JUDO TRENDS IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONS AT CHELYABINSK Here are the Top 10 Trends Ive noticed at the 2014 Chelyabinsk World Judo Championships (not in order of importance or prominence): 1. Ura-Nage is popular Lots of players from around the world are doing ura-nage, which is actually not a common throw in judo. In the past, this throw was usually employed by players from Eastern European countries. But these days, everybody does it. Players from various countries, men and women, big and small. There were so many attempts at ura-nage, it was hard to not notice it. But there were equally many failed attempts where ura-nage got countered. Several key matches were won that way. 2. Hip throws are hip There is also a resurgence of the hip throw. Normally, hip throws are popular amongst big players. The heavyweights in particular, love hip throws. For lightweights, hip throws were normally limited to sode-tsuri-komi-goshi, which is done more like a seoi-nage than a hip throw. But these days, even the lightest weights use hip throws. Japans new -48kg champion Ami Kondos favorite technique seems to be harai-goshi. In the mens -60kg, Georgias Amiran Papinashivili and Japans Naohis Takato also favour hip throws. One of the hip techniques thats really a noticeable trend is best described as utsuri-goshi, which starts off as an ura-nage to the back but then quickly transformed into a hip throw to the front. First popularized by Takato, now you see many players trying it. 3. The emergence of soto-makikomi Soto-makikomi is a throw many judo instructors frown upon. Perhaps because it involves wrapping your opponent around you and rolling them down, it is deemed as a somewhat unskillful technique that relies on brute force strength. But players like Ukraines Georgii Zantaraia have turned it into a bona fide skillful technique. Though not as commonly seen as ura-nage and hip throws, soto-makikomi happened with enough regularity that its fair to say its become a popular technique. 4. Ride-and-roll counter very common Probably the most common counter we see today is the ride-and roll-attack. It happens when an opponent tries uchimata. Instead of a sukashi, which is the usual way of countering an uchimata, many players actually ride the attack and tip their opponent over to their side. Many matches were won this way. 5. Lots of overthrows Time was when if you managed to launch your opponent into the air, it was almost a certainty you would end up with an ippon. Not anymore. Judo players are far more acrobatic than players of the past. Players like Charles Chibana of Brazil and Georgii Zantaraia of Ukraine are almost like gymnasts in their ability to spin through the air and ultimately land on their front. In his epic battle against the Japanese World Champion Masashi Ebinuma, Zantaraia proved impossible to throw even though he was often flung into the air. In the end Ebinuma had to rely on penalties to win. But Zantaria and Chibana are not the only ones. Many players in all different weight classes are getting better and better at spinning out of a throw. 6. Shido game The purpose of introducing various new IJF rules is to encourage bigger throws and less tactical play. But players adapt and today we see a lot of players engaging in the shido game, that is aiming to win via penalties. Many matches were determined that way, instead of a throw. Even the blue ribbon event, the final of the mens heavyweight division, was won that way. Teddy Riner of France, instead of throwing his opponent, ended up relying on penalties for the win. 7. Golden score determined by shido This is somewhat related to the point above (shido game). The fights that went to Golden Score were often determined by shido. Referees were (rightly so, in my opinion) very quick to give shidos once players were in Golden Score. The moment one player eases up a bit, he or she would be given a shido. That is why so many Golden Score fights were determined by shido rather than a throw. 8. Double sleeve tie-up Referees are quick to give shido for players who refuse to come to grips. So many players do grip their opponents but we are seeing lots of situations where both players adopt a double sleeve grip tie-up where nothings happening. A lof of the times, the players are holding the end of their opponents sleeve. In the past this would normally be given a shido. Such a grip seldom gets penalized these days. 9. Referees are strict about straying outside Many penalties were given for straying outside and many fights were won and lost that way. Its remarkable how many experienced players allowed themselves to get caught that way. Sometimes, the difference between a win and a loss is one shido. And many shidos were dished out to players for straying outside. Japans 2013 Rio World Champion Naohisa Takato lost his match that way. 10. Comebacks fail Its never easy to mount a comeback. In the recent past we have seen how miserably players like Russias Alexander Mikhaylin and Frances Lucie Decosse performed in their comeback bids. In Chelyabinsk we saw three players make a comeback: Japans Kaori Matsumoto, USAs Kayla Harrison and Russias Tagir Khaibulaev. All three failed to make the final although Harrison did manage to win the bronze. Posted by Oon Yeoh at 12:29 PM (from JudoCrazy)
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 02:01:39 +0000
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