of these present and former students who took the decision to improve their coaching.

Firstly, Danny Williams, is a still an active player, an Olympian, who competed in the 2012 London Olympic Games, Danny is a player at Camberley Judo Club, and a student at Anglia Ruskin University, following the EJU Performance Coach Award. He is preparing already for his future coaching career, and works on a weekly basis with the England Regional Cadet players.

Read his blog here: http://dannywilliamsddjw.wordpress.com/

I have two favourite quotes from Danny’s blog;

“Sports coaching and training from a young players perspective cannot be a democracy, the coach must deliver precise technical fundamental practice and sparring training, and the athlete must follow precisely the given instructions.”

Then talking about his improved ability to combat frustration he says…

“I believe I owe this to things I’ve learned from my own experience and from my coach who has helped me to see training and competition as a process rather than the be all and end all.”

Danny’s coach, is another of my former students, Luke Preston. He graduated in 2008 from the EJU Performance Coach Award. Luke was a coach for Great Britain at the London Olympic Games, where his athlete Karina Bryant, won a bronze medal. Follow Luke on twitter;

https://twitter.com/LukePreston_CJC

Next blog is from Mike Newton, Head Coach at Vale Judo Club, graduate of the EJU Performance Coach Award in 2009. In 2010, Mike spent a placement at Sagami High School, near Tokyo. A feeder high school to Tokai University, former students include Yasuhiro Yamashita and Kosei Inoue.

Mike made a number of changes to his club environment after visiting Sagami High School, read about them at;

http://simplyjudo.wordpress.com/

On 12 February 2010, Mike presented a case study of High School student Naohisa Takato. Three years later, I watched Takato win the Paris Grand Slam. At the time of writing he is ranked 1st in the IJF World Ranking List. Discussing his training environment in Sagami, my favourite quote from Mike is…

“Every student knows what to do and when to do it – coaches simply provide technical input, set the training atmosphere and provide encouragement – most of the time things run like clockwork.”

Also working with the same age group is Dave Elmore. Dave graduated the EJU Performance Coach Award in 2011. He works with Wolverhampton University and Walsall College, delivering the Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence. A structured judo curriculum for junior players.

Dave’s blog is; http://aasejudo.wordpress.com/

I like this quote…

“I feel that you should always be willing to try new ideas and look at other sports and activities to find a new edge.”

One very prolific blogger is Bob Challis. Having graduated from the EJU High Performance Coach Award in 2009, Bob is now the course leader, and a Senior Lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University. Bob is continuing to develop himself and is in the second year of his PhD.

You can find his blog at: http://judobob.wordpress.com/

My favourite line from his blog is;

“To be honest there is no real secret, for me it is about mat time and volume of randori.”

Bob also quotes from a well-known former judo player, and US President, Theodore Roosevelt;

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. “

One could argue that the “king” of the judo blog is Lance Wicks. Lance also graduated from the EJU High Performance Coach Award in 2009. He is now a member of the IJF computer team, providing the live streaming from IJF and EJU events across the world. Lance developed the site http://www.planetjudo.com/ which aggregates all the judo blogs into one feed. He has English, Spanish and French versions.

On his blog at http://www.judocoach.com/ Lance reflected on each lecture during his time studying as a coach. To quote a couple of reflections;

“One of the great things about this course is that most all of the work we do has real world application and this development plan I have to write could be really good if executed.”

“One of the most important skills any Judoka and in particular any Judo coach can have is the ability to look at things critically and assess the value of what they read, see or hear.”

Finally, I end this post with some light relief. If Lance is the king, then officially the “Queen of Blog” is Aki Inoue. She is a friend of Judospace, wife of All-Japan Judo Federation Head Coach, Kosei Inoue, and a celebrity in her own right. Aki’s blog has a huge following amongst her fans in Japan.

http://ameblo.jp/higashihara-aki/

I hope you enjoy.

To find out more about the experience of these coaches, visit our website at www.judospace.com

 

Judo Coaching: great coaches make great players

If you are a judo coach you have a very important role. If you are paid as a judo coach, then you have a very important job.

Why is it an important job?

You have a responsibility to your judoka, the athletes that trust you. The trust is often built on respect. Your judoka respect you, your behaviours and your opinions. They value your knowledge, they learn through the way that you communicate that knowledge.

When you share knowledge effectively, it can be utilised by the judoka to win a match. The judoka understands that the win is because of the knowledge that you shared with them. This reinforces their belief in you, and the knowledge that you have, and your ability to communicate it effectively.

Sometimes your knowledge is found wanting. You are not really sure how to deal with a certain opponent, or a certain kumi-kata situation. You are embarrassed at your limited knowledge in a certain area. You try to hide it. Maybe you convince yourself that you think you know the answer. Your judoka trusts you. They try their best, but they don’t succeed. Your limited knowledge let them down. There is a small chink in their respect for you. They are not sure to fully believe you the next time. Gradually the relationship breaks down. The trust and communication that you had together starts to fall apart. Each thinks the other is to blame.

How can we avoid this? Certainly you cannot hope to win all the matches, your relationship cannot be built on only winning.

If we think about a judo competition, in each round, half the players win their matches, and half the players lose their matches. That’s the sobering thing about judo. You either win or lose. If you keep a record of the matches of all your judoka, if the win record is better than 50% you are doing better than average.

If your judoka can see that you are constantly trying to improve your knowledge, they will see that you are investing your time to help them. They will see that you are studying for mutual welfare and benefit. They will have greater confidence that the suggestions that you make are based on reflection, on evidence, on research.

Research, evidence and reflection can help the judo coach to make better decisions, to offer better advice, to have access to a wider range of ideas. Study into communication methods and techniques can help the decisions, advice and ideas be understood and applied more effectively and more efficiently. Maximum efficiency with minimum effort.

Study hard, don’t expect it to be easy, and your players will benefit. They may even win more matches. The harder you work, the luckier they get.

Good luck to all your judoka.