My Top 5 Judokas in MMA

Let’s face it, judo is huge and so is MMA.  Judo is a high-intensity, epic sport that requires a full life sacrifice to become the best.  For this reason judokas are becoming more and more prominent in the MMA scene. 

I follow judo and MMA as much as any avid fan.  Like anyone else, I have a soft spot for those competitors whose original style was my own – judo.  So without further ado, here is MY list of 5 top judokas in MMA.

Shinya Aoki – Japan

Though not a top tier judo player, Aoki still holds a black belt from Japan and was very competitive before transitioning into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA.  Old videos of him on Youtube show his tendency for newaza over nage waza.  Aoki is one of the most recognizable figures in Japanese MMA.  

With notable wins over Rob McCullough, Marcus Aurelio, Vitor Ribeiro, and Eddie Alvarez, Aoki is no doubt one of the best in the game.  Watching any of his fights clearly shows his desire to take the fight to the ground.  And for good reason, once he gets there, he typical wraps it up.

Hector Lombard – Cuba

Hector Lombard is a 4^th dan in judo and 2000 Olympian for Cuba, one of the toughest teams in the sport.  Without question, Lombard is one of the most explosive and aggressive fighters in MMA.  Now fighting in the UFC, I believe he will quickly become one of the top contenders in his division.

Lombard fights out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, FL which is where I once trained before travelling abroad to teach English.  A definite throwback to Mike Tyson, Lombard’s highlight videos are a sight to behold.  Let’s just say he’s better as a friend than a foe.

With Hector Lombard at American Top Team

Kim, Dong-Hyun – South Korea

Kim, Dong-Hyun is a former Yong In University judo player.  What does that mean?  It means he is one bad judo dude.  Yong In University is Korea’s official judo and martial arts college and training site for the national team.  Without being too cliché, the “best of the best” in Korea train at Yong In University.  The training intensity he developed at Yong In has translated well into the MMA world.  

Now one of the top contenders in the UFC, Kim is the biggest name in MMA in South Korea.  What’s crazy is I train at his school – Busan Team MAD.  Some great talent coming up in Busan.  Be prepared. 

Fedor Emelianenko – Russia

What’s in a name?  I remember watching Fedor’s first fights in Pride back in the day.  When I found out he was a Russian judoka he immediately became my favorite fighter.  Little did I know he would go on to be the most recognizable fighter in the game and responsible for taking MMA to new levels.  A former competitive judoka from Russia, Fedor placed in several top tournaments in Russia.  What’s the big deal about Russia and judo?  Obviously  Japan, France and South Korea don’t have the answer to that question as Russia is arguably the most dominant country in the sport today.  This not including Russia’s “related” countries (e.g. Georgia, Uzbekistan, etc.) that many of us view as part of the empire in northern Asia.  Russia dominated the 2012 Olympic games in judo (finishing first overall) and shows year over year that they bring the pain to the tatamis. 

Fedor is one of their products.  With a very long and brutal career, his days look numbered in MMA.  If he ever finds himself in the ring again it will likely be as a coach or promoter.  After suffering losses at the tail end of his career, it was clear that the abuse from years of fighting and the evolution of the sport have finally caught up with him.  It happens, but has no bearing on the fact that this great judoka was once King of the cage for over a decade.

Ronda Rousey – USA

What can I say?  You can’t overlook this girl.  A Jimmy Pedro protégé, Ronda Rousey has made us all watch MMA a little more.  A junior World Champion and medalist at the World Championships and Olympic Games, Rousey is the reason women are in the UFC today.  Her level of play, technical ground game (a la Jimmy Pedro) and ferocity make her unstoppable at the moment.  She is the biggest name in women’s MMA since the sport came about.  Not only is she better looking than the ring girls, but she can turn them all into pretzels as well!

A trash talker and a pretty face, I hope she continues to put judo on the map and bring much needed recognition to all-time great, Jimmy Pedro.

Rousey and "Judo" Gene Lebell

Oss.

What in the World Happened to Judo? The Future of Women's Judo

Kosei Inoue - the greatest

Judo is by far one of the most organized and widely practiced martial arts in the world today.  At the 2012 London Olympic Games, 137 countries participated in the event.  That is a true testament to how universal it has become.  And for good reason.  Judo is a sport that can and does appeal to almost everyone.  The physically challenging nature of judo accompanied by it's life-enhancing moral code of conduct, judo can be practiced by anyone of any age.

Judo is typically practiced by men.  It is a combat sport that is not easy on the body and it's style of grace is different than what would be seen in ballet or figure skating - two activities that are equally as grueling.  Because of this, the growth of women's involvement has been slower than for men with the exception of a smaller core group of countries (e.g. France, Brazil, China, Cuba, Korea, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan).  Even within the more successful women's programs, the margin of success is still in favor of the sport's founding country - Japan.


Japan - It's Own Greatest Rival

The new face of judo

All of this reminds me of the sport 20 years ago for men.  Though judo's popularity was spreading rapidly and many countries were developing their own national programs, Japan was still the dominant team.  To beat a Japanese was a very big deal to any country.  Things have changed so much since then.  It's become clear in recent years that Japan is no longer the dominant country, but rather a part of the full spectrum of competitive judo.  In the London Olympics, Japan was fourth at the medal table, securing just a single gold medal and 7 medals in total.  Russia, France, and South Korea were the top teams, respectively, for this Olympic Games.

For many of us who started judo LONG ago, we will all have a soft spot for Japan.  Japan did an outstanding job of streamlining the sport, growing it globally, and making it a dynamic Olympic event.  We all loved seeing the new big name Japanese players dominate competition with their textbook technical proficiency.  So today when we see their top players being defeated regularly in the international venues, I think I can speak for many "older" timers that there's likely a part of us wishing that a new Kosei Inoue is being born in some hospital somewhere in Japan.  Maybe in a far-off mountain temple with ministers of judo chanting in harmony...or something along those lines.  In short, Japan is the reason Japan is not as "successful" competitively as they once were - and we can only thank them for this fact.


The Future for Women's Judo

The future of women's judo

Sharing the limelight shows us how far the sport has really come.  How involved and unique each country is with the techniques.  I believe the same path lies ahead for women's judo.  Though Japan's women did not fare well in London, they typically dominate international events.  Actually, in recent years it's generally been the women that have pulled the overall Japanese team to the top spot.  I think that as time goes on and the sport of judo continues to grow, the level of competition globally will also come up to speed in the women's category.  The playing field will be leveled out just as with the men and we'll see greater game play among a broader scope of countries.

Ryoko Tani Tamura

That being said, the state of women's judo today is nothing short of dazzling.  Women by nature have a tendency to place a greater focus on technique and it shows in competition.  Men's matches at times can appear to be a bit like wrestling - and the Olympics already has that event.  This is judo.  We like to see bodies being whipped to the mat with speed and power.  There's no doubt that women give us that in there display of technical judo.

Here's to the next 20 years for the world of judo.

Judo World Cup Jeju (Korea)

This past weekend was the judo World Cup in Jeju, South Korea.  Several countries hold World Cups where competitors from around the world can come and compete.  Coming off the tails of the Tokyo Grand Slam, this event attracted some great talent, though not quite top tier as would a Grand Slam event.

The day before the event, a competitor from Busan came by our school.  He was a young kid, maybe 15 or 16 years old, but already had knobbed up fingers.  Oh judo!  This wasn't the first time that a high level competitor stopped by our school.  On two other occasions that I remember, we had high level players come by for a workout before a big event.  I'm not quite sure why.  It is probably to get the blessing of our master instructor who has been the owner of our school for 30 years.  My school is the most historic in Busan, the second largest city in South Korea and the instructor is well regarded in the judo community.

In any event, it's great to see the next generation of potential world class talent come through every few months.  Korea fared well in the tournament but did not take the top spot as a team in the final results.  Coming in second to Japan, Korea still captured 4 gold medals, 10 silvers and 11 bronze medals.

Kim Jae Bum - on top of the judo world

As my instructor said in an interview I had with him, the future of Korean judo (유도) looks brights in the middle and lightweight divisions.  The way it seems to me after training here for a year an a half, he's probably right.  After Korea's performance at the Olympic Games (with the exception of Wang Ki Chun being injured by a juji gatame) I would have to agree.  It's really fun to be this close to one of the strongest judo programs in the world.

Adidas Commercial for the Korean National Judo Team

Being in Korea has rejuvenated my interest and involvement in the sport of judo.  Judo is a big sport and martial art here in Korea.  Anytime a country has a university dedicated to the development of a sport, where one can receive a college degree in THAT sport...you know they're serious.  That's Korea.

Wang Ki Chun & Kim Jae Bum

Yong-in judo mascot

Korea has never stopped producing top athletes in the game, and always bring home gold medals at all levels each year.  Korea's national judo and martial arts university, Yong-in, is also the training ground for the national team which includes Wang Ki Chun, Kim Jae Bum, and Song Dae Nam.  The facility looks unbelievable and there are no corners cut in the preparation for the World and Olympic stage.  I plan on visiting Seoul this winter break and my hope is to have a workout at Yong-in and to see their facilities.  I am almost as excited about the notion as I was when visiting the Kodokan Judo Institute.

Song Dae Nam, 2012 Gold

I came across this great Adidas commercial (below) for the Korean National Judo Team in training.  Unfortunately, I can't understand what they are saying (I'm a bad Korean!) but the feature is really awesome nonetheless.


These are the top athletes in the game globally.  Wang Ki Chun and Kim Jae Bum are arguably among the best players in history and this video gives a brief glimpse into why.  True professionals.

You Say Judo, I Say Yudo...

It was once a desire of mine to travel here to Korea or Japan to train in the sport of judo with the greatest practioners in the world.  That was MANY years ago and my priorities have changed.  So has my body and pain threshhold!  I wasn't really planning on training in judo here (though I did bring my judogi so maybe subconsciously).  I actually wanted to start taking haedong kumdo or more commonly known as kendo in Japan.  It's a style of fencing or sword fighting where sparring takes place with heavier leather armor, faceguards and bamboo swords.  I guess Korea feels it necessary to rename Japanese styles to their own, but that's probably another conversation.  Some of my students and co-teachers told me of a gumdo school within a few blocks from my apartment so I went for a visit.  Though it was very interesting and the facility was very nice, it seemed to lack something that I was looking for.  Something I'll probably always look for.  Something a bit more physical or "ultimate" if you will where I would be pushed more physically - something like judo (or Korean yudo).

Ironically, on my way home from Home Plus, a Target-like chain store here in Korea, I hopped in a cab and the driver spoke English.  After he mocked me a few times about "left, right, left, right..." I finally had to throw up my gang signs to this guy.  So I took off my shades and hat and said "uh'ma hankook imnida" which means my mother is Korean (for the most part).  He looked in his rear view mirror at me and his eyes got wide and all the ooohh-ing and sucking noises through his teeth followed shortly thereafter.  I also told him I taught English at the local girls middle school and he really changed his tune.  Somehow that happens with everybody here though.

Fast forward the conversation...I then asked him if there were any korean yudo (aka judo) schools on the island and he said there was one that had been around since 1945 and was very traditional.  I asked him to drive past it so I could see where it was.  Wouldn't you know it is 2 blocks from my apartment.  Score!  He dropped me off and we were best buds at that point and I even tipped him which I'm told you're not supposed to do, but he did just find me a yudo school near my home.

After school the next day I went to visit the facility to find that it was everything a traditional yudo dojang (aka dojo) would be in my mind.  Judogis hanging up everywhere, that "judo dojo smell", and old, archaic, Flintstone-style weightlifting devices.  When I walked in there were a few guys on the mat warming up and this little older gentleman on the side with his shirt off.  He wouldn't even look at me.  Luckily, one of the students was multi-lingual and started translating for the man on the sidelines.  He was the head instructor and the first question he posed to the translator (without looking at me yet) was "why does he want to do yudo?"  What a great question.  I explained I was a yidan (nidan ala Japanese) which is a second degree black belt.  Everything changed from there.  Also, as soon as I told them I was from America teaching English at the girls middle school, everyone starting oooh-ing and sucking their teeth and clapping.  So classic.

Well, this "old" man has the physique of a 30 year old.  Chiseled, youthful skin, and just a machine.  A good guy to have on your side.  Come to find out he is about 64 years old.  I was shocked.  He is a 7th degree black belt and by Korean standards I realized immediately that I just walked into the mecca of judo instruction.  Gumdo was but an afterthought and I decided to come back the following Saturday at 6:30 AM (that's right...the morning) to enroll and get training.  In the first week I realized that this is the place where ALL of my technical understanding of yudo and body mechanics will be completely recalibrated.  This is real yudo.  I couldn't be happier that I found this gem.  And all because of the mocking cabbie who showed me the way.

I look forward to training here and receiving a black belt recertification from this true yudo master.  One of my original plans while in this region of the world was to travel to the Kodokan in Tokyo, Japan (the birthplace of judo) to receive my recertification there as well from the original source.  Being able to train at this school will absolutely prepare me for the trip.
The school name is Kook Sa Kwan Yudo Jang and the 7th dan is Go Gwan Jang Nim (i.e. master instructor, 6th dan and higher)..."Go" being the instructor's name -Go Chung Pil.

Godspeed!!

Judo in Korea - Walking to Class

I was so lucky to find a great, traditional judo (yudo) school right in my neighborhood.  I walk to class each time and get to see a little bit of my neighborhood so I thought I'd share some of it with you.  There's no action from the class in this video, just my neighborhood and the inside of the school.  I will be making a separate video showing a class in the future - stay tuned!

Have a Holly Judo Christmas!

I attended my judo school Christmas party and had a great and memorable time.  It was both and formal and laid back at the same time.  A time of eating, demonstrations, and quality moments with people I train with.  It was great to see how many people from all generations are closely tied to this school.  I'm proud to be part of it.  It has a long history deeply rooted in Korea's tradition for strong judo athletes.  Here is a video of the history of my my school.

Great young people and friends

Miss Kook Sa Kwan.. Na Rea

Mmmm...fatty pork...raw garlic...onions...hot peppers...kimchi.  Can you say Scope?!?!

Go Gwang Jang Nim.  7th degree black belt and head master instructor