Judo Training Techniques

Although the Japanese origin of the word Judo, reflecting upon the martial art style, means "gentle way", Judo is hardly a soft martial art. It is instead fiercely and harshly competitive, designed to throw opponents to the ground using grappling techniques and the principle of leverage, either simply forcing them into submission, until they quit the battle completely. Judo belts will determine your advancement later on.

As such, it is highly effective and practical as a means of self-defense, serving its purpose admirably, as Judo is designed to be a martial art focused mainly on defense, rather than offense. If you are just looking for exercise, then you can check out some Tae Bo classes. They are going to help you jump higher and, at the same time, look pretty. Judo is about competition and quick results, and the training techniques reflect strongly on these qualities.

Judo training techniques generally revolve around three types of training. These are exercise, freestyle and match. The first technique is directly linked to the repetition process of all fighting moves one knows, either having a partner to spar with or not. The instructor will shout out the name of a procedure, which the pupil will repeat four or five consecutive times on their partner. After one has finished his turn, the next follows.

Freestyle involves solo practice and focuses mostly on elegance and style improvement. Judo principles act mainly on balance, gravity and weight distribution. If you can master your won body, to reflect certain poses in Judo, then your opponent will have a true fight on his hands. The last Judo training methods is, of course, the competition itself. There is no better way to learn then competing in Judo, and the competition will help you get out of a tight spot or simply move on.

Your body is your only weapon, since Judo as this martial art style does not focus on other weapons such as sticks, swords nor spears. Physical conditioning is a major part in Judo. In order to be a good Judoka you must at least lift your own body weight off the ground. It sounds harsh, however it is one of the main techniques in Judo, that will later on help you send your opponents flying off ground. It takes years to become a true Judoka, however in this time you will have learned, not only to control your body, but also your emotions, as Judo is a very strict and disciplined sport. Acting Yin and Yang, Judo combines pain and strict training with inner peace and serenity.

All I can say is that the best Judo techniques are taught by a Sensei and not by a DVD. If you are looking for the gentle way, then Judo is what you are surely looking for.

     By Adrian F Alexa

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