The Essence of Judo video
Info about "The Essence of Judo video"
In this video, Kodokan Judo 10th dan Kyuzo Mifune and his students demonstrate the wide variety of techniques in judo:
- nagewaza, or standup grappling and throws
- newaza, or ground grappling and pins and submissions
- randori, or sparring
- kata, or forms
Although the narrator speaks in Japanese, it’s not really necessary to understand him – the techniques speak for themselves.
(The intro is long, so unless you understand Japanese, I would suggest you skip to 1:08 for the beginning of the action.)
Although not as famous outside of the judo community as Masahiko Kimura, Mifune is recognized in the community as one of the best judoka of all time and was nicknamed “the God of Judo” during his competition days.
Due to founder Jigoro Kano’s death in 1938, Mifune was also largely responsible for carrying judo from pre- to post-WWII Japan.
Mifune is often considered to have been the best judo technician to have ever lived, and it shows in this terrific video, even at his advanced age (I think he was 70-something and had throat cancer at an advanced stage when this was recorded.)
This video shows that judo is much more than just a game. Judo is a sport, a self-defense system, a martial art, and most of all, a way of life.