Archive for July, 2009

A sensei is a judo teacher.  With the western culture, the teachers are referred to as a “dan grade sensei”.  It used to be used only for a certain group, but now it can be used for anyone that teaches judo.

Practitioners wear a judogi, which is a white uniform that is worn when performing judo.  There were uniforms that looked similar that came along after the first one came out.  The uniform is made of cotton and the pants are usually white and blue.

The pants come with a drawstring so the waist can be adjusted.  The top is actually a white or blue cotton jacket that is quilted and is accompanied by a belt.  The belt is used to close the jacket.  The belt will be a certain color to signify rank.  The jacket is used to endure grappling, which is why the uniform has more thickness than a uniform used for karate.

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Judo

Judo actually came from Jujitsu and was out of sync for a while.  However, there are people that still incorporate judo as a martial arts technique.  It does not rely on tactics that involve karate, kicking or punching.  Judo does not rely on throwing and grappling, either.

With judo, you grip your opponent and place them off balance.  Kuzushi is used to supply a small amount of energy while engaging in judo.  Even though judo was birthed from jujitsu, there are some differences between the two.  Kuzushi happens when the opponent is hit along the weak line.  There is also twisting, grabbing or poking of the points of the atemi (pressure points).

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Jujitsu is considered a soft art.  It uses balance, leverage and momentum against an attacker’s opponents.  This is different than hard methods, such as karate.  Hard methods tend focus on power, speed and strength.  When learning jujitsu in a class, there are similar factors that apply:

• The students learn traditional jujitsu methods by looking at the instructors and doing what they do.

• Atemi can focus on weak parts of the body.  It breaks up a balance for a lock, throw or a take-down.

• The body of the defender can take full advantage of the weakness of their opponent.  In the meantime, they can choose to use some openings or weak spots.

• An attacker’s momentum is increased to put a joint in a difficult position.  For a take-down or a throw, the balance is broken.

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We will discuss the biting, gouging, poking and grasping techniques that are used in Jujitsu.  These techniques were implemented in order for the attacker to have an advantage of their opponent.

Since their opponent would use ways that were undesirable, the attacker had to counter with techniques that could overpower the opponent.  They were considered a defense for the attacker against the opponent.

Biting

The target spots for biting are the ears, nose and fingers.  This technique can be used for            attacks such as bear hugs.  Biting can also be used where a person can attack their        opponent’s face, hand or fingers.

Gouging

Gouging is a poking technique that attacks the eyes or genital areas of the body.  This    distracts the opponent and causes them great pain.  This technique is used as an attack            method of when one is defending themselves from an opponent.  When a person gouges        an attacker’s eyes, they can control their opponent’s balance.

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Throw

In martial arts, a throw is a techniques used in grappling.  A throw can pick up an opponent and toss them on the ground.  This techniques uses rotation in order for it to be effective.  The person that does the throw is not in sync with their opponent and comes up on their feet.

They can also use what is called a “top position”.  This is when the person that initiates the throw connects with the opponent.  There are certain techniques in throwing that are referred to as “sacrifice throws”.  These throws consist of the person allowing themselves to be at a disadvantage.  They will be on the ground in order to perform a throw.

There are different types of throws in martial arts.  One of the better known ones is judo.  It has plenty of techniques for throwing and they consider them one of their special ones.  The names of the different throws are connected with Jujitsu throws.

The Japanese have been known to do it this way.  In western martial arts, they give them names in English, primarily so their students will know them.

Here are the types of throws associated with Jujitsu:

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• Strike – A strike is performed using a weapon or your body.  It’s performed to affect their opponent or to cause harm to them.  There are different kinds of strikes.  One is an attack using their fist which is referred to as a punch; using the leg or foot is called a kick; using the head is called a head butt.

Principles of Striking

In martial arts, strikes are performed with your body.  Martial artists learn them through constant repetitions being trained by an instructor.  The instructor must be qualified to do this.

Here are some of the principles of striking that martial artists employ for themselves:

• Breathing – A shout works to tighten the muscles at the beginning of impact.  This works to scare the opponent.  Strikers will exhale once they get close to their opponent.  Controlling your breathing is used to get your body relaxed during a period of not attacking.

• Footwork – In order to balance your body, you need the right footwork.  This helps to support a mixture of strikes and start strikes from the right area.  This is not the easiest part of striking.  You have energy coming from your legs and taking the advantage to throw combinations.  When you’re doing this, your footwork must be in exact form. Read the rest of this entry »

Here are some techniques of jujitsu that include:

• Chokeholds – Chokeholds are banned for the most part.  However, those participating in judo are allowed to do it.  This technique is dangerous because a person’s windpipe could be cut off and the opponent would be asphyxiated.

More people use strangulation because it can be done without fatal consequences.  Jujitsu has many alternatives to choking methods.

• Joint Locks – This technique involves grappling and manipulating the joints of an opponent to where the joints reach a point where they can only move so far.  With joint locks, a person can experience different levels of joint pain.  If this technique is applied with force or very sudden, it can cause injury, dislocation or fracturing of the bones.

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