“Judo Inside Out” by Geof Gleason

 

I have been re-reading an older book, “Judo Inside Out” by Geof Gleason. Published in 1983.  Gleason was an English Psychologist and a Judo Player.

But if you replace the word Judo’ each time it is used, with the word Karate, it is just as appropriate. Of course, the book is focusing on the sport aspect of Judo. And while it might seem more appropriate for the sport aspect of karate, it really speaks as much to the other aspects of karate, too.

The book opens on the issue of the difference between Technique and Skill.

When karate books were first written they were almost without question about technique of whatever aspect of karate the book was describing. And once that template was set, it became almost the standard for all karate books.

Yet the acquisition of skill, far more important, something coached into the student, remains far more important. Technique is the starting point, but Skill is the goal.

Especially his discussion on Technique and Skill (page 20 and 21).

“First, I must make some attempt to define and differentiate skill and technique.  As a start may I offer a definition of technique: it is the use of the body and its bits and pieces (arms, legs and head) to transmit force to the opponent, in order to bring about some predetermined effect, i.e. make him fall down, pin him to the ground or break his arm.  In order to appreciate and understand the function of technique, it is best learnt in the simplest of circumstances, i.e. in a non-varying situation, standing or lying still.  Skill is the application and therefore the adaptation of technique to an ever-differing situation; it is implicit that maximum consistency of success is desirable when learning the necessary modifications.”

“In training technique and skill must be learnt; the questions to be asked are when and how are they to be taught?  There is no finite answer, it will depend on the nature of the learning group. However, what is important is to realize that there is no sacrosanct order of presentation.  Technique does not have to proceed skill (as it always has done in the judo world); a simplified form of skill can be taught first ,followed by technique.  Not every group need be taught the same way: the aspirations of individuals should decide the form of teaching as it does the style of learning.”

How does a technique become a skill?

“In judo competition each individual is trying to impose his skill upon the other, with the intention of winning (as specified by the rules). For this to happen each competitor must be able to assess what the opposition has, both in sense of attack and defense, and how that will integrate with his own strengths and weaknesses.  Most judo textbooks, if they attempt to describe how this is to be done, would give the analysis from the hit-man’s point of view.  I want to adopt the opposite approach; I want to make the analysis from the targets point of view. I choose this approach for the following reasons.

1.      An efficient fighter always assumes he is the weaker in skills (not the weaker in determination to win). It may not be true, but in this way he will not underestimate the opposition.

2.      Accepting an inferior – but temporary – relationship makes the necessity of correct analysis more pressing and essential to get right.

3.      Being weaker than the opposition is a common relationship often found in any fighter’s career, yet seldom discussed. For some strange reason it is always suggested that the fighter should assume he is the better man when working out tactics. I say strange because in any championship there is only one winner, the rest are losers, so there must be a lot more ‘weaker-relationships’ than ‘stronger-relationships’.”

“Because by definition skill is the adaptation to an ever-changing set of circumstances, it is impossible to describe any specific skill in general terms……..”

To make the point, let me make a very simple example. 

Bill Wallace (Superfoot) was a winning tournament competitor, who basically relied on skill with 3 kicking techniques. And of course, he used hand techniques too. But he became so renowned for the way he threw those 3 kicks, he used to give numerous seminars on his kicking style. They were intensive technique studies (I know as I attended one in 1976 and it was 3 hours of constant workout covering those kicks). But technically knowing what he did and then transferring those techniques to personal skill was a very tall order.

Then he switched to the PKA league for full contact karate fighting. He became a winner there but had to develop a very different skill set to do that. His point tournament skills with those 3 kicks never left him, but they were not the skills that worked consistently in the PKA.

That is but a small example of what Skill Acquisition is all about.

And at the same time this is just a small example of what this book offers.

Its chapters include:

Chapter 1 Some Differences between Skill and Technique

Chapter 2 Countering Skills

Chapter 3 Let’s Start Again

Chapter 4 The Psychology of Competition – or How to Make the Most out of Very Little

Chapter 5 A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Chapter 6 A Summing Up

It is worth the time to read and study and then to think on and perhaps dream about.

When you think about there are so many different layers of karate skill possible.

1. Skill in kata execution.

2. Skill in sport karate.

3. Skill in effective applications.

And of course, much, much more. 

Skill is often logically developed by an instructor, but it can be self-directed in its development.

Some musings.