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Judo
Our Judo instructor, Mr. Carlos Pereira holds a second-degree black belt in Judo. He began his judo training at the age of 7 in Havana, Cuba. When he was 12 years old, he had the opportunity to train in Europe (Poland) for 6 years, where he also learned European judo. He continued his judo training as he completed his higher learning education.
Mr. Pereira has not only trained in judo as an athlete, he has also dedicated time to learn different training methods, such as the Cuban form, where he is up-to-date on the latest trainings, including the European and even Japanese-style training. He has also created his own judo training style which he has been able to teach others in learning institutions, as well as in the private sector, training youth and adults. He’s had very positive and good results in a short time, with his son being an example of the success of his personal judo training style.
His training helps develop the following:
- Gross motor skills and coordination;
- Self-esteem;
- Logic problem-solving skills;
- Viewing a sport as a game;
- Learning capacity;
- How to break a fall;
- How to ground an opponent;
- Technical skills to use on an opponent any size;
- Fundamental judo holds; and
- How to obtain and maintain control on the floor;
This training will be customized to the student and applied interactively where good results are achieved, especially as it relates to the ability to focus and to enjoy the sport of judo in a very short time.
In our classes, a student will learn who to fall, how to throw, and how to take down their opponents. They will also learn how to defend against these maneuvers. Judo was founded by a man named Jigoro Kano. Judo, meaning “gentle way”, is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budo) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one’s opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one’s opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by executing a choke. Strikes and thrusts (by hands and feet)—as well as weapons defenses—are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori).
Ultimately, the philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for almost all modern Japanese martial arts that developed from “traditional” schools (koryu). In addition, the worldwide spread of judo has led to the development of a number of offshoots such as Sambo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Practitioners of judo are called judoka. Judo is critical in self-defense and has the best techniques for throws, takedowns and takedown defense when wearing clothes, or a gi. One of its main strengths is the ability to throw your opponent, this gives you a significant advantage over someone who is not able to do this, and it becomes a key element in developing your self-defense and grappling skills. It is critical to learn break falls and how to take your aggressor down at will. A Jiu Jitsu practitioner with good Judo skills improves his game dramatically.
