adminPhineas Mukwazo Sports Editor
JUDO is one of the sporting disciplines in which Zimbabwean athletes will battle it out with opponents from the Southern Region at the Africa Union Sports Council Region Five Games pencilled for Bulawayo from 5 to 15 December.Being a minority sport in this country little is known of judo.
However, we can recall that Zimbabwe sent two representatives, Johnny DeWet and Frans Fyfer, to the Moscow Games way back in 1980, while James Simbenge, Patrick Matangi and Debbie Jeans took part at the 1988 Seoul edition.
Lazarus Arufandika and Sydney Chibwaye are our bright prospects to earn Olympics qualification for the 2016 showcase to be staged in Rio de Janeiro, Brizil, with 19-year-old Arufandika having already rekindled our hopes when he claimed a bronze medal at the African Junior Championships held in Botswana last month.
We can also recall that three national judokas, Tatenda Guta, Lameck Chibvudere and Simba Mashayi brought honour to Zimbabwe when they won five bronze medals at the Zone Six Judo Championships, held in Maputo, Mozambique early this year. Guta also represented the country at the 25th World Judo Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil last year.
Liberty Arufandika in the Under-60kg division and Tatenda Guta Under-90kg also did the country proud when they won bronze medals in the South African Open Judo Championships last year.
Jeans remains the country’s much-respected athletes both as a judoka and a referee.
Jeans, the Judo Association of Zimbabwe boss, has officiated at about three world events; the Junior World Championships in Bangkok, the World Cadets in Budapest, Hungary, and at the second biggest event next to the Olympics – the Senior World Champs in Rotterdam, Holland.
In fact by being at the Holland event she became the first woman in Africa to referee judo at that level, as well as being one of only four women (and 29 men) who officiated in Rotterdam.
What is Judo?
• A tremendous and dynamic sport
Judo is a tremendous and dynamic combat sport that demands both physical prowess and great mental discipline. From a standing position, it involves techniques that allow you to lift and throw your opponents onto their backs. On the ground, it includes techniques that allow you to pin your opponents down to the ground, control them, and apply various chokeholds or joint locks until submission.
• Judo is simple and basic
Judo originated in Japan as a derivative of the various martial arts developed and used by the samurai and feudal warrior class over hundreds of years. Although many of the techniques of judo originated from arts that were designed to hurt, maim, or kill opponents in actual field battle, the techniques of judo were modified so that judo students can practise and apply these techniques safely and without hurting opponents.
Judo does not involve kicking, punching or striking techniques of any kind.
Judo does not involve the application of pressure against the joints to throw an opponent.
Judo involves no equipment or weapons of any sort.
Instead, judo simply involves two individuals who, by gripping the judo uniform or judogi, use the forces of balance, power, and movement to attempt to subdue each other. Thus, it is simple and basic. In its simplicity, however, lies its complexity, and mastery of even the most basic of judo techniques that often take considerable time, effort, and energy, involving rigorous physical and mental training.
• The principle of gentleness
The word judo consists of two Japanese characters, ju, which means “gentle”, and do, which means “the way”. Judo, therefore, literally means the way of gentleness.
Although the gentleness may not be immediately apparent to newcomers who see bodies flying through the air and people pinned to the ground, it is this principle of gentleness, or yawara (which is the same character as the ju in judo), on which all judo techniques are based.
• Rigorous and physical activity
Judo is a rigorous and demanding physical activity. The practice of judo techniques helps people develop basic and fundamental physical fitness in a number of ways, such as the development of strength, flexibility, agility, speed, dynamic and static balance, explosive power, and endurance. The practice of active attack and defence helps develop reaction time, co-ordination, and overall physical self-confidence. Judo students become physically bigger, stronger, and faster through their practice of judo.
Not only does judo produce tremendous gains in overall physical and athletic ability; judo students learn the specific skills and techniques of judo. They learn a variety of techniques in order to throw their opponents to the ground with force, speed, and control. While judo students are often exposed to many of these types of throwing techniques in their judo careers, they usually master only a handful, and a handful is generally all that is needed to be successful in contemporary judo competitions.
Judo students also learn the fundamental principles and the dynamics of subduing their opponents on the ground through the application of pinning and submission techniques. Their prowess both on the ground and on their feet, combined with the considerable basic physical fitness gained from daily judo practice, affords judo students a considerable repertoire of techniques, skills, knowledge, and abilities. These, in turn, allow them to be excellent athletes, with a sound physical base of fundamental skills, and formidable and imposing opponents in competition.
• Much more to learn
But beyond the development of physical prowess and athletic ability, judo students learn much more. They learn how to control their feelings, emotions, and impulses. They learn about values of perseverance, respect, loyalty, and discipline. Judo students develop an outstanding work ethic, as well as important social manners and etiquette. They learn to overcome their fears, and to show courage under pressure. Through competition and the rigours of daily practice, they learn about justice and fairness. Through their experience, they learn about politeness, modesty, and many other wonderful values that contribute to their development as successful citizens of society. As such, judo facilitates the development of important moral knowledge and values, those that are important to help people to become active and contributing members of their communities, nations, and the world. In this way, judo students play an important role in developing societies, and creating new and better communities for the future.
Online Reporter