Neo Judo (NJ) is trying to fill the gap between Olympic Judo and Submission grappling.
While I can understand that some Judo enthusiasts might think that we're corrupting Jigoro Kano's creation, that has never been the intention. We have the highest respect for Professor Kano�s Judo!
Instead, please see this as an attempt to add to Judo rather than taking something away. With NJ, athletes from disciplines such as Judo, wrestling, jujitsu and other grappling styles can compete together on equal terms without anyone pointing any sort of fingers. It also ensures that the style and training is flexible, it can adapt when called for and learn new things along the way. Once a system is set, it can easily stagnate.
Neo Judo is not a new martial art, it is just a new way to do Judo. The techniques are taken from Kodokan Judo, but not limited to these. Should someone find a winning throw or concept from another style such as Sambo or greco-roman wrestling, feel free to use it! A player will probably use a limited number of throws and pins, but they will in turn be the ones that work best for that player.
The perfect throw or takedown with the opponent under control will naturally award more match-points that a throw under less control, but Uke can still turn the bout to his favor by applying a successful lock on Tori after he's been thrown and win the match.
NJ will be played in the spirit of noble competition, unsportmanslike behaviour or otherwise not acting the gentleman (or gentlewoman) will disqualify the player, encouraging the noble spirit of sportsmanship. Neo Judo is not about producing professional athletes, it's primarily about having fun in friendly competition and in the spirit of sportsmanship.
Instead of receiving belts in promotions once or twice a year, players earn their belts in bouts. After winning a predetermined number of bouts, you will have earned your belt. There is nobody other than yourself that can promote you! Therefore there are no promotional fees to be paid, nor can anyone charge you any fee to promote you to any belts or ranks in NJ. You get yourself ranked solely on your own skill!
You don't have to demonstrate certain techniques to earn your promotion, only defeat your opponents in sporting contest. Thus, you could in theory at least, have a wicked Ogoshi followed by a vice-like Kesa Gatame as your only two techniques, but if that works for you, fine! If you win with it, that's all you'll need. Why should you be able to demonstrate 50-60 different throws when you probably use no more than 5-10 of those in competiton?
There are only two belts used in our club in NJ currently (that may change, time will tell): blue and black belts.
-Blue belt is awarded after winning 40 bouts under FJ rules.
-Black belt is awarded after winning 100 bouts under FJ rules.
Optional: a stripe is added to the belt after 10 wins. So someone who's won 30 bouts will have 3 stripes on his or her white belt, someone who's won 80 bouts will have 4 stripes on his or her blue belt.
Black belts gets an additional stripe every additional 50 wins.
To date nobody has been awarded either blue or black belt (we've just started).
Why use the belts at all? Well, most people are familiar with the Budo belt ranking system, often assuming that a black belt indicates mastery. Few people outside of a martial arts training hall have ever heard of dan-ranks.
In recent years the martial arts community has seen a veritable explosion in ranks, persons claiming multiple grandmaster titles and 10:th dan ranks. No proof required.
So we say: "Lets get back to basics! No ranks within ranks. No titles like Supreme Grandmaster. Whatever color belt I claim I've worked and fought hard and successfully for, and I know I've earned it!" As previously stated, in FJ nobody but yourself can rank you. There is no point in trying to claim connection to real or imagined ancient samurai-schools. You and your skill got you to where you are today, nobody else.
Do you think this might be something for you? Well then go ahead and start up a club or national chapter! Do you train in Judo or Jujitsu? Excellent! Then you could be well on your way already. You could run a NJ club on the side with your friends, as an add-on program. That's what we've done.
However, if you have not trained in any grappling style such as Judo, Wrestling or Jujitsu or similar, we recommend you do so for at least a year before starting a club, getting solid training in the basics. Make sure everyone in the club has good skills in breakfalling, and in the spirit of fairness knows at least two or three throws before letting them try their skill against others. Always remember that first and foremost you should have fun doing this!
In the event of you and your NJ club wanting to compete in "regular" Judo-tournaments, you will naturally do so under Kodokan rules, under whatever ranks you might have in Kodokan Judo. Feel free to invite other Judo-players or grapplers to train and compete with you, they will teach you lots. A belt in NJ does not really mean anything to anyone other than yourself and possibly your NJ club-mates, so if you go into a Kodokan Judo club and claim being a Judo black belt, you cannot and should not expect them to honor such a claim. There is no connection between Kodokan and NJ, other that NJ uses the techniques of Kodokan.
I think you have earned your black belt if you have defeated 100 people of basically the same skill in competition, but nothing says others will agree. In the end it matters only to yourself.
I will not (and cannot) issue any certificates in NJ or dictate to you how you should draw up your own rules or organization of NJ. If you want to issue certificates then that's up to you and your club. But I will gladly list your club here on the website!
We use the rules at the bottom of this page. If you want to, you can increase or decrease the number of belts, or perhaps change the color blue to green, or change the number of bouts for promotion, change weight-classes or change anything else you think needs improvement. If you want, you can even remove the different belts and ranks completely and just concentrate on the training. It's up to you and your club.
If you want my help or opinion then feel free drop me an e-mail.
I don't want any money from you, but I'd love to hear from you and how you are doing!
Rules and regulations:
-Players will use Judo-gis and the protective equipment they feel necessary (mouthguard, athletic cup e.t.c.). Wrestling shoes are optional, but otherwise players should have bare feet. Gis can be of any color, all patches are optional. Bouts should be held on tatamis or Judo mats 8x8 m (but a wrestling mat will do just as fine).
-No striking of any kind is allowed. Any strikes (hands, feet, knees, elbows, headbutts e.t.c.) will result in disqualification.
-No small jointlocks (fingers, toes) allowed. No neck-cranks, but strangulations and chokes are permitted. No twisting jointlocks such as heel-hooks. No eye-pokes or fish-hooks. Submission-locks on both arms and legs are permitted.
-Bouts lasts for 3 min. First player to 10 points wins. Bouts are continuous.
Points awarded:
3 points: Submission
2 points: Controlled throw, takedown where opponent lands on back. Sustained pin for 30 sek.
1 point: Throw or takedown.
Judge will interrupt players after 30 sek, or at judges discretion, at non-activity and restart players. Judges call is final.
Judge can disqualify player for nonsportsmanlike behaviour.
In the event of a draw, bout is decided by sudden death.
What did you think of FJ and this website?
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