The dynamics I am seeing from judo today along with the increase in participation from many countries says judo is on the right track and no need to revisit the leg grab rule other than reducing the penalty for an inadvertent leg grab. That being said, the shito rule for defensive play needs to be enforced more often to reduce negative judo and encourage more throwing attempts.
Ttt 
How about making leg attacks legal but the attackers knee can't touch the mat? Eliminates the instant turtling up and stalling plus it keeps the most dynamic throws and takedowns that involve the opponents legs. This rule already exists in Shuai Jiao and also Mongolia's folk style of wrestling.
You see much turtling from a throw attempt that doesn't score or scores for yuko and the thrown opponent is defensive. It is a reaction that is a good part of judo on the behave of both players. I don't see this as a negtive of the sport at all. It is one of the beginnings of ground work from a throw attempt or as we judoka call it transition.
judoblackbelt - The dynamics I am seeing from judo today along with the increase in participation from many countries says judo is on the right track and no need to revisit the leg grab rule other than reducing the penalty for an inadvertent leg grab. That being said, the shito rule for defensive play needs to be enforced more often to reduce negative judo and encourage more throwing attempts.
Inadvertent leg touches are not supposed to be penalized. If you grab something, it was very likely done on purpose.
I think leg grabs shoud be included with unorthodox gripping. I think the best way to solve the problem is not to ban leg grabs but to allow them but give no score for any throw where a leg is grabbed. This lets you keep the dynamic scoring element without neutering the art.
Kimura606 -I think leg grabs shoud be included with unorthodox gripping. I think the best way to solve the problem is not to ban leg grabs but to allow them but give no score for any throw where a leg is grabbed. This lets you keep the dynamic scoring element without neutering the art.
How does it keep the dynamic scoring element if they don't score?
judoblackbelt - Judo popularity world wide is at its highest due to IJF. They could modify the rules where you do not get disqualified for a leg attack/block but I don't seeing them allowing a score from them. The biggest challenge I see is scoring by penalties and winning by penalties. This is not enjoyable to watch. I still see too much grip fighting going on and no penalties given to encourage more attacks. So the players exploit this by defensive tactics until a shito is given to one of the players. You this in close competition/skills. Watch the Japanese/Koreans/Mongolians/Russians/Georgians/French men and women. They win by scoring, especially the Japanese. They go for the ippon.
You don't mean to imply that banning leg holds is a popular decision? Is this one of those things where everything has a higher rate of participation cuz there's more people than there were 10 years ago?
Judo is in REAL truble in the USA if this is the kind of crowd size they draw...looks like the IJF hasent done a thing for american judo
This is a tragic decision that just complicates the sport it makes it less effective for anything--but sport competition and it also heavily advantages the taller athlete as far as I'm concerned Judo isn't worth training anymore it's a shame
I remember when new sport Judo first hit I thought it was going to revolutionize the sport
Look at the success Brazilian jiu-jitsu had with Judo groundwork what a shame Judo missed the boat and someone else picked up your torch and ran it home for a touchdown
https://youtu.be/2R_mUyT0-uw
gurila -Judo is in REAL truble in the USA if this is the kind of crowd size they draw...looks like the IJF hasent done a thing for american judo
This is a tragic decision that just complicates the sport it makes it less effective for anything--but sport competition and it also heavily advantages the taller athlete as far as I'm concerned Judo isn't worth training anymore it's a shame
I remember when new sport Judo first hit I thought it was going to revolutionize the sport
Look at the success Brazilian jiu-jitsu had with Judo groundwork what a shame Judo missed the boat and someone else picked up your torch and ran it home for a touchdown
https://youtu.be/2R_mUyT0-uw
Judo is fine, it is currently the most practiced combat sport on planet Earth and 3 judo events (men, women and teams) will be on display at the 2020 olympics. Not many people care about grappling sports in the USA, so it's lack of popularity here is not too concerning. The average person on the street couldn't tell you the names of any jiu-jitsu, judo or wrestling champions.
Also you can still get under opponents and pick people up, so don't understand why you think it is a sport reserved for tall people. There are also clubs in America that don't put alot of focus on sports competition, so you can still touch legs and do all kinds of stuff in practice.
judoblackbelt - OCJTC- I you are #1 in watching IJF judo then I am #2. Excellent points you make.
the problem being you two constitute about 50% of the audience.
Has anyone watched world class judo on regular basis like myself, Triple_B or Aaron (from the BJJ forum)? I watch all the highlights from every IJF event. Many times I watch all the medal matches. The top throws get posted to my FB from "JudoHeros". I enjoy ever minute of it. So why comment on a post from 2016 when the sport has made so much progress. More diverse countries sending top judokas into the the Senior ranks from Juniors. You are starting to see judokas from India which was unheard of. I see no value talking about leg grabs when the sport has exploding in popularity around the world with new forms of kata garuma, more explosive counter throws and higher caliber of players in the top 20 as ranked by the IJF.
No one outside of the hardcore watches judo. That's the problem in American judo. Gary Goltz has a good article about it in the current issue of black belt
de braco -No one outside of the hardcore watches judo. That's the problem in American judo. Gary Goltz has a good article about it in the current issue of black belt
That's unfortunate. Judo (at least at the higest levels) is much more exciting to watch than BJJ in my opinion. New judo rules promote aggressiveness while limiting stalling and defensive tactics. Plus, I can't think of anything more exciting than a dynamic ippon which can happen at anytime and on anyone. Some of the best judokas in the world can and do lose their first match in a big tournament which you hardley ever see in BJJ. Throw in the cultural diversity and global participation that exists in judo and you have a truly spectacular sport.
Becoming soley a game of trips has ruined it, olympic judo should be renamed trips, sambo renamed judo, and take current judo's spot in the olympics
I agree with Aaron. The game is so much more dynamic, monster stand up throws, transition and ground attacks that have so much time to execute. And judokas who have come up thru the junior ranks that are on the verge of pushing the Seniors. And like Aaoron said where can a top seed loose in the first round? No where but IJF judo.
judoblackbelt -I agree with Aaron. The game is so much more dynamic, monster stand up throws, transition and ground attacks that have so much time to execute. And judokas who have come up thru the junior ranks that are on the verge of pushing the Seniors. And like Aaoron said where can a top seed loose in the first round? No where but IJF judo.
No one cares. No One Cares. NO ONE CARES. It has largely died in the states, judo survives in this country as a low respected ymca/cityrec activity. There are a few people working to turn the tide, but for every one of them there are ten frank dreben's such as yourself, telling everyone it's super!
At the IJF level it is the most competitive grappling sport out there. It is growing so vast in countries like India for example. Never saw judokas from India but now you see them at IJF events when some of the power countries are absent. Where do you have a steady stream of Juniors who have already competed in their own World Championhsips and Junior Olympic events? All the words on this forum cannot stop this magnificent sport from growing in popularity.
Like a lot of martial arts it’s suffers from bad marketing and bad business decisions. This is my 40th year in the Martial Arts. From my time in Judo which is not as long as some of you, it seems it’s a lot of a commitment to make. We have guys try out Judo at our club, people never stay. We have striking and no-GI classes and they always take to that. It’s because it’s easier to learn. Judo is an incredible commitment and hard on the body. You can’t fake it either. Most people are too lazy to deal with that. I know because I come from a striking back ground. It’s a totally different workout. Apples and oranges in comparison to each other.
judoblackbelt -At the IJF level it is the most competitive grappling sport out there. It is growing so vast in countries like India for example. Never saw judokas from India but now you see them at IJF events when some of the power countries are absent. Where do you have a steady stream of Juniors who have already competed in their own World Championhsips and Junior Olympic events? All the words on this forum cannot stop this magnificent sport from growing in popularity.
Mad as a fucking hatter