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chiave di braccio
posted this over in the judo forum when talking about Flavio Canto (btw, back in my trolling university days, I figured that it was all the same, but watching him tool his Russian opponent at the 2003 worlds was just amazing!).
At anyrate, here's what Japan is doing these days...and think, the USA just has to fly a few people over from Cali. People say that Japan is traditional when it comes to judo, but are they really...
End of the story /IJF article
The humble Japanese team admitted they had come to Brazil to learn some techniques as the Brazilians are famed the world over for their unusual ne-waza. "Brazilian Judo is really ahead of others when we talk about ne-waza. That´s why we are here," said three-times Olympic champion Tadahiro Nomura who did not feature in the team competition. "Training in Brazil we see that not only the 1st and 2nd team are strong, but there are many other good judokas in the country," added former world champion Yasuyuki Muneta. Coach Hitoshi Saito agreed: "Now we know how Brazil produces their champions: the base is as strong as the major team. I am also really impressed with their ne-waza. They have different solutions on the floor," said Saito. "In my point of view, a little of Brazil´s ability with the legs is due to their football culture. Every boy plays football and it helps develop their movements," said the coach, who asked the Brazilian Judo Confederation to promote a "friendly football match" at the beach between Brazilian and Japanese judokas. The result was not a big surprise: Brazil 4 Japan 0. Olympic bronze medallist Flavio Canto, said to be one of the best judokas in the world in ne-waza techniques, seems proud to receive Japan in his home country. "This year we have already been visited by France, Cuba and Japan. Other first class teams are expected to come to Brazil this season. I am happy with this. It is a pleasure and an honor for us to exchange experiences with such powerful nations. Japan has always been a reference for us," said Canto.
btw, Saito is something like judo's Mario Lemieux. He wasn't Wayne Gretzky, but he was pretty much as good (he was Yamashita's big rival). The guy was pretty much unbeatable...he must be in his 40s now...and is still learning!
It is impossible to be the best at everything (unless you are immortal and have a few hundred years of mat time)...but it is great when people only learn the most efficient moves and combine them (ie. proper throw into excellent half-guard pass, into awesome armbar...). And yes, I realize that people will still argue about what mix of standup and ground grappling is the best, but that's not the point...