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Why Do Judo ??

If you are contemplating Judo for yourself, or signing up your child for an organised sports activity, here are some reasons why everyone could be a lot better off studying Judo than playing in a football league!

1) Self Defense:

The main reason why most people take up a martial art is for self-defense. You will learn ways to Think about defending yourself at well as learning the techniques and building the reflexes needed to defend yourself.
This will give you the confidence to fight back…

2) Self Confidence:

As you become more proficient with Judo your confidence will get a big-boost. You become more self-assured and confident. The Sensei’s (Teacher’s) encouragement goes a long way to help you achieve this goal, but the confidence level will extend far beyond the Dojo (Martial Arts Studio).

3) Belts and Ranking:

This might seem a strange reason at first, but you’d be surprised how much belts and ranking help build your confidence and the desire to succeed. For the uninitiated, most Martial Arts styles use a system of Colored belts to indicate the knowledge and skill levels of their practitioners. In many cases the first belt promotion can be attained in as little as a few weeks and when , especially for children, you obtain that first belt, it shows you that with the right motivation, you can succeed. One belt is always not enough, once you’ve passed one belt test you are already thinking about the next one. Belts and tags are a great way to help children track their progress and motivate them to strive higher.

4) Discipline:

The mantra of any martial art is ‘practice makes perfect’. There is constant repetition in drills and practices with emphasis on details and rhythm. Throws and defenses are repeated over and over. Even while sparring or competing – where a martial artist shows how creatively he or she can apply their well-honed skills – there are still rules and protocols to be followed. All of this teaches us to respect one another, your opponents and colleagues, and how to play games fair and square – lessons that follow you in your non-Martial Arts lives. It also teaches the benefits of frequent practice, and the patience to get there (Remember the Karate Kid and Wax On/Wax Off?!).

5) Emphasis on Individual Achievement:

In basketball there are only five starters, yet there are seldom only five people on a team – which means that someone has to start each game on the bench. This applies for most team sports. In team sports there are also positions, and each has connotations. Although teamwork and sportsmanship are emphasized in team sports, at some point you’ll need to understand why you aren’t a starter or why their stuck in right field batting 9th instead of playing first base and batting cleanup. In the martial arts, however, each everyone’s success is based on their own individual merits. You may not be the most winning Judoka in his Judo class, but that will be because you tried and lost, and not because you weren’t good enough to make it off the bench. You will not be stuck on a ‘bad team’ as your own ambition will help you achieve success. Knowing that your own ambitions and abilities will drive you to succeed, will lessen the chances that you will say ‘I hate this sport’. There is also no scapegoat to blame if you don’t win, and there is always the opportunity to do better at the next tournament.

6) Gender Equity:

The martial arts are one of the few sports where both boys and girls can play together. There are also tremendous international opportunities in Women’s martial arts as well. Each belt will not be any easier to attain whether you are male or female. It also gives brothers and sisters, husbands and wives an opportunity to practice together and learn from one another as well? Judo, primarily a self-defense art, can specifically help protect the boys from the bullies and the girls from the boys! When we demonstrate our sport at the local fetes and schools we always show a self-defense sequence where the boys attack the girls, and loose. We have more girls than boys in our club!

7) Exercise:

The typical martial arts class will often be comprised of warm-up calisthenics, teaching and practicing of moves and possibly some sparring. The warm up and practice comprise the bulk of the time, and for that time you will be constantly on the go – stretching, crunches, punches and kicks. The workout will not only assist in the natural development of muscles, but also help build stronger Cardio-Vascular systems. Even in the most active of team sports such as Rugby, Hockey, or Football, you don’t get that much of a workout simply because you may not play the whole game and even if you do, you are not in the action all of the time.

8) Respect and Strength:

The first thing the parents of (even slightly) mischievous children think about when they send their kids to martial arts class is: “Is my kid going to use this to hurt others?” Although this is a legitimate concern, it is always addressed early by good instructors who remind students that the techniques they learn in the dojo stay in the dojo (except in self-defense), and shouldn’t be used to bully people. As children learn the ropes, they will learn to respect their newfound strength and techniques. They will also gain a disdain for bullying as well as the bullies. If you can hold your head up high, and not look like a victim, you won’t become one.

9) Competition:

Just like in team sports, Judo is all about competition. Competition is a great way to test your skills and show your progress. Unlike team sports, the loser can’t really blame anyone beyond his or herself. But then this gives them a sense of respect for their opponent, as well as motivation to do better the next time. Unlike team sports, which treat each game as a leg in the entire season, each tournament is a fresh start, and it is seldom that you get only one match (even in the Olympics where there is a single-elimination for the Gold and Silver medals, there is a second-chance round for those who have lost their first matches for them to be able to win a Bronze).

10) You can do it as a family:

Many martial arts schools offer classes for both adults and children. While most do not run those classes simultaneously, they are usually one right after the other. This means that you can watch your children workout, and then they can watch you. If you have the proper space for it, you can practice with each other at home, and learn from one another. This will give you a special activity to use as a bonding tool with your kids. You can also become physically fit together. Granted, you can play Basketball in your driveway and have a catch in the backyard, but it is just not the same as working on your turns and strikes as a group.

11) Never-Ending Season:

Many team sports, especially those primarily played outdoors, or in specific weather (think Skiing, Hockey) are seasonal. The Martial Arts are a year-round affair. As mentioned above, a bad tournament only puts you out until the next tournament, and your exercise routine remains constant the entire year. Having this consistency also helps build upon discipline, and can allow you to progress very quickly.

12) Exercise the mind as well:

While all martial arts teach you to fighting strategies, Judo really teaches much more. While learning Kuzushi (the art of breaking your opponents’ balance) and throwing techniques, you learn Mechanical Physics. Combination techniques and follow-ups teach improvisation, and finally, you learn a lot of Japanese too. Everyone can count to ten in Japanese. In most other forms of Martial Art, the language is limited to the words: Sensei (teacher) Hajime (Start) and Matte (Stop).

13) Judo is about Control, NOT Brute Force:

Dr. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, in his teachings, emphasized the concept of maximum efficiency, minimal effort. This is evident, as the crux of many Judo techniques is not necessarily brute force, but using your opponents’ movements and strength against him or her. While physical strength and size are important, mental strength is probably the most vital factor in competition.

14) Be well coordinated:

When you’re using your opponents’ moves against him or her, timing is everything. Many of the throws in Judo will simply not work if you don’t time them correctly. Feet, hands, hips and head all need to move in fluid and exact timed motions to properly execute a throw (which is why an Ippon – or full point – is so hard to achieve in competition). As you practice you will learn more complex throws and, in turn, will demonstrate better reflexes and coordination as a result.

15) Judo is Universal

If a Karate practitioner travels to another city he or she might have a hard time finding a dojo to work out in that has the exact same style and philosophy as their home dojo. Not so for Judoka – because the techniques and principles are practically universal. A New Yorker can go to London for a week, and still find a place to play. There are over a hundred member countries in the International Judo Federation, and at the Olympics, the competing Judoka came from places as diverse as Cuba, Israel, and Kazakhstan as well as from the expected countries like Japan, USA, Russia and the France. Although the styles of teaching and ranking and promotion standards vary slightly from country to country – Judo is Judo is Judo. Which helps you stick with it, as you move schools, jobs and houses it will never be hard to find a dojo to train in, and the material will always be the same even if the location is not.

If you are interested but not quite sure, most good schools will offer trial options, especially for younger kids. You should be able to borrow a Jacket initially, so you won’t need to make a huge financial commitment up front in case it isn’t for you.
In conclusion, Martial Arts are a wonderful alternative to team sports that will provide you or your child with not only an excellent physical workout, but also act as a vehicle to provide a mental and emotional workout as well.

With kind permission of Judoinfo.com. Adapted from an Original article by Yonah Wolf (©2004 by Yonah Wolf) as published on JudoInfo.com ((©2004 by Neil Ohlenkamp, Judoinfo.com USA) with my additional thoughts (©2004 by Mick Williams bigginhilljudoclub.co.uk.)