Created in late 19th century Japan, Judo is a martial art built upon using an opponent’s strength against them. Concerns about safety often arise with combat sports like Judo and these concerns are more acute when the risks are relative to kids and teens. Now, many wonder if the risks are worth it and if kids and teens should practice Judo at all.
Concerned parents and associations have mixed approaches to the question. Some believe that the risk of sustaining severe injuries like concussions, fractures and dislocations is too great and that kids should opt for contactless forms of martial arts while others believe that there are many benefits to having kids and teens practice Judo and martial arts in general and that the risk of injury shouldn’t undermine these benefits.
Though their concern for the safety of kids and teens is sensible, those that believe that kids should choose only non-contact forms of martial arts are too quick to neglect the preventive measures that help control the risk of injury.
Judo involves complex techniques like overhead throws, sweeps and chokes that could potentially result in moderate to severe injuries. There have been reports where teens and kids who did Judo that sustained severe injuries as Daniel Krieger and Noriko Norica-Panayota Kitano describe in “Japan confronts Hazards of Judo”
However, there are measures put in place that help control the hazards that come with performing these techniques. The first thing a judoka will be taught is how to fall. Learning how to fall correctly is critical because it helps minimize the risk of sustaining injuries like concussions during a fall. If a judoka is thrown to the mat, they should now how to land properly on the floor to avoid landing on their head and getting a concussion for example.
Furthermore, a judoka must train long and hard before facing their opponent on the mat. They must practice a technique hundred of times in a controlled environment to ensure their own safety as well as their opponent’s before even thinking of performing it. This rigorous training serves to minimize the risk of injury and creating a safe environment to practice Judo for everyone.
In addition, Judo has a belt system that allows the more experienced judokas to learn the more complex techniques. The higher a judoka’s belt level, the more complex techniques they can perform. This means that when kids and teens begin practicing Judo, they will not be taught complex and dangerous moves, instead they will learn simpler techniques like sweeps. This system was put in place as a preventive measure to avoid the risk of injury among novice judokas like kids and teens.
This all goes to say that though there are obvious risks that accompany the risk of practicing a combat sport like Judo, there are safety measures put in place for all judokas but also specifically for kids and teen that help create a safe environment to practice Judo.
Furthermore, I believe that there are many benefits to practicing Judo for kids and teens that are too important to be ignored.
First, Judo is a sport that transcends the physical aspect of things and emphasizes mindfulness, self-awareness. A study led by University Central of Florida shows that these aspects of Judo show promise with kids diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Dr. Jeanette Garcia who led the study asserts that “our study shows that judo not only promotes social skills but is well accepted by this population and is a great program for reducing sedentary behavior and increasing confidence.” This highlights one of the many ways in which kids and teens could highly benefit from practicing Judo.
Secondly, Judo is built upon the values of respect and discipline which drives the way in which judokas practice and train. These values could help troubled kids work on their feelings and see things differently. In “Rousey’s Journey Out of Pain, Through Judo”, Olympic Judo medalist Ronda Rousey describes how Judo gave her “an outlet for her grief” after her father’s passing. This shows that Judo can provide troubled kids with a constructive way to outlet their negative feelings and the issues they struggle with.
Lastly, Judo is simply a great way to make friends! Kids and teens that have a hard time making friends in school would highly benefit from Judo. Training every week with the same people, helping each other with techniques and grappling skills and competing together in tournaments creates a great sense of solidarity among judokas and they easily become friends. Personally, when I started Judo, I never imagined that I would make friends at my local club, I thought that it would it be a place where I would just practice Judo. Instead, it became like a second home where I met amazing people who soon became friends.
In conclusion, I would encourage parents to enroll their kids or teens to practice Judo. Though Judo may seem like a dangerous sport, there are measures in place that minimize the risk of severe injuries and make it worthwhile. Kids and teens could benefit highly from Judo in numerous ways like making friends, finding an outlet for their feelings, and improving their health.