Three of the crucial throws, hiza-guruma (knee wheel) and harai-tsurikomi-ashi (lifting foot sweep) and de-ashi-harai (advanced foot sweep) are outlined in this article. These judo techniques are very important and mastery of them will greatly improve your skill level.

Hiza-guruma (knee wheel)

When you glide down a slope on skis, you bend both knees and lower your waist because this makes it much easier for you to control your balance. If one knee cannot move freely, it will be difficult to balance yourself. The technique of hiza-guruma rests on this principle.

You and your opponent hold each other in right natural posture. You try to make him lean to the left front corner. The moment his weight rests on his left leg, which is bent a little at the knee, you put your left foot, with the toes turned in, to your left front corner near his right foot, and break his posture to his left front corner.

With your right hand, which holds his left sleeve, pull toward your right in a circular motion, at the same time putting the sole of your right foot on the outside of his left knee. Your left hand helps the pull of your right hand by lifting his right arm. His knee will then rotate around your foot, and he will fall to the mat.

KEY POINTS:

a. Pivot to the right with your left toes turned inside in order to make the rotating motion easier.

b. Pull your opponent’s sleeve.

Harai-tsurikomi-ashi (lifting foot sweep)

You can use this judo throw to great effect against any opponent.When both knees are bent, they serve to change and control the balance of the body. Therefore, for instance, when your opponent leans forward toward the left, you attack his left knee with your right foot. But when he stands without bending his knees, it would be useless to attack the left knee. In such a case you should attack his left ankle instead of his knee, since the arm of the moment of force becomes longer. If you understand this rule, you will be able to understand harai-tsurikomi-ashi very well.

You hold your opponent by his right and left sleeves. When he is about to lean to his left front corner, you pull strongly with your right hand in the direction of your right back corner and push him to his left front corner with your left hand while letting your body pivot to the right. At the same time you sweep between his knee and the outer part of his ankle with the sole of your right foot. He will then be swept and thrown forward.

KEY POINTS:

a. You should pivot to the right with your left toes turned in to make your rotating motion easy.

b. Your left hand pushes your opponent’s body up and forward so as to help the pull of your right hand.

De-ashi-harai (advanced foot sweep)

Imagine walking on a frozen road in the winter. Stepping carelessly, you sometimes slip and fall on your back on the road. What causes this to happen? The reason is that there is little friction between your feet and the icy road. If you have noticed this, you will easily understand the principle of de-ashi-harai.
You and your opponent hold each other in right natural posture.

When he advances inward with a larger step than usual you place your right foot at the back of your left foot. The moment he rests almost half his weight on the advanced foot, you sweep the ball of your left foot against the heel of his advanced foot just below the tendon of Achilles, at the same time pulling him to his right front corner. He will then be thrown.

Here are the key points:

You should apply these techniques the moment your opponent has placed almost half his weight on his advanced foot and is just about to put his entire weight down. When you sweep his advanced foot, you push his left shoulder with your right hand so as to make his upper body turn up. Practise each judo throw carefully to improve judo technique.

When beginning boxing lessons, the coach should place all his boxers in a circle around himself while teaching the phases of the important on-guard position. We find that such mass instruction at the outset is much more beneficial than having the boys pair off immediately with gloves on. The length of training should be determined by the amount of previous boxing training each boxer has had.

Practicing the Left Jab

For this aspect of boxing lessons, both boys should be in the regular on-guard position. Stress here again that all punches start from and finish in the all-important on-guard position.

Changing positions with the start of a new punch spoils deception. When punches begin from on-guard position the opponent does not know whether a left, a right, a jab, or a hook is coming.
Both boys in a pair should simultaneously throw left jabs to the jaw. This is boxing training practice since both boys learn the block as well as the punch. The heads should roll a bit to the right, and the right hands should catch the left jabs just a few inches from the chins, but the right gloves still do not come into contact with the faces. Frequently a boxer makes the mistake of holding his right glove against his face. Also guard against the mistake of instinctively reaching out with the right glove to block a jab. Have your boys draw back into the on-guard position, practicing the blow and block. Stress again and again that, after the jab, the arm comes straight back, thereby offsetting a possible right-hand counter.

The puncher immediately follows the left jab with the right cross. Proper timing is all-important. The right cross must instantly follow the left jab.

Practicing the Right Cross

From the on-guard position the blocker for convenience lowers his left arm to give the puncher practice in landing the right cross.
The puncher follows straight through. His left hand is back protecting, and also in position to punch. Always, one hand out, one hand back. The puncher draws back into the on-guard position.

Counter for the Right Cross

For convenience in practice during boxing training, the blocker should drop his left arm. In an actual bout he would keep his left high and counter a right hand by a left jab to the shoulder of the original puncher or by a jab to the jaw. Emphasize that a good jabber can beat a right-hand puncher nine times out of ten. The left hand travels only a short distance to the point of contact, whereas the right cross must travel at least twice the distance to the point of contact.

If you practice these Boxing Training Tips in your boxing lessons you will be sure to show steady improvement.

The object in a judo match is to throw the opponent to the ground on his shoulder; to pin him to the ground principally on his back; or to force him to submit to a choke, strangle or an armlock. Any of these score ippon, immediately winning the match.

Below are some judo technique%s to help improve your performance in judo tournaments.

Kansetsu-waza are the twists, bends, or locks applied on the elbow joint only in judo. 1. Hiza-gatame (knee-elbow lock)

To produce a positive effect in locking, bending, or twisting your opponent’s elbow joint, it is necessary to break his posture to prevent him from using the force of his waist and abdominal region before you apply the lock.

At the same time you break his posture by pushing back his left thigh with your right foot while pulling his left lapel with your right hand.

Now with your left knee press his right elbow joint from the outside while bending your body upward.

KEY POINTS:

a. Hold your opponent’s right wrist firmly under your left armpit; otherwise, he may escape by pulling it away. 2. Juji-gatame (cross armlock)

As your opponent lies on his back, you sit at his right side. When he carelessly extends his right arm toward your chest, you quickly grasp the arm and hold it in your arms. Now you turn your body to the right to sit at the right side of his right shoulder.

Your right leg is planted against his right side. At the same time raise your abdomen and place pressure against his elbow joint for the completion of the lock.

KEY POINTS:

a. You must pull your opponent’s right hand so that his little finger will touch your chest.

d. Pin his upper arm by pressing your knees together. In the above-described techniques you reverse the natural bend of your opponent’s elbow joint. In ude-garami, however, you twist to apply pressure on your opponent. Then you lean across his chest, bringing your left hand under his right arm and up to grasp your own right arm-left wrist on top. If you lift up his right elbow a little with your left forearm while pushing down his right wrist with your right hand, you will exert enough pressure on his elbow joint to bring about his submission.

KEY POINTS:

a. Lift your opponent’s elbow and push down on his right wrist as he is lying on his back.

b. Apply the entangled elbow lock only when your opponent’s arm is in a bent position.

Mastery of these judo techniques will help you to improve the level of your current skill.