The Boxing Jab and Judo’s Ashiwaza… What They Have In Common...

In boxing, the left jab is used to open up an opponent for the powerhouse right hand.  I like to think that Judo’s ashiwaza serves the same purpose.

Let’s face it, you’re not going to create the sort of kuzushi that you need against a fellow black belt in competition as easily as you can against a white belt… you need to either force or trick him into a mistake.  There are several ways to ‘force’ your opponent into a momentary loss of balance, and ashiwaza is one of the major methods.

While virtually all ashiwaza are favorites of mine, one that I do doesn’t even have a name.  I like to start either Uchimata or Tai Otoshi by using a De Ashi Barai movement with my right foot against Uke’s right foot.  Think about that for a moment… some people might call that Ko Uchi Gari, but I’m not hooking and pulling Uke’s foot forward, as you would in Kouchi, I’m slapping it to my left, in exactly the same movement as De Ashi Barai.  There’s no intent, indeed, not even the possibility of throwing Uke with such a movement… but it does set up a situation where Uke has to regain his balance.  Give this a try, see what you think.

Ashiwaza as a primary throwing technique doesn’t really come into it’s own until the person applying it has been doing Judo for 20 or 30 years… the timing involved is quite complex, and not easily grasped.  But used in the same manner as the boxer’s jab, and used only to create balance problems for your opponent, it can be a valuable weapon for any Judo competitor…

During your next practice, try to add a foot sweep as the lead in for your favorite throw, and see how it works.