We gaijins are focused on Japan in the belief that the country of the sun, is the judo nation of the world. Perhaps rightly because they produce great champions. Who does not remember the incredible competition skills of Toshihiko Koga and Ryoko Tani ? Inimitable techniques, the opponents of Koga knew he pitched them with Ippon-Seoi-nage, but they didn’t know when, were and how he dropped them on their back, they only faired him. The same for Tani the way she dominated her weight class for more than a decade is beyond impressiveness.
We are in the impression that judo is for granted the first sport activity in Japan, but this is not true.
In fact there are relatively more judokas active in the Netherlands then in Japan.
Roughly in Japan one of 700 people is practicing judo while in the Netherlands this number is one of 300 people. Furthermore in the past years there been several incidents reported about serious accidents during judo classes in Japan.
Young children were forced to make techniques above their skill levels, for instance drop seoi-nage, a throw preformed by tori on both knees. It's not hard to imagine by these techniques, Uke is falling head first, what the risk is. Because of this several kids died during judo practice, this has resulted that medical circles in Japan suggested that judo was a dangerous sport. The consequence of this is that parent’s resistance against judo was big enough to choose a modern and more popular sport for their child.
In retrospect it seems that every 1st Dan in Japan is allowed and free, with no pedagogic education at all, to start a judo class.
The consequences of this policy are disastrous for the continuity of judo in Japan.
Enough reason for the Japanese judo Federation, to search for a solution.
I presume that the president of the federation Mr. Onozuwa has studied educations models and primary has sent delegations to several European judo Federation.
One of these was the Dutch judo federation
After three days of information and observation, which was executed by the Dutch judo federation and supported by the Dutch judo and jitsu teachers Association.
The overall conclusion was that the way Dutch teacher’s are trained, belongs to one of the best and present advanced pedagogic programs in the world.
The Finish judo Federation which has also a high standard quality education program for children has already present their program under the leading presence of Marita Kokkonen in Japan. She reported that European ways of teaching without any adoption of methods are not suitable in Japan jet, because of the culture difference.
Japanese children are sent by their parents to judo to become a champion while Dutch parents send their children to practice judo for an educational purpose.
Furthermore the modern European system is adapted to the needs of the children while the Japanese system treads children if they are little adults.
Who will learn in a trial and error method the correct judo technique after years of practice, when they have enough perseverance to hold on.
If it’s all ready a problem to adapt judo for children in Japan it will be a major problem to explain Japanese judo teachers why we use judo for disabled.
And why we adjust judo, for reasons of safety in special needs competition.
Still it can be promising that the Japanese Judo Federation is forced to explore their knowledge beyond their own borders. Aldo the Japanese Judo Federation is in the position to let us think we must be flattered that they even concern to use the way European judo teacher are trained. I’m afraid they will feel this as marring the quality and tradition of their culture.
If the Japanese judo Federation decides to make use of the European judo teacher certification program, shall there be room for Special Needs judo also??
I have my doubt by that there is still is an enormous of difference in treatment of the disabled. By my knowledge the Japanese society have always ignored and/or denied the existence of people whit a disability and put them all in institutes far away from society.
Hiroshi Nishikawa stated during a presentation in Shanghai:
I live near Nagoya in the central part of Japan. I did many jobs. I have been bullied and exploited. But finally I found a place that I like. At AJU people with disabilities govern the organization and people with different kinds of disabilities work together. People in wheelchairs help me do the job by telling me how. I help them with physical works such as pushing wheelchairs. We make wine.
In order to make good wine, you have to take care of grape trees all the year round. In autumn, we celebrate the harvest festival. I wish many of you could come.
During the same presentation, Mr. Nobuyuki Sasaki of the organization;
people first in Tokyo declared;
The self-advocacy movement of persons with intellectual disabilities started in Japan in 1994. Little by little, the movement expanded and by 2001, there were 240 self-advocacy groups all over Japan. People First
Tokyo which I belong to, started in 1995 and receives annual subsidies from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Once a year, People First Japan holds a national assembly where nearly 2,000 persons with intellectual disabilities gather. However, still many colleagues live in institutions. The philosophy of services should be based on normalization, self- determination, community involvement, independent living and empowerment.
Professor Akimoto of the Tokyo University declares;
The social situation of the mentally disabled in Japan was characterized by living in closed sanatoriums with only few possibilities to participate in normal social life until the 80th of the last century. However, important improvements regarding the social integration have been achieved over the last years. Revisions of existing laws, private initiatives like working places for the disabled and other community associated facilities have been of special importance and have led to a better integration of the disabled in the normal social life. In the report examples of successful initiatives are described. The paid labour in the working facilities seems to be of high importance as they permit an economic and social autonomy and a higher self-respect.
I believe that the traditional diehards who always proclaim there is only one judo as usual from the corner of the Kodokan movement. Will resist as much as they can do, but at the end there's only one option swallow or chook.
Enough people have suffered by their prehistoric training methods.
BvdE
