Jun 29, 2001 01:05 AM
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Opinions usually begin with the origins of Judo as they do with other Martial Arts. This does not happen with any other sport or collections of sports that I know. The reasons are not mysterious.
Judoka (one who practises, or as we say plays, Judo) are proud of what Judo has taught them and they are encouraged and also eventually want to remember where this wonderful sport or art came from. It has been well documented elsewhere so I will just give my honest opinion about Judo for all and in particular, children.
The Jesuits had a saying, ''Give me the child at the age of seven and I will give you back the man!''
Many Judo schools, organizations,
federations and societies do not want to start Judo Players until the age of 8 which is reminiscent of the academic schools in UK where they do not teach languages until a child is too old to have any interest in it.
I ask you, at what age do children in Switzerland, for instance start learning the 3 or 4 languages they finish up with. Most of the European countries are bi-lingual or tri-lingual and learn languages at school from the outset as part of the curriculum.
Children of five years of age enjoy the sport of Judo as soon as they are put on the tatami (mat). They have usually been enjoying it if their older siblings are engaged in it anyway.
As soon as children enter my club they are given a Judo Suit. They are, or feel, at a disadvantage if they are made to practice without gi (short for Judogi or Judo uniform) When you give a child their first Gi they are immediately made to feel a regular Judoka and part of the club. Just try and get that suit off their back that evening after practise.
The sooner you start children into the sport the sooner they will soak it up like a sponge. I have had many parents say to me, ''I wish I could get him/her to listen to me like that at home''. (The child is usually raptly paying attention to the instructor). This is not unusual in a Judo Club where the Instructor or coach is specifically selected, not for his/her Judo skills or their grade or their level of coaching but for their people skills, particularly with children.
This is not to say that it is not important for the instructor/teacher to be qualified. Of course that follows without question and they should be qualified by a body who understands not only about the sport and in this, I include any sport, but about the methodology necessary to teach children. If a teacher is a parent there is much more empathy with the needs of the child and much more patience with that child.
Once you have taught the children the importance of being quiet, contained and attentive and calmed down the more boisterous of them, pointing out that they are spoiling it for everyone else; you can begin on the teaching of Judo.
The first, important step is enjoyable to them, as it is to discover how to fall and in fact throw yourself on the ground, rolling forward and backward and all this without hurting yourself. As soon as this is accomplished, interspersed with plenty of game play, tug of war with the Judo belt etc., it is time to teach them to throw an opponent and be thrown themselves.
As this is meant to be an opinion I don't want to go into, in depth, the various parts of the teaching or practise of Judo but rather an opinion on how that practise and teaching should be accomplished.
As you know, Judo is a sport in which, with the use of specific techniques you overcome an opponent with a throw to the ground, with deliberation, sufficient force, i.e. impetus, and on to the back. You may also hold that opponent down, on the mat, for a period determined by the rules for that club or association. Somewhere in the region of 20 seconds is usual for children.
Either of these disciplines will allow the person doing the throwing to win either a full point (Ippon) or part of a point (Waza Ari, Yuko or Koka are the Japanese terms for these part scores).
In a very short time the children are learning these techniques and applying them and also learning and using the Japanese terminology. In fact in a few short months they have a vocabulary of Japanese of a few hundred words. Why, I ask you say is this necessary. Many Judo Clubs frown on the use of the Japanese language. I find a child will remember ''O-Goshi'' far longer than the English version, Major Hip Throw, certainly when asked the former they demonstrate it immediately.
The main reason that I think that the Japanese terminology is important is that, eventually, children will be competing with others from another country and when the Referee calls ''Matte'' (Stop!) for instance, each child of whatever nationality will understand and stop. Very important when, in the heat of a tussle on the ground, one of the children is in difficulty.
If you allow children to be boisterous in game play when you say so and then be quiet to listen to a technique, when you say so, in a very short time a child will have learned, self discipline, poise, self confidence, the ability to mix freely with others, the art of give and take, the friendliness to help other Judoka when they cannot understand a particular hold or throw.
Judo is a great leveler; the bully and the shrinking violet are all as one on the tatami. The bully soon learns that Judo is all about leverage, about using the opponent's weight height and strength against themselves. The shrinking violet soon also learns how to apply this concept. If we look at Judoka at the level of Adults for a moment - how do you recognize the Banker or Architect or Lord from the dustman or window cleaner when everybody is wearing the same white Judogi? What is important here is the colour of the belt on the suit.
Grading, for that is how you manage to get that different coloured belt, is the method used universally. Grading, however in one club or one society or one country can differ immensely as there is no laid down rule. The International Judo Federation to whom all Judoka look for guidance is only concerned with Competition rules. Not all Judo players want to compete, certainly not in large competitions let alone Internationally. Grading is therefore something that I have strong opinions about.
It matters not what Judo players are doing in other parts of the country if the players in your club are not going to visit that part of the country. Grading is staged from one belt (Obi) to another progressing from white-yellow-orange-green-blue-brown and then to black or Dan grade. Different Societies have two, three or more intermediary stages represented by coloured tags on the ends of the belt between full belts.
Progression is accomplished by the demonstration of techniques to a given syllabus to show whether the entrant has progressed from the grade last held. The entrant is asked to show these techniques in competition with another entrant. The result of contests goes towards the obtaining of grades as well as the demonstration of proper techniques. The system works fairly well with the criticism that some societies or clubs are too hard on young children.
Many years ago I was instrumental in assuring that the word ''Failed'' did not appear on grading entry forms. If it was necessary to refuse a grade then, ''Ungraded'' for instance was harsh enough for me. I had seen too many young, promising Judoka leave the sport with the words, ''I'm a failure, I'm not going again''.
