benefits - drawbacks

[mushinmaster]

what has judo done for you?

[MarkF]

what has judo done for you?

Well, it has made me a better story-teller.:toast:

Then again, I have always loved fishing, and what great fish stories I have.

If you are serious (I think so, as you have in your profile: MA: "Striking would like learn grapp" or something close) I'll let go with a couple of things.

I found out what was called "judo chops" in pro-wrestling was a whole lot more and reality set in quickly. My lack of height no-longer bothers me, and hasn't since about the age of thirteen.

Although I was very boastful and eagerly challenged school chums to a wrestling match, it ultimately made me more aware of the real world and that suddenly having a perceived advantage in fighting, would get me in the kind of trouble I didn't want. I realized no style of fighting arts has it all. There are always openings.


Later, as a pinko, commie longhair, I no longer hated the other side. I was able to make friends with LEOs as well as those who would detest such a relationship. I actually thought I would like to go to the academy in LA, but I didn't meet the height minimum requirement so I continued to sit on the fence, and was able to see the good in most (not all) as those with whom I trained were all over the place in regard to that. It was indeed very much like fishing. It didn't matter what you thought, only what you caught, how big one could make that fish in a few hours, and the nearly orgasmic feel of a big fish taking the bait.

I felt like that in the dojo. I still do, but can't work out nearly as much as I want or as I should, but those friends were only changed because of distance.

Throwing an opponent for the first time in a tournament, and feeling as though I hadn't used but a small part of my strength was the same feeling as that twelve pound channel catfish at 5:00AM. I can still remember how I felt during that throw, just as I can remember the first fish of size I caught.

I've never expected judo to do anything for me, I expected to have to work twice as hard for half as much.


Mark

[efb8th]

Interesting Question.

In twelve years of dealing with Parkinson's, I've never lost my balance. I attribute this fact mainly to what's now going on thirty-six years of Judo.

Regards,

[Charlie Kondek]

God bless you, Ed.

Judo has done for me what most MA has done for me. Confidence, mainly. Sportsmanship. And I like to think "heart."

[mushinmaster]

Do you fellas feel that judo would help you in a conflict - war or just a little srabble - or are the techniques limited to competition? How sportlike is judo compared to jujitusu - which do you believe is better suited for real life?

[Charlie Kondek]

Aha! Well, check out the "Judo is Real" thread, there's a lot of good stuff in there. There's also been other threads on combat effectiveness of judo; most of the folks here agree that it is effective.

[MarkF]

Just noted Charlie's post and says what most who post here believe. A couple don't so there are some threads which give an opposing view. Use the forum (judo) search function.

Perhaps if you gave your opinion instead of trolling for answers, you might get a lot more.;)


Mark

[mushinmaster]

I can't really have an opinion on judo, b/c i've never studied it, either in person or through books or videos or anything...I might be taking it next year though, and I am trying to decided if I should take judo or juisitsu...i think it will all come down to the instructors though...

thanks for the help

[MarkF]

That is the better way of choosing a MA to study: looking for the best teacher instead of the better of two budo.

I assume you are looking for, besides judo, a possible gendai form of jujutsu. You may want to keep in mind that most general or otherwise more modern forms of jujutsu are really judo using the so-called "banned techniques" when doing attack drills, two-man sparring, or even randori, allowing such waza with certain limitations.

I hooked up with Jack Seki around 1970. This was after about seven or eight years of judo. He taught what he called Jiu-jitsu which did actually fit what he taught. I also found that every technique was from the syllabus of the Kodokan, and more of them, even the nage-waza, were also taught as if no one wore a dogi. This wasn't true all the time, but in general, he would teach it more as judo since, at the time, he held san-dan in judo. The differences seemed to be in hair-pulling and nostril grabbing.;) It has been said he studied directly under Prof. Kano. Doing the math made it, well, possible.

What judo has done for most, even those who left or started late due to being involved in something else, was to hammer home the basics, as many do say that when it comes down to self-defense waza, "the judo comes out." This is due to many reasons, but mostly, I believe, the refined technique taught is done "all-out" which is pretty rare in most other martial arts.

Competition is always up to the student, but participation teaches something important. That you will find out for yourself, but winning is seldom the most important lesson learned. Losing means learning a way past the technique which beat you, but that isn't all, either. During the meiji and later ryuha of jujutsu, "stealing" a waza was done all the time, and why one style of taijutsu is so similar to others. If you do get beat by it (and there is no doubt that even the centuries old budo, there were contests, though probably very rough), then you should want to learn it.

Anyway, good luck in your search.

Mark

[mushinmaster]

thanks for the reply - got some good insight from this thread so far

does jj have any competitions like judo???

[Barry Southam]

Friends,

The study and teaching of the martial art of Judo has given me many things and a few of these are:

The opportunity to study a Japanese martial art that has many benefits for a short person such as myself( 5' 4 1/2" ) in a selfdefense situation..That is the ability to execute various throws, jointlocks,holds, chokes, blocking, striking regardless of my size..

The opportunity to have choices in my response to an attack from mild to severe if needed.. Ideal for health care workers, police, teachers and SCHOOL STUDENTS..

The opportunity for those who are interested( I'm not) in participating in the sporting aspect of Judo..

Teaching Judo as a therapeutic tool to help people of all ages and ABILITIES in my small school to develop a positive self concept...In Judo every student should be equally important regardless of their age or physical ability or the lack of being the school champion...

Personal gratification in keeping the martial art aspect of Judo alive with all of its areas: throwing,holding,choking,jointlocks
striking,blocking, Kata and its seldefense application of the priciples and techniques..

To me Judo has something to offer everyone..


Just my opinion.

Barry E. Southam