The 2016 Cupertino Judo Invitational was a blast. The tournament was well run and all of our competitors had a great time. A notable mention goes out to Jasmine for her stellar performance in what was her very first Judo tournament. As for the others it may not have been their first time but the performances were nothing less than admirable. As always there was a fantastic display of sportsmanship, before, during, and after every match. Most importantly we note the courage it takes for these students to show up and compete without letting fear override their actions. This is a life skill that carries with them way outside of the sport of Judo.

Our NorCal Sport Jujitsu & Judo Team had a great showing at this year's 2015 Capital Open Judo Tournament which was held at Consumnes River College in Sacramento, California. More impressive than the fact that each of our members had appearances on the podium was the fact that they all gave it their best and displayed excellent sportsmanship. We are so very honored to coach such a great group of individuals.   

Today we wanted to share our thoughts on why we think sporting competition in the martial arts is so important to the development of a student.  You may have heard people refer to their system of practice as a self-defense only type of practice in which students would be seriously injured if they were to partake in a sparring venue utilizing their techniques.  The truth is that without practice in a dynamic environment in which the opponent is trying their best to prevent your use of technique while attempting attack there is no way to develop the timing, angles, distance control, or fluidity required to pull off any technique.  Imagine a boxer who never sparred or a wrestler who never actually wrestled.  

There is nothing wrong with the practice of kata (forms) or waza (technique) as an art that someone enjoys for a physical and mental benefit.  But without the sparring it is only an art and less of a martial art.  We do however believe that all students should partake in the repetitive performance of their techniques.  Try doing your most beautiful throw, grappling technique, or sparring move in a controlled environment.  Now reduce the quality of that performance by a factor of 5.  This is most likely how it will look if you were to use it in a dynamic environment.  Of course there is no guarantee that you can successfully pull off the move since you will have to figure out how to set it up and manage all of the other things that go on in a combative match.  So for this reason you should always strive for technical perfection through the practice of techniques in a controlled environment while participating in a free play or competitive type format to develop the skills needed to apply what you have learned.

In addition, anyone who has competed in a large scale competitive venue can attest that adrenaline is a huge factor that must be considered.  Free play or sparring in a dojo or other training facility will not produce the same rush of adrenaline experienced at contests where the opposing competitor is unknown.  This rush of adrenaline would also be experienced in a self-defense situation.  A familiarity with this effect will enable a martial artist to make better decisions in less time without the burden of thought paralysis.  

Lastly, there is one simple thing to remember if your goal in practicing martial arts is for self-defense.  Keep it simple!  Unfortunately we are not all able to catch punches out of the air and do sophisticated lock flow control holds on someone who has a serious intention of hurting us.  They look cool and might be fun to practice but not what we would call a go to program for defending one self.  It may take you many years to get comfortable with a program or system of self-defense so be sure that you are spending your time wisely and in a system that you thoroughly enjoy.  If you are not sure about what system or martial arts program is right for you then do some homework.  The internet has made everything so accessible.  If you find something that looks interesting be sure to interview the instructor(s) and ask lots of questions.  We hope this short informational helped you and wish you the greatest of success in your martial arts journey!

For more information about our background or martial arts program please visit:   www.NorCalSportJujitsu.com       

Here are some photos, video, and instructor clips we had thrown together to promote our classes at NorCal Sport Jujitsu & Judo Club in Rocklin, California.  Please like and share this with others if you feel it's worthy.  We appreciate all of your support!

Several members of the NorCal Sport Jujitsu & Judo Team participated in the 2014 Capital Open Judo Tournament being held in Sacramento, California this past weekend.  Out of 9 entries we had 8 podium appearances and each of our competitors showed a tremendous amount of heart and sportsmanship.  This picture above shows Kylie receiving a first place finish against a very large and talented group of competitors.  Above that is Jake receiving his first place finish after his efforts in some very fast paced matches.  If us coaches were to pick a favorite throw of the day it would have to be a tie between Jake's incredibly clean Osoto Makikomi which resulted in a match win by Ippon and Brook's left sided Tai Otoshi that also led to her victory by Ippon.  Coaches in attendance for this tournament were Sensei Shane Thompson and Sensei Ted Nakada.  For more information on our Judo and Jujitsu programs please visit www.NorCalSportJujitsu.com.

Our junior competitors at this weekends Judo Tournament in San Francisco each scored themselves a medal. We had 2 gold medalist, 1 silver medalist, and 2 bronze medalist. Outside of their outstanding efforts on the mat our coaching staff was most impressed by their display of good sportsmanship. Since some of these youngsters were competing against kids of greater experience it was quite the accomplishment for them and the beginning of greater things to come I am sure.

No-Gi version of the Hane Goshi Throw in Judo. Demonstration by Sensei Shane Thompson (3rd Degree Black Belt) of NorCal Sport Jujitsu & Judo Club. Performed at the IMAA Training Facility in Rocklin, California. *** www.NorCalSportJujitsu.com *** 

This event is a JUNIORS EVENT ONLY for ages 5 through 13. Discounted pre-registration has been extended through April 26th, 2013. Sport Jujitsu Event is for non-submission divisions only. Pins will be scored as usual. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will follow all IBJJF rules. Please click on the links above to review all competition rules in detail. At their discretion the mat officials may modify a rule should it be deemed necessary to maintain a safe tournament evironment. Should this occur all participants will be notified in advance prior to the start of competition. We look forward to a fun and safe program and we greatly value those of you who are contributing to this much needed fundraiser for our local Roseville Police Athletics League.
 
-NorCal Sport Jujitsu & Judo Staff

Kani Basami Judo Throw including variations demonstrated by Sensei Todd Birdseye (5th Degree Black Belt) of NorCal Sport Jujitsu & Judo Club. *** www.NorCalSportJujitsu.com *** Rocklin, CA.

This event is a JUNIORS ONLY EVENT. Registration will only be considered for participants ages 5 - 13 years. All divisions in the Sport Jujitsu competition will be non-submission divisions and shall be governed by JA rules. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu shall be governed by IBJJF rules. Tournament directors may modify any rule prior to the event at their discretion in order to provide the safest tournament environment possible for the competitors.