JUDO Club: Style and origins

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Martial arts as a concept exists in most people’s minds on the big screen. Movies such as “Enter the Dragon” or “Ip Man” often portray kung fu masters defeating dangerous opponents with lightning fast punches and swift kicks. While these films generally have a glorified vision of what martial arts looks like, there are many different forms that have developed over the centuries. These can vary from striking arts such as Muay Thai and Taekwondo to grappling arts such as Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or Sambo. Judo is a grappling martial art which means that it focuses on throws and groundwork. This form of martial art is practiced in West Chester’s Judo Club.

It is a contact sport where Judoka, the term for Judo practitioners, will spar by attempting to throw their opponent in what is called “randori.” Randori is a Japanese term for “free practice.” The groundwork aspect of Judo is referred to as “ne-waza” which focuses on trying to submit your opponent through either pins, joint locks or chokes.

The origin of Judo is an interesting one, and it was in many ways the foundation of numerous other martial arts that began throughout the nineteenth century. Judo began in 1882 after its founder Jigoro Kano opened the Kadokan dojo. Kano was a practitioner of traditional Jujutsu from his youth however he decided to improve the technique as well as expand the philosophy behind it. Judo quickly became widely practiced, not only in Japan, but also throughout the world with several other countries developing their own styles heavily influenced by Judo.

A few examples of styles born out of Judo are the Russian style of Sambo, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and Krav Maga in Israel. Judo was instrumental in creating MMA as we know it today. One of the earliest examples of a mixed rules fight garnering widespread attention was in 1963, when a Judoka, known as Gene Lebell, made history after he beat a ranked boxer in a mixed rules fight, proving that grapplers are very capable of beating boxers. Today Judo is most known as an Olympic sport and is popular all over the world.

West Chester’s very own Judo Club meets twice a week on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 7 pm at the Ehinger gym. Each meet generally consists of one hour of practicing a ne-waza technique followed by an hour learning a throwing technique. The meets then end with a few rounds of randori so that every Judoka gets to field test what they learned and improve on previous techniques.

When I first joined, I had little idea of what to expect. The first throw I was taught was the osotogari. It is a move which involves pushing the balance of your opponent onto one leg and then sweeping that leg with your foot and using your arm to push your opponent to the ground. It is a simple move to understand, but like all Judo moves there are many subtle details to it.

We later worked on ne-waza and finished with randori. Randori can be daunting for newcomers, as it is sparring in a full-contact sport. However, generally the club will pair you with a more experienced opponent so that you can practice with someone who can spot your mistakes and give you tips on how to improve your technique. I have found that Judoka are very supportive of new people who join the sport and they will make sure you are safe while also ensuring you are out of your comfort zone long enough to improve.

I asked the Judo Club president Ryan Sattele what Judo means to him and he said, “The club is a great way to have a good workout, be yourself and have a good time.” I also asked him why people should practice Judo. He said, “It’s good for self-defense and can help with other martial arts if you are cross-training.” After having done the club for a little over a semester, I wholeheartedly agree with these answers. Judo is a fantastic martial art and I encourage anyone looking to practice self-defense or simply pick up a new sport to give it a shot.

Ethan Shaw is a third-year criminal justice major. ES939828@wcupa.edu