The Hill Sports Academy is the best place in Canberra if you want to train and compete in Judo, BJJ and Kickboxing as well as running Crossfit classes 6 days a week.
Check it out at http://www.hillsportsacademy.com/
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Hill Sports Academy
The Hill Sports Academy is the best place in Canberra if you want to train and compete in Judo, BJJ and Kickboxing as well as running Crossfit classes 6 days a week.
Check it out at http://www.hillsportsacademy.com/
Friday, July 30, 2010
Judo and the new rules - My perspective
Obviously in the Judo community there has been a huge uproar in the changing of Judo rules regarding leg grabs, pickups and Russian style techniques. I have travelled all around the world and experienced different styles of Judo, from the traditional Japanese judo, the Russian pickup style of judo and even the weird Mongolian and Kazakhstan styles as well.
I read the Judoforum.com maybe once or twice a week and there are constant threads about the new rules and people who just keep on complaining about how Judo isn’t a martial art anymore and how we are excluding grappling techniques that aren’t necessarily used in only judo but also in various forms of wrestling.
For a while I was very against the new rules of Judo due to the fact that it clashed with my own style of Judo that I have been doing for so long. Although recently I have travelled to Taipei, Rotterdam, Samoa as well as Brazil and now in Japan and I think the new rules have been great for the sport for multiple reasons.
I have participated in many training camps over the last few months and have noticed that a lot of the top judo guys who used to do pickups and leg grabs (and now cant) are still here doing judo and still performing at a top international level e.g. Tsaagaanbaatar (MON) despite that fact that their main techniques have been banned.
Although I am also aware of a few competitors who have suffered immensely such as Brazils 2 X world Champ Derly BRA 66kg. Who, to my understanding is not to highly ranked in Brazil anymore.
Due to me being in Japan and having a lot of time on my hands I have been doing a lot of thinking regarding other sports who have changed rules for various reasons.
Taekwondo
A few years ago in competitive Taekwondo competitors were able to punch to the head. But what tended to happen was amateur boxers would enter the tournament block all kicks to the head, come in close and knock fellow competitors out. The pure essence of Taekwondo is their amazing kicking skills, but due to the way the sport went spectators were not seeing spectacular kicks they were seeing a boxing match.
So by banning punching to the head the more complete taekwondo fighter using the very essence of the sport would more often than not win the match.
By changing the rules they could keep the essence of the sport alive so that when people came and watched they would watch Taekwondo's amazing kicks not just a boxing match.
In my opinion yes they were taking out an effective attack in a punch to the head but to keep the essence and spirit of the sport alive, I see no problem with the change.
Rugby League & Rugby union
Rugby league and rugby union at first can look very similar and for a long time they were similar especially when the Scrum in rugby league was contested. It would collapse and they would start over. Very similar to Rugby union.
But by not contesting the scrum onlookers would hopefully be able to see the difference between league and Union.
In the end one major aspect of the game of rugby union is the contested scrums and rucks, while in League it isn’t a huge part of the game. By eliminating contested scrums league and union could stay different.
I see nothing wrong with this.
Brazilian Jujitsu.
It is my understanding that in BJJ once you throw or perform a takedown you must then engage on the ground, if you don’t you may lose a point.
These rules are in place so that the throwing sports such as judo and wrestling cannot come in and (due to superior stand up) throw and break away, throw and break away. If these rules were allowed the essence of BJJ wouldn’t be there. The fundamental nature of competitive BJJ is the ground game. Without the ground game what is it? Is a Judo or wrestling match. But by keeping these rules you are keeping the essence of the sport alive.
Imagine going to a BJJ comp and all you saw was stand up and no ground work. Same as imagine going to judo and all you saw was ground work and no standing fighting. It’s not what the 'Sport' is.
Judo
What makes Judo...Judo? Is it the Gi? Is it the throws? Is it the Japanese names?
In my opinion Judo is the most superior unarmed Martial art as well as sport. It has all the making of real world self defence as well as a sport.
For example in Judo the fight starts standing and in most cases the ground game is well and done after no more than 1 minute. I have never heard of a street fight or a fight in a pub where both fighters were wrestling on the ground for 10 minutes and the fight finishing with an omaplata from rubber guard.
What makes Judo unique is the techniques we use that are used in our sport.
Imagine if at a judo competition all you saw was double and single leg takedowns, fireman’s carries and bear hug kosotos, (would you think you were at a judo or wrestling tournament.) Yes, I know they are all legitimate judo techniques but are they unique to judo, so when someone saw judo match and a wrestling match they could see a difference.
Imagine coming to a Judo competition and all you saw was uchimata, tai otoshi, seoi nage and foot sweeps and then going to watch freestyle wrestling and seeing mostly doubles and singles but sometimes an uchimata and foot sweep. You would be able to easily note the difference between the two sports.
That is what the international judo federation is trying to achieve with the rule change.
In my opinion there is nothing wrong with trying to keep Judo unique.
Another example is from firsthand experience at a few training camps around the world. For a long time Georgia’s Khergiani has been the number 1 in their country and consistently placing at various top level tournaments for the past 10 years. His style of judo was a bent over wrestling style posture and the only techniques he ever used were a fireman’s carry (kata guruma), pickups and an occasional drop seoi nage (shoulder throw).
Now the new rules have come in and I don’t know is he has retired or is injured or is not number one anymore but now Georgia have 2 new judo players in 60s. Asumbani and Papinashvilli, both these guys are a complete contrast to Khergiani. These guys both have huge uchimatas, tai othoshis and seoi nages. These guys are showcasing the stereotypical 'judo' techniques while their predecessor was showcasing more wrestling styles of judo and in my opinion the new style is a lot better than the old style.
In the end I see nothing wrong with the new rule change because it will keep judo unique in the eyes of spectators as well as competitors.
Another quick example I have which is completely unrelated is from my favourite author David Gemmell. He wrote medieval fantasy novels that were fantastic. He only once wrote a suspense mystery novel under an alias (different name.) When asked why the name change Gemmell said that when people pick up a David Gemmell they are expecting a medieval fantasy novel, if they pick up a Gemmell and its a murder mystery they will be disappointed as that is not what a Gemmell novel usually is.
I thought this was interesting as he was willing to change his famous writing name to keep his fans from being disappointed because Gemmell is a fantasy novelist not a murder author. Eg Gemmell wants people to pick a Gemmell and get a fantasy novel the same way when you come to judo you want to see Judo, you dont want to see a wrestling match.
I just thought i would write from my perspective what i thought about the new rules. This is due to the fact that i have see alot of styles of Judo all over the world and since being in Japan it has really driven home to me what 'judo' techniques really are.
Feel free to comment or email me at matthewdaquino@yahoo.com
Catch ya
Matt
I read the Judoforum.com maybe once or twice a week and there are constant threads about the new rules and people who just keep on complaining about how Judo isn’t a martial art anymore and how we are excluding grappling techniques that aren’t necessarily used in only judo but also in various forms of wrestling.For a while I was very against the new rules of Judo due to the fact that it clashed with my own style of Judo that I have been doing for so long. Although recently I have travelled to Taipei, Rotterdam, Samoa as well as Brazil and now in Japan and I think the new rules have been great for the sport for multiple reasons.
I have participated in many training camps over the last few months and have noticed that a lot of the top judo guys who used to do pickups and leg grabs (and now cant) are still here doing judo and still performing at a top international level e.g. Tsaagaanbaatar (MON) despite that fact that their main techniques have been banned.
Although I am also aware of a few competitors who have suffered immensely such as Brazils 2 X world Champ Derly BRA 66kg. Who, to my understanding is not to highly ranked in Brazil anymore.
Due to me being in Japan and having a lot of time on my hands I have been doing a lot of thinking regarding other sports who have changed rules for various reasons.
Taekwondo
A few years ago in competitive Taekwondo competitors were able to punch to the head. But what tended to happen was amateur boxers would enter the tournament block all kicks to the head, come in close and knock fellow competitors out. The pure essence of Taekwondo is their amazing kicking skills, but due to the way the sport went spectators were not seeing spectacular kicks they were seeing a boxing match.So by banning punching to the head the more complete taekwondo fighter using the very essence of the sport would more often than not win the match.
By changing the rules they could keep the essence of the sport alive so that when people came and watched they would watch Taekwondo's amazing kicks not just a boxing match.
In my opinion yes they were taking out an effective attack in a punch to the head but to keep the essence and spirit of the sport alive, I see no problem with the change.
Rugby League & Rugby union
Rugby league and rugby union at first can look very similar and for a long time they were similar especially when the Scrum in rugby league was contested. It would collapse and they would start over. Very similar to Rugby union. But by not contesting the scrum onlookers would hopefully be able to see the difference between league and Union.
In the end one major aspect of the game of rugby union is the contested scrums and rucks, while in League it isn’t a huge part of the game. By eliminating contested scrums league and union could stay different.
I see nothing wrong with this.
Brazilian Jujitsu.
It is my understanding that in BJJ once you throw or perform a takedown you must then engage on the ground, if you don’t you may lose a point. These rules are in place so that the throwing sports such as judo and wrestling cannot come in and (due to superior stand up) throw and break away, throw and break away. If these rules were allowed the essence of BJJ wouldn’t be there. The fundamental nature of competitive BJJ is the ground game. Without the ground game what is it? Is a Judo or wrestling match. But by keeping these rules you are keeping the essence of the sport alive.
Imagine going to a BJJ comp and all you saw was stand up and no ground work. Same as imagine going to judo and all you saw was ground work and no standing fighting. It’s not what the 'Sport' is.
Judo
What makes Judo...Judo? Is it the Gi? Is it the throws? Is it the Japanese names?
In my opinion Judo is the most superior unarmed Martial art as well as sport. It has all the making of real world self defence as well as a sport.
For example in Judo the fight starts standing and in most cases the ground game is well and done after no more than 1 minute. I have never heard of a street fight or a fight in a pub where both fighters were wrestling on the ground for 10 minutes and the fight finishing with an omaplata from rubber guard.
What makes Judo unique is the techniques we use that are used in our sport.
Imagine if at a judo competition all you saw was double and single leg takedowns, fireman’s carries and bear hug kosotos, (would you think you were at a judo or wrestling tournament.) Yes, I know they are all legitimate judo techniques but are they unique to judo, so when someone saw judo match and a wrestling match they could see a difference.
Imagine coming to a Judo competition and all you saw was uchimata, tai otoshi, seoi nage and foot sweeps and then going to watch freestyle wrestling and seeing mostly doubles and singles but sometimes an uchimata and foot sweep. You would be able to easily note the difference between the two sports.
That is what the international judo federation is trying to achieve with the rule change.
In my opinion there is nothing wrong with trying to keep Judo unique.
Another example is from firsthand experience at a few training camps around the world. For a long time Georgia’s Khergiani has been the number 1 in their country and consistently placing at various top level tournaments for the past 10 years. His style of judo was a bent over wrestling style posture and the only techniques he ever used were a fireman’s carry (kata guruma), pickups and an occasional drop seoi nage (shoulder throw).
Now the new rules have come in and I don’t know is he has retired or is injured or is not number one anymore but now Georgia have 2 new judo players in 60s. Asumbani and Papinashvilli, both these guys are a complete contrast to Khergiani. These guys both have huge uchimatas, tai othoshis and seoi nages. These guys are showcasing the stereotypical 'judo' techniques while their predecessor was showcasing more wrestling styles of judo and in my opinion the new style is a lot better than the old style.
In the end I see nothing wrong with the new rule change because it will keep judo unique in the eyes of spectators as well as competitors.
Another quick example I have which is completely unrelated is from my favourite author David Gemmell. He wrote medieval fantasy novels that were fantastic. He only once wrote a suspense mystery novel under an alias (different name.) When asked why the name change Gemmell said that when people pick up a David Gemmell they are expecting a medieval fantasy novel, if they pick up a Gemmell and its a murder mystery they will be disappointed as that is not what a Gemmell novel usually is.
I thought this was interesting as he was willing to change his famous writing name to keep his fans from being disappointed because Gemmell is a fantasy novelist not a murder author. Eg Gemmell wants people to pick a Gemmell and get a fantasy novel the same way when you come to judo you want to see Judo, you dont want to see a wrestling match.
I just thought i would write from my perspective what i thought about the new rules. This is due to the fact that i have see alot of styles of Judo all over the world and since being in Japan it has really driven home to me what 'judo' techniques really are.
Feel free to comment or email me at matthewdaquino@yahoo.com
Catch ya
Matt
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Grappling injury - Jersey Finger
What is it?
A jersey finger is an injury to one of the the finger tendons. Typically, an athlete will sustain a jersey finger while participating in tackling sports such as Rugby, Judo or BJJ. The injuries are usually sustained while an athlete is grasping a player's jersey (when attempting a tackle in rugby) or during intense grip fighting in Judo and BJJ.
The injury usually ovccurs when a finger becomes stuck in the gi or jersey and then having the material being quickly ripped away.
A jersey finger is an injury to the flexor tendon of the finger. The flexor tendon
pulls the finger down into the palm as you contract the flexor muscles of the forearm. The injury occurs at the tip of the finger, and typically the tendon snaps back to the base of the finger or even into the palm of the hand.
Symptoms of a Jersey Finger
An athlete who has sustained a jersey finger will be unable to bend the finger down into the palm of the hand. This is usually an obvious injury as the fingers normally rest in a partly flexed position. If you set your hand on the table at rest, the normal posture of the hand is a position similar to if you were to be holding a glass. The reason is that the tendons flexing (bending) and extending (straightening) your finger are balanced. Therefore the finger assumes this partly bent position. When the flexor tendon is injured, the finger will straighten excessively at rest. At rest, patients with a jersey finger will notice one finger straightened out unexpectedly.
Treatment of a Jersey Finger
There are a few different ways you can treat jersey finger depending on how bad a tear you have sustained. If you have completely torn the tendon then surgery is the best option to repaid the injury.
If you have only suffered a sprain or slight tear you may be able to tape your finger to prevent the finger from fully flexing and fully straightening. You may also want to ‘buddy tape’ your fingers (meaning you tape the injured finger to the finger next to it) and this will help the finger not become stuck in the gi or jumper while applying a technique.
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/fingerconditions/qt/jersey.htm
For more Grappling injuries visit my grappling injuries page on the right.
A jersey finger is an injury to one of the the finger tendons. Typically, an athlete will sustain a jersey finger while participating in tackling sports such as Rugby, Judo or BJJ. The injuries are usually sustained while an athlete is grasping a player's jersey (when attempting a tackle in rugby) or during intense grip fighting in Judo and BJJ.
The injury usually ovccurs when a finger becomes stuck in the gi or jersey and then having the material being quickly ripped away.
A jersey finger is an injury to the flexor tendon of the finger. The flexor tendon
pulls the finger down into the palm as you contract the flexor muscles of the forearm. The injury occurs at the tip of the finger, and typically the tendon snaps back to the base of the finger or even into the palm of the hand. Symptoms of a Jersey Finger
An athlete who has sustained a jersey finger will be unable to bend the finger down into the palm of the hand. This is usually an obvious injury as the fingers normally rest in a partly flexed position. If you set your hand on the table at rest, the normal posture of the hand is a position similar to if you were to be holding a glass. The reason is that the tendons flexing (bending) and extending (straightening) your finger are balanced. Therefore the finger assumes this partly bent position. When the flexor tendon is injured, the finger will straighten excessively at rest. At rest, patients with a jersey finger will notice one finger straightened out unexpectedly.
Treatment of a Jersey Finger
There are a few different ways you can treat jersey finger depending on how bad a tear you have sustained. If you have completely torn the tendon then surgery is the best option to repaid the injury.
If you have only suffered a sprain or slight tear you may be able to tape your finger to prevent the finger from fully flexing and fully straightening. You may also want to ‘buddy tape’ your fingers (meaning you tape the injured finger to the finger next to it) and this will help the finger not become stuck in the gi or jumper while applying a technique.http://orthopedics.about.com/od/fingerconditions/qt/jersey.htm
For more Grappling injuries visit my grappling injuries page on the right.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Nearly finished in Japan
Still in Japan and my training has been going fantastic. I always love coming to japan to live and train. I've been here for just over five weeks now and will be coming home at the end of this week.
My training at Tsukuba university has finished up now so I have been doing a lot of gym work, cardio and a lot of visualization. I'm a massive fan of visualization and this trip in particular I have done a fair heap of it and I really believe it has helped me mentally prepare for my next comp in three weeks time
Throughout the trip I have had a lot of trouble sleeping , but I talked my state institutes sport psyche and she gave me some really good tips on how to sleep better and I have taken some of these on board as part of my prep as well.
I'm feeling really fit and strong and my judo has improved so much since being here and I think this has got to do with a couple of things.
Firstly being in japan u are away from home and work and uni and u can spend every minute of ur day thinking, analysing and disecting judo and the different aspects u mist work on in order to improve.
Secondly the fact that you are fighting the best technical guys in the world. If you saw some of these guys in the gym you would notice that a lot of them aren't monsters lifting huge weights, but get them on the mat and due to their technical ability they are strong agile and hard to fight. The only down side is u may draw a european in a comp who IS a monster on and off that mat that's why you need both europe and japan as part of preparation and your judo journey.
Lastly I am always fighting guys my weight. As I'm the lightest weight of sixty kilos it is sometimes frustrating to constantly be fighting guys at home who are eighty kilos, its nice to come here and have so many sixty and sixty six kilo guys (it makes me want to stay)
At the moment I am on the bus on the way to mount fuji. My wife and I are going to walk to the top, its going to be an experience that's for sure. As most people know judo, like in life, there are challenges and obstacles to overcome. My challenge over the past year has been the obvious change in judo rules and the clash they had with my pickup style of judo as well as me starting full time university. there is a quote that when I heard thought was amazing.
Sir edmund hillary the new zealand fellow who was the first man to climb to the summit of mount everest, he had tried to reach the summit on two or three separate occasions on the latest time he tried and failed he is said to have look up at the mountain and said that You (mount everest) cannot get any bigger....but I can.
He then went on to climbing and reaching the summit on the next attempt thus making history as well as his achieving his personal dream.
I feel that this quote really talks to me, I have tried to reach the goal of winning a medal at the olympics or world champs and have failed twice at the worlds (last year was miserable) and the =olympics, well I dunno how to get out of the throw he threw me with, but like edmund hillary I have grown since then. I've become a different fighter than I was before, different in a good way. Different in a way where I will succeed opposed to getting close but not close enough.
So I'm gonna climb mount fuji, I'm going to imagine I'm sir edmund and overcome everything and become victorious and what I want to in judo and in life.
I can do anything through christ who strengthens me, (cant remember where in the bible it says that. ) phil 4 13.
that's all from me
matt
Beyondgrappling.com
My training at Tsukuba university has finished up now so I have been doing a lot of gym work, cardio and a lot of visualization. I'm a massive fan of visualization and this trip in particular I have done a fair heap of it and I really believe it has helped me mentally prepare for my next comp in three weeks time
Throughout the trip I have had a lot of trouble sleeping , but I talked my state institutes sport psyche and she gave me some really good tips on how to sleep better and I have taken some of these on board as part of my prep as well.
I'm feeling really fit and strong and my judo has improved so much since being here and I think this has got to do with a couple of things.
Firstly being in japan u are away from home and work and uni and u can spend every minute of ur day thinking, analysing and disecting judo and the different aspects u mist work on in order to improve.
Secondly the fact that you are fighting the best technical guys in the world. If you saw some of these guys in the gym you would notice that a lot of them aren't monsters lifting huge weights, but get them on the mat and due to their technical ability they are strong agile and hard to fight. The only down side is u may draw a european in a comp who IS a monster on and off that mat that's why you need both europe and japan as part of preparation and your judo journey.
Lastly I am always fighting guys my weight. As I'm the lightest weight of sixty kilos it is sometimes frustrating to constantly be fighting guys at home who are eighty kilos, its nice to come here and have so many sixty and sixty six kilo guys (it makes me want to stay)
At the moment I am on the bus on the way to mount fuji. My wife and I are going to walk to the top, its going to be an experience that's for sure. As most people know judo, like in life, there are challenges and obstacles to overcome. My challenge over the past year has been the obvious change in judo rules and the clash they had with my pickup style of judo as well as me starting full time university. there is a quote that when I heard thought was amazing.Sir edmund hillary the new zealand fellow who was the first man to climb to the summit of mount everest, he had tried to reach the summit on two or three separate occasions on the latest time he tried and failed he is said to have look up at the mountain and said that You (mount everest) cannot get any bigger....but I can.
He then went on to climbing and reaching the summit on the next attempt thus making history as well as his achieving his personal dream.
I feel that this quote really talks to me, I have tried to reach the goal of winning a medal at the olympics or world champs and have failed twice at the worlds (last year was miserable) and the =olympics, well I dunno how to get out of the throw he threw me with, but like edmund hillary I have grown since then. I've become a different fighter than I was before, different in a good way. Different in a way where I will succeed opposed to getting close but not close enough.
So I'm gonna climb mount fuji, I'm going to imagine I'm sir edmund and overcome everything and become victorious and what I want to in judo and in life.
I can do anything through christ who strengthens me, (cant remember where in the bible it says that. ) phil 4 13.
that's all from me
matt
Beyondgrappling.com
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Pic of the Week - Champions
“Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision.” Muhammad Ali
Friday, July 23, 2010
Attacks from the turtle position
Here is a video i made a while ago that contains 3 attacks from when you are in the turtle position. The turtle position happens alot in the Judo ground game and if you have a few attacks from this position you wont be to worried if you end up in this position while fighting.
Not at all a self defence move but and i also apologise in advance for the mismatched coloured gis, i have since despised the odd coloured combos and you will only ever see me in a full blue or white gi.
Not at all a self defence move but and i also apologise in advance for the mismatched coloured gis, i have since despised the odd coloured combos and you will only ever see me in a full blue or white gi.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Work hard..Proverbs 12.24
"Work hard and become a leader, be lazy and never succeed." (Proverbs 12:24)
Pic of the week - Huge Seoi
A huge Ipppn Seoi nage performed at the Paris Grand Slam earlier this year, thanks to topjudo.com for the photo.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Closed Guard
Sometimes referred to as full guard. The closed guard is the typical guard position. The legs are hooked behind the back of the opponent, preventing them from standing up or moving away. The opponent needs to open the legs up to be able to improve positioning. The bottom combatant might transition between the open and closed guard, as the open guard allows for better movement, but also increased risk in the opponent passing the guard.
The guard game is one of the major differences between BJJ and Judo competition. In judo the guard is rarely played (mostly due to referee stoppage) or due to the fact that once judo players get to this position they cease to attack therefore the referee will stop the fight.
There are endless options from within a closed guard but i decided to add in a video of a basic gaurd pass.
The guard game is one of the major differences between BJJ and Judo competition. In judo the guard is rarely played (mostly due to referee stoppage) or due to the fact that once judo players get to this position they cease to attack therefore the referee will stop the fight.
There are endless options from within a closed guard but i decided to add in a video of a basic gaurd pass.
The Judo Podcast
A few weeks ago i was interviewed by the guys at thejudopodcast.com. Gene Shin and Mike Daretr are founders of the site and were interested in taalking to me about my Beyond Grappling site here as well as my experience as a competitive fighter for Australia.
We talked about the intergration of BJJ into judo and Judo into BJJ as well as how and where australia is going in terms of junior development.
I was a bit nervous to do the interview and after listneing to it definetly could have answered some questions better and i forgot to mention Hitoshi Kimura who helped organise my trip to Tsukuba and has been a great help for me at the last few national raining camps as well.
I found (because im a bit of a talker) i didnt want to mumble too much, especially with the Aussie accent, i tried to talk clearly and to the point and in doing so stuffed up a bit.
But anyway have a listen and id like to thank the guys at the judo podcast for having me on their show.
For people who are ineterested in anything to do with judo, whether it be the traditional stuff, competitive or you just love the sport the judo podcast has some great interviews with many famous people such as jimmy pedro and nicholas gill talking about relevant issues regarding judo.
to listen to my pocast click here
http://thejudopodcast.com/?p=824
We talked about the intergration of BJJ into judo and Judo into BJJ as well as how and where australia is going in terms of junior development.
I was a bit nervous to do the interview and after listneing to it definetly could have answered some questions better and i forgot to mention Hitoshi Kimura who helped organise my trip to Tsukuba and has been a great help for me at the last few national raining camps as well.
I found (because im a bit of a talker) i didnt want to mumble too much, especially with the Aussie accent, i tried to talk clearly and to the point and in doing so stuffed up a bit.
But anyway have a listen and id like to thank the guys at the judo podcast for having me on their show.
For people who are ineterested in anything to do with judo, whether it be the traditional stuff, competitive or you just love the sport the judo podcast has some great interviews with many famous people such as jimmy pedro and nicholas gill talking about relevant issues regarding judo.
to listen to my pocast click here
http://thejudopodcast.com/?p=824
Grappling Injury - Cauliflower Ears
Someone asked me the other day what a cauliflower ear is. Many people get a cauliflower ear from the constant hitting and rubbing on the ear from doing judo, bjj, wrestling or sticking your head in a rugby scrum.
A Cauliflower ear is simply a bruise (or hematoma) that doesn't heal. Your ear is made up of cartilage and when you get a hit or knock to the ear blood enters you ear and becomes stuck in between the cartilage. If the blood cannot drain and get out of the ear then it will set and go hard.
As the blood in the ear starts going hard the cartilage will start to shrivel and fold a little bit which is why the ear looks similar to a cauliflower. The pic below is before i got my ear drained by a syringe.
The doctor will put a local anesthetic on your ear and then stick a syringe in and suck out all the blood that's stuck in there. If you do this straight away before the cartilage is damaged then your ear will remain the same. If you don't drain is straight away the blood will go hard, once this happens you are unable to drain the blood out and the only way to fix it is to get an operation.
Many people believe that you get a cauliflower from 1 hit, but that is very rare. M,ost players get their caulis from training 6 days a week and the ears are constantly getting hit and bumped, hence why the more experienced and serious judo players get caulis while the recreational stay happy as larry.
You can wear some headgear called cauli stoppers to prevent a cauli ear (but who wants to wear headgear forever?)
http://www.grapplingstore.com/contents/en-uk/d273.html
The headgear is great but in the end if you train all the time at a high intensity you will probably get a cauli somewhere on your ear.
Here is my ear after it was drained a few times but because i kept on training my ear kept refilling with blood and was getting semi hard. The Dr said that he couldn't pierce my ear with the syringe so you can see where he cut it with a knife to remove the blood.
If you look at the above picture and then the picture below you can see how the ear has kind of shrivelled a little bit and has a weird shape about it. That's what happens when the cartilage dies.
So my ears are a little strange and mostly i they don't really get noticed by people very often which is ok but if i go into primary schools or do a few tours at the AIS kids notice straight away because if they don't know you they study everything about you and pick up on it pretty quick.
A Cauliflower ear is simply a bruise (or hematoma) that doesn't heal. Your ear is made up of cartilage and when you get a hit or knock to the ear blood enters you ear and becomes stuck in between the cartilage. If the blood cannot drain and get out of the ear then it will set and go hard.
As the blood in the ear starts going hard the cartilage will start to shrivel and fold a little bit which is why the ear looks similar to a cauliflower. The pic below is before i got my ear drained by a syringe.
The doctor will put a local anesthetic on your ear and then stick a syringe in and suck out all the blood that's stuck in there. If you do this straight away before the cartilage is damaged then your ear will remain the same. If you don't drain is straight away the blood will go hard, once this happens you are unable to drain the blood out and the only way to fix it is to get an operation.
Many people believe that you get a cauliflower from 1 hit, but that is very rare. M,ost players get their caulis from training 6 days a week and the ears are constantly getting hit and bumped, hence why the more experienced and serious judo players get caulis while the recreational stay happy as larry.
You can wear some headgear called cauli stoppers to prevent a cauli ear (but who wants to wear headgear forever?)
http://www.grapplingstore.com/contents/en-uk/d273.html
The headgear is great but in the end if you train all the time at a high intensity you will probably get a cauli somewhere on your ear.
Here is my ear after it was drained a few times but because i kept on training my ear kept refilling with blood and was getting semi hard. The Dr said that he couldn't pierce my ear with the syringe so you can see where he cut it with a knife to remove the blood.
If you look at the above picture and then the picture below you can see how the ear has kind of shrivelled a little bit and has a weird shape about it. That's what happens when the cartilage dies.
So my ears are a little strange and mostly i they don't really get noticed by people very often which is ok but if i go into primary schools or do a few tours at the AIS kids notice straight away because if they don't know you they study everything about you and pick up on it pretty quick.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Female Aussie wrestlers compete at Games
No matter what the result, Australian wrestlers will make history at October's Delhi Commonwealth Games.
A 20-strong team unveiled on Tuesday includes the first Australian female wrestlers to compete at the Commonwealth Games.
And NSW's Shane Parker, 22, will become the first indigenous wrestler to compete for Australia at the Games when he contests the program's new addition - the men's Greco Roman discipline
Two years after becoming the first Australian female wrestler to contest an Olympics, Sydney doctor Kyla Bremner, 33, will head a six-strong women's contingent in India.
Bremner (51kg freestyle division), will again make a little history in Delhi along with Emily Bensted (55kg), Carli Renzi (59kg), Louise Randle (63kg), Emma Chalmers (67kg) and Cassie Fields (72kg).
Since the Games' inception in 1930, only men had contested wrestling.
Every member of the 20-strong Australian team except for two-time Olympian Cory O'Brien (66kg Greco Roman class) will make their Commonwealth Games debut.
It will be the third Commonwealth Games in the 38-year-old O'Brien's impressive 17-year international career.
Competing alongside O'Brien in the new Greco Roman division will be Parker (55kg), Masoud Sadeghpour (60kg), Iranian-born Beijing Olympian Hassan Shahsavan (74kg), Gene Kapaufs (84kg), Ivan Popov (120kg) and Hassene Fkiri (96kg) who represented Tunisia at the Sydney Games.
NSW's Justin Holland, 17, will be the youngest member of the Australian wrestling team.
Holland (55kg) will compete in the freestyle division with Victorian brothers Farzad Tarash (60kg) and Mehrdad Tarash (66kg), Kostya Ermakovich (74kg), Gene Kapaufs (84kg), Denis Roberts (120kg) and Bilal Abdo (96kg), elder brother of three-time Olympic wrestler Ali Abdo.
Australia have won 13 wrestling gold medals since 1930 - but not since the 1978 Edmonton Games when Zsigmond Kelevitz took out the 68kg division.
© 2010 AAP
A 20-strong team unveiled on Tuesday includes the first Australian female wrestlers to compete at the Commonwealth Games.
And NSW's Shane Parker, 22, will become the first indigenous wrestler to compete for Australia at the Games when he contests the program's new addition - the men's Greco Roman discipline
Two years after becoming the first Australian female wrestler to contest an Olympics, Sydney doctor Kyla Bremner, 33, will head a six-strong women's contingent in India.
Bremner (51kg freestyle division), will again make a little history in Delhi along with Emily Bensted (55kg), Carli Renzi (59kg), Louise Randle (63kg), Emma Chalmers (67kg) and Cassie Fields (72kg).
Since the Games' inception in 1930, only men had contested wrestling.
Every member of the 20-strong Australian team except for two-time Olympian Cory O'Brien (66kg Greco Roman class) will make their Commonwealth Games debut.
It will be the third Commonwealth Games in the 38-year-old O'Brien's impressive 17-year international career.
Competing alongside O'Brien in the new Greco Roman division will be Parker (55kg), Masoud Sadeghpour (60kg), Iranian-born Beijing Olympian Hassan Shahsavan (74kg), Gene Kapaufs (84kg), Ivan Popov (120kg) and Hassene Fkiri (96kg) who represented Tunisia at the Sydney Games.
NSW's Justin Holland, 17, will be the youngest member of the Australian wrestling team.
Holland (55kg) will compete in the freestyle division with Victorian brothers Farzad Tarash (60kg) and Mehrdad Tarash (66kg), Kostya Ermakovich (74kg), Gene Kapaufs (84kg), Denis Roberts (120kg) and Bilal Abdo (96kg), elder brother of three-time Olympic wrestler Ali Abdo.
Australia have won 13 wrestling gold medals since 1930 - but not since the 1978 Edmonton Games when Zsigmond Kelevitz took out the 68kg division.
© 2010 AAP
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Athlete Profile - Jeon Ki-Young
Jeon Ki-young is a South Korean judo legend who is universally considered the sport's greatest middleweight competitor, as well as one of the greatest judoka of all time.
Jeon has won three consecutive world championships (1993, 1995, 1997), twice beating the Japanese judo legend Hidehiko Yoshida in dramatic fashion in the finals, including once in Yoshida's home court in Japan. He has also won six world cup titles.
The crowning moment in Jeon's judo career came in winning the gold medal in the men's middleweight division at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, U.S. He defeated Armen Bagdasarov of Uzbekistan in the final match by ippon. In his march to the gold, Jeon won every match by ippon, except the 1st round match against the Dutch judoka Mark Huizinga, who would go on to dominate the weight once Jeon himself retired.
Jeon retired from competition at a relatively young age of 25 in 1999, citing both knee injuries and an absence of motivation due to lack of competition. He retired undefeated in both Olympic and world championship competition.
Olympic Games
Gold 1996 Atlanta -86 kg
World Championships
Gold 1993 Hamilton -78 kg
Gold 1995 Chiba -86 kg
Gold 1997 Paris -86 kg
Asian Championships
Gold 1995 New Delhi -86 kg
Bronze 1996 Ho Chi Minh -86 kg
East Asian Games
Silver 1997 Busan -86 kg
Jeon has won three consecutive world championships (1993, 1995, 1997), twice beating the Japanese judo legend Hidehiko Yoshida in dramatic fashion in the finals, including once in Yoshida's home court in Japan. He has also won six world cup titles.
The crowning moment in Jeon's judo career came in winning the gold medal in the men's middleweight division at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, U.S. He defeated Armen Bagdasarov of Uzbekistan in the final match by ippon. In his march to the gold, Jeon won every match by ippon, except the 1st round match against the Dutch judoka Mark Huizinga, who would go on to dominate the weight once Jeon himself retired.
Jeon retired from competition at a relatively young age of 25 in 1999, citing both knee injuries and an absence of motivation due to lack of competition. He retired undefeated in both Olympic and world championship competition.Olympic Games
Gold 1996 Atlanta -86 kg
World Championships
Gold 1993 Hamilton -78 kg
Gold 1995 Chiba -86 kg
Gold 1997 Paris -86 kg
Asian Championships
Gold 1995 New Delhi -86 kg
Bronze 1996 Ho Chi Minh -86 kg
East Asian Games
Silver 1997 Busan -86 kg
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Japan
For the past few weeks i have been training at Tsukuba University on Japan. It is the third time ive been to Tsukuba and each time the training has been great. Training is the same most sessions with the same warm ups and usually 10 X 6 minute rounds of Randori.
The first week i was getting throw a bit mainly due to the fact that it was so hot and it was hard to move and breath so i was pretty tired for most the sessions.
The second week i found my rhythm and really started concentrating on differents aspects of each fight, like dont let this guy throw you, control the sleeve etc.
This week i have been on fire really putting my techniques together and putting alot of pressure on the japanese. I have a dang lot of trouble with 2 of the 66kg players Ogura and Tanaka both ranked third in all japan. Ogura i have throw twice one for ippon and another a yuko while Tanaka is seriosuly impossible to even touch. He is super super strong and i cant do anything.
The training has been really good and i feel i have improved immensly. Everytime i have come back from japan i have fought my very best and im pretty sure this time will be no different.
I have been doing judo once a day and the other sessions i have been following my gym program and doing alot of rope pulling on this 35 metre rope we found.
The weather here has been alot better than home and i am not looking forward to the winter when i get back.
Talk soon
Matt
The first week i was getting throw a bit mainly due to the fact that it was so hot and it was hard to move and breath so i was pretty tired for most the sessions.
The second week i found my rhythm and really started concentrating on differents aspects of each fight, like dont let this guy throw you, control the sleeve etc.
This week i have been on fire really putting my techniques together and putting alot of pressure on the japanese. I have a dang lot of trouble with 2 of the 66kg players Ogura and Tanaka both ranked third in all japan. Ogura i have throw twice one for ippon and another a yuko while Tanaka is seriosuly impossible to even touch. He is super super strong and i cant do anything.
The training has been really good and i feel i have improved immensly. Everytime i have come back from japan i have fought my very best and im pretty sure this time will be no different.
I have been doing judo once a day and the other sessions i have been following my gym program and doing alot of rope pulling on this 35 metre rope we found.
The weather here has been alot better than home and i am not looking forward to the winter when i get back.
Talk soon
Matt
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Moscow Grand Slam
Last weekend was the Moscow Grand Slam. It was a huge turn out with all the big names entering the compeition. Oceania had 3 fighters entered, mark anthony from australia as well as sean choi from new zealand and Moira de villiers.
Mark won his first vs a tajikistand but unfortunately lost his second fight to the italian. Choi lost to a fighter from poland and moira lost to a fightre from the Ukraine.
In the -60kg division there was a suprising upset with hirioka from japan losing first round to an unranked fighter Kosseyev from the Kazakstan. Alhough i dont know how he lost he may have accidently grabbed a leg (which he has done in the past.)
Here are some videos of the -60kg division.
Semi final Sobirov vs Verde ITA
Final Sobirov vs Moreoon NED
Final results were
1st Sobirov UZB
2nd Mooren NED
3rd Verde ITA
3rd Dashdavvar MON
5th Galstyan RUS
5th Milfoune FRA
Mark won his first vs a tajikistand but unfortunately lost his second fight to the italian. Choi lost to a fighter from poland and moira lost to a fightre from the Ukraine.
In the -60kg division there was a suprising upset with hirioka from japan losing first round to an unranked fighter Kosseyev from the Kazakstan. Alhough i dont know how he lost he may have accidently grabbed a leg (which he has done in the past.)
Here are some videos of the -60kg division.
Semi final Sobirov vs Verde ITA
Final Sobirov vs Moreoon NED
Final results were
1st Sobirov UZB
2nd Mooren NED
3rd Verde ITA
3rd Dashdavvar MON
5th Galstyan RUS
5th Milfoune FRA
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Pic of the Week - Sumi Gaeshi
Slovenian Rok Draksic throwing with a nice Sumi Gaeshi in the Dusseldorf Grand Prix
Friday, July 2, 2010
Finishing..
For every finish-line tape a runner breaks - complete with the cheers of the crowd and the clicking of hundreds of cameras - there are the hours of hard and often lonely work that rarely gets talked aboutGrete Waitz
Watch the following clip to see how hard these two woman pushed to finish the race.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Athlete Profile - Royler Gracie
Royler Gracie (Born December 6, 1965) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter. He ran the Gracie Humaitá Jiu Jitsu school in Rio de Janiero Brazil for many years under his father Helio's direction, but now currently resides in San Diego, California.
Royler travels around the world teaching seminars, but still finds time to coach some of his Jiu-Jitsu protégé such as Fabricio Camoes, a MMA fighter who trains out of The Arena gym in San Diego, California.
Royler is the brother of the fighters Rickson Gracie, Royce Gracie and Robin Gracie. He is the son of the co-founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Helio Gracie and holds a 6th degree black belt in the style.
Royler Gracie has competed in the black-belt ranks for 20 years. He is the only person to win the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship three consecutive years, and has won the ADCC more times than anyone else. Considered as one of the best technicians in Jiu-Jitsu, Royler had a famous upset in the 2003 ADCC when he lost to Eddie Bravo by triangle choke. Eddie has since withdrawn from any serious grappling competition and the rematch between the two never took place. Royler is a four-time World Jiu Jitsu Champion in the under 67 kg Black Belt Division.
Royler has a professional mixed martial arts record of five wins, four losses and one draw. He is the co-author of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Practice (with Renzo Gracie) and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Submission Grappling Techniques.
Grappling credentials
ADCC World Submission Wrestling Championships:
ADCC record (13 wins -1 loss)
2001 ADCC - Under 66KG: Gold
2000 ADCC - Under 66KG: Gold
CBJJ World Championships:
1999 Black Belt Pena: 1st Place
1998 Black Belt Pena: 1st Place
1997 Black Belt Pena: 1st Place, Black Belt Absolute: 3rd Place
1996 Black Belt Pena: 1st Place
CBJJ Pan American Championships:
1999 Black Belt Pena: 1st Place
1997 Black Belt Pena: 1st Place
I have personally met Royler Gracie and through my sponsor grapplingstore.com had the pleasure of having a private dinner with him at a fancy brazilian restaurant in Sydney. I didnt really know much about Royler but what i found was a down to earth nice happy guy that was if anything rather quiet. We talked about the hassles of making an instructional dvd as well as judo and the respect he has for judokas.
Hopefully i will meet up with him this year at the 2nd Royler Gracie cup.
A Small doco on Royler
Judo Injury - Turf toe
What is a Turf Toe
Turf toe is a condition of pain at the base of the big toe, located at the ball of the foot. The condition is usually caused from either jamming the toe, or pushing off repeatedly when running or jumping. The most common complaint is pain at the base of the toe, but you may also have symptoms of stiffness and swelling.
Causes of Turf Toe:
The name "turf toe" comes from the fact that this injury is especially common among athletes who play on artificial turf. The hard surface of artificial turf, combined with running and jumping in football and soccer. This injury is also common among judo, wrestling and bjj when a particpant either when avoiding a technique or footsweep may stub their toe on either the mat or their opponent.
Effects on the Toe:
When a player sustains a turf toe injury, they are actually tearing the capsule that surrounds the joint at the base of the toe. Tearing this joint capsule can be extremely painful. Furthermore, tears of the joint capsule can lead to instability and even dislocation of the joint at the base of the toe. This can cause accelerated cartilage wear and arthritis of the big toe (hallux rigidus).
Diagnosis of Turf Toe:
Turf toe is diagnosed based primarily on the physical examination of the patient. Making the diagnosis of turf toe is not difficult, but x-rays may be taken to ensure there is no fracture or evidence of arthritis.
Treatment Options:
Treatment of turf toe consists of controlling the inflammation of the joint capsule.
The most important aspect of treatment is to rest the sore toe to allow the inflammation to subside and the joint capsule to heal. In addition to resting the toe, inflammation can be controlled by icing the area, and elevating the foot, and anti-inflammatory medications.
Don't Play Sports With Turf Toe:
Athletes diagnosed with turf toe should avoid their sport at least three weeks to allow the joint capsule to heal. Without doing so, the injury can progress, and can lead to an even longer recuperation. It is not uncommon for athletes to try to come back too soon, or to try to play through the injury. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a more chronic injury, and ultimately a longer recovery.
Long-Term Outlook:
Turf toe can return, especially in athletes that try to come back to sports before adequate healing. Once returning to activities, special footwear inserts can be used to limit the motion of the big toe and prevent further damage to the joint capsule.
For grapplers it is reccommended to strap the injured toe using the following method:
http://www.athleticadvisor.com/injuries/le/foot&ankle/turf-toe_taping.htm
Info taken from
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/toeproblems/p/turftoe.htm
Turf toe is a condition of pain at the base of the big toe, located at the ball of the foot. The condition is usually caused from either jamming the toe, or pushing off repeatedly when running or jumping. The most common complaint is pain at the base of the toe, but you may also have symptoms of stiffness and swelling.
Causes of Turf Toe:
The name "turf toe" comes from the fact that this injury is especially common among athletes who play on artificial turf. The hard surface of artificial turf, combined with running and jumping in football and soccer. This injury is also common among judo, wrestling and bjj when a particpant either when avoiding a technique or footsweep may stub their toe on either the mat or their opponent.
Effects on the Toe:
When a player sustains a turf toe injury, they are actually tearing the capsule that surrounds the joint at the base of the toe. Tearing this joint capsule can be extremely painful. Furthermore, tears of the joint capsule can lead to instability and even dislocation of the joint at the base of the toe. This can cause accelerated cartilage wear and arthritis of the big toe (hallux rigidus).
Diagnosis of Turf Toe:
Turf toe is diagnosed based primarily on the physical examination of the patient. Making the diagnosis of turf toe is not difficult, but x-rays may be taken to ensure there is no fracture or evidence of arthritis.
Treatment Options:
Treatment of turf toe consists of controlling the inflammation of the joint capsule.
The most important aspect of treatment is to rest the sore toe to allow the inflammation to subside and the joint capsule to heal. In addition to resting the toe, inflammation can be controlled by icing the area, and elevating the foot, and anti-inflammatory medications. Don't Play Sports With Turf Toe:
Athletes diagnosed with turf toe should avoid their sport at least three weeks to allow the joint capsule to heal. Without doing so, the injury can progress, and can lead to an even longer recuperation. It is not uncommon for athletes to try to come back too soon, or to try to play through the injury. Unfortunately, this usually leads to a more chronic injury, and ultimately a longer recovery.
Long-Term Outlook:
Turf toe can return, especially in athletes that try to come back to sports before adequate healing. Once returning to activities, special footwear inserts can be used to limit the motion of the big toe and prevent further damage to the joint capsule.
For grapplers it is reccommended to strap the injured toe using the following method:
http://www.athleticadvisor.com/injuries/le/foot&ankle/turf-toe_taping.htm
Info taken from
http://orthopedics.about.com/od/toeproblems/p/turftoe.htm
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)