'The Gentle Sport'
Philosophy of judo not to injure, but to defend
By David Witte / Independent Staff Writer Friday, Mar. 28, 2008
Dean Slagel/The Clovis Independent
Clovis West student Steven Lee, bottom, stretches at the beginning of recent judo practice at Kastner Intemediate. Lee, 16, attended the U.S. Judo Federation Junior Nationals in July and placed fifth in the elite 60-kilogram division.
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West Clovis Judo Club's Spencer Matthes, 8, made quick work of his two opponents to capture the 31-kilogram division at the U.S. Judo Federation Junior Nationals July 14 and 15 in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Matthes, a Garfield Elementary student who has taken judo for two-and-a-half years, won both matches by ippon, a 25-second pin or a forceful throw on the back.
The 8-year-old received a judo gi (a uniform) and several patches for his victory.
"It's been a pretty good year for him," said Jeff Takeda, West Clovis Judo club instructor.
Last summer, Matthes, who was not yet old enough to compete in the U.S. Judo Federation Junior Nationals won the National Junior Olympics in San Jose.
Matthes wasn't the only West Clovis competitor to shine in Michigan. Teammate Steven Lee, a 16-year-old Clovis West student, placed fifth in the elite 60-kilogram division.
"All the top players are usually in this weight," said Lee, who has practiced judo for six years. "A lot of them will drop weight just to get into this group."
Lee lost to Miguel Aracena of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Blake Norris of Fayetteville, N.C., who placed second and third, respectively. "It gives you a lot of experience, and shows what you need to work on," Lee said. "You get to see what you're doing wrong, and see what the top players are working on."
In addition to his fifth-place finish, Lee was awarded a $500 scholarship for his 2006 performance at the event. The scholarship -- based on competition performance, instructor's recommendations, extra-curricular school activities and grade-point average -- was one of three awarded by a panel of six national judo officials. The panel also handed out a $1,000 and a $750 scholarship.
Lee and Matthes compete in about a dozen tournaments with the West Clovis club each year, with about half of the events held in the Valley. The West Clovis Judo Club is part of the Chuka Yudanshakai, which is made up of six clubs: West Clovis, Clovis Judo Club, Fowler Judo Club, Reedley Judo Club, Visalia Judo Club and Bakersfield Judo Club. The Fresno Judo Club is part of the San Joaquin Yudanshakai.
Kodokan Judo, which has been an Olympic sport since 1964, was created by Japanese professor Jigoro Kano in the late 1800s, and evolved from Japanese jujitsu. It is known as "the gentle sport" because, although it is a martial art, its purpose is not to maim or injure the opponent.
"But you get slams, and it's not too gentle," Takeda said. "[Kano's] philosophy was minimum effort with maximum efficiency, so a smaller person would actually be able to defend themselves against someone larger by using their opponent's weight and momentum against themselves."
Game On is an occasional series profiling local recreational sports and activities. Suggestions are welcome and may be e-mailed to David Witte at dwitte@clovisindependent.com.
Judo
Object: To defend oneself through non-lethal techniques while learning discipline and coordination.
Equipment needed: A judo gi (uniform) and a mat.
Terminology:
Ippon: A full point, either by a 25-second pin or a forceful throw onto the back (13-year-olds and older athletes can also achieve Ippon by a choke hold). Results in an automatic victory in the match.
Gi: A judo uniform.
Scoring: Wazarii: A half point, by a 20-second pin or a throw not completely on the back, or not forceful enough. Two wazariis add up to an ippon.
Yoko: A quarter point, by a 15-second pin or a throw on the side. Yokos and lower cannot add up to an ippon. If no ippon is reached, the winner is based on score.
Koka: An eighth point, by a 10-second pin or throw onto the seat, thigh or shoulder.
Penalties: Stalling, kicking, hands in the face, grabbing inside an opponent's sleeve and faking attacks to throw the opponent off balance. Four penalties will forfeit the match. Major penalties such as bridging an opponent's back or using foul language result in automatic disqualification.
A brief history: Japanese professor Jigoro Kano adapted judo from jujitsu, removing the dangerous foot and hand strikes but keeping the grappling and holding techniques. He established the Kodokan, Tokyo's judo school in the late 1800s. Judo was set to enter the Tokyo Olympics of 1940, but Japan's war with China forced it to give up the Games. When the Olympics returned to Tokyo in 1964, judo was a medal sport. Source: www.judoinfo.com/history
Summing it up: "My dad did judo when he was a kid, and it kind of made me want to do it," said Steven Lee, 16, a Clovis West student and member of the West Clovis Judo Club.
