Judo for Gentle People

Judo? For Gentle People? At the Anarchist Free University?

Literally translated, judo means ‘the gentle way’. Developed as a form of sporting combat in the late 1800s based on an amalgam of techniques from older Japanese martial arts (namely jiu-jitsu), judo is a grappling art, similar to wrestling in a sense, though with considerably more relevance to practical self-defense. In a self-defense context, Judo is almost purely defensive, employing throwing, arm-locking, choking and holding techniques to deflect or subdue the energies of a would-be attacker. In this sense, judo does not conform to most people’s stereotypical associations with the martial arts: there is no kicking or punching and you will not see anyone trying to break bricks with their head.

I’ve been doing judo since I was a kid, and I guess it’s relevant to mention my ‘qualifications’, as well as how I imagine running this course. I’ve had my ‘black belt’ for eleven years, and have taught judo in formal, institutional settings for about the same amount of time to people from a wide range of ages and skill levels. When I was younger I trained and competed at the national level, studying with several former Olympians and international-level coaches.

Having facilitated several different theoretical, text-based courses through the Anarchist Free University since its inception a few years ago, it occurred to me that the AFU might be a good place to share my experience and background in judo, providing a safe, non-competitive, non-hierarchical forum for people to learn practical self-defense techniques and explore some of the theoretical aspects of tumbling and grappling-oriented martial arts.

Almost without exception (and in some cases for very good reasons) the world of martial arts is characterized by heirarchy, discipline and authority. 'Judo for Gentle People', however, will be facilitated in an explicitly non-heirarchical atmosphere, focussing primarily on fun and technical exercises in tumbling, as oppposed to competition.

After the wildstlye success of the first installment of 'Judo for Gentle People' which ran during the Fall term, the ten-week course is being offered again throughout the winter, starting the week of January 16th.

The course will be held Fridays (6:30-8:30 pm) and/or Sundays (2-4 pm) at a marital arts club in the heart of Kensington Market. The space itself (complete with a large array of ideal mats for tumbling) will cost approximately 40 bucks per class, and to simplify the enrollment process, i'm asking people to pay up front for the complete 10-week course. Assuming there are at least 10 people interested in participating, the course will cost approximately $4 per class, or $40 for the entire 10 week duration (which is really cheap, all things considered).

Enrollment in the course will be on a first-come basis, so please contact me as soon as possible if you're interested in particpating and willing to commit to the $40/10-week arrangement. That said, if there is anyone who is interested in participating but cannot afford the $40, please contact me regardless, and we may be able to make arrangements for subsidizing the cost through the AFU. As well, if you're interested in participating but can not commit to the full 10 weeks, please contact me, and we will do our best to accomodate occasional visitors to the class.

In tems of gear, all you need for the class is a set of soft, loose-fitting clothes- soft so as not to scratch you or anyone else, and loose-fitting so as not to restrict your ability to engage in a wide range of tumbling activities. If possible, you may also like to acquire a cheap business/suit jacket from a thrift shop, which very nicely simulates the top of the judo uniform. We're playfully working towards a year-end 'Judo for Gentle People' demonstration involving the business/suit jackets, and we're in the process of developing a class stencil to print on the back...

If you would like to enroll in the course, or have any further questions or concerns, please contact:

christopher@anarchistu.org