by Cichorei Kano Mon Dec 30, 2013 5:06 am
Hanon wrote: Cichorei Kano wrote:Yes. It's an exciting idea to do both parts, but it also can become really problematic if there is a large difference in body mass between both partners, especially in kata where you really have to lift your partner, such as for example in jû-no-kata ...
I have NEVER yet worked with a partner that has been even close to my own weight and size. most uke for me have been at least 40-50 kilo heavier and one was over 12" taller!!!! I refer to ju no kata. I have them recorded on an old DVD system. I need to borrow a camera to down load the mini DVDs onto my lap top if that's possible. I could then show many clips here. I must have about 50 Mini DVDs (or what ever they are called) full of judo clips with kata. I can show you me as tori partnering much larger uke. Very difficult. Luxury to me would be working with an uke even close to my weight.
Having written that...............the weight I am putting on I may well reach my past ukes weight!
Mike
Sure, but it particularly becomes an issue for jû-no-kata, especially regarding contests. There has always been an interest for males to perform jû-no-kata with females. I am not talking about the 'essence' of the kata but about what is perceived as "visually pleasing" including by an audience who does not know anything about kata. For a male to perform jû-no-kata with a female makes it easier to be 'spectacular' since the additional power of the male makes it possible create the kind of power-acrobatic foundation, while the higher flexibility of the female allows her to take up more extreme positions than a male uke. In brief, you will have a greater chance to "ooohs" and "aaaaahhhhs" from the audience. I know, you're about to hit the right keys on your keyboard to type "what has that to do with jû-no-kata", and I have nowhere written it does. But in the realm of jûdô-land where idiots will decide on whether you deserve a higher rank or score than not based on criteria that have nothing to do with jûdô, such superficial perceptions can efficiently be employed and ARE efficiently being employed to achieve what one wants to achieve, that is the immediate result: a higher rank or higher score. After all, the true purpose of jû-no-kata, i.e. to improve one's jûdô skill is a long-term process that cannot be immediately assessed even if one has the insight.
In any case, what I was trying to say is that in case of serious difference in body mass, especially in jû-no-kata, that difference is oftentimes underpinned by a difference in gender. While you will find the occasional female who might do a one-time demonstration of jû-no-kata with a male of lighter or similar weight, you won't find many serious example of females performing tori in jû-no-kata with a male who is 40 kg heavier, certainly not in competition, well at least not among competitive medal winners, and not really for rank exams. In fact, what we see today, is that some of the performers, espec from former Eastern Europe are in fact near-anorexic girls with a gymnastic past, who can do a perfectly synchronized, spectacular jû-no-kata dance that will whaw the jury, inclusive the wise Kôdôkan sensei, though with jû-no-kata there exercise has nothing to do. You think I am kidding ? Na-aaah, two Rumenian girls won the jû-no-kata kata contest during the 2010 Kôdôkan International Summer Kata School. What they did had nothing to do with jû-no-kata, but I assure you that neither you nor me could do what they do, and in fact no one on this forum can unless you are national-level gymnast or higher ... and of anorexic weight, let's not forget the latter.