Judo Cheat Sheet

The key takeaways for beginners – falling first, winning the grip fight and thinking of throws in three phases.

The 3 throwing phases

Phase	What happens
Kuzushi	Break the balance: pull your partner’s centre of mass forward and up first, then down.
Tsukuri	Entry: get under the centre of mass and place your own hip in the right spot.
Kake	Execution: release legs and torso rotation – the arms only steer, they never lift.

The 3 golden technique rules

Factor 1: Ukemi before nage-waza

Concept: Being thrown is the most common injury mechanism in judo – not throwing itself. Tip: Your first skill is falling: forward, backward and side ukemi must be solid before your first throw.

Factor 2: The grip decides

Concept: The throw is decided in the grip fight – whoever grips first and more dominantly gets to throw at all. Tip: The standard grip is collar plus sleeve: the collar steers head and torso, the sleeve blocks the defending arm.

Factor 3: Torso, not arms

Concept: In seoi-nage, elite athletes rotate about 247° at the shoulder versus 208° mid-field – the difference is rotation, not arm strength. Tip: Drill a few throws with hundreds of uchi-komi and film the rotation – measure progress in degrees, not in feelings.

Grip-fight basics

Grip first: Whoever sets the grip first dictates the direction and timing of the whole exchange.
Power from the core: Pros pull with 43–60 kg per hand – hold through core and back, not through your fingers.
Protect your fingers: Nails short, no jewellery, finger tape when needed – fingers are chronically overloaded.

Equipment

Item	Tip
Judogi	Single weave to start: light and affordable. Double weave is a competition topic.
Belt	Comes with the gi – judo needs no more gear, you grip instead of strike.
Finger tape	Useful for loaded fingers; short nails and no jewellery matter more.

Getting fit – and staying fit

Judo builds explosiveness: Explosive power and mobility come by themselves – you don’t need to be fit to start.
Train endurance separately: Judo barely raises VO2max – base endurance belongs in your extra training.
Train grip separately: Raw grip strength doesn’t grow automatically either – train hold times deliberately.
No rapid weight cutting: 40–93% of judoka do it – the evidence clearly advises against it. Pick your class instead of starving.

Pro tip: Film your favourite throw once a month from the same camera angle and compare just one thing: how far your shoulder rotates. Judo progress is measurable – measure it and you stop imagining it.