Theory only Judo Grades NO

The British Judo Association has now decide that there is no need for contest for all Kyu Grades and although I understand their logic in the fact that British people are softer now then they were 10 years ago and they no longer wish to compete or contest in the Club but it is still wrong.
With our dismal performance at the Olympic Games I expect the BJA are under a lot of pressure to get their act together and start producing champions this can only be achieved by having a much wider base i.e. more members. Yet should we sacrifice the heart and soul of Judo for the Olympics, twenty years ago they brought in a grading system that required no theory what so ever, this was wrong and led to the drop in standard and popularity of Judo. The reintroduction on a Theory based syllabus is excellent but it needs to link to Shiai. You will never understand the mechanics of a technique until it is tested in contest, for in contest you learn to expect the unexpected, you become adaptable and respond to different actions and attacks this is what makes Judo great and is a great character builder.
It is a common for coaches to say that Judo Theory and judo Contest is two different things sorry but that is rubbish. Yes if you have a syllabus and it has been decided a certain throw is given a certain name and done in a certain way this must be done when being examined, it is the perfect way to do that technique. Judoka should be taught how to do the perfect technique and this perfect technique will work in contest if the right scenario happens in contest, all of us have clapped and cheered when we see the perfect throw in contest. Yet the joy of contest is that the right scenario is rare and you adapt to the current circumstances this improves the Judoka’s knowledge and understanding of the Art. I am in agreement that techniques in grading should be done as near perfect as possible but it should not be annexed from Contest, the two should work in harmony.

If we fore go contest for just a theory based teaching regime I am certain that it will weaken our International Success and is certainly will not be the Martial Art I started in way back in 1955, Judo used to be translated as the “Gentle Way” rather the “Supple Way” but it will soon be known as the “Softies Way”

Martin Clarke 8th Dan