I get asked a lot of questions about how long it takes to progress through Judo at Winter Haven Freestyle Judo. I am going to start with the general requirements of the first adult rank earned in Freestyle Judo, Yonkyu or Blue Belt .
The path of Judo isn't an easy road. It is a demanding one. Rank doesn't come in the measurement of months, it comes in the measurement of years. No short cuts are taken, nor is there a fast tracking of rank. Grading standards are high.
This is a progressive fighting method, a game of inches and precise dynamic movement that is won and accomplished in stages. For the learning judoka, each rank presents a particular range of techniques to be learned at that rank. Generally rank and rank progression helps set learning goals. It also serves as an interim goal to strive towards.
The adult ranks are as follows:
Fifth kyu (gokkyu) White belt
Fourth kyu (yonkyu) Blue belt
Third kyu (sankyu) Brown belt or Purple belt
Second kyu (nikyu) Brown belt
First kyu (ikkyu) Brown belt
BUILDING THE CORRECT FOUNDATION
At Winter Haven Freestyle Judo, the rank of Blue belt (yonkyu) is the first promotion that a practitioner will
achieve. It is the most important step in achieving long term goals in Judo. At
the blue belt level, students gain a wide breadth of technical knowledge and
undertake hundreds of hours of mat time to learn how to implement judo techniques
efficiently.
GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR YONKYU BLUE BELT
MUST BE A MINIMUM AGE OF 14 YEARS OLD.
MUST HAVE EXCELLENT ATTENDANCE IN ALL CLASSES, WORKOUTS, AND SCRIMMAGES IS REQUIRED. MUST HAVE ACTIVELY STUDIED AND TRAINED FOR A MINIMUM PERIOD OF TIME OF TWO YEARS. (TWO YEARS IS A MINIMUM - NOT A STANDARD TIME IN GRADE.)
MUST DEMONSTRATE SKILLFUL JUDO IN BOTH STANDING AND GROUNDFIGHTING DURING RANDORI. MUST HAVE EXCELLENT FUNCTIONAL SKILL IN RANDORI AND UNDERSTANDING OF TECHNIQUES.
MUST HAVE A GOOD, FUNCTIONAL UNDERSTANDING AND ABILITY AT
GRIP FIGHTING. MUST HAVE EFFECTIVE, FUNCTIONAL AND REALISTIC GRIP FIGHTING SKILLS
IN RANDORI.
APPLICANT MUST DEMONSTRATE AND UNDERSTAND CONCEPT OF:
KUZUSHI/BREAKING BALANCE/POSTURE
TSUKURI/FITTING IN
KAKE/EXECUTE TECHNIQUE
MUST DEMONSTRATE ALL REQUIRED BLUE BELT NAGE WAZA (THROWING TECHNIQUES) IN
RANDORI
RENRAKU WAZA/COMBINATION TECHNIQUES -DEMONSTRATE A REALISTIC
CONTINUATION OR COMBINATION OF ONE THROWING SKILL TO ANOTHER IN RANDORI.
RENRAKU WAZA/ CONTINUATION OR COMBINATION TRANSITION FROM
STANDING TO GROUNDFIGHTING TECHNIQUES IN RANDORI
FUSEGI/DEFENSE AND KAESHI WAZA/COUNTER TECHNIQUES FOR NAGE
WAZA (THROWING TECHNIQUES)-DEMONSTRATE REALISTIC DEFENSIVE SKILLS AND COUNTER
ATTACKS IN RANDORI.
KATAME WAZA (GRAPPLING TECHNIQUES)
THE KATAME WAZA OF KODOKAN JUDO ARE THE GROUNDFIGHTING OR
GRAPPLING TECHNIQUES AND SKILLS.
OSAEKOMI WAZA/IMMOBILIZATION (HOLDING OR PINNING) TECHNIQUES
GOALS-HAVE FUNCTIONAL SKILL AND UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO HOLD
OPPONENT TO THE MAT IN RANDORI.
NEWAZA SKILLS
GOALS-STUDENT MUST POSSESS EXCELLENT FUNCTIONAL ABILITY AT CONTROLLING OPPONENT’S POSITION TO APPLY PINS OR SUBMISSION TECHNIQUES IN RANDORI.
DEMONSTRATE EXCELLENT ABILITY AT LEG CONTROL, HIP CONTRAL AND HAND CONTROL AND
HOW THESE SKILLS CONTROL AN OPPONENT. EFFECTIVE JUDO (IN THIS CASE,
GROUNDFIGHTING) IS A SERIES OF CONTROLLING POSITIONS THAT ULTIMATELY LEADS TO
DEFEATING HIM.
IMPORTANT- (WHEN DEMONSTRATING ALL BREAKDOWNS, GUARD PASSES
OR GUARD SWEEPS, APPLICANT MUST IMMEDIATELY AND EFFECTIVELY MOVE INTO ANY PIN,
CHOKE OR ARMLOCK OF HIS CHOICE.)
DEMONSTRATION OF BREAKDOWNS OR TURNOVERS WHEN OPPONENT IS ON
ALL FOURS OR PRONE AND LYING FLAT ON FRONT
ALL REQUIRED NEWAZA SKILLS MUST BE DEMOSTRATED IN RANDORI
KANSETSU WAZA/JOINT OR ARMLOCK TECHNIQUES
GOALS-ABILITY OF APPLICANT TO PERFORM ARMLOCKS IN A FUNCTIONAL WAY IN RANDORI.
HAVE EXCELLENT SKILLS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLLS AND SET
UPS FOR A VARIETY OF ARMLOCKS. APPLICANT MUST BE ABLE TO PERFORM GOOD SKILL AT
ARMLOCK DEFENSES. EXCELLENT SKILL AT LEVERS AND PRYING ARM FREE TO APPLY JUJI
GATAME. ALL MUST BE DEMONSTRATED IN RANDORI
SHIME WAZA/STRANGLING AND CHOKING TECHNIQUES
GOAL-HAVE FUNCTIONAL SKILL IN STRANGLES AND CHOKES IN RANDORI.
KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF SAFETY WHEN USING CHOKES AND ABILITY TO USE
POSITION TO SET UP THE STRANGLE OR CHOKE.
