SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT

Make no mistake, Judo is a potentially dangerous sport, so strict discipline on the Judo mat is essential, whether in training or in competition.

The sport of Judo is very carefully controlled, and the safety of the competitors is always of overriding importance. Consequently, Judo has an excellent safety record, particularly when compared with other physical contact sports such as rugby.

In the correct environment, Judo can be practiced in a spirited manner without undue risk of harm or injury.

In training

From the very first, new Judo players are taught the importance of safety on the Judo mat.

Most importantly, a novice Judo player learns to follow the coach’s instructions and to respond to the call of “Matte” (stop) and to pay attention to what’s happening on the mat around them.

The coach will ensure that her players develop correct and safe throwing techniques, as well as learning how to be thrown safely. The throwing techniques that are taught are carefully selected to match the age and skills of the players.

Players are instructed not to attempt a technique that they haven’t been trained to perform correctly.

Contest rules

There are many rules and regulations in Judo, and the purpose of most of them is to protect the safety of the two competitors while on the Judo mat. Here is a selection:

Players must not enter a contest wearing any jewellery, watches, body piercings or any other hard objects. Even hair ties will be checked by the referee to make sure there is nothing in them that could injure either the player or their opponent.

A player’s judo suit must conform with regulations which, amongst other things, prohibit loose, unstitched fabric such as frayed badges or back patches. These may catch in their opponent’s fingers or toes and cause injury.

The contest action must only take place within the designated contest area, usually outlined by a border of red mats. When players stray out of this area the play is stopped and the players are brought back to the centre of the mat to restart the contest.

Several methods of gripping the opponent’s Judo suit are forbidden because they pose an injury threat.

Armlocks and strangles are only allowed for players over the age of 16 years. In Junior contests referees are always on the lookout for accidental strangles in ground work and will stop the contest if they see anything wrong.

A defending player may be penalised by adopting certain postures or stances which ar deemed to put himself or his opponent at risk. One axamples is attacking in a stooped posture with head bent; this can pose an injury risk to the player’s head and neck.

The contest rules are constantly being updated to exclude harmful actions. Recent changes include prohibiting certain types of throws for young players as they were seen to pose unnecessary additional risks.

Refereeing

The referee does much more than just adjudicate on scoring throws and hold-downs. Much of the work of the referee in a Judo contest is to ensure the safety of the competitors by applying the rules in a fair and consistent manner.

During the contest, the referee is constantly observing the players in action, looking out for anything which may be dangerous. This is particularly important in contests involving junior players where there are more restrictions on the techniques the players may use.

As well as the referee, contests are also monitored by two corner judges who are ideally placed to spot any potentially dangerous infringement of the rules that the referee may have missed.

Medical support at competitions

Competitions run by the British Judo Association or affiliated bodies always have medical teams, such as St. John’s Ambulance, in attendance. It’s a condition of the insurance cover for the event.

If a player is unfortunate enough to receive an injury on the mat while competing, the referee will immediately stop the contest and call for medical assistance.

Should a player require medical assistance during the course of a contest, at the referee’s discretion he must immediately forfeit to his opponent.

In Senior contests, strangles are allowed. Because the ultimate intent of the technique is to render the opponent unconscious a player can momentarily lose consciousness. If this happens, the player must take no further part in the event, and must also refrain from any competitive Judo for a number of weeks as a precautionary measure.

The spirit of Judo

The final safeguard in Judo is a culture of mutual respect between the two players, the so-called “spirit of Judo”, which is instilled in players from their earliest days in training. The qualities that embody the Judo spirit include:

• Politeness
• Honesty
• Fairness
• Modesty
• Courage
• Benevolence

Unlike some other sports, there is no place in Judo for hot heads or prima donnas.