What can I say, I'm all wishy washy with this stuff.

I went to a judo tournament saturday just to watch. I ended up being recruited to keep time and score with two others. It was a good time and fun to watch.

I also enjoyed revisiting some of my training partners who still keep in touch,but it gave me the itch again!

My knee is still not ready for me to doi any real training yet. It's still really stiff and sore if it's bent for a few minutes and not ready to be tweaked at all yet. But, a few more months it should be good to go.

So, I'll put it to you good people to answer me this.

Should I go back and train judo when my knee is better? Should I stick to my previous decision? Ultimately, ofcourse I have to decide,but I'd like some honest input.

Thanks in advance!

Hi Brian.

Glad to hear you are on the mend.

I am getting over a bout of Post Concussion Syndrome. I have been advised not to attempt to grapple until the New Year.

The medical advice I have been given is that I can grapple once my PCS clears up, but if I suffer another concussion again (even a mild one) I could do serious damage, and have long lasting problems. For me, it isn't worth the risk.

The only place I would attempt to grapple again is a non-competitional Judo club about 25 miles from where I live. It teaches a more traditional kind of Judo, and it is a lot safer than other Judo clubs I have been to. Although they do Randori, it isn't stressed as much as in other clubs. They spend a lot of time on breakfalls and learning waza and teaching the principles of Judo.

You have to make up your own mind as you know though. If it were me, I probably wouldn't. If you do go back though, here is my advice:

1) No randori competitions.
2) Work on relaxation more. Maybe look in to something like yoga. Translate what you do in Yoga to what you do in Judo.
3) Do lots of work in your breakfalls. You can never practice this enough!
4) Get a group of training partners in class that understand what you have been through, and will help you build back up. Avoid people who are there to prove something/treat you like a wrestling dummy.
5) If you really want to compete in Judo, try Kata competitions.
6) If you can do the Yoga thing, ask your teacher about Ju No Kata. It is a fairly gentle kata that loosens people up, physically and mentally, in Judo. Here is some more about it:

http://www.judoinfo.com/kataju.htm

Video of Ju No Kata (1st Part):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95nSU5UX-j4

7) If you want to learn the principles of Judo, without actually doing the Judo, try the Shodokan Aikido place. Shodokan is the competitional style of Aikido. Though it isn't as rough as Judo randori, it is still tough going:

http://www.fayettevillemartialarts.com/classes/Aikido/Aikido.htm

Some food for thought. To conclude, if you do go back to Judo, you are going to have to change the way you approach it IMO.

Got no advice for you, bro. I'm still working on getting my back right since my injury. I may try to get back to class sometime in the next month or so, but this has been scary!

Ironic for me, since my injury had nothing to do with BJJ. But I know that BJJ would exacerbate it.

Here's some videos from the Harai Goshi clinic last saturday in Springdale,AR.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1idc_Y-Wy0o&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQBprSnnifY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETxy0dG4aTY&feature=related

Here's some of the competetion footage. The first is the competetion from Missouri(red mats), then the Ark Judo Shiai (all blue mats) is mixed in the ends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_JBn8ueYwE&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt55crgTxeg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlpFRo81kJg&feature=related

Hello all, been a while.

Started back at judo three weeks ago. Things are going pretty good over all. I did 'tweak' my knee a couple times so far. Once because I turned it out when someone was doing ouichi gari and the other time is because of the weight difference.

I'm going slow and taking it easy for now, probably won't compete for many months.

Good to be back.

Brian

Good to see you back and up and running. Well, up and jogging anyway! Slow and easy beats out fast and reinjured any day!

Well, I ended up competing in Tulsa on December 5th. A fellow student got the pin on me the first round, but I made a good counter throw on the next guy. Only two guys in my weight class there so I got 2nd place,lol. Noah,my 8yr old son, also got 2nd place. I was very proud to watch him compete.

Good stuff! How did you feel (physically) post-comp ?

I feel pretty good. My legs are strong, but the weather affects my bad knee.

I'm in pretty good cardiovascular shape right noe too from all the newaza randori.

Congrats, Brian. Props for competing. I am oping to get back into BJJ soon. I took a few classes recently, then twisted my knee falling on the ice, LOL. Hopefully I'll get back next week!

BTW, I am laughably out of shape. Jeez!