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pboylan
16th January 2014, 18:36
I blew gasket yesterday reading a blog post by Judo world champion Dr. Ann Maria DeMars. Basically she reduced the value of Judo to little more than a social gathering with a physical fitness bonus. So I wrote this blog post in response.

http://budobum.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-rant-about-budo-and-sports.html

Comments and rebuttals are encouraged.

DustyMars
16th January 2014, 23:39
Ain't that nice, a female taking about Judo? :) The day they started female shiai was the very end of Judo. Yeah, I was guilty of it to back in the day. But, I started smoking too in Jr, High and lived to regret it. Some things we just have to live and learn. 50+ years ago in Japan we would not leave the tatami without some bleeding. Now days they get excited when some kid cries! :) Judo was never for people here anyway; just of crazy people.

Cady Goldfield
18th January 2014, 19:32
I would think again about female judoka. Some have committed their lives to the art, and were already high-ranking judoka before you, Dusty, were out of diapers.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/17/us-keikofukuda-idUSBRE91G01S20130217

I recommend the clip from "Be Strong, Be Gentle"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHdPh3CEfGM&list=PL5ZYXiTXpm1I_fYb1j2PiMWtb-4Jfa5kp

Robert Carver
18th January 2014, 20:08
I would think again about female judoka. Some have committed their lives to the art, and were already high-ranking judoka before you, Dusty, were out of diapers.

Right on Cady!

Some folks forget that Kano Shihan himself, while a traditional Japanese man of his era, was also a progressive and forward thinking man. Looking at his accomplishments in the world of budo, modern sport and education, that should be apparent. What some folks forget is that many of the things that Kano Shihan did flew in the face of tradition and culture, and one of those was the admitting of women to the Kodokan under his leadership. I have no doubt that if Kano Shihan had taken a magic pill and were still alive and directing the world of Judo, that women would have begun shiai just as they have or maybe even sooner. I don't think he would be particularly happy with what Judo has become as an Olympic sport, but that is another discussion.

The bottom line for me is that Kano Shihan was an amazing man, and I'm pretty safe in assuming that he didn't intend for Jita-Kyoei to be just for men.

BTW Peter, I enjoyed your rant.

andy.m
18th January 2014, 22:23
Rather than sexist, is it more that the 'judo competitor' that let this cat out of the bag was a woman. It's something I've often felt about Olympic Judo. What a loss, belittle such a great art.

cxt
22nd January 2014, 16:26
Maybe I'm reading it wrong but the section you quoted in your response seems to be more of a complaint about the BS involved with COMPETETION than her having a problem with judo itself.

Again, maybe not reading the whole blog post is giving me the wrong POV but when she decries "ego" and being more about the "coach" than the judoka, the "rules that seem to change" all the time, and "bowing" and making sure the belt is tied "properly."

I don't see that as being negative to Judo--I read it as being negative to the corrosive effects of tournament competition......and I tend to agree with her.

Sure the former section is less than flattering but given her position I read it as a real "insider" expressing her disappointment over changes and not for the better in her art.

I can easily see where somebody might see it as overly negative--but I think it might be more balanced than that.......maybe. :)

Carina Reinhardt
22nd January 2014, 18:41
Maybe I'm reading it wrong but the section you quoted in your response seems to be more of a complaint about the BS involved with COMPETETION than her having a problem with judo itself.

Again, maybe not reading the whole blog post is giving me the wrong POV but when she decries "ego" and being more about the "coach" than the judoka, the "rules that seem to change" all the time, and "bowing" and making sure the belt is tied "properly."

I don't see that as being negative to Judo--I read it as being negative to the corrosive effects of tournament competition......and I tend to agree with her.

Sure the former section is less than flattering but given her position I read it as a real "insider" expressing her disappointment over changes and not for the better in her art.

I can easily see where somebody might see it as overly negative--but I think it might be more balanced than that.......maybe. :)

Thank you Chris, that what was I understood too, but as I'm not that easy in english, I doubted on my english knowledge, even translated the part of Dr. Ann Maria DeMars Peter quoted in spanish, and then the whole post, and was wondering what I missed. I fully agree with you, thanks again

DustyMars
22nd January 2014, 20:54
I suspect young lady, from your disconnected and condescending comments to me, that I was 'already high-ranking judoka before you, Ms. Goldfield, were out of diapers.' She was my friend many years ago, say 1963 or so, and would never post such ignorant and misinformed words to a fellow Judoka such as you posted. Grow up young lady.

Also, whilst not agreeing with Ann-Marie on everything we became friends long ago and even though some of my old fart friends dislike her I always stuck up for her. Of course, some of my friends hate women anyway. She is partially right, American Judo has evolved into little more than a social club caught up in stinking Judo politics and will never be more than a passing failure of pseudo sport/art. Part of the blame, well, you get my drift.

Cady Goldfield
22nd January 2014, 21:39
You are entitled to you opinion, Dusty. Whether this judoka was a friend of yours or not is not the issue; the right of women to be a legitimate part of judo, is, as is the right to comment on it. I fail to see how judo as an art or judo for men have suffered as a result of granting women a right to participate fully. They do not compete in men's divisions.

And whether there was "blood on the mats" in your day is not relevant to the validity of judo. Many women have bled and suffered serious injury for their art or sport. Does that not buy them legitimacy in your eyes? And yet, it is very possible to demonstrate high-level skill and flawless technique without breaking heads. Of what value is bloodying the mats, except to make insecure individuals somehow feel like they are tough? Anyone can draw blood from another. And toughness is an internal quality, no bloodletting necessary to prove it.

Cady Goldfield
23rd January 2014, 00:46
That's the impression I got too, Chris, that she was criticizing the nature of modern judo competition, not judo. It seems that many martial arts, once converted to sport, become more focused on getting that point, than they are on the craftsmanship and skills themselves. Technique suffers as a result. And, it affects the coaching and etiquette as much as it does the skills.

I think that when a person spends many years in a martial art or other discipline, and they have put a lot of blood, sweat and tears into it, he or she becomes very perceptive of and sensitive to any changes to the traditions that they value.

Dusty - I can appreciate that you may also be coming from that perspective as well.
And by the way, after reading your first post several more times, it dawned on me that the way you meant your words was not the way some of us interpreted them -- when you wrote "Ain't that nice, a female taking about Judo? :) The day they started female shiai was the very end of Judo" came across as a sneer and slam against women themselves in judo, and blaming their desire to compete for the downfall of the art and sport. If this is not what you meant, then explaining your intent more fully would have cleared up the misunderstanding. No one meant to be condescending or disrespectful; the flat 2-D surface of internet communications makes nuance impossible where in person a vocal tone and facial expression would make things clear.



Maybe I'm reading it wrong but the section you quoted in your response seems to be more of a complaint about the BS involved with COMPETETION than her having a problem with judo itself.

Again, maybe not reading the whole blog post is giving me the wrong POV but when she decries "ego" and being more about the "coach" than the judoka, the "rules that seem to change" all the time, and "bowing" and making sure the belt is tied "properly."

I don't see that as being negative to Judo--I read it as being negative to the corrosive effects of tournament competition......and I tend to agree with her.

Sure the former section is less than flattering but given her position I read it as a real "insider" expressing her disappointment over changes and not for the better in her art.

I can easily see where somebody might see it as overly negative--but I think it might be more balanced than that.......maybe. :)

pboylan
23rd January 2014, 17:28
Maybe I'm reading it wrong but the section you quoted in your response seems to be more of a complaint about the BS involved with COMPETETION than her having a problem with judo itself.

Again, maybe not reading the whole blog post is giving me the wrong POV but when she decries "ego" and being more about the "coach" than the judoka, the "rules that seem to change" all the time, and "bowing" and making sure the belt is tied "properly."

I don't see that as being negative to Judo--I read it as being negative to the corrosive effects of tournament competition......and I tend to agree with her.

Sure the former section is less than flattering but given her position I read it as a real "insider" expressing her disappointment over changes and not for the better in her art.

I can easily see where somebody might see it as overly negative--but I think it might be more balanced than that.......maybe. :)

Hi Chris,

My problem was with her describing the benefit of judo. The bit that made me want to throw my computer against the wall was

"The benefit of judo should be to meet people from different walks of life, see the country, get exercise, test your skills."

You can do that playing tennis or golf. It completely leaves out pretty much everything I value in Judo. I will admit, that part of why I was so upset with this is that I have seen Dr. DeMars make statements that seemed to imply this many times before on her blog (which I enjoy very much and recommend by the way), but this just statement crystallized everything for me.

cxt
24th January 2014, 14:40
Peter


I get it.

I'd feel the same way if I were a judoka.