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Nothing below the belt II – Finalised rule changes for 2010

I have posted previously on the proposed judo contest rule changes for 2010. Well, they are no longer proposed. They are now with us and running at international level for all events. As a result we can expect this to filter down to domestic events (more on that later).

The core of the changes are still the same. However, some leeway has been given to a judoka who finds that they are in ‘cross guard’ (Tori has forced Uke down by taking an arm over the back so it is on the same side as the sleeve grip). In such a situation Uke would not have many attacking options which did not involve contact below the belt. As a result, to add to the complexity, this is now allowed…..UNLESS (yes there’s more) Uke had deliberately put themselves in that position to begin with!

As always, based on the discretion of the referee team.

Actually, this is one good thing that has come out of this: The IJF is no longer insisting on a single referee per mat. They will continue to use three in conjunction with the video system. Business as usual. Some commentators feel they intended to backtrack on this one all along so it gave more of an impression of actually consulting the coaches and players that form the international circuit.

Despite this consultation there is still some absolutely dreadful use of the English language in the document. For example, ‘Judo is a physic and mental education system’. Physic?

Naturally the issue of referees having to decide whether a leg grab has been part of a genuine combination or that the opponent genuinely attacked first still stands. Or, in IJF words, that there was an attempt to ‘make fall’! This is where there has been an absolutely horrendous change to the previous draft: It is now HANSOKUMAKE ON FIRST OFFENCE. There is no warning of any kind. If it is judged you have fallen foul of the changes the contest is over for you.

Up to now, direct hansokumake was reserved for items such actions against the spirit of judo or use of a prohibited technique (where the technique was prohibited for safety concerns). Now it is being used for techniques deemed responsible for ‘untidy’ judo. Disgraceful.

Domestic judo organisations may take a different approach. As an example, the British Judo Association has announced that it will retain the shido for the first offence at all levels.

The IJF has released some video examples to help illustrate which sequences are still permitted and which ones would now result in direct hansokumake. Some are good examples of negative judo which of course are not attractive to watch. However, look at example 23. Hansokumake. Why though? White has put in an attack and blue has attempted to immediately counter which means they should be permitted to grab the leg. Yes, it ends up being a lame attack and it looks bad BUT they should be allowed to try that one still, surely? Part of the reason it doesn’t work is because white is diving for the tatami as soon as they can once they realise they are off balance. Also, wasn’t blue in ‘cross guard’ as well?

One more: Example 24. Deemed hansokumake. To my eyes, this was a good combination. Yes there was a slight delay between techniques but it was seamless. Perhaps the first attack was not considered ‘genuine’? Look at it again though, give the benefit of the doubt to Tori: Uke tried to attack at the same time so they had to perhaps change their strategy? The reason the throw was successful was due to Uke becoming vulnerable in that initial exchange.

Lafon has made a fantastic blog posting on this subject including some more analysis of the videos: Hansoku Make, IJF!. I strongly recommend it.

Finally, the last entry is curious:

Any action against the spirit of Judo can be punished by a direct HANSOKUMAKE at anytime of the contest.

This is not new. So why mention it explicitly here? I feel this is almost a ‘warning shot’ against coaches developing new strategies to work ‘against’ these changes. The IJF could identify such cleverness and issue an addendum declaring it as against the spirit of judo, and hey, hansokumake for you guys too!

These changes worry me. Referees already had the tools they needed to punish negative judo without having to resort to banning whole techniques. The fact is, for whatever reason, they weren’t using them at international level. Flop ‘n’ drops were being allowed to happen. If anything, I have seen domestic events be harsher!

The bottom line here is that the IJF needs judo to look dynamic and exciting for the Olympic Games. If it is not visually appealing to the layperson its place in the Games is at risk.

I’ve recently finished reading Judo Memoirs of Jigoro Kano which is excellent. It includes the story of how Kano ‘imported’ Kata Guruma into judo (he needed a technique to throw someone who he just could not throw). The sad thing is that you will not be seeing too many examples of that throw at international competition now…

Coaches will be priming their charges with alternatives (e.g. the above throw but with two hands on one sleeve) which in turn could also lead to ‘flop and drop’ attempts at it from some quarters. Aren’t we then back where we started? Won’t we need rules to guard against negative attacks? And for referees to identify and penalise these?

Yes.

Isn’t this where we came in? We’ve had the tools for this for a long time. Bottom line: There is no need to restrict techniques to stop negative judo. Indeed, to gain maximum efficiency here, wouldn’t a simple tightening up have worked really nicely? Maximum efficiency… I’m sure that sounds familiar somehow…

For a comparison on how these changes have been brought in compared to rugby union, check out Lance Wicks’ excellent IRB ELVs Vs. IJF 2010 rule changes post.

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By Tris – January 5, 2010

Books: Secret History of the Internet and Virtual Shadows

I picked up some books recently based on some reviews via the British Computer Society.

On the Way to the Web: The Secret History of the Internet and its Founders details the development of the various online systems which paved the web to the Internet and web that we know today. This was not a linear progression. The classic bulletin boards and the like (based on screeching modems, ah memories…) were not on the same path and eventually fell by the wayside but certainly gave many their first tastes of the online world. Oh, and the telephone bills to match.

Yes, the likes of Prestel and Delphi do feature. It is an interesting read and also details the political and personal wranglings that were going on. It is a shame that Compunet (my first online experience) is not featured but I did learn about the more official Commodore 64 services that existed.

Virtual Shadows: Your Privacy in the Information Society deals with, predictably, privacy in the Information Society! Some of the material will be a bit obvious to those with a background in this stuff (e.g. why blogs are popular and how they work) but some of the detail in risk assessment of the information you leave online is absorbing. Naturally, social networking sites form a key part of this as does the protection of children. I found the later parts of the book the best as they dealt with the current and upcoming threats to our privacy in general, be they ID cards or the ‘feature creep’ of CCTV and other surveillance systems. I had never heard of ‘Sousveillance’ before either!

I recommend both books so check them out.

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By Tris – January 4, 2010

Bonding the referee team – Lessons from judo and football

The team of referees on the mat at a judo competition is a team of three: The referee and two corner judges. In football you have the referee and two assistants (running the line). There is one distinct difference right at the beginning here: In judo, although the referee controls the contest, the ‘majority of three’ rule applies and thus he or she may be overruled. In football the assistants do just that… ASSIST. The referee has the final say.

However, there are good hints and tips I have picked up along the way. These have become especially evident on the football side where for the vast majority of games I am the referee and needing to brief two new (club provided) assistants at each match. They are strangers to me when I arrive unlike the comfort zone of most judo competitions where I know all the referees!

So here are some points which have really helped me:

  1. Start as you mean to go on: Your strength as a team does not begin with the start of the contest or match. It should be as soon as you get together. Learn the names (I am terrible with names when meeting people so this something I try and make an effort with now) and use them. I found out just how well this worked when it was the referee using MY name regularly when I was assisting at a football match. It really helps the bonding process.
  2. Brief the team: (Football perspective here). Vital. I was staggered when one club assistant told me after my briefing that some referees he has helped out don’t even bother doing a briefing. Nice! Remember that the briefing is not just about telling the assistants what you want them to do, and assess their knowledge: It is to help get to know them so that you are comfortable with each other. Club assistants are likely to have been abused before in previous games so definitely get the point across that you will help protect them as well. For most ‘park’ games I like doing this briefing in the centre circle prior to the coin toss as it gives a very public display of everyone working together.
  3. Constant communication: Be it verbal or a simple thumbs-up (This sort of thing can look unprofessional in judo but there are subtle ways), keep the communication going. “Thanks Steve!” after Steve has helped you out from a tricky spot goes a long way. And it will help someone who is new and a bit nervous gain the confidence they need after those first few decisions. Important for assistants/corner judges to do this as well if there is someone new and perhaps nervous running the show!
  4. You are a team: Support your team-mates. If a mistake occurs never ‘pass the buck’ as ultimately in a lot of cases it is the team that has failed. Work out how to resolve it as a team (if possible), otherwise make sure you also learn from it AS A TEAM. It is also good to try and stay together in breaks to discuss decisions that have been made and bring out the whole mentoring concept.
  5. Give the referee the benefit of the doubt: If you disagree with something SLIGHTLY then take a few moments before deciding to express your opinion. Remember the referee had a different view to you so is it possible that they did the right thing with that in mind?

Any experiences from working in one of these teams? Or have you observed things that have worked particularly well? Or even particularly badly?

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By Tris – November 27, 2009

Bringing up the fitness and now… STRETCH!

I recently rejoined the gym on my work campus as running outside was just not happening any more. The current weather in the UK has put paid to that. I was soaked through just walking back from the gym to the office (30 seconds!) due to the lashing shower that suddenly appeared.

The adage which applies is “Get fit to referee, don’t referee to get fit”. Absolutely true and my ‘judo fitness’ has very much helped me hit the field of play running. I have yet to struggle to keep up with play but of course most of my games are at ‘parks’ level until I climb the ladder a bit more.

However, my body has not adjusted to the style of exercise too well. Lots of changes in speed (walk..jog…SPRINT…walk…stop…SPRINT) and direction have put quite a stress on my hamstrings and achilles. The achilles in particular forced me to rest but is now mostly under control. My hamstrings are tight as anything as it is due to my years of computing so this needs resolving. Some Asics Gel Lethal 11 boots are helping there!

Firstly, I’m working on running in the gym, working towards the Cooper test. I have no need to take this test for a long time but it is a nice benchmark. Starting point is 2500 metres in 12 minutes which I can manage fine on a treadmill but of course that is easier than doing it outside (even with a 1% incline). It’s good to start teaching my body the pace though. I’ll be mixing that up with interval training.

Secondly, lots of stretching. I’ve been neglecting this FAR too much. Obviously this is concentrating on my problem areas as mentioned above but I’m making sure I do EVERYTHING so I don’t just transfer the problem somewhere else. Early days but so important.

There we have a mix of aerobic and anaerobic exercise and stretching. I haven’t thought about core strength much yet but it will need to feature to help keep things balanced… hmm…

Posted in Cardio, Fitness, Football, Injury, Refereeing, Running.

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By Tris – November 26, 2009

Nothing below the belt – Proposed judo rule changes

Rule changes for judo shiai are coming, and they are a big talking point right now. They have been officially trialled at the Junior Worlds and this was considered a success by the IJF. As a result, the trial has been extended at select senior competitions over the rest of the year. If things continue to go well it strongly looks like the rules will become official from 2010.

Here is the Word document detailing the changes.

Some may choke slightly with one of the first lines:

The IJF’s wish is to defend fundamental judo values.

Lest we forget the introduction of the blue gi and koka?

Working through the document, we start with FORBIDDEN in big red text referring to direct attacks or blocking via contact below the belt. You can see where this is going: No more leg grabs or even kata guruma. So this is removing direct usage of throws from the gokyo. Okay, you won’t find any leg grabs in the gokyo but they are still an accepted part of judo and have been used to powerful effect.

The punishment is somewhat severe. On the first offense, a shido penalty (as expected) is given. But the second is a direct hansokumake! Harsh. Two lapses of judgment and you are off the mat.

Now, a judoka CAN use these techniques if they are as a result of a sequence of techniques. Classic example might be ouchi-gari and with the arm coming down behind the leg to assist with completing the throw.

Secondly, they may be used as a counter. The classic would be against a failed uchimata and using Te guruma.

Here we are presented with our first problem as referees, and this has been demonstrated at the Junior Worlds. If Tori attacks and is fully committed, and Uke proceeds to counter by way of a technique below the belt, all is fine. However, there have been cases when Tori has more ‘offered the leg’ or feinted. Uke has gone for the counter as a ‘twitch’ reaction and been penalised for it. Not an ideal situation.

Naturally many are not happy with the above changes. It may be the intention of the IJF to ‘defend fundamental judo values’ but is removing techniques (and not for safety reasons) the way of going about it?

Why is this happening?

Ultimately, it comes down to judoka at the top events (such as the Olympics) being of a very similar level. This is naturally assisted by the qualification system: A nation has to be of a certain standard to even take part. The chances of ‘WOW’ ippons is therefore reduced. And what happens in a stalemate? Boring judo.

In particular, drop kata-gurumas which are immediately squashed by Uke and end up with a bit of fumbling on the ground, then ‘Matte’, then the whole thing again. It’s not interesting to watch. Remember, the IJF want judo to get more TV coverage and thus they need more excitement in the matches. Ban the techniques, liven up the judo, job done?

We shall see. The Junior Worlds did prove to feature positive judo but of course it favoured nations that traditionally use more stand-up techniques anyway (Predictably, Japan did excellently!). Competitors work around the rules, however, so it will be interesting to see what ‘mongrel’ techniques start to appear as the year progresses.

In relation to all of the above, the document also emphasises the need to penalise for ‘extreme defensive position’. Think ‘wrestling stance’ for this one. Adopting such a position in a negative judo way was previously a penalty anyway, so this is more of a clarification than anything new. It is also one I am glad to see pointed out again, as I am personally quite ‘hot’ on penalising negative judo for obvious reasons… it’s negative! STOP DOING IT!

As I have had told to me by IJF referees and taken on board, and have mentioned before on this blog, referees have a duty to penalise negative judo to absolutely make it clear that competitors need to be more positive. Moaning about ‘bad’ contests afterwards when you had the ‘power’ to do something about it, and in a strange way ‘educate’ the competitors, is no good. And also strongly remember that it is not just about penalising the negative, but giving their opponent the opportunity to shine.

Overall, I feel it is a great shame that we are having to prevent certain techniques and strategies. Referees at international level could have been advised to simply be stronger on penalties for negative judo. Now, I remember the guidance coming out on this matter previously, but from watching video footage of recent international events (pre Junior Worlds) … I just didn’t see it happening. Plenty of false attacks and negative judo, but not many penalties as a result.

You can’t blame competitors for being defensive sometimes. After all, one Ippon and they could be on the way home, especially with the ridiculous new repechage system. That was a bad idea. “Who wants to see losers fight losers?” was a heard quote and made me pretty annoyed. The competitors deserve more of a chance to prove themselves than they are currently being allowed.

We shall see what happens…

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By Tris – November 19, 2009

Formalising the imbalance, and goodbye rolling Ippons?

I was refereeing at the South Coast Junior Open at the weekend. I remember my very first judo grading was at this very venue (Worthing Leisure Centre). It was also good to see Winston Gordon in attendance coaching!

One interesting point came out of the briefing. At EJU level, referees are being urged to downgrade any ‘rolling’ Ippons down to Wazari. On a personal level, this is one I very much agree with. There have been so many weak Ippons scored and this was evident in the Olympic footage as well. In my eyes, an Ippon throw should always have that “OOOH!” factor, including the old “If that was on concrete, Uke would not be getting up again” aspect.

This is always going to be down to interpretation as that is the nature of the rules on this matter. For a throw:

When a contestant with control throws the other contestant largely on his back with considerable force and speed.

Let’s have strong emphasis on ‘considerable’ from now on! Shame we ever moved away from it.

Now, I was privileged to be part of a strong team at the weekend. We did not have a single contest go to a decision, and only a handful entered Golden Score. How is this achieved?

Firstly, a certain amount of luck in us having competitors who went out there to do judo and SCORE. They do the work, we referee it. It’s important to never lose sight of that.

But what CAN the referee do?

  1. Apply penalties accurately and QUICKLY. For some age groups the contests are only two minutes in duration. If the referee is waiting 90 seconds before deciding a judoka is being passive then they have taken too long. If the penalty is there GIVE IT. Especially since the first shido is now ‘free’… it’s a warning, that’s the point!
  2. Clamp down on false attacks. Again, if it is a false attack (I’ve covered what constitutes a false attack before) then GIVE THE PENALTY. Let the player know it is not acceptable. This is also giving their opponent every chance to do their own judo as well rather than someone just falling to the ground every few moments. I’ve started seeing drop seoi-nage attemtps when Tori sometimes rotates less than 45 degrees.
  3. FORMALISE THE IMBALANCE. This sums up the two previous points. It is clear when there is an imbalance between players. This may manifest itself in one of those players scoring (great!) but the referee must also reflect it in the use of penalties WHERE APPROPRIATE. If you get to the end of the contest, and it went to decision, and you are thinking, “That was rubbish, just a load of drops and nothing much happening” and you only ever gave one penalty…. shouldn’t you have done something to wake it all up?

“Don’t be too harsh, especially with children”. This is missing the point. Penalties are given when deserved. Not giving a penalty just because of age is NOT acceptable, in my opinion. Of course, the referee must make allowance for grade level and experience (common sense). In addition, proper explanation of a penalty may be appropriate too! Giving a penalty does not make the referee an ogre. Using hand signals which make him or her look like they are shooting the child in the process probably does…

I was happy with my performance on the day and have various feedback to work with. In particular, I was happy with my corner judge work, especially when things have gone a bit wrong on the scoreboard and I had kept a mental note of which scores should have gone where! You should never be in the position when asked a question about the current contest and you have to respond “I don’t know” …

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By Tris – November 16, 2009

Hampshire Split Grade Open 2009

I attended the Hampshire Split Grade Open in the capacity as referee at the weekend. The venue will always hold a special place in my heart for various reasons: I got the final points for my Dan grade there, I have medaled there before, and I think I got my first referee qualification there as well.

There were plenty of people I knew there, including representatives from my own clubs (Which made me miss them terribly given my current Achilles sprain which stops me training AT ALL which is horrible).

It was a scrappy day for me to begin with. Our mat was delayed starting as the mats themselves had not been correctly laid out and this took time to fix. Then our team was in a state of flux anyway so no sooner was I on, then off again, and then having lunch! It worked out in the end as I stayed on to referee the Open and got some of the Finals to do as well.

Lance from the upcoming Hampshire Judo Academy was present to advertise and that is an exciting project in itself. The emphasis is on all the Good Things, and not just three days of Western-style Randori resulting in bits falling off the judoka who are present. Check it out.

Despite this being a low-level event in the big scheme of things, it was great to see judoka from Willesden and Camberley judo clubs. This meant that there was some great judo to watch, especially when they fought each other!

It was not my best day of refereeing. I didn’t get anything wrong or anything like that, but I did not feel in the zone either. I have had the opportunity to study some of my work on video. Essentially I look too ‘rushed’ so I just need to calm it down and take my time. Some IJF-level feedback I received was that I am ‘over-gesticulating’ which is a habit I’ve picked up from the football refereeing where you NEED such strong body language to sell decisions! Looks totally wrong on the judo mat though.

Essentially, I need to be serene and controlled, rather than somewhat fierce and controlled. Which sounds like good advice for judo in general, if you ask me…

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By Tris – October 27, 2009

Southern Area Junior Trials 2009

The Southern Area Junior Trials were held last weekend. Reaching the top four in their category is now a requirement for players wishing to enter the Nationals now that the Nationals are no longer Open Entry. Trials are therefore being held throughout the country. More on that later.

The event itself was held at K2 in Crawley which is a lovely modern venue. I traveled down from Croydon as I had visited Croydon Judo Club the previous night to train, which incidentally I REALLY recommend as it was a great session. Plus they have so much space I wasn’t even sure where to put myself.

K2 and the Trials

K2 and the Trials

It was a good day and the positive atmosphere really helped with this. To go a whole day refereeing with no contentious problems coming up (the team worked really well together) is excellent, naturally helped by the great attitude of players, coaches and spectators.

We were instructed in the briefing to be particularly ‘hot’ on two issues. Firstly, false attacks. Essentially to stamp out ‘grotty’ judo and time-wasting. Secondly, to call Ippon on behalf of the player when the effects of strangles or arm-locks are obvious. That is always a contentious one as naturally protests of “It wasn’t really on!” could ensue.

Thankfully, this did not come up in our team, apart from one case where a player clearly being arm-locked only gave one tap. Safety first so Ippon called.

"Don't screw up, don't screw up, don't screw up..."

Don't screw up...

The downside of the day was that a player on our mat unfortunately dislocated his elbow. He was clearly in a LOT of pain and distress. We wish him well in his recovery!

From a personal point of view, I was also working on keeping track of attacking moves better to penalise for passivity more quickly where appropriate. Giving the first penalty for this with a minute to go generally means it has been left too late. Give them early (where appropriate!) and get the contest moving. This is also relevant for Golden Score, and happily the vast majority of fights that went to flags ended up unanimous for us.

A point which came up was that I didn’t adjust my positioning quickly enough when we switched from the lighter weights to the ‘big guys’ ! I was too close, nearly got collected, and was essentially chased around the mat. Lesson learned! Give the players room! That’s all part of reading the contest and that will improve with further experience

"Hmm, they shouldn't be able to land on me from over there, I should be safe..."

Hmm, they shouldn't be able to land on me from over there, I should be safe...

While this was a great event, it is all part of the big debate on whether returning to the Trials format is a good idea. This event had about 170 players contesting. This meant that there were multiple groups which didn’t even have four players in them to start with, so everyone would auto-qualify anyway. Other Areas have had this worse with only 90 players contesting!

This means that players who could technically not be very competitive AT ALL coming up against squad members at the Nationals and predictably getting stomped on.

The other issue is that the Southern Area has quite a few squad members who are competing against each other for places in the Nationals. There were numerous upsets due to those categories being so contested, with the result that some squad members will not be permitted to enter the Nationals now. Whereas they would have had a fair shot at it with Open entry. Harsh!

There is much debate on this subject on the BJA forums and to be honest it is hard to find anyone actually in favour of the trials…

It will be interesting to see where this one ends up!

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By Tris – September 14, 2009

Referee cross-training: What can football teach us?

Cross-training can be a great help in judo. Brazilian Ju-jitsu (BJJ) would be a classic one due to the newaza cross-over in particular. Mix in anaerobic work like circuit training, tabata sprints. Skipping is a classic. You probably have your own favourites and opinions on what is worthwhile and what is not.

Should the same apply to refereeing? Can referee principles from other sports assist the judo referee?

I’m intending to find out. I’m partaking in a Football Association Referee Course. It’s where the money is. Let me clarify that! I don’t mean I’m after the money! Instead, what differences will the sheer numbers and money available make to the quality of training?

Also, will my judo refereeing skills help at all with football refereeing? What about the other way round? Judo, 2 players, short matches. Football, 22 players (just on the pitch), 90 minutes. Oh, and the referee can’t saunter around a small mat area to keep up with what is happening.

It will be interesting to find out.

From the introductory session, here are a few differences in training that I have already noticed:

1. Big, glossy books and training materials. The Laws Of The Game are detailed in a book. This book is also freely available to download in PDF format. Here it is.

2. Lots more initial training. I think around 25 hours of ‘classroom’ training, and you are expected to spend that much of your own time going over things. In addition, 6 games must be carried out. For the basic referee course, it was a day of training, and you were examined at the next competition you could help out at.

3. You do not go on the course to learn the rules. The introduction pointed out that in the initial gap between introduction and first core module, you are expected to learn them. The classes are to cover interpretation, answer queries, basically the nitty gritty rather than, “What is the legal kit for a player?”.

Number three is a big deal here. In judo, we have a refereeing manual which has the rules. Where is the information and training on matters such as handling contentious situations? Calming a player down so the good judo can happen without hansoku-make? What makes a good conflab between the referee and the two corner judges? Football has LOTS of information out there on how the Assistant Referees should work with the man in black in the middle.

(Note that football has a different policy here: No majority of three. Referee has the final word. The assistants are just that: Assistants.)

Now, this is in no way a dig at judo. Let’s face it, football has far more money and numbers involved. 7,000 referees LEAVE football every year. There is a pool of about twenty THOUSAND.

There is some slowness from the BJA though. Koka was removed at the beginning of this year, for example. The revised 2009 rulebook only appeared within the last week or so! And I only found out about this from a cursory forum post. I have received no official notification. I make a determined effort to keep abreast of all the rule changes… but does everyone? Is learning on the morning of a big event really enough?

I think the main culture shock will be attitude of players, spectators and coaches. Judo is very refined. Abuse nowadays is VERY rare, most of those involved are respectful of each other and the officials. Partly due to respect, be it the ‘Rei’ or otherwise, is drilled in from the first session. Also, maybe because Judo referees must be judoka to even qualify (blue belt or above, but most are Shodan at least)? I’m not sure.

Watch this space…

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By Tris – August 12, 2009

West of England Judo Open 2009, and July’s Budokwai grading

This is perhaps a delayed blog post as the event itself was held on 12th June 2009. In fact, the results are available for download.

This was my first referee outing as a newly qualified National ‘C’ grade. Quite exciting. Being newly promoted this probably meant I was duty bound to make some massive cock-up. Thankfully, this did not happen, which means it will most likely carry over to the next event…

Amusingly, I was still ‘bottom of the pile’ as there were no Area referees present at the event. Ho hum!

We were presented with a ‘Thank you’ certificate during the briefing which was a really nice touch.

western_open_certificate

The event itself? The lighting took some getting used to. The whole hall had no natural lighting and the artificial lighting had a yellow tinge. It all looked a bit murky. Despite my initial concerns this turned out to be fine.

I was blessed with a great team (Nat ‘A’, Nat ‘B’, Me!) and we worked very well together throughout the day. There was some good spirit and judo on display. This always makes me happy.

It wasn’t a good start as perhaps the most negative judo manifested itself in the first batch of fights (+100 men). There was a lot of just NOTHING HAPPENING, with both players taking overly defensive sleeve grips preventing any attacking moves.

I was a corner judge on the fight I am thinking of. The referee correctly penalised (twice!) but nothing changed. Now, there are two ways of looking at this:

1. Keep giving Shido as the offence keeps happening, until one or both players are disqualified. You may then have a winner, but is it judo? Exercise for the reader: What happens if both players SIMULTANEOUSLY receive indirect hansoku-make because of this?

OR:

2. Tell the players to sort it out! The ref was VERY harsh (“Sort it out or you might as well get off the mat now”) but in my opinion perfectly correct. They are adults. They (should) know the rules.

‘Should’. It’s a shame that senior players are still coming out and not knowing the shiai basics (walking in front of the judges’ chairs, not walking around edge of the mat, bowing procedure…). THIS IS SHIAI 101. The loss of competitive gradings for the kyu grades has not helped here as they were an excellent introduction, but really, coaches should be on top of this before sending any player to a competition.

More recently I was invited to referee at the Budokwai again. I was VERY impressed with the standard of the 1st Kyus vying for their Dan grades. It can sometimes be a bit scrappy but there was some stand-out technique and spirit. There were excellent players there who walked away with zero points simply due to the high standard of the opposition. It was a great day.

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By Tris – August 12, 2009