[glafon@judoamerica.com]

This past weekend I was in Las Vegas attending the All Women’s Judo Championships, a USJA board meeting, and the USJA National Coaches Conference. Here are my thoughts on what I saw and heard...

For the rest, go to blog.betterjudo.com.

[stacey]

[annmaria]

Not surprisingly, I disagree with Gerald's post. The players who attended received a great clinic with Lynn Roethke, lots of matches and had a good time. The tournament was conducted in accordance with the rules. HOWEVER, given it was the first tournament with the new rules for most people, the players were NOT given hansokumake for a leg grab. They were told they would be given a shido for the first one but, in fact, I did not see a single penalty given for this all day.

Players were not given hansoku make for illegal gis (I did not see any illegal gis). When someone wanted to give a hansoku make for having a non-white t-shirt under her gi, in fact, one of those international referees stepped up and said that instead of a penalty we should just explain to everyone what the rules were.

Players weren't given hansoku make or, in fact, anything for having a blue gi on the white side. They simply switched sides.

The tournament was run to give the players lots of matches and they got that.

I would like to thank Kala Crosby, the tournament director, Diane Samia, the head referee, Ruby Fasula, who handled pooling, Martha Lilly who did pre-registration, Lynn Roethke who flew in from Wisconsin and did the athlete clinic and also taught at the coaches clinic the following day.

It was very cool seeing Gretchen, a white belt with three children aged 6 -18, enter her first tournament. She didn't win, but it was still cool. The team matches were very exciting for the girls, as always. The City of Industry fielded its own team, which was very impressive. They gave up a lot of weight but did not back down. Expect good things from them in the future.

Deb Fergus and Bob Treat of Southside Dojo, in Michigan, who started this event were there. One of Bob's players choked my little Julia who was fighting up in the 13-14 open division, but I forgive him (sort of). Seriously, I think young players are often afraid of being choked, so Julia got it out of the way at 11.

I don't know anyone, including the referees, who like the new rules. However, you don't get to choose your rules. If you did, I would add a whole bunch. For example, I think there should be stalling on the mat. Why is it a penalty if you won't attack standing up but if you curl up like a hedgehog when I want to fight you on the mat, that's ok?

Gerry thinks judo is advanced by staying home from a tournament in protest. I think it is advanced by a bunch of people putting on a tournament and working very hard to make it a good experience for everyone who comes.

[stacey]

I generally LOVE Deb's tournaments. She is very pro athlete in her approach and you are guaranteed a lot of good matches if you show up wanting to play. My understanding from the word on the street is that there were plenty of matches all around. Kudos to Deb and all those who participated. My failure to participate has more to do with health than a political stand on the new IJF rules. Where I really agree with coach Lafon is that tournament directors get to choose the rule set, so they can allow pre 2009 rules. I really hate these new rules. But, as I haven't played by the new rules, I should keep my fool mouth shut. Still, there is an attraction to having a ground swell from the grassroots community that we don't want to play by these new rules, and that that ground swell come not just from coaches and athletes, but from refs and tournament directors as well. This creates quite a conundrum - how do you support growth of women's judo by staying home from a women's judo tournament?

Oh, and the white t-shirt thing? I've been known to forget that I was wearing a gray sweatshirt over my white t-shirt, fail to take it off before competing and compete in gi and gray sweatshirt, usually sporting somebody's logo. Me? I think that the white t-shirt rule, which is an old, old rule, is unwieldy. My personal belief is that anybody wearing a gi and a t-shirt should be allowed to play. I really don't care what color the t-shirt is, what it says, etc. Well, I guess a TKD t-shirt would justify a hansokomake, and a bjj t-shirt a shido with the time to change into something more appropriate (like the tournament t-shirt), but other than that? sheesh. Let's be rational, people. The question is, does it create an advantage for the wearer, or pose a danger to her opponent? If the answer is no, then let her play.

Heard from the grapevine that the clinics were wonderful, especially Lynn's.

[annmaria]

Funny thing - after the tournament, after there had been a comment about wearing a white t-shirt - got back to the hotel room, my little daughter changed and only then did I notice that she had fought nine matches wearing a grey Camp Bushido t-shirt !

As far as the tournament director choosing the rules, the tournament director was Kala Crosby. I believe both she and the head referee, Diane Samia, were in agreement that the new rules should be used as the players were going to have to compete by those rules. There weren't any international referees shoving them down people's throats, at least, not that I witnessed.

[Michael Buckle]

annmaria, on Jan 27 2010, 03:47 AM, said:

Not surprisingly, I disagree with Gerald's post. The players who attended received a great clinic with Lynn Roethke, lots of matches and had a good time. The tournament was conducted in accordance with the rules. HOWEVER, given it was the first tournament with the new rules for most people, the players were NOT given hansokumake for a leg grab. They were told they would be given a shido for the first one but, in fact, I did not see a single penalty given for this all day.

Players were not given hansoku make for illegal gis (I did not see any illegal gis). When someone wanted to give a hansoku make for having a non-white t-shirt under her gi, in fact, one of those international referees stepped up and said that instead of a penalty we should just explain to everyone what the rules were.

Players weren't given hansoku make or, in fact, anything for having a blue gi on the white side. They simply switched sides.

The tournament was run to give the players lots of matches and they got that.

I would like to thank Kala Crosby, the tournament director, Diane Samia, the head referee, Ruby Fasula, who handled pooling, Martha Lilly who did pre-registration, Lynn Roethke who flew in from Wisconsin and did the athlete clinic and also taught at the coaches clinic the following day.

It was very cool seeing Gretchen, a white belt with three children aged 6 -18, enter her first tournament. She didn't win, but it was still cool. The team matches were very exciting for the girls, as always. The City of Industry fielded its own team, which was very impressive. They gave up a lot of weight but did not back down. Expect good things from them in the future.

Deb Fergus and Bob Treat of Southside Dojo, in Michigan, who started this event were there. One of Bob's players choked my little Julia who was fighting up in the 13-14 open division, but I forgive him (sort of). Seriously, I think young players are often afraid of being choked, so Julia got it out of the way at 11.

I don't know anyone, including the referees, who like the new rules. However, you don't get to choose your rules. If you did, I would add a whole bunch. For example, I think there should be stalling on the mat. Why is it a penalty if you won't attack standing up but if you curl up like a hedgehog when I want to fight you on the mat, that's ok?

Gerry thinks judo is advanced by staying home from a tournament in protest. I think it is advanced by a bunch of people putting on a tournament and working very hard to make it a good experience for everyone who comes.

Dr. De Mars -

Thank you for your commitment and dedication to this event. I'm not convinced that bashing referees for doing what they are mandated to do is appropriate. Referees have one very important duty and that is to make darn sure that the rules of the game are being adhered to properly, period. I am very appreciative that the organizers of this event worked so hard to make it happen. Thank you all for your dedication to the development of our athletes.

My only regret is that I wasn't able to attend and take my 1 billionth fall for Lynn.

Best Regards...............well done.

Mikey B

[stacey]

annmaria, on Jan 26 2010, 10:44 PM, said:

Funny thing - after the tournament, after there had been a comment about wearing a white t-shirt - got back to the hotel room, my little daughter changed and only then did I notice that she had fought nine matches wearing a grey Camp Bushido t-shirt !

As far as the tournament director choosing the rules, the tournament director was Kala Crosby. I believe both she and the head referee, Diane Samia, were in agreement that the new rules should be used as the players were going to have to compete by those rules. There weren't any international referees shoving them down people's throats, at least, not that I witnessed.

hmmmm, something sounds fishy here...

Good on your daughter! 9 matches! and a Camp t-shirt! she rocks!

[Shindai Warrior]

annmaria, on Jan 27 2010, 03:47 AM, said:

I don't know anyone, including the referees, who like the new rules. However, you don't get to choose your rules. If you did, I would add a whole bunch. For example, I think there should be stalling on the mat. Why is it a penalty if you won't attack standing up but if you curl up like a hedgehog when I want to fight you on the mat, that's ok?

Equality rules for ne-waza! Free Osae-komi now! Those would be good slogans on the white t-shirts.

[annmaria]

Shindai Warrior, on Jan 27 2010, 06:47 AM, said:

Equality rules for ne-waza! Free Osae-komi now! Those would be good slogans on the white t-shirts.

Okay, now that is definitely a t-shirt I would wear !

[Richard Riehle]

Gerald is right about the silliness of the new rules, even though some might question his approach to dissent. I appreciate his including the letter of protest along with an email address where protest can be sent.

Good for the tournament officials for taking a sane approach to enforcement of the draconian and generally unecesary rules from IJF. Who cares about the color of someone's T-shirt? The last act of a dying organization is to enlarge the rule-book. If IJF continues to enlarge the rule book is such asinine ways, Judo will become more and more about the rules and less and less about the Judo. In my view, the only two reasons for rules are 1) fairness for both competitors, and 2) safety. Nothing in the new rules seems to be related to safety. So that leaves fairness. It is a considerable stretch to see how a lot of these rules involves fairness. Instead, they seem to be invented for cosmetic effect. Next they'll be telling us that men must not have beards or mustaches and women must wear pantyhose. The concept that IJF officials are working for the Judo community, not the other way around, is one of Gerald's most important observations. His approach to dissent may be a bit radical and his criticism of the women's event may have been inaccurate in some details, but the basic theme of his blog (and I don't always agree with everything in some of his blogs) seems to be that Judo is not going to benefit from the new rules. In this, I have to agree with him.

[uchimataman]

glafon@judoamerica.com, on Jan 26 2010, 09:35 PM, said:

This past weekend I was in Las Vegas attending the All Women’s Judo Championships, a USJA board meeting, and the USJA National Coaches Conference. Here are my thoughts on what I saw and heard...

For the rest, go to blog.betterjudo.com.

Gerald, very good editorial. Keep up the fight against these assinine rules. My club will simply stop competing once these go into effect in my area.

Getting back to the All Women's Championship, what's with the pink ribbons on the medals? Is this "Barbie judo"?

In light of all that was said on the other thread about judocise, have a separate women's tournament and pink ribbons to boot seems pretty ironic. It's an odd message that's being sent. Do you women want equality or a pink and lace teddy bear version of judo? I'm confused.

[RoswellJudoClub]

uchimataman, on Jan 27 2010, 06:57 AM, said:

Gerald, very good editorial. Keep up the fight against these assinine rules. My club will simply stop competing once these go into effect in my area.

Getting back to the All Women's Championship, what's with the pink ribbons on the medals? Is this "Barbie judo"?

In light of all that was said on the other thread about judocise, have a separate women's tournament and pink ribbons to boot seems pretty ironic. It's an odd message that's being sent. Do you women want equality or a pink and lace teddy bear version of judo? I'm confused.

Not having competed, wrong sex and all, I can pretty well assure you that this was not "Barbie Judo." They weren't doing "pink and lace teddy bear judo." Let's not be offensive, here!