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NATIONAL AAU FREESTYLE JUDO CHAMPIONSHIPS

admin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 06:34:22 +0000

The first-ever National AAU Freestyle Judo Championships was held Nov. 28 in Kearney, Missouri. Kenney and Michelle Brink put on an outstanding event, and even in spite of the meet being held on Thanksgiving weekend (the only weekend we could get the facility) a really good group of both athletes and spectators showed up. Almost 100 athletes from 12 states competed in both the gi and no gi categories.
As John Saylor once described the rules of freestyle judo; “This is judo the way it ought to be done.” This phrase was repeated by many people over and over all day at the tournament. It was really a lot of fun with skillful, aggressive judo. We saw plenty of Ippons from throws, but the athletes had time to work effective groundfighting skills as well. The new IJF judo rules don’t affect freestyle judo (or AAU Judo in general for that matter) and it showed in the aggressive action throughout the tournament. It was good to see was a good cross-section of judo athletes, Brazilian jujitsu athletes, wrestlers and submission grapplers who all competed under a common set of rules that didn’t favor anyone. One coach came up to me after the tournament and said; “I love these rules!”
If you want to see photos from this event, or look at the rules of freestyle judo, go to www.WelcomeMatDojo.com and go to the Freestyle Judo page. Many thanks to the referees (who worked overtime and refereed a lot of matches), tournament volunteers and staff and everyone who helped in making this event a success, especially the athletes, coaches, parents and spectators who attended.
To those who are skeptical, and even critical, of Freestyle Judo, I ask you to have an open mind and come to the 2010 AAU Freestyle Judo Nationals and give this approach to the rules of judo a fair chance. These rules balance out judo and make it so that the sport isn’t so “top heavy.” Those who are critical of judo for an over-emphasis on throws and neglecting groundfighting won’t say that when they see this approach to the sport. And those who consider themselves “traditional” and want to see skillful judo (both standing and on the mat) will be pleased as well. Both throws and newaza (groundfighting) get equal respect, making for a skillful, all-action approach to judo. The 2010 National AAU Freestyle Judo Championships is planned for May 22 in Kearney, Missouri and we hope to see you there.

Freestyle Clinic Video and Photos

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 19:53:47 +0000

Recently, Steve Scott and Kenney Brink put on a Freestyle Judo Clinic at OKCDT in Oklahoma City. It was a great clinic, below is a video from the clinic. For more videos on techniques and photos from the clinic, see OKCDT Judo’s site.

2009 Freestyle Judo Clinic from JM Darter on Vimeo.

Freestyle Judo Featured On Podcast

admin — Sun, 24 May 2009 20:13:25 +0000

The folks at JudoJabber have published a podcast with Steve Scott on Freestyle Judo! If you want to learn more about it, follow the link and you can listen to it directly from the page, or you can subscribe to their podcast in iTunes or other podcast feeds.

Freestyle Judo’s Purpose

admin — Sun, 24 May 2009 18:15:33 +0000

By Steve Scott

Some people have asked what the purpose of freestyle judo. Freestyle judo adds another dimension to competitive judo, plain and simple. It doesn’t replace the existing rules of sport judo as set forth by the IJF, but simply adds another avenue of opportunity for judo athletes.

In exactly the same way folk style, freestyle and greco-roman wrestling have specific rule differences and aims, freestyle and IJF rules in the sport of judo perform the same function. Wrestling is wrestling, no matter what the rules are and the success of American wrestlers in world and Olympic competition bears out the fact that college wrestlers quickly adapt to the international (freestyle and greco) rules of wrestling. I’ve thought for some time; why not in judo as well? Good judo is good judo, and offering judo athletes more opportunities to develop their abilities in competition; the better for them and the better for judo. Competition breeds a better product and freestyle judo offers another opportunity for athletes to compete and excel.

Freestyle judo’s rules encourage athletes to use all the skills of judo placing equal emphasis on tachi waza and newaza. The Ippon is retained, but points are awarded instead of yuko and waza-ari. Points are awarded for active and aggressive ground fighting and athletes who lay on their faces and avoid action in newaza are treated the same as those who are overly defensive in standing judo situations. In other words, freestyle judo offers a lot of ways for any athlete to score points on an opponent and have them objectively evaluated.

Another feature of freestyle judo is the way the officials conduct the match. The center referee is assisted by the two mat judges who are allowed to move about the edge of the mat to get a better view df the action. Allowing the mat judges to do this enables them to get the best view possible of all the action during the match and assist the center referee in making accurate, fair and objective calls during the course of the match.

When I hosted the first freestyle judo event in October, 2008 with the assistance of Mike Thomas at his judo tournament in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, the intent wasn’t to replace the current rules of judo or develop a new “style” of judo. Freestyle judo is simply judo competition using points (and retaining the Ippon) and allowing judo athletes to fully use all the skills of judo, both standing and in groundfighting.

New Division Added to AAU Judo

admin — Sat, 23 May 2009 18:40:32 +0000

Freestyle Judo has been added to AAU Judo as a new and distinctive form of competition within the existing framework.

The three basic enhancements are:

1. The existing Ippon (instant victory) by either forceful throw or submission
(chokes or arm locks) will be maintained.

2. Numerical cumulative scores can be earned by throws of less than Ippon, hold downs of various length or various specified ground fighting advantage. Matches can also end by attaining a pre-determined point discrepancy. If the match goes the full time, the competitor with the highest total numerical score is the winner.

3. Competition using a full judo uniform (pants, jacket, belt) as well as competition without a jacket or belt will be established. The no jacket divisions will require
t-shirt, sweat shirt or rash guard equipment.

Tournaments have been held in the Missouri Valley District with an AAU National Free Style Judo Championship being planned for the fall. Also, a regional competition is being planned for Wisconsin in September.

Please note that rules are still in the developmental stages and will soon be available at www.aaujudo.org. For additional information on the new AAU Judo – Free Style Division, please contact either Norman Miller via phone at (414) 354-1898 or Steve Scott via phone at (816) 210-4484.