KODOKAN JUDO
Kodokan Principals of Throwing
KODOKAN JUDO
Kodokan Principals of Throwing
To the casual observer, a judo master may appear able to throw an opponent with little or no effort. While throwing someone is easy, trying to throw someone of similar standard who defends as well as attacks, is a science and takes many decades to become proficient to a high standard.
CONTROL :First and foremost when considering both mental and physical aspects of judo, control is paramount. Control not only improves efficiency and makes throws appear more impressive, it is also essential for safety. A flailing arm or one handed throw etc. could lead to serious injury for both tori and uke. All judoka would do well to remember this.
1) UGOKI :Ugoki means movement. When considering Jigoro Kano's "Maximum Efficiency" concept (that force should not be met with more force but utilised and manipulated to the opponents disadvantage), we should realise that for this to happen there has to be movement to take advantage of. Judo should flow between techniques and throws should be crisp, but swift, therefore static fighting should not be considered judo as it does not comply with the basic principles. When movement is attempted, judo will flow more naturally and there will be many more opportunities to throw.
2) KUZUSHI :Along with timing, kuzushi is at the very core of judo. It is both very simple, if you seize the right moment, and yet can take many years to master. At Rhos Judokwai great emphasis is place on good kuzushi. One of the ways we teach this principle is as follows:
| Whole sole on mat | Access to 100% of strength | Hard to throw |
| Half of each foot on mat | Access to 50% of strength | Easier |
| Toes only on mat | Access to 25% of strength | Easier |
| Toe on mat | Access to 5% of strength | Easy to throw |
Knowing this however, is the easy part, kuzushi can be achieved simply by harnessing uke's own movement ie. lifting with the hands to get uke on to his toes. Experienced judoka however, tend to be more cautious and will limit their own movement to avoid giving away too much harnessable momentum, because of this, it becomes necessary to trick your opponent into making a false move. For example: In order to get uke to move in the direction desired, tori must give a sharp pull or push in the opposite direction, this will encourage uke to react by moving in the direction desired. If harnessed correctly and with a natural feel (so to not induce jigotai) this reaction is all that is needed for effective kuzushi.
3) TSUKURI :Tsukuri is the stage in which tori must move his body into position for the throw. For a strong judoka, tsukuri may seem less important and throws can be successful without it, although this may well lead to injury for both tori and uke and is not condusive to the development of good judo. Further-more the absence of good tsukuri will result in an inability to throw larger opponents, which is why kata and uchikomi are so important in the development of good tsukuri.
4) KAKE :Kake means simply the execution of the throw. NB. In every posture/stance, there are strong and weak lines. Along the widest part of the base of a stance will be the strong line and energy will be wasted if used here. At 90o to the widest part of the base is the weak line therefore energy should be directed along this line for maximum efficiency.
