Aight, so hopefully this week I can start going to the only judo club in my city. I have never been to judo before and don't really no much about it except it consists of throws. As you can read I have been doing goju, for about 3 and a half years now. I want to try to learn as much as I can from other schools here, I am also hoping to start taking up TKD.

I lift weights and such, are there any specific exercise I can do to work on being able to handle judo techniques, such as weight lifting exercises, falling techniques. I know basic falling stuff but not much.

Besides throws does judo also work on striking? What is sparring typically like?

Kata, could you describe some things that are involved in kata?

ANything else you could tell me about judo would be cool

thanks

Do squats and get a gripper. Other than that, you'll be taught everything you need in class, so don't worry about it.

A typical Judo class will NOT do striking.

You will apart from leanring throws learn different grips and also how to fight on the ground, I suppose it depends on the club how much you train ground-work but it may well be somthing like 30%.

Maybe practise some foward rolls.

Well first of I think Kata counts for nothing, and secondly my club never does 'Kata' (Can't say for all but the impression I get is that its rarely taught).

Depends on the judo class (as far as striking goes).

I stepped in on some Kodokan judo/jiu-jitsu classes and they did practice striking in many of those. It wasn't very dynamic however. Often you'd see the practitioners standing still while counting to ten (in Japanese), throwing a strike into the air on each count.

So yes, some DO focus on strikes (just not always very effectively). That will likely vary from one place to the next though.


-John

Mist

Some possible confusion might be coming from the word "kata."

Kata can be both an parterner-less method of self-training.
Our when used by the older of japanese schools--it can mean a specific training method involving 2 people.
Kinda/sorta like a drill--such as training a gullitine choke or any other particular technique.

Judo has plenty of "kata" including some involving, striking, weapons etc.

Your right that they are seldom taught anymore though.

Cardio. Even if you think you are in shape now, 20 minutes of randori will damn near give you a heart attack until you get used to it.

Competition judo is grappling and throws. Grappling consists of pins, chokes and arm bars. General sparring practice will consist solely of competition judo. The first katas you would probably learn for dan rank are Nage no Kata and Katame no kata. Different regions have different requirments. Strikes are generally taught to dan ranks only and are reserved for kata practice (with a partner)only. If you remain in judo so long as to study the katas that contain strikes, you will also study attack with various weapons and unarmed defense against them. Katas aren't taught in most judo clubs because they aren't easily understood and they take too much time to do well. But, since kata is a pre-determined form, it is used all the time in judo training....the instructors just don't realize that is what they are doing. Every time a class does repeated uchikomi (fitting for a throw) they are doing kata.