Tradional technique vs. tournament technique
If we compare the traditional technique "front cut (Osoto Gari)" and the tournament (modified) technique "1/2 front cut 1/2 leg block (1/2 Osoto Gari 1/2 Ashi Guruma)", we can see a big difference there.
1. foot placement (next to your opponent leading foot vs. infront and away from his leading foot),
2. attacking angle (push your opponent back vs. rotate him sideway),
3. body angle (your body is vertical vs. your body lean 45 degree forward)
4. attacking leg (you attack your opponent's front leg vs. you attack his back leg).
5. leg force (you kick your leg back vs. you sink your foot down).
6. Your opponent's knee (you don't deal with your opponent's knee vs. you bend his knee sideway).
7. ...
It's not hard to see that the traditional technique will only work against beginners. The tournament (modified) technique can be used to against a strong resisted opponent.
Traditional "front cut (Osoto Gari)":
http://cdn2.judoinfo.com/images/anim.../osotogari.htm
Tournament "1/2 front cut 1/2 leg block (1/2 Osoto Gari 1/2 Ashi Guruma)":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcA45dsJh2w
Here is the original Khadaji's article "Classical Osotogari Doesn't Work!":
http://www.bestjudo.com/article/0822...ri-doesnt-work
Here is the counter article by Steve Cunningham "Classical Osotogari Does Work!":
http://www.bestjudo.com/article/0823...eve-cunningham
- Which one's opinion do you agree with, Khadaji or Steve Cunningham?
- Why the traditional technique is different from the tournament technique?
- Is there any value to maintain the traditional training method?
- Does the "striking art" also have the similiar issue?
What's your thought?
Back when I used to fence and practice kendo...
...back when mastodons still roamed the earth...:o
...we used to talk about tournament techniques.
In fencing at the university, I was part of two programs: the NCAA one where there really was only tournaments and results, and a classical masters program, which often talked about the degradation of fencing methods by modern competition. Of course, the masters program was academic.
In kendo, our dojo was descended from a Japanese military police dojo (that's my lineage there and I'm proud of it) so it was pretty hardcore. When we struck men (head target), we weren't only supposed to strike with sufficient impact to split the skull. We were instructed cut hard enough to cleave well into the chest cavity. Kendoka who bounced when they fought were derogatorily referred to as 'university' kendoka, who only trained for tournaments.