Bridging the Gap

It seems that in many dojos the practice of standup techniques has fallen out of fashion. Oftentimes there is a reluctance to train them out of an unwarranted fear of injury, or just as common, the training environment to develop them is insufficient.  What is needed is a proper understanding of Judo principles, which unfortunately, are lacking in many clubs. Beginners must learn how to practice, and it is the responsibility of the initiated to impart this culture.  Without a mutual understanding between training partners and a firm commitment to refining not only one’s own abilities, but also those of the collective, a positive training environment will remain elusive. Finding this balance can be tricky. How do we remain martially authentic while at the same time not stifling technical development?

Train for competition. Do not have a competition every time you train.  There is a need for high intensity bouts. They keep us honest and are a source of motivation. However, when every randori session devolves into pitiful attempts at poorly executed takedowns, which are unsafe and foster aversion to practice, expect technical incompetence and injury to follow.  The result is a rigidity and apprehension that will quickly stifle any growth.

Bridge the gap between form and function, but never compromise either. You must have a firm understanding of any technique you plan to use in a live situation. This is accomplished through many uchi-komi. However, technical competence is only brought to full fruition through extensive amounts of randori (the good kind). Entry, timing, and speed are essential. Repeated trials are necessary to develop timing and to learn to exploit the opponent’s balance. You will never develop this skill with a rigid uke, or by moving from one technique to next without focus and perseverance. This can be likened to digging a well: Dig until you reach water - what good are a dozen half-dug wells?

Lastly, try to remain relaxed and supple. There is strength in suppleness.  I am seldom concerned when an opponent grips me roughly and assumes a defensive posture.  It is easy to read his intent and nearly impossible for him to cover the distance needed to generate the leverage to complete the throw.  Rigidity in the posture limits speed and fine motor coordination, which are essential in breaking the opponents balance and generating momentum. The importance of speed cannot be overemphasized.

An appreciation of these ideas will yield dividends immediately. Short bouts of high intensity ego driven competition will give way to more frequent and longer training periods. This in turn will lead the development of competent technicians who can throw with skill. What once seemed dangerous will prove to be a safe, enjoyable, and essential facet of grappling.

Robert Burge, MA

Contributor Bio - Robert is a judo nidan, Brazilian jiu-jitsu blue belt, and has a master's in mental health counseling. He is the head instructor of the University of Kentucky judo club and a member of the Valhalla Grappling Academy.

Winning the Scramble

Many people think of grappling a simply a series of well-defined positions. The guard, mount, back mount, north-south, etc. However, there is more to it than that. There is  small but significant part of each match during which no one has the advantage and no one has any thing that resembles a definable position. This is called “the scramble”.

Consider the moment after a failed takedown. Just after you dove for an armlock and missed. When your opponent has swept you half way and you are both lying on your sides staring at each other. In these situations whoever takes the initiative, moves first, and stays aggressive will end up in the best position. He will win the scramble.

Winning the scramble leads increases your chances of coming out ahead at the end. If you can take control of the match every time there is a mistake (yours or your opponent’s), you will spend more time in positions of advantage. This allows you to rest and recover, keeps you safe from attacks, exhausts your opponent, and gives you more opportunities for attacking.

Dominating the scramble also demoralizes the opponent. If he knows that every time he makes a mistake you will capitalize on it and that every time you make a mistake you can recover before he takes advantage of it, his morale will sink. Do not underestimate the power of the psychology in the outcome of a match or fight.

So what does it take to win the scramble and how can you train to get better at it?

Anticipation – Be aware of the flow of the match. You should never be ‘surprised’ to find yourself in a certain position. At any given point there are a finite number of things that can happen. Always be moving to the ‘best’ position in any given situation. This requires hours of live grappling, positional drilling, and experience.

Athleticism – Staying in control requires you to move first, move fast, and keep up the pressure until the scramble settles. To do this effectively you need to be strong, powerful, balanced, and agile. A certain amount of this is genetic but a solid strength training program combined with sport specific movement drills can improve anyone’s athleticism.

Conditioning – Fatigue makes people slow and breaks their will. When severe fatigue sets in you will miss your opportunities. Mentally you become less aware and less determined. You will find yourself responding too late if at all to your opponent’s actions. What’s more is that fatigue actually saps your will to continue and may cause you to simply give up. The answer to this is simple – spar, drill, do your conditioning, and get in better shape.

Brian Jones, PhD