# How to rapidly learn a martial art?



## brainfreez (Jul 18, 2018)

Hi there, 

I'm starting a Judo class soon, they train 1 hour a week, and I want to progress fast.  Would anybody advise on how to make the most of the short class time, and ways to train outside of class?

Thanks


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## Martial D (Jul 18, 2018)

Maybe pay extra for private lessons?

Other than that practice what you learn for that one hour a week with a partner as often as possible.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 18, 2018)

brainfreez said:


> I'm starting a Judo class soon,


Someone forces his son to use "hip throw" only for 2 years and nothing else. Later on his son won the 1st place in a Judo tournament in Taiwan. It's not how much that you know. It's how well that you can do in one technique.

Try to create yourself a sparring/wrestling club. You may only go to class once a week, it doesn't stop you from sparring/wrestling 15 rounds daily and 7 days a week.

If you want to learn how to fight, you will need to fight.


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## TSDTexan (Jul 18, 2018)

brainfreez said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I'm starting a Judo class soon, they train 1 hour a week, and I want to progress fast.  Would anybody advise on how to make the most of the short class time, and ways to train outside of class?
> 
> Thanks



number 1!
Learn how to fall.... drill this hard and fast! make it the first thing you gain a handle on.
Avoid judo injuries, by preparing your body to safely fall without concious thought.

2.
Dedicate yourself to a minimum of 1 hour daily practice. Everything you can solo drill do it.

3.
Google judo solo drills. Do em until you hate em, and then do them some more.

4.
Stay hungry and motivated.
When you eventually plateau, double your solo training time for two weeks, then take 2 or 3 days of time not training. and resume training at 1 hour a day.

5.
Watch lots of judo throwing tutorials, YouTube has hundreds.

6.
ShinGiTai!
Develop your body. Develop your mind. And Develop your skill/technique.

7.
Purchase a judo throwing dummy.
Equip it with a DoGi.


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## oftheherd1 (Jul 19, 2018)

You have gotten good advice above from everybody.  Especially from @TSDTexan.  Especially break falls.  That is more important than you may realize, and will pay dividends for the rest of your life, not only in MA, but it everyday life.


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## now disabled (Jul 19, 2018)

Yes all good advice 

I will triple reinforce the need to learn to break fall, No matter if it backwards forwards or flying it will stand you in good stead and if you can take good ukemi you will be in demand thereby you will get to practice with the better students and learn faster as you will see them perform the technique and if you can take ukemi for them they will help you


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## yak sao (Jul 19, 2018)

Along with practicing technique and proper falling/ rolling, which are infinintly importtant,  make sure you condition your body with proper strength training and flexibly training.

This will help offset potential injuries and overuse injuries.


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## Danny T (Jul 19, 2018)

Embrace the suck, the struggle.
Work the single person drills/exercises your instructor gives you. But without a partner to do the actual controls, grip fighting, throws and ground positions it is going to be difficult.


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## hoshin1600 (Jul 19, 2018)

get a note book. after class immediately write down everything that was new to you, take lots of notes on specifics like foot or hand position and the names of throws.  taking notes will help commit them to memory. dont trust your memory all by itself, it will forget a lot.

show up for class early and be the last one to leave.  you could double your mat time.  dont get sucked into socializing with everyone. the bulk of people will be standing around talking before, during and after class.. dont do it.  if you want to get the most out of your time ,.,,your there to work..Get to it.


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## yak sao (Jul 19, 2018)

Danny T said:


> Embrace the suck, the struggle.......




I'm sure it sounds more poetic in Chinese.


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## TSDTexan (Jul 19, 2018)

Danny T said:


> Embrace the suck, the struggle.
> Work the single person drills/exercises your instructor gives you. But without a partner to do the actual controls, grip fighting, throws and ground positions it is going to be difficult.



I wanted to tell him about grip fighting but that's beyond week 1. it's more towards intermediate.


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## TSDTexan (Jul 19, 2018)

hoshin1600 said:


> get a note book. after class immediately write down everything that was new to you, take lots of notes on specifics like foot or hand position and the names of throws.  taking notes will help commit them to memory. dont trust your memory all by itself, it will forget a lot.
> 
> show up for class early and be the last one to leave.  you could double your mat time.  dont get sucked into socializing with everyone. the bulk of people will be standing around talking before, during and after class.. dont do it.  if you want to get the most out of your time ,.,,your there to work..Get to it.



if I had a quarter for all the things I have learned and forgotten in class.....


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 19, 2018)

Danny T said:


> But without a partner to do the actual controls, grip fighting, throws and ground positions it is going to be difficult.


You can train grip fight with your own arms.

- Let your right hand to grab on your left wrist with tiger mouth facing to your left hand.
- You rotate your left arm inward against your right thumb to break the grip (how to break a grip).
- Your right hand slide along your left forearm and reach on top of your left elbow joint (how to move from wrist gate to elbow gate).


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## TSDTexan (Jul 19, 2018)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> You can train grip fight with your own arms.
> 
> - Let your right hand to grab on your left wrist with tiger mouth facing to your left hand.
> - You rotate your left arm inward against your right thumb to break the grip (how to break a grip).
> - Your right hand slide along your left forearm and reach on top of your left elbow joint (how to move from wrist gate to elbow gate).



I find it's better to train grip fighting with another person.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 19, 2018)

brainfreez said:


> I'm starting a Judo class soon,


Always remember that if your opponent can't grab you, he can throw you. Try to achieve the following:

- You have 1 grip on your opponent but your opponent has no grip on you.
- You have 2 grips on your opponent but your opponent only has 1 grip on you.
- If both of you have 2 grips on each other, break apart and start all over again.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 19, 2018)

TSDTexan said:


> I find it's better to train grip fighting with another person.


Assume you don't have training partner 24/7. Self training is better than nothing. You can do this when you watch TV, go to bath room, sit on bus, ...


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## Danny T (Jul 19, 2018)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> You can train grip fight with your own arms.
> 
> - Let your right hand to grab on your left wrist with tiger mouth facing to your left hand.
> - You rotate your left arm inward against your right thumb to break the grip (how to break a grip).
> - Your right hand slide along your left forearm and reach on top of your left elbow joint (how to move from wrist gate to elbow gate).


Yeah but no where near the same as with a partner.


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## Tony Dismukes (Jul 20, 2018)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> You can train grip fight with your own arms.
> 
> - Let your right hand to grab on your left wrist with tiger mouth facing to your left hand.
> - You rotate your left arm inward against your right thumb to break the grip (how to break a grip).
> - Your right hand slide along your left forearm and reach on top of your left elbow joint (how to move from wrist gate to elbow gate).


Judo grip fighting is primarily built around gripping the gi. That's a lot harder to drill solo.


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## Tony Dismukes (Jul 20, 2018)

It's hard to learn any martial art quickly with only one hour of class per week. This applies even more so to an art like Judo which is primarily about manipulating another person's body.

Things you can do in your own time to speed things along:

Take notes after class and try to write down as many details as you can remember of everything your teacher showed.

Work on strength and conditioning (free weight or body weight exercises) so that you aren't getting tired in class and can focus on technique rather than being fatigued.

Breakfalls

Basic footwork drills

Basic groundwork movement drills (bridges, shrimps, reverse shrimps, etc) (assuming your Judo class covers groundwork - with only one hour per class you might not get to that soon)

Get yourself a bike inner tube and cut it so you have a long straight tube (or use one of those elastic bands used for some exercise classes). Find a spot where you can tie the middle of the tube to a fence or doorknob or anything else that won't move. Grasp the ends of the elastic as you face your target and practice stepping in for uchikomis (entries) while applying kuzushi by pulling against the resistance of the elastic.

Watch plenty of Judo instructional videos and competition. Don't worry about trying to learn the techniques - you should already be getting more from your teacher than you have time to practice with one class per week. Instead, try to absorb the feeling of the movement and the concepts being applied.

Have fun and report back to us once you've been attending class for a while.


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## PiedmontChun (Jul 20, 2018)

I was in a similar situation - I did one 1.5 hour Judo class per week, for a about a bit under a year, until the club dissolved. It was the only scheduled class I could commit to at the time. I tested for yellow belt somewhere around in the middle, and was likely close to testing for orange belt near the end. I know belt rankings can vary from club to club, so I'm just throwing it out there as my own personal example.

Tony's advice above is excellent. Working on grappling specific conditioning like bridging and shrimping *outside* of class, so you can focus on the instruction at hand can help so much.

If there are Judo tournaments going on near you, even if you have no interest in competing, would be valuable to go and just watch the teen / adult matches. You will likely have several "light bulb coming on moments" watching some of the setups, counters, and grip strategy.

I bought the original *Kodokan Judo: The Essential Guide to Judo by Its Founder Jigoro Kano* to familiarize myself with the main techniques of Judo. Obviously that is pretty dated and we have YouTube now but it was nice to have it around as a coffee table book to browse when I had a little time to kill. It wasn't for the purpose of trying to *learn* those throws, but when we would learn a new throw in class, I had at least seen it before in some form, and it gave some helpful context. If you are visual, seeing the name of a throw helps you remember the names of techniques better.


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## Tony Dismukes (Jul 20, 2018)

PiedmontChun said:


> It wasn't for the purpose of trying to *learn* those throws, but when we would learn a new throw in class, I had at least seen it before in some form, and it gave some helpful context.


Excellent point. Often the instructor is so busy introducing new students to particular pieces of the puzzle that the big picture gets neglected*. Books can be an excellent introduction to an overview of the art - history, terminology, concepts, categories of techniques, etc.  Many of us learn better when we understand how the topic at hand fits into the context of the art as a whole.

*(BJJ instructors can be really bad about this. I try not to fall into that trap.)


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## TSDTexan (Jul 20, 2018)

Tony Dismukes said:


> Judo grip fighting is primarily built around gripping the gi. That's a lot harder to drill solo.


 
Precisely why I advised to get a judo throwing dummy and equip with a gi. I wish judo had started with a No Gi self defense subset. We are having to modify grips in our postmodern era, with some success.










Sleeve grabs becoming limb grabs, collar grabs becoming neck or shoulder hooks.... but traditional Judo (Sport) sees no need for the practical application. To my dismay and disappointment.


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## Deleted member 39746 (Jul 20, 2018)

Do you know what your learning style is?   If not do a test for it (not 100% accurate) and stack your personal learning in favour of the media you learn best from.      Dont forget that martial arts is something you need to do a mix of study for, so just the media you learn best from wont do from fully understanding it and learning it. 

I would offer advice of what i do but i dont think my learning style supports reading that heavily. I think im a hands on person, welp looks like im doing a test with you.


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## Buka (Jul 20, 2018)

I think some of you older guys are out of touch with today's world. You poor bastards.

In today's modern world a person can rapidly zoom to Black Belt in no time flat. It's being done all over the place. Why, heck, I met a young guy a few months ago who made his Black Belt so quickly he ain't even got his gi dirty yet. It's a fine looking belt, too.


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## TSDTexan (Jul 20, 2018)

Here is some video stuff for the OP who started the thread.

Judo And BJJ solo activities.

Judo exercise by Neil Adam's





Solo drills.

Rope and tree drill





Same drill using shoes to help visualize where you need to be placing your feet.





,

Groundwork.








Solo Drills for Grappling & Functional Mobility

grips:
Shaolin finger hand functional grip strength StrongerGrip.com
Gripping by John Danaher


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 20, 2018)

Tony Dismukes said:


> Judo grip fighting is primarily built around gripping the gi. That's a lot harder to drill solo.


You can always wear long sleeve. The sleeve hold and elbow hold will still be there.

Again nobody will have training partner 24/7. Any solo training can be helpful.

There are many ways to develop grip strength by using different training equipment. The OP will only train 1 hour a week. To have a good home training is important.


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## ks - learning to fly (Jul 21, 2018)

brainfreez said:


> Hi there,
> 
> I'm starting a Judo class soon, they train 1 hour a week, and I want to progress fast.  Would anybody advise on how to make the most of the short class time, and ways to train outside of class?
> 
> Thanks



When you're in class, absorb as much as you can..
but I wouldn't recommend worrying about 'progressing
fast'..  hard work, commitment, consistency.. these are
paramount.  enjoy the time at each belt and build your
foundation


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## Headhunter (Jul 21, 2018)

Why the rush? Just enjoy it it's a hobby not a job


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## drop bear (Jul 21, 2018)

Tony Dismukes said:


> Excellent point. Often the instructor is so busy introducing new students to particular pieces of the puzzle that the big picture gets neglected*. Books can be an excellent introduction to an overview of the art - history, terminology, concepts, categories of techniques, etc.  Many of us learn better when we understand how the topic at hand fits into the context of the art as a whole.
> 
> *(BJJ instructors can be really bad about this. I try not to fall into that trap.)



That is also why you train noobs a bit wrong. Make absolutes where there is nuances.


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## drop bear (Jul 21, 2018)

Op. You need a high volume of training with a partner in real time and space to get good quickly.

I haven't found a way to cheat this.


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## drop bear (Jul 21, 2018)

Headhunter said:


> Why the rush? Just enjoy it it's a hobby not a job



It is more fun to win than to loose.

In fact in general it is more fun to be good at something than crap at something.


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## Langenschwert (Jul 22, 2018)

There are no short cuts. You need lots of clean reps and sparring.

Since there are no short cuts, get really really strong and have insane cardio. That will be the foundation upon which you build your judo.

As my judo sensei says: The first secret to good judo is cardio.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Jul 22, 2018)

In the wrestling art such as Judo, strategy can play an important part. Trying not to let your opponent to get the grips on you should be your 1st priority.

In Chinese wrestling, it's called "tearing". You use your body rotation to tear apart your opponent's grip. When you use tearing, you can put your opponent in defense mode. Your opponent has to obtain his grips back. At that particular moment, he is not thinking about attacking you. Also his feet is moving around with you. You can then take advantage on his weight shifting.


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## drop bear (Jul 22, 2018)

Langenschwert said:


> There are no short cuts. You need lots of clean reps and sparring.
> 
> Since there are no short cuts, get really really strong and have insane cardio. That will be the foundation upon which you build your judo.
> 
> As my judo sensei says: The first secret to good judo is cardio.



Nobody goes in to a fight wishing they had less cardio.


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## Dirty Dog (Jul 22, 2018)

drop bear said:


> Nobody goes in to a fight wishing they had less cardio.



While this is true, it's also true that *most* non-sport fights don't last long enough for anybody to get winded.


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## 77Wolfpack (Jul 22, 2018)

While wanting to progress quickly is understandable, dont forget to enjoy your journey in your art.  Listen to all the advice you are given and meditate on it.  Find what works for you and lets you enjoy.  As a new practitioner in judo,  You will want to learn your falls and take care of your joints.   But please dont forget to enjoy yourself and enjoy the journey, it is seldom ever a race.


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## now disabled (Jul 22, 2018)

Buka said:


> I think some of you older guys are out of touch with today's world. You poor bastards.
> 
> In today's modern world a person can rapidly zoom to Black Belt in no time flat. It's being done all over the place. Why, heck, I met a young guy a few months ago who made his Black Belt so quickly he ain't even got his gi dirty yet. It's a fine looking belt, too.




Was it all nicely embroidered lol 

Hope if it in Kanji or other script it actually says what he thinks it does lol


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