The Shintaro Higashi Show - Reaction to The Lies Behind Judo Basics

Episode Date: December 30, 2024

Shintaro recently caught some strays from the popular video “The Lies Behind Judo Basics”. In this episode, Shintaro gives his real first-time reactions to the video. Shintaro shares his thoughts on the nuances of teaching traditional Judo basics versus practical competition techniques, while Peter adds context about cultural differences in teaching and training approaches. They discuss the value of traditional drills, address critiques about Uchimata instruction, and reflect on the importance of adapting techniques for real-world application. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:00) Shintaro’s Teaching Philosophy on Uchimata (00:03:30) Critiques on Traditional Uchimata Drills (00:06:15) The Role of Basics in Modern Judo (00:08:50) Debating Practical Applications of Uchimata (00:11:30) Traditional vs. Competitive Techniques (00:13:45) Cultural Perspectives on Judo Training (00:16:20) Shintaro’s Challenge to the Video Creators (00:18:00) Reflections and Closing Thoughts If you're in business, then you have customer churn. Whether you're building a startup, growing a mom & pop shop, or operating in a fortune 500 powerhouse, Hakuin.ai measures, predicts, and improves your customer retention. https://hakuin.ai

I mean I guess why he used my clip is it's taken out of context because I teach it because it's like very popular Your clips are very popular. But yeah, go ahead No, I teach Uchimura so many different ways But I always preface it by saying the basics are like this. It's generally taught like this You know what I mean? Here's a two-step Uchimura that Maruyama does. Here's the backstep Uchimura that Ono does. You see what I mean? So he clearly doesn't watch all my YouTube. Alright, lies behind Judo basics.

I got so many people messaging me. Yeah, so this is, I guess a reaction. I haven't watched it. I've heard. This is real live. This is real live. I've never watched it. And then so many people have told me about it and I was kind of like are I getting a little bit

aggravated yeah so I'm like okay let's see so yeah so to preface this whole thing right people like oh you're talking about the fundamentals of which you might have to use you as an example but you know I teach you mother in like 12 different ways my understanding of which you modest so up up and beyond whoever made this stupid video you know I don't know who these guys are you guys even do judo so just yeah so he's Shintaro's been catching some strays basically and he so these are twins from Korea okay one of them won the bronze medal in the 2012 Olympics that's fancy they got the judo yeah so I'm gonna watch it right now yeah maybe

we'll have our editor like put it in there yeah yes live reaction let's see skip this ad all right here we go how to solve a piece of paper criticizing the practicality of which about routines Yeah, so he I think he made a video on Instagram about like how yeah, yeah, yeah, which you call me which you might I've been saying this for years though. Yeah, it's tough. There's no no one does which you might have liked this You know look we're doing which you matter like this drill you're engaging your dealt. Yeah, a very small muscle You know you get the big back muscles, right? Yeah There was a big revelation for me too yeah i actually have a lot of can you hear the sound

from the video or no no no okay that's good yeah so we'll we'll uh we'll edit it in okay i mean so far everything he says is true but this is one type of Uchimata right yeah what are where yeah I'm gonna follow you along too so I'm like when Harasawa is doing Uchikomi he knows that a current Uchikomi practice is not practical right yeah it's true you only do it for 10 minutes a day as a warm-up you know yeah I yeah exactly I I at this point I use which call me as a warm-up too you're coming up hmm was it always taught this way no yeah this is that's me my baby mama always that's me shit I didn't know yeah I got I caught some strays too I

didn't know I was in it is that it that's the only part that I'm there if they're kind of rehashing that video I think you come up later too I mean they're not wrong everything that the saying is true you know yeah but it's kind of like boxing, right? It's like when you throw the jab, like your hands always have to be here. It's like, don't drop your hand, don't drop your hand. Because you will drop in your hand all the time when

you're like slowing down actual boxing footage. My thing is that isn't there some value in the traditional way of practicing? Because I think it kind of forces it to, because if you just practice the pulling down thing from the get-go You're like not getting you don't really learn the kuzushi I feel like I mean you learn to like you have to really kind of do this action I don't know I made they both have some value Yeah, it definitely has some value right because like you're trying to fit your body underneath

So yeah, yeah open the space like this it creates that space and you could drive your hips underneath so it's a teaching tool all right right is I don't know what he's doing dude his confirmation bias here I am you all you actually come up oh yeah me actually do it you mana yeah this is a different uchi mana I'm not teaching this uchi mana you know what I mean? Yeah. We were both at the, you know, at Kousei 7-R back in the day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It is true, he doesn't do it this way, but I mean... Yeah.

It's very true. Yeah. I mean, I guess why he used my clip is it's taken out of context. I think it's because it's like very popular. clips are very popular but yeah go ahead no I teach Uchimura so many different ways but I always preface it by saying the basics are like this it's generally taught like this you know I mean here's a two-step Uchimura that Maruyama does here's the backstep Uchimura that Ono does you see what I mean so he clearly doesn't watch all my YouTube.

He probably doesn't even understand English. This was their first English video. Good for them though. I love that. I love that. We need videos like this. I think they hired a translator. I don't know. Maybe they learn English. But their English is impeccable here. Yeah. I love their content they

they really teach in the very practical ways yeah yeah now I have to go back and find videos with me teaching Uchiman in different ways and send it to them yeah I mean they posted as petty as that is they posted this on reddit too you know yeah that's why I saw it okay so stay with me here I'm gonna do Uchimata Shintaro Higashi on YouTube and you guys could do this this way yeah what is this nonsense that's not it. one two three step uchi mata okay yeah you teach ken ken you teach

yeah yeah step in double step one step yeah yeah here we go okay i do teach it like this in the sense the first one that i that came up yeah am i gonna prove this guy right right now okay here's the second one second one what do I say about the sleeve it's usually the sleeve hand that they're talking about right yeah it's the sleeve hand they think you know you shouldn't teach really like emphasize lifting it up like what's that? What's your what I like look at your watch kind of thing. Yeah, I Mean kind of sort of not really yeah, there's a uchi-mata for beginners video that I do

judo uchi-mata everything uchi-mata Yeah, I guess majority of The videos kind of have I don't think you really my From what I remember you don't really emphasize that sleeve hand too much you you a lot of the videos Your Uchimura videos focus more on the steps at different entries Yeah, I'm mostly a contextual kind of a judo teacher, right? I don't teach sort of like alright

This is the technique and you know, because that stuff doesn't really work. But yeah, if you look at a lot of different Uchimata, Shintaro Higashi competition Uchimata. That's an interesting one. Watch myself. Yeah, there's one you bomb someone and I think nationals maybe oh

yeah yeah yeah yeah well that's a nice one the referee standing in the way yeah there's a there's a oldie yeah I mean yes you know this guy is right in so many ways this sort of traditional like wrist looking up like back of the thing it doesn't really actually happen right yeah but because there's also taken into this sort of traditional like wrist looking up, like back of the thing, it doesn't really actually happen, right? But because there's also taken into consideration when you're doing Andorid, there's resistance. So he's saying, no, you're not pulling up here, it's going across the body and downward.

It's like, yes, because he's pulling the arm down. So you're not able to lift that way. You see what I mean? That's what I was saying. Like I try to. I mean, you need a little bit of lifting up action. But with the resistance, like even Seoi Nage, you don't really, in the randori, you can't even do this. You just need a little bit of tension upwards though to create space and then go down. This is also the thing too,

right? If I'm pushing in and then they're pulling back and then they're driving this hand off the lapel Right because we're all teaching sleeve and sleeve up this way But this is the thing right that you're never that dominant in hand position right right right see what I mean So it's like sleeve and collar. I'm holding the sleeve against the collar here. I look I'm not pulling and rotating it away from my body I'm just kind of pulling and then just keeping it there and tucking my elbow behind me. Yeah, I do it that way too.

See what I mean? So then to kind of just take that segment and then criticize people showing that specific position of that throw, you know? Even Inoue Kuzma comes up straight here. Like I... Inoue did, yes. But you know what?

I've seen Inoue teach it in a way where it's like, oh, you know, competitive style, but they're teaching the basics, the very beginning of the stuff. And then it teaches the mechanics. Okay, if I go like this, if I pull, the body goes in this angle, and then you drop your hips underneath, it's a great teaching tool still. I play devil's advocate here. I think they would agree with you on that too. This is a basic fundamental, so the mechanics, that's fine. But given the limited time a lot of people have, most people can't have like randori rounds and rounds of randori to actually discover these subtleties on their own.

Yeah. Would it be better? I think their argument is that wouldn't it be better if you just went straight into it? You do make that kind of arguments too, because your primary students, student demographic is working. I mean, we don't do Uchikomi stationary for time and time. We don't do it I said, maybe you do like three sets of ten That's it and then you move on because it's not a very useful drill

I don't think you even teach the during class you really I never teach the traditional mechanics Yeah, so if you go to Japan and you see guys just doing good like clean traditional Uchikomi It's almost like form, you know, it's like kind of trainingata training yeah it's the same idea as like shadow boxing in the gym a great shadow boxer kind of has the hands up and it's clean and tight and elbows are tucked into hips but then when you're looking at an actual boxing event when they could drop on they drop and then they'll lose their balance because they think that they're gonna be there and they miss and then they angle off and you're trying to turn

around and face them and then shooting angle off and you're trying to turn around and face them And then shooting the jab off like your back heel or something like that So your hands are kind of like that Of course if you take these little segments and clips of videos that are like a thin slice of time You're gonna be able to expose these things, you know, yeah These guys, you know now that I know that there's 60 kilograms I challenge them to over know why? Yeah, I'll fly out to see is I outweigh them by 40 kilograms. That's all he's why I'm doing this Yeah, they are guys they are legit, you know, there's a big I mean Olympic bronze bronze

Yeah, but there it's 60 kilos. Hey,. 66. That's not a man's weight. Maybe there's a... maybe I could... after this goes out maybe I could reach out to them and then maybe we could do like a... You know what? A seminar trip or something. Reach out to them, send them this video personally in Korean and say I will go there and teach you guys how to do Uchimata. That you will teach. I'm not teaching shit no you're teaching no no why not gonna teach in front of Olympians come on now

let's see Hanpan what does that mean? Hanpan is a Korean reading of Ippon we say Hanpan yeah all right well I like that they made that video though. I really do. Because I think that's great content. I think it's well done. And I think they obviously instilled a reaction out of me.

An emotional reaction. You lost. I lost. I was trying to be above it. Even at dojo yesterday, like a few people mentioned it to me yesterday. Hey you heard about these Korean guys shitting on your uchiwara I'm like what full disclosure guys. I was just gonna have a watch Separately on his own, but he he wanted to record this. Yeah, and you know what? I never watched this clip before Yeah, it's true first time watching. Yeah, and yeah

Round them up. I love how it starts off with like Harasawa being praised. Yeah, I mean, the Harasawa is like, he kind of started this like debate, I feel. Yeah, you're in this, Peter. You're in this video. I didn't even realize that I was in it. I just remember seeing you and then didn't realize I was in it.

Yeah, I'll reach out to them. My baby mama's in this okay like with their hips back like they should criticize her okay skills more first and foremost I was a good okay like no you keep your body straight yeah but then you could take a video that be like what okay stands with their core like that and let's the person off balance you know you criticize that too there's a million things to criticize that is true that is true that's true it's a learning tool yeah reacts this way that way you're right here we go but you know at least

there's a video of me slamming somebody who is this which you might have during the yeah oh yeah there's George again oh oh is that george? everyone's catching strays man george he's not even at new york anymore and he's like catching strays i love the the caption on this shot too notice how he doesn't pull upwards during mandori which is entirely different from what he just taught me 20 years ago wait a minute sensei's doing it differently from how he taught us yeah this is a different type of uchimata this is like sort of a back step yeah I guess so maybe I think my take is that it's always been that you are pulling up a little

but there's a resistance so you can't only pull up that much and it's not like you can't just wrap the arm my take is that you can't just wrap the sleeve around your body Yeah, it has to have some yeah, cuz I'm looking at George's body position, too He's already bent over this way. You know what I mean? Yeah, you can't and then the weights going forward already So it's like you don't need to pull like this because all you got to do is just trap it in place and bring it across So like you gotta look at what the hook is doing too. You know what I mean? Yeah

Well, anyway, don't get me started on these guys Genuine live reactions. Huh? Yeah, I mean I'll definitely reach out to them Yeah, once this is released and yeah, I probably talked to them in Korea. I actually love those guys, you know They make great content in Korean though, but now they I want you to tell them Shintaro will come and teach you guys real judo. I Want you to say that I don't know how you speak Japanese too So, you know how like it's like kind of like I have to use honorifics probably cuz I don't know them But I don't know how to how to do that. Tell them specifically that I asked you to talk to them informally. I

Tell them specifically that I asked you to talk to them informally And you say hey, bro That's so weird in Korean culture so well I'll put it I'll put it you know when I go to Japan a lot of that Preface it with like hey my Japanese not so good. I grew up in New York my first language is uh you know Yeah, it's actually Japanese by saying this sometimes that way when I come off as rude because I'm not using the proper You don't like sycophantic Honorific versions words. It doesn't you know what I mean?

For me, I it doesn't work as well because I did live there until I was 15 And I do have an accent when I speak English, so. Yeah, you do. We know this. Yeah, so. Yeah, maybe there'll be more understanding. No, but you know, there's a Rethinking the Basics Judo video, Shintaro, that you guys could all take a look at as well.

Maybe I'll send it. Oh, look, the Rethinking Judo Bas podcast episode. Oh, yeah, we did that. Yeah Yeah, so check that out as well. It'll send that to him. Yeah, rethinking that yeah. Yeah It's only three months ago, damn. Oh There was I did seems like it was like ages ago I know yeah, someone just asked talk to me about that too. actually what Nelson point this from inverted gear hit me up it was like hey I watched that thing about rethinking judo basics so that I will be in Pennsylvania at his gym doing a seminar you know all right yeah one of these guys from Korea doing a seminar

out over there huh they can't even speak English bro alright alright well yeah this was a literally like genuine live reaction for you guys a lot of people are asking for this and yeah I hope you guys liked it I'll definitely reach out to the two brothers of HanpanTV and yeah and thank you very much Drew Hakuin.ai if you have customer churn that's always an issue so check those guys out thank you Jason thank you Levan thank you Judo TV discount coach Shintaro thank you HigashiBrand.com go check out HigashiBrand.com where you could purchase a Uchimata video that I made. Instructional video.

Maybe this is a merch idea. You should make a t-shirt with you doing the traditional way. Yeah. And then some make a snarky comment. I can't really come up with something right now, but like, I can throw you like this or something. I don't know. Yeah.

I can still throw you like this. Yeah. All right. Yep, thank you guys. you guys thanks guys yeah and we'll see you guys in the next episode right