There is a considerable variety of practice methods and training drills in judo for skills development and considerable flexibility in the ways in which they are used by different instructors. One of the big difficulties facing most instructors is that of managing mat time sensibly, so that the right balance is achieved between practice and training. This is complicated by the fact that the average club has members of very mixed ability and experience. Even the simple fact that judo can be divided into standing and groundwork is potentially problematic as there are always individuals who prefer one area to the other. This is another reason why the role of the Sensei is so important in ensuring that the session caters for all.

UCHIKOMI

Learning all the Judo individual throws one at a time is similar to learning the vocabulary of a foreign language, the difficult part is to put the words together in the correct order to make fluent sentences. Sooner or later the judo player has to learn to combine techniques in order to be effective in contest. There is an old saying in judo that one technique mastered is worth a thousand sampled, which remains as true today as it ever was, but five or six techniques mastered is even better.