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View Full Version : Your kids in Judo? (and rambling about Italy)



kyle
4th October 2000, 12:11
Question for anyone with kids in Judo...what kind of things do you work with them at home? My daughter is 7 yo and is starting Judo tonight...of course I dont want to pressure her. One of the things that has sparked her interest is the fact that I told her that I am NOT any good, am still a white belt after on and off participation for several years, and dont know Italian either...(we live in Italy and the club is Italian) I am planning, if the Maestro lets me, to be in the class with her to help her understand what is going on (due to the language barrier), but she probably knows more Italian than I do! I am not sure if this is a good idea either, but I think to keep her from getting discouraged at first maybe it will help if I am there for the first couple of sessions.
Its been my experience that the Italians are very receptive to me being in the class (adults) and really work at helping me understand what is going on. They seem very dedicated and organized, though I havent figured out yet how they do the promotion thing yet, I know they had a test for some brown to black belt. Not really concerned with my own promotion, as long as I am having fun and learning. My daughter though, wants a different color belt because she doesnt like the white belt. Told her she would have to earn it, so maybe it will be a good goal once I figure out the requirements!

Sorry about the rambling, just had some time between working!

Kyle Cooper

Joseph Svinth
4th October 2000, 12:38
Well, however they promote people in Italy, I'd pay attention, as at the recent Olympics the Italian male judoka won about as many medals as the Japanese men. True, medals aren't everything, but it is about the only quantifiable datum available.

Meanwhile, for training at home, ukemi is a good place to start. After all, all that is required is a single mat and a strong floor. Be careful about concrete slab floors, though; MUCH more padding is required here than is required on sprung wood floors. (That, by the way, is another reason the sambo people do more groundwork than high throws -- many backyard clubs place mats on concrete slabs rather than sprung wood, and the difference that makes to the landing is incredible.)