• • Generally

The philosophy that guides much of our teaching structure and pedagogical approach is based on the idea that students must learn humility as the first step in a judo career before progressing to be able to grasp the techniques in judo, which will ultimately be tested in competition (shiai).

• • Humility and Technique

The humility that we need to see in a student refers to the attitude that the student brings into the dojo. Is it one that is open to help or more open to giving excuses? The student must learn to understand that each practice is a stepping stone towards perfection of technique and because of this, there is no end to any of the training – only constant improvement. There are no parts of the syllabus that can be completed and forgotten about.

Even at the most basic stage of learning judo, breakfalls are improved upon throughout a judoka’s rise to black belt; and even after that, there is still more to improve – albeit more in terms of form for demonstration rather than safety at that point.

The link between humility and technique is one that can be easily accepted or learnt the hard way. In the latter, impatience will be the consequence of lack of humility. Learning how to throw someone to the ground against their will, with technique rather than brute force and momentum, is a difficult thing and requires long hours of repetition and muscle memory development to be able to “feel” someone who is off balance and to be able to use this to throw their opponent.

• • Technique and Shiai

Technique is in constant improvement. The human body changes – it grows and gets stronger and then it ages and weakens. Depending on which stage the judoka’s body is at, certain techniques will need to take on its own adaptation to fit that particular body-type. Throws that work for one judoka will not necessarily be appropriate for another. Throws that require a lot of movement in the hip or a big sweeping action may seem effortless to be executed by young players. However, this may not be the case at all when the same player is middle-aged – when the most efficient techniques of footsweeps and hand techniques will likely make up the larger part of the judoka’s arsenal of available throws.

All of this practice would be quite meaningless if it could not be tested. The true test of technique is to see how the judoka will react under pressure. It is surprising to see how many people will crumble under the pressure of a match – simply put, the judoka is entering into a fight where the other player wants to throw the judoka to the mat to win. The mere fact that it is actually a fight where chokes and arm-locks are also allowed raises blood pressure and can cause quite a bit of anxiety. The training that Hayabusakan Judo offers is that which will teach the judoka how to deal with this stress and pressure. Learning how to deal with this amount of stress and pressure will later translate into life when major decisions must be made in pressure situations where a clear mind must be in control to make the right call.

• • Recreational Judo

Hayabusakan’s recreational Judo program is designed to build the basic technical skills in judo along side physical strength and agility through the usage of judo-specific exercises and games. The aim is to build a strong physical core that is accompanied by a heightened ability to focus. Many parents have found that our judo program has promoted increased attention span which translates well into focusing at school.

• • The “Fun” in Judo

Having read the above description of the program structure, many will be wondering where the fun in judo is. The simplest answer that we can give is that the fun comes in basking in the appreciation of achievement after a hard practice. Training hard on the mat and smashing even club mates into the tatami (who know how to take the fall to protect themselves) builds an odd comradery that can be similarly observed in rugby players. The fun actually comes off the mat in the form of results that can be seen physically, psychologically, and socially. Judokas who train properly are always in shape. Judokas who train under the Hayabusakan Judo system will find themselves calm and collected in even the tensest of situations. Finally, judokas who come through the ranks of the Hayabusakan Judo program will likely become role model citizens who will set examples for younger generations through their humility and compassion, all of which will have been learnt and developed at Hayabusakan Judo. For us, judo is more than an extra-curricular activity. It is a way of life.