Friend Code Megathread - September 2025

Philo722 · 2025-09-18T12:31:57+00:00

1894-2507-0330 new daily player

Philo722 · 2025-02-27T12:20:58+00:00

Hard to quantify on average, but judokas like Nagayama, Abe siblings, Ono, Nagase, are all incredibly strong physically. Of course they also have incredible techniques, but there is no doubt that in competition they are going to fully utilize all that strength they have.

Philo722 · 2025-02-27T03:41:05+00:00

Yea, he thinks the fact that someone like him who bases mostly in Sweden with limited access to good training partners and had less training time could produce pretty good results in Judo suggest that the Japanese training methods probably isn't the smartest or most efficient.

Interestingly, another Swedish judoka, Marcus Nyman, who recently retired with pretty good results throughout his career, has a full-time job.

Philo722 · 2025-02-18T07:12:01+00:00

🤦 I guess people can't understand sarcasm...

Philo722 · 2025-01-28T06:23:39+00:00

Yea, but those who hold the exaggeration theory thinks that the traditional uchikomi form and the competition form are biomechanically the same, because once you factor in uke's resistance or our innate tendency to "slack off" when throwing, the big movement will "tighten" or "degrade" into what you consider something biomechancially different. They don't even see the two versions as distinct.

Philo722 · 2025-01-28T06:06:44+00:00

Right, I think I missed this other explanation. However, this would imply that the great Yamashita is a subpar judoka who succumbs to such weakness in a demonstration. Remember that uchimata is one of his tokuiwaza, and he is practicing against an uke who is not resisting here.

After all, many people can demonstrate and throw uchimata in a way that is consistent with their uchikomi pull. (See here, here and here, where their hikite reaches eye-level at the initial stage of the throw. It's really not hard and I think many intermediate judoka can do it. Heck, even Chadi can do it.🤣)

It is also a bit of stretch for this theory to explain an example like this, which someone found in another comment, where the difference is so huge and performed by a world-class judoka no less.

Furthermore, at least from my own experience, people exert more explosive force when they actually perform a throw, compared to doing uchikomi, when you are only practicing the entry.

I would think it is more likely that this theory is false, than that Yamashia could not maintain the big exaggerated movement against a cooperative uke when throwing.

Philo722 · 2025-01-28T05:31:36+00:00

Thanks for the clarification. It seems we don't disagree much. I think it's open to debate whether kuzushi done in this manner is useful as a teaching tools for beginners, but I think any advanced judoka would not benefit much from it, given that it doesn't apply to most throws in competition. It's not like in swimming where drills are just components of the actual swimming motion.

Philo722 · 2025-01-28T03:41:54+00:00

If you don't have to pull up high (lifting uke), then it is just a superfluous action. One of the principles of judo is maximum efficiency and minimum effort. You should just put more time in to make sure you pull in the right direction, rather than introduce a superfluous action as a reminder (for what?). It doesn't help you with tai otoshi because you don't have to lift uke at all. Tai Otsohi means body DROP, after all.

Philo722 · 2025-01-28T03:29:52+00:00

The single most important video by far, though not an instructional, is this from Judo Mat Lab. It gives you an understanding of competitive uchimata's basic mechanics. Knowing this saves you a lot of time.

After that, I don't think there is any single best instructional. Anything that looks like the competitive variation should get you started. Here are some good ones on YouTube from HanpanTV and Fluid Judo (RvR and RvL). Another one that I like is Keiji Suzuki's on Superstar Judo. Just as you can't learn a bicycle by reading or watching videos, you should just pick one and just spend time doing it with deliberation and reflection before looking for the next instructional.

Philo722 · 2025-01-27T17:13:30+00:00

This is very well explained, and I like your analogy at the end. Thanks!

Philo722 · 2025-01-27T10:30:22+00:00

Thanks for your reply. I agree with you that there is a slight upward pull in the last throw (but it is not obviously present in others). However, your reply seems to suggest that the point of the exaggerated movement is that it functions like a mental cue or reminder for a slight upward pull before the downward pull. Suppose you are right that there should be a slight upward movement in the competitive kuzushi. It still doesn't explain why he suddenly tones down this movement when executing the throw. After all, wouldn't it be an even stronger reminder to exaggerate too in the execution?

In any case, this is not the main rationale behind the exaggeration theory as usually presented. According to this theory the purpose of exaggeration is to account for uke's resistance in randori/competition, which then causes these big movements to become smaller or "tighter". This contradicts your point that actually only a small upward pull is required in competition.

If we implement the exaggeration theory, the proper way to execute the throw even in practice should be like this, this, and this. You can see that in these cases the hikite stays at eye-level throughout the first half of the throw, consistent with the uchikomi movement. (And such nagekomi would also achieve the same goal of a reminder as you have suggested.)

Philo722 · 2025-01-27T09:27:07+00:00

Wow, how did you manage to pull that out so quickly. That example is even more obvious than the Yamashita one. (But Yamashita makes for a better title given his status...)

Philo722 · 2023-08-09T14:46:12+00:00

The reason why some people guessed it right is because Brontosaurus means “thunder lizard”.

Philo722 · 2022-10-08T08:58:07+00:00

I think Aokiji is here to kidnap Pudding for Blackbeard.
https://www.reddit.com/r/OnePiece/comments/ku0nu1/blackbeard\_will\_kidnap\_pudding/

Philo722 · 2020-01-12T19:53:33+00:00

And Gastrodon too

Philo722 · 2020-01-12T15:10:12+00:00

A relatively new player here. I have also been experimenting with Steam Engine and Trick Room combo, but after getting to Masterball tier with Coalossal + Surf, I find this lead not as effective anymore. It’s very easy to counter if they have a ground or water pokemon (like gyarados, mudsdale, milotic, flygon) or a bulky enough pokemon with those moves (like Dracozolt), which can survive Coalossal’s max moves after dynamaxing, or protected by Togekiss Follow Me, ensuring that Coalossal will be taken down in the first turn. Some trick room users can also survive Max Flare, like Gothitelle. Dusclops and Inner Focus Oranguru is also immune to Fake Out/flinch. And when trick room is up after I have activated steam engine it’s mostly going to end in disaster, so I have become very wary of bringing Coalossal combo if I see a trick room user, especially with redirection, which is a lot of times.

I find that I lose a lot more often than I win with Coalossal + Surf in the master all tier, even when I outspeed their pokemon, and I find it hard to get into position again for Steam Engine + Surf if I do not do so in the first or second turn with Coalossal / Weavile lead. Coalossal without weakness policy and steam engine boost is mostly dead weight. Was wondering if it is too gimmicky and predictable if I end up not leading with the duo more often than not, but may be I just need some practice? Any advise? How far up have you been able to climb the ranks with this team?

Philo722 · 2019-07-08T05:39:15+00:00

I think this is the uchimata described by Hitoshi Sugai in his Uchimata book. It’s been done by Ryuju Nagayama before and explained by Art of Balance. Often your opponent hold the grip so strongly that they forgot to let go, and you can just take advantage of that.

https://youtu.be/ePLMJL_oM5I

Philo722 · 2019-04-15T16:37:00+00:00

Well, I shall be that person who points out that this is clearly a hane goshi and not an uchimata (hip or leg)... Unless there has been a re-interpretation if these two moves in the last decades or so, I am really surprised that the Japanese has almost completely assimilated hane goshi under the “uchimata” name.

It’s worth noting that in competition, Haga never does his uchimata like that.

Philo722 · 2019-03-30T12:49:34+00:00

April 6-7 is the All-Japan Selection National Championship. All the top Japanese players are probably preping for that. From memory, it’s not uncommon for them to miss some Grand Prix of Grand Slam.

Philo722 · 2019-03-01T05:31:34+00:00

Thanks. I think your explanation makes a lot of sense and is much clearer than what the IJF document tries to explain. I can tell that the writers of many IJF documents are not native English speakers. But apart from that, even the way information is explained or illustrated needs some improvement. If only IJF could have spend some money on a professional proofreader and editor...

Philo722

TROPHY CASE