Last article we looked at how wrestling is not just a good sport but also good for self-defense. We looked at jujitsu a little and, while in no case a complete look at the rich history of jujitsu, laid a basic foundation showing how it fit into the greater pantheon of wrestling styles. A simple search of the internet would provide much further information.
As mentioned briefly in the jujitsu article, some people have tried to modify jujitsu to make it into a sport that is both safe and fun. The most popular of these modified styles is Judo. Judo is most recognizable by the gi, a tough coat and jacket wore by the competitors, usually white with a belt tied around the waist.
Judo traces its origins to the late 1880s when Dr. Jijoro Kano took the core of jujitsu and created what is know as "the gentle way". He wanted to incorporate the throws, ground game, and chokes and submissions into a safe sport and judging from the results, succeeded. Judo grew in popularity in Dr. Kano’s country of Japan where the way of the samurai was still very much part of the culture.
However it was World War II and the rebuilding of Japan that really catapulted the spreading of Judo. Many American servicemen learned of Judo and many brought some of the techniques back to the US.
By 1964, Judo was popular enough to be introduced into the Olympic Games. It is currently practiced in many martial arts gyms across not only our country, but around the world.
Many top folkstyle wrestlers also do or have done Judo. For those traditional wrestlers unfamiliar with Judo, there is much to learn and benefit from training with Judo wrestlers. Where as wrestlers frequently use strength and power to overcome an opponent, Judo stresses form and momentum.
Judo is proof that submissions can be used in a sport and not be too violent. RPW is looking into Judo to see if this element of Judo and its parent jujitsu can be incorporated into our hybrid rules. If we decide to assimilate this aspect, this transition will need to take time as the top athletes adjust. So don’t expect to see these changes soon.
As for the jacket, RPW has chosen to go shirtless and we will not change this. Wearing a jacket will remain unique to Judo and a few other styles of wrestling. This difference is not just comsetic. It makes a difference in how one wrestles.
When one wears a jacket, they can get pretty hot if they work too hard. Also it is much easier to grab and hold on to a jacket then a sweaty body. This one fact changes the moves possible and the amount of contact. Once a Judo person gets an inch of cloth, they can use it for many throws and chokes.
Since most people wear a shirt or jacket most of the time, Judo also has a good practical value in self-defense. Wrestlers who are not used to people grabbing clothes are at some what of a disadvantage.
But Judo also has a disadvantage in that it stresses elegant solutions and artistic throws and frowns on feats of strength and hustle. Many Judo people consider wrestling too brutish and ugly. Judo also frowns on leg attacks and in some cases will disqualify someone for doing these.
So both Judo and traditional wrestling have their strengths and weaknesses. One style is not superior to the other but more that one style is better for a specific circumstance. RPW welcomes Judo wrestlers as fans and maybe even someday as some of the competitors on the mat.
Next article we will look at another form of jacket wrestling called Sambo. In many ways it combines Judo and folkstyle wrestling and is very similar to where RPW is headed.
Story By Staff Writer, RPW Home Office