Twenty Common Mistakes
to Avoid In Judo
- Refusing to help a partner in the early stages of practice and consequently making every technique difficult for him to learn.
- Using strength before the basic skills are acquired.
- Try8ing to overcome an opponent’s resistance by using a greater amount of strength.
- Keeping the legs well bent when moving around the mat and so slowing down the speed of your movement.
- Keeping your arm muscles continuously tensed in an effort to balk an opponent’s throwing actions.
- Staring down at an opponent’s feet, which in turn causes your upper body to be inclined forward.
- Gripping an opponent’s jacket too tightly before trying a throwing action.
- Kicking an opponent’s ankle with the inside bone edge of your foot when trying Sweeping Ankle Throws, instead of using the sold of your foot.
- Bringing your feet close together when moving round the mat and so giving an opponent an easy opportunity to throw you.
- Staying in the same relative position for longer than is necessary after an opponent has checked or avoided your initial attacking movement.
- Thinking about the throwing action you will use against an opponent before a practice or contest has started.
- Attempting to block a heavier opponent’s throwing actions, rather than avoiding them and using a counter-throwing technique.
- Bending forward form the waist when trying to throw an opponent, without pulling his upper body in the same direction.
- Holding on to an opponent’s jacket with both hands due to a misguided sense of pride when he has succeeded in throwing you.
- Leaning over an opponent who is lying on the ground (After being properly throw by you) instead of keeping a good sense of balance by bending your legs and holding your head back.
- Allowing an opponent who has throw you to stand over you as you regain your feet.
- Turning your back to an opponent when getting up after being thrown, or when engaged in Groundwork.
- Laying down on the ground with your legs outstretched rather than limiting the scope of an opponent’s attack by keeping them bent.
- Attempting to come to grips with an opponent on the ground who has succeeded in wrapping his legs around your body, instead of escaping from in between his legs first.
- Tensing all the muscles of your body in a mistaken effort to increase the power of an Immobilization Hold.
Extracted from:
Every Boy’s Judo
by
A. P. Harrington
1974