I got my finger jammed a week and half ago. I tried to buddy tape it and ease the pain by taking anti-inflammatory pills, but I can't help but hit my finger every time I go back to exercise.
Do you guys recommend I stop for a week, until the swelling subsides, and the ligaments are less inflamed? Or do I continue exercising with it, while trying not.yompuah too hard ?
Jigoro Kano wrote that Judo is ultimately a method for mutual elevation—encapsulated by **Jita Kyōei (**自他共栄 — Mutual Prosperity and Benefit). Yet, in modern practice, many adult judoka and grapplers run into the same hurdles: finding enough active training partners across different weight classes, matching busy schedules, or accessing diverse technical perspectives.
To help address this and support our local martial arts community, a group of us in the San Francisco Bay Area (California, USA) started Rurō Kyōei Kai, an independent martial arts collective designed to bring practitioners together across partner host dojos for collaborative open classes, technical seminars, and randori.
The Philosophy: Putting Jita Kyōei into Practice
Our goal is to build an open, supportive bridge across academies and grappling disciplines throughout Northern California while we promote judo and its values:
Your Partner is Your Teacher: In randori and technical drills, your partner is the cooperative resource through which both individuals refine technique and mental poise. Upholding safety, controlling falls, and checking egos at the door are foundational prerequisites.
Supporting Local Academies: The collective operates without a permanent commercial facility of its own. We collaborate directly with established host dojos during off-hours or open slots, driving community engagement and encouraging practitioners to continue supporting their home academies.
Broadening Perspectives Through Seminars & Open Classes: Beyond open randori, we organize guest clinics, instructional seminars, and fundamentals classes where practitioners can explore gripping nuances, off-balancing (kuzushi), and cross-discipline grappling adaptations.
How the Model Operates in Practice
Rotating Host Dojos: Sessions and seminars rotate across partner academies throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Peninsula, allowing grapplers to experience different training environments and mat styles.
Unified Safety & Streamlined Liability: We use a centralized annual digital master waiver and per-session QR check-in system to ensure complete liability coverage and zero friction for host instructors.
Structured & Ego-Free Training: Every session emphasizes longevity, respectful pacing, and mindful matching of partners across ranks and weight classes.
We would love to connect with Bay Area judoka and hear how other regional communities approach collaborative cross-training:
How does your local area organize inter-dojo seminars or open classes?
What formats or guidelines have you found most effective for keeping multi-gym randori and workshops safe, engaging, and constructive?
If you're in Northern California or interested in viewing our community guidelines, open seminar schedule, and master waiver structure: https://rurokyoeikai.org/
Train hard, take care of your partners, and see you on the tatami. 🥋
I got a sumi gaeshi, then i was holding the person on their back but their both hands were free one was trynna grab my lapel, but nothing was occuring, coach said it's not a hold. But I'm in control and holding them.
Now what I realise is it's actually a pin what they are talking about.
In a pin(standard pins, kesa,kata), I can be reversed or they can escape. But the type of hold I had was one hand on shoulder other on other shoulder gripped, my one leg was on knee on ground and other was foot on ground on the side of opponent.
I kept this posture because I felt that they had energy and they could reverse because this was under a min, so rather hang out here and if they try something adjust my hold. to say a Kami shiho
There hands were in frame too.
I now see there's a armbar from here.
In irl would this be better than a pin?
But still how is a pin superior form of control, if I were to do that on a heavier opponent I think possibility of reverse is there, however if I go for techniques which maintains height like a knee on belly/crucifix, my Hips are higher than theirs which makes it feel safer so as to if even they explode I can maintain top pressure.
That Hips going down is what makes me reluctant, cause if I'm tryna pin someone heavier. +20kg.
Am I getting something wrong, are pins the thing to do and I haven't worked them?
Is sumi gaeshi not a ippon?
they seem to be able to almost execute perfect rolling back take here, especially the last seconds of video where the guy on top realizes he can take the back if he roll forward, and coincidentally I have an old tohoku university archive footage where this exact position was demonstrated
Hi everyone I recently started looking at ashi guruma and was left wondering what the best way to practice the throw alone is, does anybody know any drills or workouts that might help, since currently I'm struggling to pull it off in randori
Hello. I am BJJ purple belt that has been training judo for a year, im currently a 4th kyu in judo. As you can imagine i can handle newaza quite well but still a lot to learn in tachiwaza. The thing is that im traveling to Japan in december and im planning to train BJJ there at some nice places, but i was wondering if in my situation you will go for train judo at kodokan or other nice schools. For bjj i have no problems but for judo i feel that im still very new and there is a lot to learn and probably the average level in Japan is very high. What are your thoughts on this? In case that you will encourage me to train judo there, wich places do you recomend? Thanks!
I forgot to mention that is a "once in a lifetime" opportunity to train there, because i dont think i can afford to go there much more. Also i dont speak japanese.
In a lot of my matches including competitions I can get back control quite easily and usually go for a single wing choke but I can't seem to finish it properly in time so I have to either use a different technique or the ref makes us stand up.
Could somebody recommend a decent tutorual for pendlay rows? Thanks :)
What was your martial art background before starting judo? It's okay if you don't have any. I started doing Tae Kwon Do since I could walk. I kept with it to do the cool kicks I saw in action films until high school. I started at my current gym when I tried a kickboxing class at my current gym and completely got my ass handed to me. I started there when I realized I needed to change gyms to be more effective.
I only switched to grappling martial arts (bjj) when I helped my grandfather through the late stages of Parkinson's. I realized then maybe getting hit in the head wasn't the best idea. Bjj made me realize I needed some stand up since I didn't want to pull guard so I found judo. I haven't looked back. Through camps and tournaments I found life long friends and I've fostered a deep love for the art. I hope now that I could find the same love for judo in others.
Fellow judoka's, i am by no means a competative judoka , but i love my sport . At the end of last year i started to experience on and off trouble with training due to my lower back troubles . I went my physiotherapist and an acupuncturist and did the works . But it didnt abate . Training became very dificult due to pain and lessend power in my lower back. This really wheighed heavy on me because i could not train in a way that made me progress wich in the end made me cancel my blue belt promotion . In the end i took an mri wich confirmed an hernia in my lower back . Asides from stretching , ATM there is not much i can do .the pain is lessend but it still is very much there . The advice seems to be take a break from judo for at least a year to try and recover . But i am really struggeling with this idea. Anyone of you been trough a situation like this ? And what does your training look now today . I am 37 btw . Thank you for your time .
I'm tentatively planning on competing in a judo tournament at the end of next month. I've only been training judo officially for about 1 month. However, I'm a BJJ black belt with 16 years of bjj experience, a decade of teaching experience, and a good bit of competitive history within that sport.
What should I expect in this first judo tournament? Anything I should plan for? be on the lookout for? or focus on specifically? I'm open to all advice and general thoughts.
I'm trying to really embrace judo, disregard my other grappling experience, and take on a real student/white belt mindset.
Sorry for yet another "am i too old for this" thread but I would be interested in hearing what kind of things I should expect from the sport at a slightly older age. I have pretty minimal martial arts experience as in I did BJJ for around 6 months before calling it quits and around the same amount of muay thai before I quit that as well. I am definitely lacking in the coordination/athleticism department and it's one of the greatest personal weaknesses that I want to address. I do think that martial arts have a positive effect on my mental state even though I am definitely not naturally gifted. Out of all the martial arts that i've researched there's something in judo that speaks to me.
What worries me the most, though, is the injury rate as I do have a genetic predisposition to arthritis and would like to have functioning joints when i'm older. If I take it chill and refuse to partake in the competition scene would i likely be okay or is long-term joint damage pretty much a given at this age?
Is shooting a double leg blast in ne waza legal, in a club where they train lots of guard and guard attack. The rules don't seem to be too specific. Main scenario if I'm in guard then can I just go shoot it like from a butterfly guard position?
I’ve been thinking about starting a series where I talk about different Judokas that I find interesting and what makes their Judo stand out.
So far I’m planning on covering:
David García Torné: Because his Judo is super unorthodox and honestly just fun to watch.
Amandine Buchard: because she’s basically the Kata Guruma queen, and I also think her rugby background is pretty interesting.
Fabio Basile: Olympic champion, had neck surgery, and managed to come back and compete again.
I don’t really want this to just be a series about the biggest names or who has the most medals. I’d rather talk about people with interesting styles, techniques, or stories.
Who else should I add? Current or retired, doesnt matter. I’m trying to build a pretty good list.
For a 46 year old BJJ black belt (18 years BJJ) looking to train exclusive judo 2x a week, what throws/takedowns/trips do you guys recommend? I notice most judo players start as kids, not 46. But hoping the black belt in BJJ helps some
After 8 years of BJJ, I’m heading to my first ever judo class tomorrow.
I’m going into it with a pretty simple goal, I love grappling, and I want to broaden my skill set. I’m fully expecting to get absolutely humbled and I’m honestly looking forward to it.
For anyone who has made the BJJ → judo transition, what are the biggest things you’d recommend for a complete beginner?
Especially interested in things you wish someone had told you before your first class, or BJJ habits that might get me into trouble in judo.
Thanks in advance, excited to start learning.