How to develop your throws.

The heart and soul of Judo is the big throw for Ippon, but how do you develop a wonderful tachi waza technique that scores big and scores consistently? That is the topic for this blog post. As a Judo athlete you need to learn not only the Judo but also the methods to improve your Judo; in this post we shall look at some of the methods you can employ to improve your throwing ability as opposed to the specifics of a throwing technique.

Technique Selection:

Before we start, lets consider the throws you use. Lets consider them in relation to you as a Judo athlete. Are the throws you have learnt to date suited to your physical size, shape and physiology? By this I mean, if you are a tall, long legged, thin player a Ippon Seoi Nage is probably not going to suit you. If however you are “stocky”, with short powerful legs then perhaps Ippon Seoi Nage is right for you.

Are you a light or heavy weight player (and if you are younger what weight/size will you be when you fully develop?). If you are tall with long legs then maybe Ashi Waza or Uchi Mata? There is a reason why many heavy weight use Maki Komi techniques, it suits their physical dimensions.

You also will want to consider your fighting style and capacity. Are you a all out, dynamic, explosive fighter or a slower more tactical fighter? Can you attack for 5 minutes solid, or can you only do a few good attacks in a fight? Have you got great upper body strength? Is your footwork great or slow? Have you got great timing?

Do you fight with a standard “Japanese/Standard” grip and posture? Do you fight with a “wrestler” posture/grip? Do you take an Extreme left/right grip? Do you grip high, do you grip low?

All these elements need to be considered and factored into you selection of a throwing technique. You might need to choose a new throw or change the way you fight to match your throw and style.

Create your own throw:

Having found a throw or throws that match you as a Judo athlete and your fighting style and abilities, it is time to develop your own unique version of the throw. This is where the development begins and where you must work hard. All the great champions have unique throws, Yamashita’s O Soto Gari, Koga’s Seoi Nage, Neil Adam’s Taio Toshi, etc.

One of the keys to developing a great throw is to develop a unique version of a technique that is yours and yours alone.

To do this you will need to watch and learn a variety of different styles of your selected technique. So if it is Taio Otoshi you will want to leanr how to do it like Adams and like Quelmaltz. You want to be able to do it like, or at least understand how, the heavyweight in your Dojo throws and the Japanese lightweight on a YouTube video.

Work with your coaches and training partners and try to do your technique as the poeple you observe do it, understand the mechanics and assess how it feels to you, how it works for  you, how it fits your style of fighting. Leanr as many variations on how to execute your chosen techniques as you can; then “cherry pick” the bits you like best.

No compile the best bits and practice, practice, practice! Find out what works for you and what doesn’t. Tweak your method of doing the throw everyday. Try the throw against everyone, all sizes all levels and assess what works and what does not. Then take it back and review and revise your throw. repeat this over and over with as many players and coaches as you can.

Your Throw, your grip, your strategy, your opponents:

Throws do not exist in isolation, they are affected by your opponents and teh dynamic between you and them. Your throw may work perfectly against everyone in your club; but may fail against the girl from across the road as she takes a grip that blocks yours. So you need to develop not only the throw itself but your methods of getting into a situation where you can execute your throw.

This includes developing a gripping pattern and strategy for as many styles as you meet. It includes movement with your opponents to put them in positions and postures that assist your throw. It includes working out the tempo you need your oppoenent to be at (as well as your own).

Can you control the fight so as to put your opponent and yourself in a situation where your throw will work. By this I mean, can you establish a grip against people you fight from which you can do your throw? Can you, having got your grip, move your opponent in such a way to make your throw possible/easier? Do you need your opponent upright or bent over? Moving forward or backwards? Moving around a lot or static?

Do you need “setup” throws (combinations), do you need your opponent to attack you a certain way (conuters)?

Summary:

As you can see developing an Ippon throw is not merely a matter of doing a throw the way you were shown over and over. You need to be smart and analyze every aspect of your self as a Judo athlete and of the throw and of your opponents. You need to develop a unique method of doing a throw and know how to engineer situations where that throw will work, not just hope the opportunity comes along.

Throw analysis, revision, reflection and repetition you can develop an amazing throw that gets the Ippon. If you work hard enough and smart enough perhaps you will develop one of those amazing throws of the great champions that seem to “just happen”. Don’t be confused, for the great throws they do “just happen”, but that is because of the hours and hours spent in preparation. The hours of conscious practice will translate into the almost magical moment where the throw just happens unconciously almost. But without the hours spent developing the throw that moment does not occur.

A good set of training partners and good coaches are essential to developing a great throw. Be sure to talk to your partners and coaches and work with them in and outside the Dojo on your throw. Start today by discussing this post with them, set up a schedule to meet and discuss your Judo and to develop your throw.

As always, email me any questions to lw@judocoach.com

Lance