Seijuku Dan Judo

Team- class is cancelled tonight. There is a water leak from the A/C.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Training camp opportunity:

I am BEYOND EXCITED to officially drop the 2 day camp I've been organizing for the last 2 months. 2 AWESOME days of judo, bjj, and sambo. 10 black belt presenters, one of the best lunches of any camp in Carolinas, vendors, & concessions. Scan the qr code or use the website. OFFERING EARLY BIRD SPECIALS CURRENTLY.
https://student1stmartialarts.com/carolina-grapplers-con/

(Reposting)

There is a strange contradiction in recreational judo.

We tell students that judo should work against resistance, yet we often teach techniques as though success depends on reproducing a demonstration instead of solving a problem.

On the other hand, many competition-focused programs produce athletes who become excellent at applying techniques under resistance, but sometimes at the expense of teaching the broader technical foundation that allows judo to be practiced for decades.

Neither approach is inherently wrong. They simply emphasize different goals.

I believe recreational judo should aim for something different: creating capable, lifelong judoka.

Technical demonstrations are important. They provide a baseline—a common language that allows us to study, discuss, and preserve the art. Every student needs that foundation.

But the demonstration should be the beginning of learning, not the end of it.

Take Tsuri Goshi as an example.

Many instructors insist the belt must be reached by passing the arm over uke’s shoulder. If the student reaches under the arm instead, they are told they are doing it incorrectly.

But is the purpose of Tsuri Goshi really to memorize a hand path?

Or is it to lift (tsuri), load uke onto the hip (goshi), and rotate them over that fulcrum?

If a shorter judoka cannot realistically reach over a taller opponent’s shoulder, but can consistently perform the throw by reaching underneath while accomplishing the same mechanical objective, have they misunderstood the technique—or have they understood it even better?

The mechanics matter more than the choreography.

That doesn’t mean “anything goes.” Standards matter. Kata matters. Correct demonstrations matter. They preserve judo and give us a common starting point.

But eventually students need opportunities to discover their judo.

That’s where representative practice becomes so valuable.

One game we play is something I call “Hip Tag.” Partners simply try to touch each other with their hips. There are no throws, no winners, and no prescribed grips. The game naturally teaches entries, distance, timing, rotation, and hip connection without students consciously thinking about each individual detail.

Then we build from there.

Maybe only Uki Goshi, O Goshi, and Tsuri Goshi are allowed during the next round. Maybe we progress into constrained randori. Maybe an older student practices nage komi on a crash pad instead. The lesson stays the same while the method adapts to the individual.

To me, that is the role of a recreational judo program.

Teach sound fundamentals.

Allow safe experimentation.

Develop the ability to perform under appropriate resistance.

Adapt training to the student’s age, goals, and physical ability.

The goal isn’t perfect demonstrations.

The goal is capable judoka who can enjoy and improve their judo for a lifetime.

That, to me, seems much closer to Kano’s vision of mutual welfare and benefit.

What are your thoughts?

POST RANDORI CLARITY:

There is a strange contradiction in recreational judo.

We tell students that judo should work against resistance, yet we often teach techniques as though success depends on reproducing a demonstration instead of solving a problem.

On the other hand, many competition-focused programs produce athletes who become excellent at applying techniques under resistance, but sometimes at the expense of teaching the broader technical foundation that allows judo to be practiced for decades.

Neither approach is inherently wrong. They simply emphasize different goals.

I believe recreational judo should aim for something different: creating capable, lifelong judoka.

Technical demonstrations are important. They provide a baseline—a common language that allows us to study, discuss, and preserve the art. Every student needs that foundation.

But the demonstration should be the beginning of learning, not the end of it.

Take Tsuri Goshi as an example.

Many instructors insist the belt must be reached by passing the arm over uke’s shoulder. If the student reaches under the arm instead, they are told they are doing it incorrectly.

But is the purpose of Tsuri Goshi really to memorize a hand path?

Or is it to lift (tsuri), load uke onto the hip (goshi), and rotate them over that fulcrum?

If a shorter judoka cannot realistically reach over a taller opponent’s shoulder, but can consistently perform the throw by reaching underneath while accomplishing the same mechanical objective, have they misunderstood the technique—or have they understood it even better?

The mechanics matter more than the choreography.

That doesn’t mean “anything goes.” Standards matter. Kata matters. Correct demonstrations matter. They preserve judo and give us a common starting point.

But eventually students need opportunities to discover their judo.

That’s where representative practice becomes so valuable.

One game we play is something I call “Hip Tag.” Partners simply try to touch each other with their hips. There are no throws, no winners, and no prescribed grips. The game naturally teaches entries, distance, timing, rotation, and hip connection without students consciously thinking about each individual detail.

Then we build from there.

Maybe only Uki Goshi, O Goshi, and Tsuri Goshi are allowed during the next round. Maybe we progress into constrained randori. Maybe an older student practices nage komi on a crash pad instead. The lesson stays the same while the method adapts to the individual.

To me, that is the role of a recreational judo program.

Teach sound fundamentals.

Allow safe experimentation.

Develop the ability to perform under appropriate resistance.

Adapt training to the student’s age, goals, and physical ability.

The goal isn’t perfect demonstrations.

The goal is capable judoka who can enjoy and improve their judo for a lifetime.

That, to me, seems much closer to Kano’s vision of mutual welfare and benefit.

What are your thoughts?

Refreshed website has launched! Check it out and drop your thoughts in the comments!

Please note we will have a separate sites for the actual facilities. This page is dedicated to SDJ, where I get seminar requests, info on me, etc.

Gym not foundGymdesk