The evolution of judo style and ogoshi by Eis Madchen


In many of these there was and is substantial individual variation
and I am sure that you can find individual pictures that
appear to be out of context. Not to mention that Mifune was
doing "Mifune style" long before 1950, and Europeans like Geesink
were doing "Modern" judo before 1964. Nevertheless, there was a
clear evolution in throwing and in Kodokan
doctrine over the century. Mifune's style came to the
forefront after the war after Kano was gone and Mifune was the
ranking judan at the Kodokan. Geesink got the world's and Kodokan's
attention when he won the heavyweight gold metal at the 1964 Olympics.
The Japanese had expected to sweep the judo events in all classes, but
instead lost three-quarters to the Europeans and Russians. The shock
caused the Japanese to reassess their approach to judo. Sadly, the
Kodokan turned to modern contest techinque.

The key point to remember is that all of these styles
are effective at achieving their goals in the context
where they are best applied. As a light person I
see Mifune style as the only choice for myself because
I want to throw men who are fully twice my weight. It is
also intellectually satisfying because it is the end
of Kano's quest for ultimate kuzushi. There have been
some minor improvments in Mifune style since his death,
but 99% was achieved by Mifune himself. If efficiency
is not such a big deal the other styles have their
advantages. The old koryu styles were developed as adjuncts
to armed combat and often come into play when opponents
collide during a weapons fight. Generally you have
both "screwed up" the swordwork and find yourselves
in contact and with little room or option for tai
sabaki. It is time to grab the guy and smash him.

Formerly, only a throw that landed the opponent with good force
was worthy of even a fraction of a point and it was
illegal to enter groundwork from a pulldown. IJF rules give
fractions of a point (that still can win a match) for pulldowns,
and is on the waying to allowing any sort of entry into newaza.
(I rather favor this because at that point we can combine the
wrestling and judo events in Olympics, and perhaps we could
then go back to doing real judo elsewhere.)
Weight classes guarantee an appoximate parity in size and
strength, and the nature of contest, an approximate parity in skill.
Gripping rules and prohibitions against standing kansetsuwaza
ruin ma ai and favor wrestling. Taisabaki, if you can call it that,
is radically different.
Together these rules and the nature of a match render most
of the concerns of old judo inapplicable. Protective taisabaki
and kamae are unimportant. Elevation in a throw only gives
your opponent time to flip on his face and escape. Ukemi
is an admission of defeat. I find it interestng
that some koryu rejected falling ukemi as modern judo does and practiced
round-off and kips as mid-air escapes.

In terms of technique, modern judo ignores that old emphasis on
vertical fall and replaces it with an emphasis on horizontal push.
Since there is no need to lift, supporting feet that were originally
under the center of mass of the judoka, are at a substantial angle
to provide driving horizontal force. Where old and especially Mifune
judo try to pop and prop uke up in preparation for kake, modern style
trys to lock him down, the better to bulldoze him. The old emphasis
on destroying uke's kamae with kuzushi before entry (as protection
against strikes and weapons as well as counterattack) is replaced
by combined kuzushi/tsukuri/kake and absent irimi. This is faster and
allows one to use physical power. It is also almost completely
unrelated to what was once judo, and would be fatal in self-defense
against a street fighter or martial artist.

Tori usually begins with a directly backward attack thrusting
into uke, and perhaps applying atemi to face and midsection,
uke pushes back and bends at the waist. Tori pulls him directly
forward, perhaps with right hand already on uke's scapula.
In most koryu styles, one does not enter directly toward uke.
More likely one would step first to the right (away from the
sword hand) with tsugi ashi, and then attack from the side
with a second movement of tsugi ashi -- one does not easily hop
around 180 degrees in armor. The "get off the line of attack" and
then enter from the side is also customary for most koryu. Aiki
jujutsu and later aikido developed the direct irimi that is
characteristic of both Kano and Mifune judo, but it was a
philosophical jump away (pardon the pun) from the avoidance
(ju, yawara, yielding, avoidance) taisabaki that gave
jujutsu its name.

You might think of the ukigoshi in the nage no kata as reference.
It demonstrates old judo's distinctive avoidance and side entry.
In Kodokan Judo (the book) the nage no kata techniques are
pictured in Kano style. Compare the Tsurikomi goshi in the kata
to the more Mifune style throw under nagewaza. (In my dojo,
when demonstrating the nage no kata we also use Kano style rather
than our normal Mifune style. I think that is rather standard.)
The seoinage also demonstrates the full turn, "pop over the top"
forward throw of old judo that contrasts with the aiki "inside out
uki otoshi" and the modern roller styles. Finally compare the
old leg technique form of uchimata with the hip style that is
better known today. In some of the self-defense kata, tori shows
even older koryu jujutsu styles. (Some of the "Ouchigari" style
osoto garis for example). Remember that the old styles have
certain properties that do make them good for self-defense, especially
against weapons.

To Mifune, there were really only four or so throws:
sumi otoshi, oguruma, ashi barai, and yoko wakare. All others are
variations. Ogoshi is sumi otoshi with tori in a different position
and uke thrown forward instead of backwards.
The throw relies largely on the tsurikomi (propping, drawing) kuzushi.
The presense of tori's hip is almost trivial. [This was not Mifune's
perspective or that of his students. They were quite interested
in the classifiation of throws, but if you look at judo as
a whole, it is clear that the principle of aiki is so strong
that it becomes the dominant component of all throws, and
renders the jujutsu component trivial. In aikido to you see
the same thing where throws are classified by the joint lock,
but as you enter the dan ranks, you realize that you don't
really need the joint locks. In judo throws are classified by
body positions and grips, but as you begin to understand Mifune's
technique you realize that the body positions are largely
irrelevant (as long as you keep your body out of the way of the aiki!)]


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