Advice for Learning Judo from Yoshiaki Yamashita, first Judo Red Belt

[u/fleischlaberl]

Do’s and Don’ts in Learning Judo

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1. Study the correct way of applying the throws. Throwing with brute force is not the correct way of winning in JUDO. The most important point is to win with technique.
2. First learn offensive. You will see that defense is included in offensive. You will make no progress learning defense first.
3. Do not dislike falling. Learn the timing of the throw while you are being thrown.
4. Practice your throws by moving your body freely as possible in all directions. Do not lean to one side or get stiff. A great deal of repetition in a throw will be rewarded with a good throw.
5. Increase the number of practices and contests. You will never make any progress without accumulating a number of practices.
6. Do not select your opponents (which means do not say that you do or don’t like to practice with a certain person). Everyone has his own specialty. You must try to learn all of them and make them your own.
7. Never neglect to improve the finer points. Practicing without any effort to improve will result in slow progress. Always recall your habits, as well as those of your opponent, while making improvement.
8. In practice put your heart and soul into it. It will interfere with your progress in practice if you keep on without this spirit.
9. Never forget what your instructor or higher ranking members teach you. During practice you will make great progress if you keep in mind what they have said to you.
10. Try to continue your practice as much as possible. Applying half-way will result in a very grave situation in your progress.
11. Watch and study throws as much as possible when trying to improve and advance. The technique and mind are just like the front and back of ones hand, meaning they are very closely related.
12. Refrain from overeating and drinking. Remember that overeating and drinking will bring an end to your practice and JUDO.
13. Always try to think of improvement, and don’t think that you are too good. The latter is very easy to do while learning JUDO.
14. There is no end in learning JUDO.

[u/Otautahi]

Thanks for this!

1-4 is my standard advice for beginners. It really makes a difference. It’s crazy how unchanged this has been in judo.

[u/wowspare]

Practice your throws by moving your body freely as possible in all directions.

YES I'm a huge proponent of dynamic/moving uchikomi.

Uchikomi while pushing uke back, pulling uke forward, entering into throws while circling, while moving sideways, etc.

[u/Darthenon]

Thoughts on #1.

• study the correct way of applying the throws — this makes complete sense
• throwing with brute force is not the correct way of winning in JUDO — I don’t believe this sentence is actually correct… like winning in JUDO from a throw needs “speed, force, land on back, control”. Brute force is part of the equation.
• the most important point is to win with technique — in competition or in self defence… is it not the most important thing to “WIN”? Like, high level judo doesn’t look anything like “clean” techniques — it’s all modified by life.

This nuance may be from mistranslation or what have you — I would have written this as:

Study the correct way of applying the throws. Throwing with brute force is not the best way of winning in JUDO. It is most important to focus on technique to win.

[u/cooperific → u/Darthenon]

I actually disagree, and I think you might too if you put this in the framework of LEARNING JUDO.

To your second bullet, there’s a difference between force and brute force.

Like, I’m 200lbs. With brute force, I could take a 100lb person, hold them tighter than their muscles could resist, lift them with the strength of my arms alone, and spike them into the ground.

But if that same person was able to manipulate my balance just so, enter the throw at just the right time, and fit their body in perfectly, they could throw me on my back - forcefully, but without USING much force.

The former is brute force. The latter is judo.

In competition or self defense, the most important thing is winning. In LEARNING JUDO, the most important thing is doing good judo.

If my 200lb ass goes to a class of youths and seniors and starts putting everyone in the mat with my arms and thunder thighs, I won’t learn judo. But if I focus on technique, let go of the tension in my muscles, and get pwned by those same kids and seniors 100 times, and then FINALLY land a throw that feels as effortless as a fart on an airplane, I’ll be that much better prepared to handle someone my size or bigger, when my brute force would be outmatched.

[u/Darthenon → u/cooperific]

I think the difference here is actually around the word “win”… I don’t thinking you should be viewing “winning” as a goal of a class or randoori.

“Winning” is part of a structured competition (perform a given action within a given rule set) — you aren’t really judged on how how pretty your Uchi Matta is in a competition. Did you plunk the opponent on their back with vigour and control? If you end up in a competition with a 100lbs youth — then something somewhere has gone sideways.

[u/Swimming-Book-1296]

Oof, I am breaking rule 12. I overeat :-(

[u/dzendian]

Hard disagree for #6.

Some people are sociopaths.