The Art of Verbal Judo - How tactical communication reduces need to escalate use of force : FYI

From the August 2008 Issue

By Christa Miller


Law Enforcement Technology

Law Enforcement Technology is a monthly magazine written for sworn members of law enforcement management. This controlled publication reaches more than 30,000 BPA qualified subscribers and is the industry's highest qualified audience of law enforcement decision-makers. These sergeants, captains, lieutenants and commanding officers make most of the decisions regarding their respective units and are the primary readers the publication.

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Which traffic stop is more likely to result in use of force?

Scenario A:

Officer: Give me your driver's license and registration.

Subject: Why?

Officer: You were speeding, sir.

Subject: No, I wasn't.

Officer: Yes, you were. My radar put you at 59 miles per hour, and this is a 45-mile-per-hour zone.

Subject: Radar can be wrong. Anyway, I just came off a 55-mile-per-hour road …

Scenario B:

Officer: Good afternoon, sir. I'm Officer Jones of the Metropolitan Police Department. The reason I stopped you is that I clocked you driving 73 miles per hour in a 45-mile-per-hour zone. Is there a reason you were driving that fast?

Subject: No, no reason.

Officer: May I see your driver's license?

In Scenario A, the subject, on the defensive, engages the officer in an argument, effectively wresting control of the situation from the officer. In Scenario B, however, the officer maintains control throughout by using what the Verbal Judo technique calls an eight-step traffic stop. He would follow up his request for the license with a separate request for registration and proof of insurance, then make a decision whether to warn, cite, or arrest. If the decision is to warn or cite, the officer would provide an effective close. This is necessary, says George "Doc" Thompson, founder and president of the Verbal Judo Institute, "to leave people better than when you found them."

The importance of tactical communication

In its 2003 report, "Training the 21st Century Police Officer: Redefining Police Professionalism for the Los Angeles Police Department," the RAND Corp. noted, "To communicate effectively is to be skilled in the overt and the subtle, to make one's intentions known whether the recipient is deaf, unable to understand English, mentally handicapped, enraged, under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or simply unfamiliar with normal police procedure." Good officers can communicate effectively even under tremendous stress. The skill is critical to successfully gaining compliance or cooperation from subjects, and in managing situations where arrest, search and seizure, or use of force — which the report notes are "intricately related" — are required.

Nonetheless, the RAND study notes, "Tactical communications as currently taught are too limited in scope and poorly integrated with other instruction. Officers need to learn how, when, and with what type of person certain communication techniques are more effective. This is particularly important when deadly force might be applied. A person who does not understand English or a person with a mental illness might inadvertently send aggressive signals to the officer. The officer needs to be adept at selecting from and effectively applying various modes of communication, verbal and nonverbal, under conditions of extreme stress."

Yet this skill, says Thompson, is anything but natural. "Natural communication is what flows from your lips. It gets people hurt." So, just as it takes up to a year to train students how to fall and punch without getting hurt, tactical communication training takes a long-term approach to teach officers how to interact without getting themselves or someone else hurt. (See Page 64 for "Principles for tactical communication.")

Tactical communication and special needs

It's hard enough trying to talk down a belligerent subject during a traffic stop, or following a domestic dispute. But what about subjects who are impaired—not by alcohol or even anger, but by mental illness, developmental disability, or language barriers? Take the traffic stop scenario from the introduction:

Officer: Give me your driver's license and registration.

Subject (agitated): They're coming for me. I have to get away.

Officer: Sir, no one is chasing you. Give me your —

Subject: I've got to destroy them!

"Police officers need checklists of what people do when they are mentally ill or disabled," says Thompson. "Many officers don't know symptoms; they just seek compliance." Often, however, compliance can be achieved even from people with special needs — if the officer knows how to communicate on that individual's level.

Mental illness

"Emotionally disturbed persons see the problem differently from the way you see it," Thompson explains. "If your subject is coming out of left field, then you have to go into left field to talk to him in a way he'll understand." In its document "The Consensus Project Report," the Consensus Project, a program coordinated by the Council of State Governments Justice Center, describes five things officers should do when they respond to individuals in crisis. With regard to actual communication, the Consensus Project's recommendation: "Stabilize the scene using de-escalation techniques appropriate for people with mental illness."

While the report lists dos and don'ts for officers to follow, it points out specifically: "Most people with mental illness are not violent, but for their own safety and the safety of others officers should be aware that some people with mental illness who are agitated and possibly deluded or paranoid may act erratically, sometimes violently. If the person is acting erratically, but not directly threatening any other person or him- or herself, such an individual should be given time to calm down. Violent outbursts are usually of short duration. It is better that the officer spend 15 or 20 minutes waiting and talking than to spend five minutes struggling to subdue the person."

Because contact with the mentally ill has risen over the last 20 years, many urban police departments have formed some kind of specialized response. The Consensus Project divides them into four categories: Crisis Intervention Teams (CITs), a comprehensive advanced approach, mental health professionals who co-respond, and Mobile Crisis Teams (MCTs). "The basic difference in these models is whether expertise is provided by police officers who are trained extensively in mental health issues, or by mental health professionals who either co-respond with law enforcement or respond after the scene has been secured," the report notes.

Developmental or cognitive disabilities

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which describes a range of developmental disabilities from profound autism to the related Asperger's Disease, has dramatically increased in the United States in the last decade or so — far beyond the increase normally attributed to improved diagnosis. According to AutismRiskManagement.com, "The rate of autism has grown ten-fold since the late 1990s, from 1 in 2,500 to 1 in every 166 births."

While the reasons for this leap are unclear, the fact remains that police come into contact daily with adolescents and adults alike who have the disorder. In fact, notes the site, it's estimated that people with autism and other developmental disabilities are about seven times more likely to have contact with police than members of the general population.

"[Verbal Judo] tactical communications and autism intervention communication requirements are a good fit," says Joel Lashley, senior officer of security services at Children's Hospital and Health System in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He says the primary reasons for this are: "(1) Verbal Judo and S.A.F.E.R. 8 to 5 are emerging as the dominant communications models for public safety. (2) The skillful management of persons in crisis is dependent on comprehensive, adapted and learned communication skills. (3) Autism is best understood as a communications deficit requiring neurotypical persons (you and me) to learn the 'language' of autism in order to successfully communicate."

Language barriers

The RAND study found that LAPD officers lacked the training to communicate effectively with civilians when a language barrier existed. In fact, even though officers are required to issue Miranda warnings — so that arrestees understand them — no protocol existed at the time for dealing with non-English-speaking arrestees. "Such failures to provide adequate training for communication across language barriers can make arrest and use-of-force situations far more difficult to negotiate," the report notes.

Thompson says, "When a person who speaks English as a second language gets upset, his language abilities go away, so you can't get him to do what you want until you get him to calm down." The problem is that the phrase "calm down" never works. "It makes the person the problem," Thompson explains. So, while the officer is waiting for an interpreter to arrive, she should lower her voice and look pleasant, and use her hands and face as an "open book" for the subject to read.

Michael O'Malley, president of Personal Protection Consultants, Inc. (PPCI) Training adds, "The positioning of the officer's body, stance, hand position, [and] facial expressions are key factors to communicate with someone who is deaf or non-English speaking. Many gestures, postures, and facial expressions are universal with different groups and cultures and will be understood as non-threatening."

Good training teaches hand gestures to use — and avoid — in different cultures. Thompson explains, "If you're trying to get someone from the Middle East to calm down, you would move into his personal space and perhaps even rest a hand on his shoulder. But those tactics would not work in Texas."

Problems with language barriers aren't limited to civilians who don't speak English. They also come up when officers must deal with hearing-impaired or deaf people. The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) has worked with the Justice Department, along with a number of city and county law enforcement agencies, to develop model policies for agencies to follow. The policies are available at its Web site: www.nad.org/policeposition.

Exceptions always exist, and thus does the risk that an officer's good-faith communication will inadvertently offend. The important thing to remember, says Thompson, is the question: "How are we all alike?" Universally, human beings need:

* To be respected, not disrespected.
* To be asked, not told, what to do.
* To be told why.
* To be given options, not threats.
* To be given a second chance.

Finding the right program

"Most agencies do not train their officers in communication skills, assuming all of their officers should know how to deal with people," says O'Malley. "Unfortunately that is a false sense of security practiced by administrations throughout the country. Some officers are terrific at dealing with all types of people; however, some need additional training on how to deal with people properly in specific situations." This is especially true considering the range of issues associated with responding to a person in crisis: whether a person is a suspect in a crime, a victim or witness; whether a crime has been committed, or he or she is simply wandering; and public safety.

Training on how to respond to an autistic person in crisis is required in states such as Illinois, Indiana and New Jersey, while California, Florida and New York are studying such legislation. Florida, Maine, North Carolina and Pennsylvania offer training to officers without mandates, while Massachusetts' Autism & Law Enforcement Education Coalition uses active or former law enforcement officers as trainers. And in Texas, the Houston Police Department's CIT (modeled on that of the Memphis (Tennessee) Police Department) describes itself as a hybrid which provides 40 hours of mental health training to all patrol officers — a condition made easier by state law, currently the only one to require crisis intervention and de-escalation training for police.

Elsewhere, many hospitals and advocacy groups offer disability-specific training to police departments. However, Dennis Debbaudt, who owns AutismRiskManagement.com and has trained law enforcement officers about autism for 17 years, cautions that not all programs are created equal. "Some in the disability community believe it's their mission to teach officers to field diagnose disabilities. Government training needs a process by which the agency accepts feedback and continuously improves the course, or else it will not be effective. And there are vanity projects that are more about the person or organization than about the information."

Most disability groups want police to be trained, but may rely on someone else's program, or use trainers who are not tapped into law enforcement. Such people may argue against handcuffing autistic subjects, for instance, without understanding that it's protocol in nearly all agencies. "Our training recruits police officers who are part of the autism community because they live it, either as parents, siblings, friends, and so forth," Debbaudt says.

Debbaudt recommends that any law enforcement agency seeking training do thorough homework first. "Ask for their course materials, as well as information on the trainer's background. Check with references. And if possible, scout a class." Ultimately, he says, an agency looking to save money must question whether the cheaper course is really the best use of time and resources.

For police departments lacking funds, Thompson recommends spending enough to send an instructor through training. "That person can then return to the department and train the rest." O'Malley agrees. "When there are in-house instructors, the training costs are minimal and agencies have the discretion when, where and how long to train," he explains. "It could be done in pieces or full sessions. There is a lot more flexibility when the agency has its own instructors." Besides, he points out, "A simple training class in de-escalation may save numerous costs in liability issues and injuries. I think the investment is a good risk when you may save millions [compared to] a few hundred or thousand dollars."

Finally, tactical communication must continue to be taught as a matter of protocol, not just as a one-time event. "Communication is a perishable skill," says Thompson. "Verbal Judo is a physical skill, because it deflects abuse." Ideally, opportunities to practice via scenarios and debriefings will be presented throughout an officer's day, as well as during in-service training; Verbal Judo instructors are required to be retrained every three years.

The RAND study notes: "An unarmed officer possessing well-honed communication skills would in many cases be a more potent law enforcement implement than an officer with poor communication skills but expert in the use of weapons. The ideal combination, and the legitimate objective of department training, is a balance between these two extremes: officers who are both skillful communicators and proficient in the use of physical assets."

Thompson puts this idea in simpler terms.

"The American eagle, as shown on the dollar bill, holds a spear in one talon and an olive branch in the other," says Thompson. "This is the image of the peace warrior—what every police officer should also reflect. However, most police training focuses only on the spear. Tactical communication training focuses on the olive branch."

Christa Miller is a freelance writer who specializes in public safety issues. She is based in southern Maine and can be reached at christammiller@gmail.com.
Principles of tactical communication

Verbal Judo, or tactical communication as it has come to be called, allows the officer to work effectively with individuals regardless of the kind of day he is having, circumstances in his personal life, or other influences both positive and negative, says founder and president George "Doc" Thompson.

Scenario B in the introduction is one of many examples in which Verbal Judo can work for police officers. It's part of the S.A.F.E.R. 8 to 5 technique, a cornerstone tactic of Verbal Judo that can be adapted to just about any law enforcement contact — including with people who have special needs. The eight-step process works for officers making initial contact; a five-step hard-style process is for those encounters where a subject continues to resist the officer's requests. Here, the officer would step up the language of respect, including lengthier reasons — what Thompson calls professional context — for the stop.

Options provided to subjects should be based on what Thompson refers to as the greed principle, in which the officer uses whatever people have to gain or lose. "Explain how if the subject complies, he'll get to go home tonight, but if you have to arrest him, the tow will cost $300 and he'll be late for work, maybe even lose his job." This is the art of persuasion, which Thompson says blends ethical appeal with personal appeal. "First you get them to buy that you care about them. Then appeal to their sense of their best interest."

These tactics are taught in Verbal Judo courses. Learning effective tactical communication begins with professionalism, or "learning how to communicate better than the people you serve," says Thompson. This is followed by tactical theory, or the ideas behind the practice of better delivery. Finally, the tactics are taught. "We teach officers to become who they have to be to respond to a scene," Thompson explains.

Another well-known training program, Management of Aggressive Behavior (MOAB), emphasizes empathy in much the same way that Verbal Judo does.

"We try to use empathic listening and statements, meaning we emphasize to officers to try and [act] as if they were in the same situation," says Michael O'Malley, president of Personal Protection Consultants Inc. Training. "Not all circumstances allow for this with extremely violent people; however, our approach may be a somewhat more compassionate method. If there is a need for further escalation, we emphasize more assertive measures. Some of the programs rely on a more defensive posture from the beginning."

MOAB training details signs that officers can use to predict where an encounter is going, including the stages of conflict and how to manage it, body language, cornering and listening. These are taught with regard not only to the subject, but also to the officer. For instance, as O'Malley explains: "When we corner people they will fight twice as hard compared to [those] not being cornered. Officers make five cornering mistakes when approaching people: angular, contact, surround, exit and psychological. Many times officers and the individuals they are trying to control are injured because of cornering practices."

A subject's verbal and non-verbal cues go hand in hand with the officer's training and experience to help determine the direction of an encounter. "Just because someone is being verbally aggressive does not mean that they are going physical," O'Malley explains. "I believe some of the philosophies being taught in the academies and other training disciplines do not emphasize this enough and officers automatically assume it is going physical. That is where we differ from other programs. We go into detail about recognizing, reducing and managing anxious and/or aggressive behavior. We try to build officers' confidence in dealing with those situations. By predicting the behavior, the officer has a better chance for it to come to a safe and successful conclusion."

When tactical communication fails

The key to tactical communication is that, as Thompson explains, it comes from practitioners — not universities. That's important because, as O'Malley points out, "MOAB can be used in any potential or violent situation; however, not all situations can be de-escalated without using physical control. Some people communicate by getting physical, and that will not be avoided. Some medical problems do restrict the successful use of MOAB like any other similar program because the person may not be of right mind."

Verbal Judo teaches the S.A.F.E.R. technique. An officer must revise priorities if a subject:

* Threatens the security of others, or property in the officer's control.
* Threatens the officer's personal safety.
* Flees.
* Engages in excessive repetition, trying to engage the officer in a game of "who's right" rather than be persuaded to comply.

Anyone can use Verbal Judo, says Thompson; however, not everyone can learn it: "Bullies don't want to learn it," he explains. "They can be turned, but it's difficult."

Fragile egos are too weak to project the kind of strength needed to deflect verbal attacks and help people. "The police are there to think for you the way you would under better conditions," says Thompson. "But they have to be strong enough to do that to begin with."

Top Ten Reasons Why Sport Judo is Effective for Combat and Self-Defense by By Thom Sakata : FYI

About the author: Thom Sakata is a Sandan at the Denver Buddhist Temple Judo Dojo in Denver, Colorado and a veteran of the United States Army.

Judo critics frequently complain that judo is not what it used to be. Modern day judo concentrates too much on sport and not enough on combat and self-defense. The double knee drop seoinage for example is a modern day creation that works great on the competition mat, but who would ever consider using it on a concrete sidewalk? Sure, executing a successful drop seoinage on concrete may break your assailantÕs neck, but you yourself would risk two broken knee caps in the process. Such an example is a fair assessment of how modern judo concentrates much more on the sporting aspects of the art over its self-defense and combat lineage. So, are the critics right? Is modern day judo too sports oriented? True, modern day judo is much more sports oriented than the Kodokan Judo of the past, but I believe that sport judo training and competition have direct applications to combat and self-defense situations. The following are my top ten reasons why sport Judo is still effective for combat and self-defense training:

#10) Available, Portable and Economical

Judo is practiced worldwide, in just about every country on earth. There are over 700 Judo dojos listed on the Judo Information website for the United States alone. Why are the numbers so important? Because self-defense or martial arts training should not be isolated to a weekend seminar. Such training does not even get you to the "I know enough to be dangerous" level. To be proficient in any martial art one should practice with diligence and over an extended period of time. With judo you can be quite certain that wherever life takes you, there will be a Judo dojo close by to continue your training (and all you need is your gi to bow onto the tatami). Additionally, most judo dojos run as not-for-profit entities and club dues tend to be relatively low when compared to other martial arts classes, allowing you to train even when cost of living funds are tight.

# 9) Grips and the Utilization of Clothing

Critics say judo techniques rely too heavily on the gripping of the gi and are ineffective when an opponent has no garment to grab. These critics are obviously evaluating the effectiveness of judo techniques from a mixed martial arts perspective, where a majority of the contestants fight bareback, wearing nothing more than board shorts and a pair of four ounce gloves. In combat and on the street, however, an enemy combative or assailant will more than likely be fully clothed. And consider this: if you are ever attacked by someone wearing nothing, there is always Hadaka-jime (a rear naked choke).

#8) Grappling over Striking

Many traditional jujitsu atemi (striking) techniques utilize the fleshy blade of the hand or palm when delivering a blow, rather than a closed fist. There is good reason for this. The human hand is comprised of twenty-seven small bones, fourteen of which are fragile digital bones that can be easily broken upon impact with a solid object, such as a human skull for instance. Without proper padded glove protection, the popular closed fist punch exposes the digital bones to a high risk of injury. For those who have followed the Ultimate Fighting Championship since its inception, recall how Keith Hackney broke his hand from repeatedly striking Emmanuel Yarborough's head, when a rear naked choke was right there for the taking.

So now imagine being on the battlefield, not being able to pull the trigger on your weapon due to a broken finger sustained from delivering a punch. Or imagine trying to execute a spinning back kick in heavy combat boots, with canteens and ammo pouches hanging from your hips. Striking techniques are more hindered by battle dress attire, and expose the executor to a higher degree of self-inflicted injury than grappling techniques. By contrast judo's nage (throwing) and katame (grappling) wazas are less affected by physical attire and safeguard the body's limbs, allowing the soldier to "fight another day."

This is not to say that you should never punch or kick or disregard the value of learning proper striking techniques. Even Jigoro Kano realized the importance of atemi waza and kept the techniques alive in judo katas. However, one should also recognize the limitations and risks of striking techniques in combat and on the street. Consider the United States Army Field Manual on hand to hand combat which states: "Strikes are an inefficient method of ending a fight. However, they are a significant part of most fights, and a solider must have an understanding of fighting at striking range. It is important to note that while at striking range, you are open to being struck. For this reason, it is often better to avoid striking range."

The judoka trains at grappling range, developing avenues to end a physical conflict without having to deliver a single blow.

#7) Explosive Newaza (Groundwork)

In judo competition ground grappling techniques must be executed within seconds of the action hitting the floor or tori (the attacker) risks being stood back up by the referee for a lack of progress. Article 16 of the International Judo Federation Referee Rules explains that a standing attack can transition to a ground attack only if it is continuous and uninterrupted. Let us consider limited groundwork time from a combat and self-defense standpoint.

Unlike the controlled environment of competition that pits two opponents against one another, the urban streets and the battlefield make no restrictions as to the amount of participants a physical confrontation may allow. Thus, there are too many opportunities for standing participants to inflict serious injury on those rolling around on the ground. A ground grappling chess match typical of submission grappling contests that extends into minutes is neither practical nor ideal for combat or self-defense situations. In combat and self-defense it is best to stay on your feet, seizing an opportunity to end a conflict via a groundwork submission technique only when the technique can be applied and finished in a matter of seconds. The Marine Corps Manual on hand to hand combat shares such a philosophy and states: "Marines should avoid being on the ground during a close combat situation because the battlefield may be covered with debris and there is an increased risk of injury. However, many close combat situations involve fighting on the ground. The priority in a ground fight is for Marines to get back on their feet as quickly as possible."

Current Judo rules on groundwork foster such a mindset – execute and explode into a groundwork submission technique in a matter of seconds or get back on your feet.

#6) Ukemi, the Art of Falling

Judogi: $80.

Dojo fees: $20 / month.

Being unafraid to fall in just about every direction: Priceless.

A major factor in surviving any physical confrontation is being able to remain as calm and in control as possible. For those who are not used to being thrown to the ground, it is at this point that a sense of control is lost and panic sets in. Judo teaches one to seamlessly transition from a standing physical struggle to a struggle that goes to the ground. This transition is accomplished through ukemi or the ability to break one's fall in such a way so as to minimize impact and injury. Judo's emphasis on throwing techniques and ukemi makes falling safely second nature-eliminating, or at the least minimizing the panic attack brought on by being taken to the ground.

#5) Shizentai, The Natural Stance

As a grappling art judo is unique in that it favors a natural upright posture over a crouching (jigotai) stance. From a pure wrestling competition standpoint an upright posture would be ill advised, but from a combat and self-defense standpoint it is the best stance to deal with the variety of ways an enemy or assailant could launch an attack. Remember that in combat and on the street there are no rules, so an attack can come in the form of a fist, a single leg take down, a swung bottle, a thrown rock or a bayonet at the end of a rifle. The typical wrestling crouch may be an effective defensive stance against the single leg take down, but it would be a horrible posture against the fixed bayonet. Shizentai, the natural upright posture, is the only posture that gives the defendant the maneuverability he or she needs to deal with a multitude of attacking angles and forms.

#4) Uchikomi and Muscle Memory

The stress of a physical confrontation does not allow one to think about self-defense techniques; one must simple react and execute. Uchikomi supports this self-defense requirement. Uchikomi or form fitting a throwing technique is a judo training regimen that utilizes repetition to develop a throw as a natural body movement. With enough uchikomi a throw becomes second nature and the judoka does not think about its execution, but merely flows into the technique when the opportunity arises. Uchikomi is thus a form of neuromuscular facilitation or muscle memory exercise. From Wikipedia: "Muscle memory is fashioned over time through repetition of a given motor skill and the ability through brain activity to remember it. As one reinforces these movements day after day after day, the neural system learns these fine and gross motor skills to the degree that one is no longer required to think about them, but merely reacts and performs." In a self-defense class you will be lucky if you run through a technique more than ten times; but judo training may have you doing hundreds of uchikomis in a single session, thus building muscle memory.

#3) Randori and Shiai (Free-practice and Competition)

In 1886 the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Academy hosted a tournament between the Kodokan and the prominent Jujutsu ryu, Totsuka-ha Yoshin-ryu, to determine which "style" the Academy would adopt into their training regiment. Of the tournament's 15 matches the Kodokan won 12, drew one and lost two (Muromoto 2005). The reason why the Kodokan was so successful at this historic meeting lies in one word: Randori. Randori or free sparring trained KanoÕs judokas in as close to real life and death combat as possible.

Randori training, unlike kata training, pits you against a fully resistive, uncooperative opponent. Only through randori and shiai does one truly test the mind, body and spirit under adverse conditions. Judo competition demands that its participants execute techniques against a fully resistive opponent, when physically drained, out of breath, and gasping for air. Such an experience can never be gained through self-defense training via kata or form work alone, no matter how realistic the scenario may be.

#2) Judo, The Giving Way

Unlike martial arts competitions, the battle field and the streets do not segregate participants into weight classes. A 160 pound solider may be facing an enemy weighing 200 pounds. If the 160 pound soldier were to engage his adversary in a head on strength versus strength confrontation, surely he or she would be on the losing end of the stick. The principle of ju, or "giving way" attempts to minimize physical disadvantages in height and weight. The founder of Judo, Dr. Jigoro Kano explains it best: "To understand what is meant by gentleness or giving way, let us say a man is standing before me whose strength is ten, and that my own strength is but seven. If he pushes me as hard as he can, I am sure to be pushed back or knocked down, even if I resist with all my might. This is opposing strength with strength. But if instead of opposing him I give way to the extent that he has pushed, withdrawing my body and maintaining my balance, my opponent will lose his balance. Weakened by his awkward position, he will be unable to use all his strength. It will have fallen to three. Because I retain my balance, my strength remains at seven. Now I am stronger than my opponent and can defeat him by using only half my strength, keeping the other half available for some other purpose. Even if you are stronger than your opponent, it is better to first give way. By doing so you conserve energy while exhausting your opponent."

#1) A Sport for All Ages and Abilities

A self-defense curriculum should incorporate techniques that can be performed by the average person. Martial arts styles that are reserved for the physically talented offer little to the general public as a whole in terms of self-defense training. This may seem to be the case with judo, but the opposite is actually true. Walk into any judo dojo and you will find a variety of judokas, not just super athletic human specimens. You will find judokas from all walks of life, both men and women, young and old, and just about every body size and shape imaginable. Even those physically impaired participate in judo. In fact, of all the contact Olympic sports which include wrestling, judo, taekwando, and boxing, judo is the only combat sport included in the Paralympic games. After all, it is those in society who are at a higher risk to unsolicited attacks who are more in need self-defense training, not the physically gifted. Judo is a sport for anyone who wishes to participate in it, regardless of athletic ability, age or gender.

Conclusions

There you have my top ten reasons why sport judo is effective for combat and self-defense. Certainly, sport Judo has its shortcomings, but when you examine all the martial arts and self-defense systems in the world today, sport judo still holds its own as one of the best ways to prepare yourself for a physical conflict. In fact it is because Judo is practiced as a competitive contact sport that it is inherently effective on the street and in the field of combat.

References

Combatives, US Army Field Manual FM3-25-150, Department of the Army, 18 January 2002, Washington D.C.

US Marine Corps Close Combat, MCRP 3-02, Department of the Navy, 12 February 1999, Washington D.C.

Kano, Jigoro. Kodokan Judo. Kodansha International. 1994

International Judo Federation, IJF Referee Rules, 2003.

Muromoto, Wayne. Judo's Decisive Battle. http://www.furyu.com/archives/issue3/judo.html

Counter techniques against Judo: the process of forming Aikido in 1930s : FYI

Except for this observation the research material is presented verbatim from its source and is published primarily to inform people. It suffices to know that Ueshiba studied Judo for 2 years and that the controlling techniques he developed to counter Judo where in reality hansoku-waza or prohibited techniques (i.e., use of hand blades to break balance, use of joint techniques against wrists, elbows, and knees) when viewing Judo as a sport. In actual combat of course it is common sense that, anyone - judoka or not - can apply anything to kill or hurt an opponent.

To view full document click here.



Counter techniques against Judo: the process of forming Aikido in 1930s
Archives of Budo, Vol. 4, pp. 4‐8, 2008.

Fumiaki Shishida
Waseda University, Tokyo,Japan


Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969) the aikido founder was engaged in developing modern aikido from ancient Daito-ryu-aiki-jujutsu (originally called Daito-ryu)around 1930. Part of this development was involved in creation of techniques designed to counter judo techniques. In my article from 2006 for ISHPES,The Process of Forming Aikido and Admiral Isamu Takeshita: Through the Analysis of Takeshita’s diary from 1925 to 1931, I introduced a manuscript written by Admiral Takeshita. The manuscript says clearly that Ueshiba taught techniques intended for use as counter attacks against judo techniques. This is consistent with Kenji Tomiki’s statement: Tomiki was unable to find a chance to break Ueshiba’s balance with judo techniques when sparring with Ueshiba in the summer of 1927 [1]. In other words, Tomiki was unable to enter the defensive sphere of Ueshiba.

That was reason why Tomiki, a skilful judo practitioner, became Ueshiba’s apprentice and continued practicing aikido with him for decades. Because of the lack of historical documents, it is not clear what kind of skills Ueshiba performed in those days or how Ueshiba’s skills developed over time.

This article will clarify the process of forming aikido in 1930s through analyzing Ueshiba’s 147 counter techniques against judo. This analysis based upon Takeshita’s notes Kon, which were written between spring 1930 and winter 1931. The Kon is a 252-page set of notes, which have not been studied in the academic literature regarding aikido in Japan despite it has been known among aikido practitioners. These notes contain 1,095 techniques classified into 39 forms of fighting [2]. Author focus on 147 techniques described as “Tai judo” or counter techniques against judo.

Author will also compare Ueshiba’s counter techniques against judo with the techniques of Kito-ryu jujutsu (originally called Kito-ryu), one of the most influential martial arts styles of the Edo era (1600-1868). It is well known that Jigoro Kano created judo through the study of two kinds of jujutsu, Kito-ryu and Tenjin-shinyo-ryu. Interestingly, that Ueshiba also studied Kito-ryu and judo before he learned Daito-ryu.

The study of Kito-ryu within the context of both aikido and judo can be significant not only to recognize aikido history but also to understand the technical relation between aikido and judo. Even though aikido became popular in recent decades over the world, almost nobody knows how it was established.

This article is a revised version of the paper, which author has presented at the Joint World Congress of the ISHPES and the ISSA at the University of Copenhagen, between July 31 and August 5, 2007.

The comments received after that conference have helped author significantly in revising and improving this article.

1. Counter Techniques against Judo in the Takeshita’s notes Kon

For the first eight techniques out of the 147 judo counter-techniques, Takeshita describes only how to apply each counter-technique without mentioning the nature of the judo attack, which designed to counter. For technique No.9 he gives a brief description of the judo attack, e.g. “when his hands are about to touch my collar and sleeve”. For techniques 10 to 12, Takeshita gives again only the method for applying the counterattack described in No.9. However, in Author’s opinion the techniques numbered 10, 11, and 12 are different variations of the technique No.9 and thus refer to different ways to deal with the attack. The same form of description maintains to the end.

After examination, author classified the 147 countertechniques as dealing with 51 methods of attacking using judo techniques (See, Table 1), which are clearly described in the Kon. Afterwards classifi ed (these 51 judo attacks) into 20 patterns by removing repeated methods etc (See, Table 2). We can understand the trend of Ueshiba’s study against judo through these two tables. However, all of the 147 techniques should be examine to understand their substantial content.

The result of the examination is as follows:

1) All of the techniques except No. 36 are standing techniques. Many of the techniques applied instantly to case of attack, because skilled judo practitioners break an opponent’s balance as soon as they grab their opponent’s clothes somewhere.

We can see the instantaneous nature of most counter techniques in the following expressions:

as soon as an opponent tries to touch the collar and sleeve (No. 9 and 26); both sleeves (No. 13 and 23); right sleeve (No. 20); tries to touch with both hands extended (No. 14). Granted that when fighting against an excellent judo practitioner, balance breaking is required just before grasped at the collar(s) or sleeve(s).

2) The expression “Kokyu wo ire” means “show sprit” use in 37 passages in the 147 techniques. Based on examination of these 37 passages, this expression refers to the usage of the hand blade(s) in order to break balance, and it is the same as the skill of aiki, which is, in Daito-ryu, the skill of breaking an opponent’s balance in a flash by straining hand(s).

3) There are around 32 expressions “Hikiotosu” or “pulling an opponent down”, which is a kind of throwing technique. This throwing technique in Japanese martial arts like judo and sumo intends to throw down by the direct use of hands and hips. Special features of “Hikiotosu” include moving backward while arcing downward and sitting down swiftly to drop one’s body weight.

Hikiotoshi is appling without a direct use of the hip as a fulcrum on which to tip the opponent, but with both centripetal and centrifugal force arising by body movement. Those are numbers 1, 2, 8, 9, 12, 15, 20, 21, 27, 29, 33, 34, 40, 41,42, 45, 46, 47, 55, 61, 62, 75, 82, 86, 87, 89, 135, 137. With one of the reasons, there are so many throwing techniques like Hikiotoshi showing that Ueshiba was under the influence of Kito-ryu etc.

Development noted in the Kon in 1931 may be crucial to understand the postwar development of aikido in that aikido would share with judo the quality of emphasizing the practice of relatively safe techniques and skills.

4) Ueshiba also devised techniques to control an opponent (68, 92, 104, 105, 114, and 147) which were not many in the comparison to the number of counter-attacks that involved throws. These controlling techniques are joint techniques against wrist, elbow, knee etc., and, therefore, there is the risk of suffering injuries like fractures and sprains.

2. The relation to Kito-ryu

Kito-ryu formed during the early time of the Edo era (1600-1868) and propagates in several prefectures (Nakajima, 2007) [3]. Judo founder Jigoro Kano had learned Kito-ryu before developing Judo, thus Kito-ryu became one of the most famous schools of Japanese Jujutsu.

The Kata (forms) [4] of Kito-ryu, authorized by the judo headquarters Kodokan those days inherited as the Koshiki-no-kata, which consists of 21 techniques in two parts (14 and 7 forms). All of the techniques differ from Atemi-waza or striking and kicking techniques but deal with the art of throwing down showed at the pictures of Shashin Kaisetsu Kodokan Judo [5] where Jigoro Kano demonstrates it. Atemi-waza is almost insignificant because the Kata builts it on the assumption of a fight between two people whom were armor.

Obviously, there are also no techniques where two people grasp each other by the collar and sleeve. The greater part of the 14 techniques consists of a kind of Hikiotoshi. Nine Hikiotoshi perform with kneeling down and one Hikiotoshi perform with squatting, while the remaining four are Sutemi-waza [6], or “sacrifice techniques” in which the defender must throw itself into lying position while performing the techniques.

In the Koshiki-no-kata, a balance breaking that makes use of the momentum produced by body movement often applies in the 14 techniques, whilst Ueshiba uses “Kokyu wo ire” or “aiki”. Especially two techniques, numbers 5 and 6, perform clearly with handling the body and hands to neutralize the attack just before an opponent is touching. It is conceivable that pulling an opponent down by utilizing his own weight and terrestrial gravitation is quite effective at throwing down a heavy person. “Mizunagare (No. 5)” and “Hikiotoshi (No.6) in the Koshiki-no-kata are very similar to the Hikiotoshi described by Ueshiba in the “Kon”.

Ueshiba learned Kito-ryu for about one year from the age of 18, and bayonet fighting in the army for three years. After that, he learned judo for two years with a good instructor Kiyoichi Takagi [7] from the age of 24 to 26. Ueshiba learned Daito-ryu from the age of 28, and later he became one of the highest-ranking instructors in the school [8]. Once we compare his skills in around 1930 with the features of Daito-ryu, we can easily find that his martial art puts emphasis on throwing techniques. Hence, Ueshiba’s counter techniques against judo apparently have a unique quality in that Ueshiba always tried to counter before the grasping of body or clothes took place. On the other hand, he was under the influence Daito-ryu with skill “kokyu-wo-ire,” which is almost the same skill as the aiki of Daito-ryu.

Unfortunately, historical sources are not sufficient in this matter, so far. But, as a temporary result, it is reasonable to conclude that Ueshiba, with his talent and efforts, had been devising a unique skill, based on methods of Kito-ryu, judo and Daito-ryu as a part of his jujutsu, later called aikido, while also forming another, separate, part dealing with techniques against sword and spear.

SUMMARY

(1) Ueshiba’s martial art emphasizes on throwing techniques. Once we compare his skill in around 1930 with the features of Daito-ryu.

(2) Ueshiba’s counter techniques against judo have a unique quality in that Ueshiba always tried to fight before the grasping of body or clothes.

(3) Ueshiba was under influence Daito-ryu from his skill “kokyu-wo-ire,” which was almost the same as the skill referred to as aiki in Daito-ryu.

Concluding Ueshiba with his talent and efforts, had been devising a unique skill based on methods of Kito-ryu, judo, and Daito-ryu as a part of his jujutsu, later called aikido, at the same time also forming another part dealing with techniques against sword and spear.

REFERENCES:

1. According to Tadayuki Sato, he heard such an anecdote from Tomiki in 1977 when he was a student of both the Waseda aikido club and Waseda judo club. Tomiki seemed willing to answer Sato’s earnest questions because Sato was one of the best judo practitioners at Tenri senior high school, which has always had one of most powerful judo clubs in all of Japan (Noted in July 23, 2007).

2. Ryuta Kudo, my graduate student, investigated these figures for my study (2007B-234) supported by a research grant from Waseda University.

3. Nakajima, Tetsuya: The historical realities of Kito-ryu jujutsu at the early
modern age, a master of thesis, Waseda University, Tokyo, 2007.

4. Kenji Tomiki well explained the term Kata as follows in his book Judo Appendix: Aikido (Tomiki, 1956, pp.11-12). “Exercises in the forms are practiced in accordance with the process and method of attack and defense; every action and movement is prescribed according to reason, and shows the student the fundamental techniques of attack and defense.”

5. Kodokan ed.: Shashin-kaisetsu Kodokan Judo. Kodon-sha. Tokyo, 1951.

6. “Throwing in a lying position is the technique of bringing down one’s opponent by utilizing the momentum produced by laying down one’s own body.” (Tomiki, 1956, pp. 10).

7. Kiyoichi Takagi (1894-1972) was only 18 year old in 1907, when Ueshiba started to practice judo. If Takagi was really Ueshiba’s instructor, he should have been very strong in judo. Incidentally, Takagi won the invitational judo meeting for under twenty in 1913, run by Dai-nihon-butoku-kai, the most prestigious organization of Japanese martial arts in prewar days. Later he was pomoted to 9th dan. (See, Kano, Y, Daigo, T, et al., 1999, p. 295.)

8. Ueshiba, Kishomaru: Aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba (Revised edition), Shuppan Geijutsu-sha. Tokyo, 1999, pp. 72-73, p. 301.

Recommended bibliography:

1. Kano, Jigoro: Outline of judo and its educational value. In: Journal of Dai-nihon-kyoiku-kai. Tokyo, 1890.

2. Kano, Yukimitsu, Daigo, Toshiro, et al.: Encyclopedia of Judo, Akaneshobo, Tokyo, 1999.

3. Oimatsu, Oimatsu: Kito-ryu Jujutsu. In: Journal of faculty of sport sciences, Juntendo University. Tokyo, 1963.

4. Tomiki, Kenji: Judo Appendix: Aikido, Japan Travel Bureau. Tokyo, Archives of Budo

The Heirarchy of Judo Techniques

Reminding Ourselves of the Secret

Often times judoka who feel they have been proficient enough with their nagewaza would take a leave presuming that indeed they are proficient. They get bored with the repetitive training imposed by the dojo. After a period of time they come back again presuming that the skills they have acquired would be available when called for when a situation demands. Of course, these judoka end up discovering that the skills they have acquired are not available on demand simply because the skills have not been diligently maintained. When called for the skills seem "frozen" in the mind of the judoka and is manifested by the seemingly "frozen" body unable to execute the appropriate waza for the situation.

The situation brings to mind the lesson of Kaizen - "continuous improvement". It also brings to mind the meaning of our dojo's name "seijitsu" which translates as "honest; sincere; faithful" and is composed of the kanji (read as "sei") meaning "sincerity; truth; fidelity" and (read as "jitsu") meaning "truth; reality". The point is that a judoka who comes to our dojo must seek continuous improvement by constant training and must approach such training with sincerity in his/her heart. Afterall, this is what martial arts is all about - sincerity. Thus, be sincere with your dealings; be sincere with your training; and when situation demands - be sincere in facing the battle. For such is the meaning of Seijitsu Judo.

What is the secret then? Simply put - the secret is training. Therefore, meet every training with sincerity of intent that you may bow and say - Osu! Push and persevere!

What is Kosen Judo : FYI

Known Kosen Judoka were Yamashita, Hirata, Tomita, Yokoyama and Maeda.




Kosen judo (高專柔道) is the name given to the style of Judo practiced at kosen schools in Japan at the turn of the 20th century. Their training is best known for the extra focus given ground grappling techniques, referred to as newaza Japanese martial arts.

History

Kosen[1] Judo was a ruleset of Kodokan judo practiced at the scholastic level prior to rule changes in 1925 and is simply one style of Kodokan Judo today. Kosen Judo has the same throws and other techniques as Judo but it emphasizes newaza (ground techniques) such as controls, joint locks and strangles more than Kodokan judo, having greater latitude and time permitted for ground techniques. This style of Judo is still practiced today.

Kodokan Judo was introduced into the school system of Japan in 1914. Starting in the middle school years the sylabus was almost entirely newaza (ground fighting) to prevent injury. Through high school and post-secondary years more and more tachiwaza (standing fighting) was introduced. The term Kosen is actually a contraction of:

Koutogakko 高等学校 = High School and Senmongakko 専門学校 = Technical or Professional College, producing Koutosenmongakko 高等専門学校 = High Schools & Universities i.e. "Scholastic," in this case referring to what we might label an Interscholastic Judo League.

The Kosen Taikai (Interscholastic Competition) was an inter-school contest based on teams in which individual bouts could also end in a draw. In the case of a team draw, a lottery was used to decide the winner. Newaza training was useful because it is easier to get draws in newaza, and faster to get a beginner trained for team competition. Thus, techniques like Hikikomi (laying on the back) and Sankaku Jime (triangle choke with the legs) were popular and well researched.

Rules

The rules of a Kosen Judo match were the same set of rules of pre-world war Judo, which, in contrast with current Judo rules, allowed direct transition to newaza (ground grappling) without the mandatory skillful application of a movement to unbalance the adversary first. This allowed for scenarios where one less skilled Judoka could drag down the other into newaza[2] (a tactic modernly known as pulling-guard), and this was exploited by some university teams that matched their less skilled students against the more skilled students of the rival teams[2], aiming at a (generally easier to achieve) draw in newaza.[2]

To achieve victory under the Judo rules of the time the judoka had to score Ippon (full point) as there were no intermediate scores, or a draw was declared at the referee's discretion. Since Kosen Judo followed the same rules, only techniques resulting in ippon determined the winner.[2] Ippon could be achieved via submission, a perfect throw (a throw displaying control, force and speed, landing the opponent largely onto his back), osaekomi/pin hold (only tate-shiho-gatame - mount position - was considered[citation needed]) or by stoppage due to the impossibility of a judoka to continue (unconsciousness, broken limbs, etc.). Differently to modern Judo rules leg-locks were allowed.

The matches had no time limit and were usually contested on a mat 20x20 meters in total size. A starting zone 8x8 meters was marked on the mat as well as a danger zone which ended at 16x16 Meters. If a Judoka went out of the danger zone the match would be restarted. If they were actively engaged in newaza the referee would call sono-mama to freeze them into position, drag them to the middle of the competition area, and call yoshi to restart the match in the same situation. This device was common in Judo in general and is still part of the official Judo rules, addressed in article 18 - Sono-mama, but has since fallen into disuse, allowing modern Judoka to escape newaza by going out of the competition zone.

Kodokan

Newaza effectiveness and ease of learning by smaller opponents started to change the way judo matches evolved. It was easy to train a Judoka in newaza and have him stop the most fit opponent from a rival school, so Kodokan Judo started to be dominated by newaza fighting. Over time there was so much emphasis was on newaza, due to its success in competition, that Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, introduced new rules limiting the amount of time the judoka could stay on the ground. It was stipulated that techniques had to start from tachiwaza (standing stance) and if you pulled your opponent down more than three times he was declared the winner. In 1914 Kano organized the Kosen University Championships at Kyoto Imperial University. This sportive style of competition was formally called the "Kosen Taikai." Kosen Judo is being still practiced at some Japanese universities, particularly at seven of the nine ex-imperial universities of Japan. (Only Seoul National, formerly Keijo University, and National Taiwan University do not practice Kosen Judo in some form.) Sometimes it is called shichitei-judo (七帝柔道). There is an annual competition held among those seven universities.

Eventually, in 1925, Jigoro Kano decided to re-vamp the rules of competition judo. One of those changes was to limit the time that competitors could spend grappling on the ground. This effectively stopped the trend that was going on in judo; however, the Kosen Schools decided to continue their matches and train the way they had been since the turn of the century. Kosen judo followed its own course, and continues under the old rules even to this day in the Seven Universities Tournament.

Bibliography

* Osaekomi by Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki
* History of Kosen Judo
* Kosen Judo
* A Kosen Judo posting
* Judo History Archive

[edit] References

1. ^ Kosen is sometimes spelled "Koshen"
2. ^ a b c d Katsuhiko Kashiwazaki. Osaekomi (1st Edition ed.). London, UK: Ippon Books Ltd.. pp. 14. ISBN 1874572364.

Source: www.wikipedia.org