Recommendations for Kodokan Judo
Nobutoshi Sato
When I was young, I kept walking thinking that I would live for 80 years, but before I knew it, I had passed the 80-year-old barrier, and no matter where I went to a judo venue, there were only a few people older than me. This time, I was asked to give the opening statement as a XNUMXth dan in judo at the Kodokan, but I hope you will find this helpful as a suggestion from a ``XNUMXth dan judo crazy old man''.
About the All Japan Judo Championships (Emperor's Cup)
Lately, I've often heard that the authority and value of the All Japan Championships may be declining. How about considering the following three points as a countermeasure?
⑴ About the schedule
The biggest goals for current top athletes are the Olympics and World Championships. From an athlete-first standpoint, I think it would be a good idea to align the tournament schedule with the International Judo Federation's calendar. The All-Japan Championships, which began in 23, were held on May 29th, the anniversary of Jigoro Kano's death, and currently April XNUMXth is the fixed date for the event. . I am fully aware that it is important to respect tradition, but I think that by adjusting the schedule to make it easier for top athletes to participate, it will become a tournament worthy of determining the true best judo in Japan.
⑵ About the rules
The rules currently adopted for the All Japan Championships, which are contested on an open weight basis, are the International Judo Federation Match Judging Rules (IJF Rules). The IJF rules were originally created based on the concept of weight classification. Competitions with no weight discrimination are interesting because they include more of the origins and charms of judo, such as ``conquering the big with the small ability'' and ``conquering the strong with the soft ability.'' To that end, I think it would be better to return to the rules where small people can fight on equal terms with big people. There are 68 signature techniques in Kodokan Judo, including 32 throw techniques and 100 kame techniques, but throw techniques such as kuchiki-taoshi and scoop-nage, which directly attack the opponent's lower body, are considered illegal techniques under current IJF rules. If that's the case, wouldn't it be better to return to the Kodokan Judo match referee regulations instead of the IJF rules, which would expand the range of attacks for small players and make it easier to fight? Currently, the All-Japan Championships are excluded from the competitions used to select athletes for the Olympics and World Championships, so it may be possible to take drastic measures.
⑶ How about conducting a survey of the audience during the tournament? It can be used as material for consideration by the tournament executive committee, and I think it is necessary to know the thoughts of both the organizers and spectators.
About the outstanding promotion system and the use of the Red and White Match
The Kodokan has a system that allows players to be promoted on the same day if they meet certain conditions during the Kohaku Match. Recently, winners of the Kodokan Cup All-Japan Judo Weight Class Championships have also been granted promotions, although there is a limit to the rank.
Lately, I feel that the motivation to get promoted is lower than before, but I wonder if it's possible to take advantage of this outstanding promotion system. For example, if a player wins a national individual tournament for junior high school students, high school students, university students, working adults (corporate groups, police departments, etc.), would it be possible to set an upper limit on the rank and allow outstanding promotions, similar to the Kodokan Cup? It may be difficult to create a new system that does not currently exist, but it may be one way to help practitioners understand the meaning and significance of being promoted. I believe that by creating more opportunities for everyone to be able to advance through the ranks if they put in the effort and work hard, it will lead to the spread and development of judo. Also, as a new attempt, for the Red and White Matches held at the Kodokan (main building, Osaka), I would like to consider introducing three weight classes, light, middle, and heavy, either in the spring or fall. I think this will allow more light and intermediate weight athletes to challenge themselves. When thinking about spreading judo, I think it is important to create opportunities for it.
About Zenjuren long-term training guidelines
The All Japan Judo Federation has come up with ``Long-term Training Guidelines'' in an attempt to clarify training policies for each stage (age group). The sports organization is attracting attention for presenting concrete measures that have not been taken up until now, but perhaps the Kodokan's training policy needs to be more concrete. I think it would be a good idea for all Judo practitioners to consider specific issues from their respective standpoints, centering on the Zenjuren and Kodokan.
Regarding mass media measures
Currently, judo has very little exposure on TV, newspapers, magazines, etc. With increased exposure to the mass media, viewers will become more interested in judo, and athletes will become more enthusiastic about it, so we should give it a lot of thought. In addition, in order to make more effective use of the magazine "Judo" published by the Kodokan, we have improved the editorial content and sales/distribution methods to make it a must-read for high-level players, especially instructors. I think about it.
Above, we have discussed proposals centered on the Kodokan business at a time when the judo population is rapidly decreasing. I sincerely hope that all judoists will think passionately, take action, and unite their efforts from their respective standpoints in order to popularize and develop judo.
(Nippon Fu Kodokan Judo 9th Dan)
