When we are talking about judo techniques, they are taken from the actions of Jujitsu. Jujitsu goes back thousands of years and was practiced by the Sumo wrestler. No one really knows how far back it goes, but it has its origin in both China and Japan. This art form became popular because there was a need for soldiers who could fight in combat without weapons. Many schools cropped up later on because certain masters held on to different secrets that made Jujitsu so effective.

In the 18th century Jujitsu was phasing out, but a few people passed this art form down to other people. Then approximately in 1882 a school appeared and the term was renamed Judo. Judo means the gentle way. Now people call this art form Judo. The techniques and style was passed down to the students.

Nobody really knows when Judo came to the USA, but rumor has it that it came to this country through the American President Theodore Roosevelt. He saw the sport between two people; he was so daunted by the sport that he began taking lessons from a Judo expert.

In addition to Judo being brought to America, in 1918 was when Judo came to Britain. It spread like wide fire that over 40 schools opened up. About the same time Judo gained popularity in the USA.

Judo takes the small weak man to beat the big and powerful man. In Judo, you don’t fight with your own strength; you use your opponent’s strength. If you don’t do it this way, the stronger man will over power you. What happens is the student relinquishes his own power to the other. If someone is coming towards you, you move with the same motion towards you. This makes the balance come your way. When you execute Judo, you cause the other person to fight off balanced. This is where the secret lies in this art form.

There are many different levels in Judo. You know how hard it would be to lift a heavy rock. But if you take a level and place it underneath the rock lifting it with another smaller rock you are able to lift it. This is what Judo is like. You would take another form of power to over power your opponent.

When you start to learn Judo you are going to be using 3 fundamental movements, you need to first learn the techniques, when you attack, you cause the other person to get off balance, and then you work at doing the movements faster as you progress farther into the sport. As a beginner you would set those goals and make new ones. As you are doing Judo you’ll find an opportunity to catch the other person off balance. Then you take the lead with his power to over throw him. With a little bit of practice you can become very good at this sport. Now you know some of my judo techniques.

There are three basic grappling techniques in Judo. They are the judo technique holddowns, strangles and elbow locks and twists. All these judo technique should be learned by the student of judo. He should also know defensive methods in grappling. These are explained in this article.

1.Osaekomi-waza (holddowns)

This Judo technique is used to immobilize your opponent when he is lying on his back on the mat. They include kesagatame (collar hold), kata-gatame (single shoulder holddown), kami-shiho-gatame (four-quarter holddown), kuzure-kami-shiho-gatame (modified four-quarter holddown), and yoko-shiho-gatame (side four-quarter holddown).

2.Shime-waza (strangles)

This judo technique allows you to strangle your opponent into submission. Both hands press against either the windpipe or the carotid arteries to stop the flow of blood to his head. If you do this, he will be forced to submit because of the lack of blood supply or else fall into unconsciousness.

Shime-waza include such techniques as navni-juji-jime (normal cross strangle), gyaku-juji-jime (reverse cross strangle), kata-juji-jime (half cross strangle), okuri-eri-jime (sliding collar strangle), kata-ha-jime (single wing strangle), hada-ka-jime (bare-hand strangle), and ryote-jime (two-hand strangle).

3.Kansetsu-waza (elbow locks and twists)

This technique lets you bend, twist, or lock the elbow joint of your opponent’s arm in order to bring him to submission. Kansetsu-waza include juji-gatame (cross armlock), hiza-gatame (knee-elbow lock), ude-gatame (straight armlock), and ude-garami (entangled armlock). Besides mentioning these pressure holds on the elbow joints, we may point out that even though locks on the other joints, such as the ankles or wrists, are effective, they are not allowed in the sport of judo. Because of the obvious danger if the other joints are involved, the rules of the Kodokan prohibit the locking of any joint except the elbow.

Defense methods in grappling

Let us make an experiment. Put both your hands and knees on the mat. In this posture you can use the waist and abdominal region at will to defend yourself from an attack from the rear. Now have someone straddle your back and attempt a strangle from the rear. He probably cannot succeed as long as you hold this posture, since all your muscles will cooperate to defend you from the back strangle.

The force of the waist and abdominal region, which enables all your muscles to cooperate, comes from the power of your legs, which press against the mat. On the other hand, your opponent cannot use his whole force to choke you when he is in his present posture.
Your defensive power is therefore larger than his offensive power.

Never give him the opportunity to flatten your body against the mat, for in this posture you can use neither the force of your legs nor that of your waist and abdominal region.

The same thing can be said of all strangulation techniques. If only you are free to push the mat with one of your legs, it will be impossible for your opponent to strangle you. By pushing the mat effectively, you can set your body in a posture that will allow the power of the waist and abdominal region to operate in defense against the attack.

Become proficient in the area of grappling, master these judo techniques and you will be successful very often.

Judo Basics

When Dr. Jigoro Kano developed judo from its original martial art form, he wanted something more than skill in judo technique. He theorized that what was needed was a blend of the finer techniques of jujitsu with a form of mental training or philosophy as its driving force. Do or “the way” therefore came to signify the mental training that the judoist needs in order to make practical use of the judo philosophy in personal contacts, daily experiences, and career relations. In judo the method of falling is an art in itself.

Mastery of ukemi, or the art of falling, is essential not only for the execution of free and quick movements but also for the prevention of injury when you are thrown. The key point of ukemi is to make your upper and lower extremities strike the mat simultaneously just before your trunk makes contact. You can then utilize your shoulder, thigh, and knee joints as shock-absorbing. If you succeed in doing so, you can break your fall by dissipating the impulsive force.

In mastering ukemi you first learn how to strike the mat with both your arms and hands to prevent your head from hitting it when you fall backwards. Strike the mat as vigorously as possible with both arms and hands.

For the next step in judo basics you must learn to make one arm and hand strike the mat sideways to the left. The left hand and arm strike the mat toward the left. Repeat the practice alternately right and left in daily workouts.

Next learn to make one arm and one hand, one leg and one foot, and the sole of the other foot strike the mat simultaneously as you fall. After you have learned these judo basics and you have an understanding of the many ways of striking the mat, you advance further to the practice of the forward roll.

Here your arms and feet strike the mat as your body rolls forward in a motion like that of a somersault. In the next step in judo basics you advance your right foot forward a little, then put your right hand on the mat turned in. Push the mat with your left leg, and your body will roll forward, completing a forward somersault.

Your right elbow, shoulder, trunk, right side of the waist, outside of the left leg and foot, and sole of the right foot touch the mat in this consecutive order. To be perfectly safe in practicing judo techniques make sure you have a thorough knowledge of ukemi.