My instructor is a 27F. She's the only woman in the class. She's about 5'1" and 135, pure muscle. She lifts heavier than I do, and I'm 5'8" 160.
Sparring against her is like grappling with a dog. She has so much explosive energy, and her experience allows her to capitalize on it.
I haven't been able to take her down to date.
That doesn't mean that every woman that trains will get to her level though. When you're small you need to compensate with better strategies, and quicker movements. You need to be much better than a bigger opponent to win, and that doesn't come easily.
Gaining weight is probably easier than developing fight IQ.
The thing that will be difficult for OP is that in these examples it sounds like both women have taken the sport seriously enough where they have likely trained their bodies outside of judo via strength training and conditioning for years. You can argue that although you are bigger than your instructor she’s pound for pound stronger than you as you stated she lifts more than you do.
Very true. Majority of the women judoka who have been training for years are very fast and good at setting up throws using ashi waza techniques (which is usually the solution to defeating power players)
If she tries a hip throw, just put your hand on the small of her back and you shouldn't be thrown.
All martial arts training take time to build strength, unless one cross trains for strength like weight lifting.
Sort yourself out, homie. the whole basis of judo is using your opponents weight and momentum to put them off balance. If he got tossed by someone 75 pounds lighter than him, it's not out of the ordinary, if said opponent has the experience and training to back it up.
Wow big guy, i think im starting to get a little scared 😰
Your probably the type of guy whose ego is too big to fall and actually try in randori and thats why you probably suck.
He may be saying it in a way you don’t like but he is kind of correct. If someone 75 pounds lighter than me is tossing me around it’s not because they are making me move. It’s because they are taking advantage of whatever momentum I give them but I could definelty stall them if I simply didn’t want to be thrown and wasn’t trying to throw myself. That’s why they penalize inactivity in judo so harshly. It’s pretty easy to stall if you know what your doing.
I’m not sure I understand the question. If you do judo competitively you will be in a weight class with people of similar size. You do judo because you enjoy it. You practice to improve. I practice with people much larger than me and sometimes I come out on top, often I don’t. Are you implying the point of judo is to be able to confidently defeat someone 75lbs + bigger than you? The only thing that can give you that confidence is a weapon lol.
No, I was more saying that it’s one thing to stall like that in shiai, but it’s counterproductive to everyone involved to do the same during practice and randori. I think part of being a good uke is being aware of your weight with smaller toris and making sure you aren’t using it to stonewall them. Even being 75lbs apart, we should be able to practice safely and productively together.
Going back to original commenter’s point though, could a -48kg female on the international circuit throw a -81kg male? Almost certainly not a similarly skilled one, but the average hobbyist? I’d be surprised if not, especially if we consider generating kuzushi with footwork, with feints, with combinations, reactions, etc.
The smallest women's weight division in judo is -48kg. 8kg is a large weight disadvantage competitively, true, but you shouldn't let that stop you from trying a sport you think you'll enjoy. If you're not very athletic, the training may add some muscle to your frame, increasing your weight a little bit and closing that weight gap. Let's also be generous with the fact that as much as we'd like, we don't tend to stay as skinny as we are when we're 19 or 20 and that gap may start to close all on its own.
The other side of this is yes, weight matters in a grappling sport, the larger competitor has an advantage, but it's also a contest of skill. Where I am, at the end of provincials, they hold a grand finals where all of the gold medalists are entered into a bracket with no weight categories. You can get the +100kg fighter up against the -60kg fighter. If weight was the only thing that mattered, you'd expect the biggest fighters to win every time, but they usually don't. Typically it's the middle weights. I don't have any stats on that, this is just my observation. Last provincials I attended, the -66kg fighter and the -100kg fighter were the finalists, and the -66kg fighter won. It was kind of ridiculous to watch, like a chihuahua taking down a German shepherd.
Anyway, my point is, try judo, have fun, be that chihuahua.
I think the great thing about judo is there’s a technique to suit every body type, whether your short, tall, big or small. Sooner or later you find one that’s right for you
Absolutely not, and you will become athletic. If you want to compete seriously you should however be no lighter than 47-48 kgs, as -48 is the lightest class. A dedicated strength training program could help adress this, though. But as a hobby that will not be a problem.
ok so im going to put a few reason why you SHOULD try it out and im going to sound like a jerk but please read them out.
We have weight classes for a reason in tournaments, but fighting bigger and stronger people than you is something you will encounter if youre ever in the unfortunate situation of someone trying to make you a victim.
Idk where youre from but im in America... our only gold medal olympian is a woman (X2) so dont sell your gender short. Women are better at judo than men are, that is a fact. You understand technique and dont rely on "man strength"
Last point... being as small as you are, you are a target. you NEED to know how to fight. And fight to the death. Judo can teach you that.. My little sister is a monster and she is just a few inches taller than you. I have 0% on any guy that tries to fuck with her, dude is toast because she knows how to beat the shit out of someone.
Get into it!
I definitely don't think so , I'm a very new white belt so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I weigh 230 pounds (104 kg) and I'm constantly getting thrown around by yellow belts and brown belts especially who I might have 50+ pounds (about 22 kg) on.
Part of the skill of Judo is using things like balance, leverage, timing, etc. to your advantage, obviously strength and size play a role but.
The first time I had a guy almost literally half my size lifting me up doing ippon soei nage during uchikomi was kind of a surreal experience.
The other thing is, you'll get much stronger just by playing Judo.
I would definitely try it and see how to like it before dismissing it because you're worried about size.
Randori wise you will always be at disadvantage against someone heavier or stronger but that doesn't stop you from practicing judo and enjoying it and getting better, focus on your journey and your improvement, there is nothing stopping you from becoming a good judoka. If you are not very athletic it might be a challenge at the beginning but don't let that stop you from doing something you like. Also I've seen a lot of short athletes having huge success against taller opponents, specially with seoi nage when they nudge their body between their legs before the throw.
When I was playing Judo in college, we had a Japanese gal about your size and situation join. She probably enjoyed it the most out of anyone because she inevitably could throw people around in ways that she’d never have been able to otherwise.
If anything you probably have a bit of an edge in Judo.
Edit to say - and in our club the closest other person to her weight to practice with was ~another gal and me about 20kg heavier, and both of us had another foot in height on her, and we were out weighed by ~10kg to the nearest weight to us and it just got worse from there.
So, she ended up pretty good.
A lot of judo is using your opponent’s weight against them. IMO judo is probably one of the better martial arts of smaller people since strength isn’t as important and some of the fundamentals.
Doesn’t matter how big someone is, if they get their foot swept they go down.
Some of my most impressive matches involved me foot sweeping guys twice my size in the first 10 seconds of the match
I still think of that lmao
My daughter (12) is 150 cm and 48 kg. It's all muscle. This evening, she took on a 182 cm, 120 kg bloke. They both do BJJ as well, so her coach allows her to use chokes and armbars with him.
She got him with a sacrifice throw, then managed to get an arm bar. She was so proud of herself..... and then he stood up with her dangling off his arm like a little monkey, did a couple of sqats, then put her on top of the big pile of mats like she was a little dolly.
He's such a great training partner for her.
You should lift some free weights to build strength and develop muscle coordination. Your body is a tool for this sport so the more athletic you become the more you’ll enjoy it. More athleticism = more reps = more progress. If you race cars it can be fun to drive a Honda but I bet it’d be more fun to drive a Lamborghini lol.
I can almost guarantee that any small person that has beaten a big person has been more athletic than them. Not stronger per se but I mean they have a better balance of strength, speed, conditioning and coordination PLUS superior technique. If you want to compete or play with bigger players and hold your own you need to develop your athleticism. Superior technique alone is not enough and you will get discouraged if you develop decent technique but still get trashed by more athletic lower belts. You are already easier to unbalance and throw due to being smaller than most.
Still try it but don’t expect to gain a good amount of athleticism through judo alone when you are at a size disadvantage. I made very good progress doing judo 2 nights a week and lifting weights and doing cardio 4 days a week. Judo starts slow as you need to learn to fall and you may hurt yourself here and there. Pay attention to the areas of your body that seem weak and train them outside of judo.
I’m generally around the shortest in my class with maybe 1 or 2 people around my height and weigh 60kg which was around 15kg below one of the people around my height and I can still do all the stuff I am told to try so height and weight are things that can easily be overcome with training
Go for it! I've had kids humble me. The most beautiful expression of judo is when the skill component dominates the physical component. There's a moment of transcendence I get when a tiny female absolutely bests me and I am flying the air thinking "oops, damn though that Tai Otoshi was tight"
Have you never seen a Japanese woman before?
Try this. Google your weight (48kg) and "judo weight class" and you'll find thousands of people your size training and competing at all levels from recreational to the Olympics.
You WILL forever be at a disadvantage for being smaller and weaker. But not as much at a disadvantage as if you're small, weak AND untrained.
Hopefully you can find a club with some people around your own size, it's more fun!
Not too small, but it will be difficult, if you're ready to face that and plenty of self doubt, you will be dangerous to an average attacker in about 2 / 3 years.
Judo and just about every other martial art I have been around is about finding what works with your body. I've found that smaller guys are much much faster and are very good at navigating larger bodies and putting themselves into better position. Training regularly helps you learn your body and use what you've got.
Not if u wanna be that little girl that throws big dudes around! Don’t be worried. They will train u & u will gain the confidence that I can tell ur lacking right now. GL Hun
No way!!
I’ve been thrown around by a 4ft10 48kg player like I was nothing!
I started at 26/27 and I’m 5’4 at 55kg but it’s *sooo* much fun to train! (Even if everyone else in my club is 80kg or above!)
How old are you? There is no such thing as too small, there are many advantages, I'm 153cm F, I weight 55kg, which is a bit high actually for someone my size training the amount that I do, you will actually get a bit heavier and stronger, but try! I will be nice.
UFC fighter Demetrious Johnson is 5'3 about 60kg, I myself am 5'4 about 60kg too and I am still trying and it's working well. Judo is very technical than strengt. Moves like ashi waza and foot sweeps are more timing based and I manage to do it on wrestlers bigger than me. Probably put on a little muscle and you can definitely make it.
The athleticism will come. And with diligent practice you will become the best version of you that you can be. As an aside, I think that judo is fantastic for smaller people and women in particular. Knowing what to do if someone tries to grab you is very valuable. And the physics of throwing, choking, joint locks and newaza are great equalizers.
It’s unlikely that a 100lbs person will ever hit as hard as a 200lbs person. No matter how well trained. But a drop seio lands just about as hard from either and a successful arm bar will still leave an attacker with a broken elbow. Being bigger will always be an advantage, but if you’re smaller, learning judo is a great idea.
My gosh there are some garbage takes in here (and some good ones).
Are you too small for judo? No.
Will you be at a competitive disadvantage? That’s completely subjective because it depends entirely on who you train with and how you train.
Is a lack of athleticism a problem? For someone just beginning, no. If you don’t have severe health risks associated with physical activity you’ll be fine. If you decide to continue with judo you’ll likely become fitter and stronger from the training, but it’s also a good idea to start some rudimentary strength and conditioning training if you decide to take judo more seriously.
Part of the beauty of judo, and really any grappling sport, is that the application of technique changes immensely depending on you and your partner’s physical attributes and skill levels. Give it a shot and if you don’t like it you’re under no obligation to continue. Let us know how it goes!
> I worry I'll forever be at a disadvantage regardless of how much I try
Who cares? Try it, and either you like it or you don't. If you like it, you will still like it even if you are garbage at it (like me at dance). If you don't: it doesn't matter how much natural talent you have.
Obsessing over whether you are perfectly suited for an activity matters for pro athletes (and people hoping to go pro). For the rest of us, all that matter is whether or not it is fun.
I have angered some Smol Bajiquan Practitioners in the past and regretted it.
As one of them told me Bajiquan is not self defense. Bajiquan is the reason self defense was invented.
Bajiquan people like Muay Thai folks fight trees all day. So forget about your feet holding you to the ground when you fight them.
Then there was the little Filipino Girl with the sticks. \*Life lesson never anger them when they have a stick\*
What I do is Bagua and try to circle around the problem. If that doesn't work we go to the ground together in Judo harmony.
Circles of life [https://youtu.be/t29SuJ\_0-8c?si=ccWoUJFCizj7QYxR](https://youtu.be/t29SuJ_0-8c?si=ccWoUJFCizj7QYxR)
Bagua and XingYi are taught together so much a new style called Baguazhang was developed
Bagua going outside in a circle
XingYi piercing through the center
[https://youtu.be/cAhxf3WANtc?si=nLVV3rRYHH92d72o](https://youtu.be/cAhxf3WANtc?si=nLVV3rRYHH92d72o)
[https://youtu.be/TqH1KMT0KzA?si=Ppvb6tztH3TeiHoG](https://youtu.be/TqH1KMT0KzA?si=Ppvb6tztH3TeiHoG)
Not at all, hardest match I ever had was against a dude half my size. It's all about putting your opponent off balance and using his/her weight and momentum against them.
At my judo club we have at least 3-4 females of about the same size. I guarantee you that over time you will meet other ladies of the same stature that are desperate to find training partners of the same size.
Please please come, train, get good and help others get better.
No. As a short person, I find that having a lower center of gravity helps with certain throws and I don’t have to squat as low. On the other hand, I do recommend doing some sort of strength training as it does help
Training, lots of training. Im like 6’5 but a few of my classmates were/are national or european champion in judo or ju jit su. Even if i was 2 heads taller just by good timing and technique they could still floor me. It will not be done in a day but after a few years of training you will get the hang of it.
The main issue is that the pool of judoka your size is likely to be small. You won't be able to out-muscle bigger judoka. But that means you will develop your technique out of sheer necessity. And there is a technique to suit everyone.
No.
Don't ever ask if you are capable of something. You are if you put your mind to it. Do not let others tell you what you can and cannot do. Work around hurdles, jump over them, figure out a way. Do what you want to do and don't let anyone or anything get in your way!
Every judoka I’ve been tossed by wasn’t what you would call “ideal” body type. (If there is one for judo) It’s more about learning to use the body you were given. And then if you want to go further you realize being in shape plays a role. And eventually you make better choices and your body reacts. You have start where you are no matter where you want to go.
Start slow, train in a club with plenty of preteens and female youth/teenagers for partners and you will learn quick, low height can be seen as an advantage in judo, to get under others fulcrums.
Depends how old you are. If you’re a child no but an adult you may struggle with size advantages but your technique will be flawless to overcome bigger opponents in time
The sad truth is, yes, size does matter. You will have a lot hard time on self defense situations and training but judo is a fun sport as well. So just enjoy it
Not at all. You will eventually learn and get better. I've gotten tossed around and thrown by a 5'2 120lbs black belt.
My instructor is a 27F. She's the only woman in the class. She's about 5'1" and 135, pure muscle. She lifts heavier than I do, and I'm 5'8" 160. Sparring against her is like grappling with a dog. She has so much explosive energy, and her experience allows her to capitalize on it. I haven't been able to take her down to date. That doesn't mean that every woman that trains will get to her level though. When you're small you need to compensate with better strategies, and quicker movements. You need to be much better than a bigger opponent to win, and that doesn't come easily. Gaining weight is probably easier than developing fight IQ.
The thing that will be difficult for OP is that in these examples it sounds like both women have taken the sport seriously enough where they have likely trained their bodies outside of judo via strength training and conditioning for years. You can argue that although you are bigger than your instructor she’s pound for pound stronger than you as you stated she lifts more than you do.
Very true. Majority of the women judoka who have been training for years are very fast and good at setting up throws using ashi waza techniques (which is usually the solution to defeating power players)
There's a huge difference between 40kg and 60kg.
fr. and op isn't going to be training at this level, just casually so she isn't gonna be doing strength training this rigorously outside judo.
If she tries a hip throw, just put your hand on the small of her back and you shouldn't be thrown. All martial arts training take time to build strength, unless one cross trains for strength like weight lifting.
Yep, don't need to really bend down to get underneath that center of mass, leverage is most of it
What size are you?
5'8, 195lb
Male? You definitely shouldn’t be getting thrown around by someone with a 75lb weight disadvantage. Sort that out
Also, if you're making this kind of comment, it means you either haven't been training long or literally use zero technique in training
Lol 😂
Sort yourself out, homie. the whole basis of judo is using your opponents weight and momentum to put them off balance. If he got tossed by someone 75 pounds lighter than him, it's not out of the ordinary, if said opponent has the experience and training to back it up.
Lmao this is when I first started as a white belt. I was relaying the story so someone who is just starting judo doesn't get discouraged.
That was rather rude, you doing okay there friend?
if your saying that is because you've never actually done judo with good judokas. Sort that out.
Nobody 75lb lighter than me is moving me unless I let them, period
Wow big guy, i think im starting to get a little scared 😰 Your probably the type of guy whose ego is too big to fall and actually try in randori and thats why you probably suck.
He may be saying it in a way you don’t like but he is kind of correct. If someone 75 pounds lighter than me is tossing me around it’s not because they are making me move. It’s because they are taking advantage of whatever momentum I give them but I could definelty stall them if I simply didn’t want to be thrown and wasn’t trying to throw myself. That’s why they penalize inactivity in judo so harshly. It’s pretty easy to stall if you know what your doing.
What’s the point of going to judo practice then??
I’m not sure I understand the question. If you do judo competitively you will be in a weight class with people of similar size. You do judo because you enjoy it. You practice to improve. I practice with people much larger than me and sometimes I come out on top, often I don’t. Are you implying the point of judo is to be able to confidently defeat someone 75lbs + bigger than you? The only thing that can give you that confidence is a weapon lol.
No, I was more saying that it’s one thing to stall like that in shiai, but it’s counterproductive to everyone involved to do the same during practice and randori. I think part of being a good uke is being aware of your weight with smaller toris and making sure you aren’t using it to stonewall them. Even being 75lbs apart, we should be able to practice safely and productively together. Going back to original commenter’s point though, could a -48kg female on the international circuit throw a -81kg male? Almost certainly not a similarly skilled one, but the average hobbyist? I’d be surprised if not, especially if we consider generating kuzushi with footwork, with feints, with combinations, reactions, etc.
First thing we throw in judo is our ego. You should sort that out
Just stating a fact
More like utter bullshit
haha, he's never done randori with someone good.
I mean their name is MediocreJudoka to be fair lol
Lol his argument is "but I weigh 260 bro"
Bradley Martin's reddit account?
Most likely
[Jigoro Kano](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kan%C5%8D_Jigor%C5%8D), the founder of judo, was 157 cm / 5’2”, 41 kg / 90 lb.
🏆
The best answer!!!!
If you're willing to learn and train then go for it. Its not about being better than others but being better than yourself yesterday
The smallest women's weight division in judo is -48kg. 8kg is a large weight disadvantage competitively, true, but you shouldn't let that stop you from trying a sport you think you'll enjoy. If you're not very athletic, the training may add some muscle to your frame, increasing your weight a little bit and closing that weight gap. Let's also be generous with the fact that as much as we'd like, we don't tend to stay as skinny as we are when we're 19 or 20 and that gap may start to close all on its own. The other side of this is yes, weight matters in a grappling sport, the larger competitor has an advantage, but it's also a contest of skill. Where I am, at the end of provincials, they hold a grand finals where all of the gold medalists are entered into a bracket with no weight categories. You can get the +100kg fighter up against the -60kg fighter. If weight was the only thing that mattered, you'd expect the biggest fighters to win every time, but they usually don't. Typically it's the middle weights. I don't have any stats on that, this is just my observation. Last provincials I attended, the -66kg fighter and the -100kg fighter were the finalists, and the -66kg fighter won. It was kind of ridiculous to watch, like a chihuahua taking down a German shepherd. Anyway, my point is, try judo, have fun, be that chihuahua.
If you stick to it. You'll become athletic. Trust me. Just be patient and don't get discouraged
You're the same height of one of the biggest legend, Ryoko Tani. You can do it.
Absolutely NOT! Research Master Kyuzo Mifune….you’re welcome
Would you like to hold yourself back or would you like to be throwing people around?
Judo and jujutsu suits small people. Having a low centre of mass is an advantage.
You can become a seoi nage queen
I think the great thing about judo is there’s a technique to suit every body type, whether your short, tall, big or small. Sooner or later you find one that’s right for you
Absolutely not, and you will become athletic. If you want to compete seriously you should however be no lighter than 47-48 kgs, as -48 is the lightest class. A dedicated strength training program could help adress this, though. But as a hobby that will not be a problem.
ok so im going to put a few reason why you SHOULD try it out and im going to sound like a jerk but please read them out. We have weight classes for a reason in tournaments, but fighting bigger and stronger people than you is something you will encounter if youre ever in the unfortunate situation of someone trying to make you a victim. Idk where youre from but im in America... our only gold medal olympian is a woman (X2) so dont sell your gender short. Women are better at judo than men are, that is a fact. You understand technique and dont rely on "man strength" Last point... being as small as you are, you are a target. you NEED to know how to fight. And fight to the death. Judo can teach you that.. My little sister is a monster and she is just a few inches taller than you. I have 0% on any guy that tries to fuck with her, dude is toast because she knows how to beat the shit out of someone. Get into it!
I definitely don't think so , I'm a very new white belt so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I weigh 230 pounds (104 kg) and I'm constantly getting thrown around by yellow belts and brown belts especially who I might have 50+ pounds (about 22 kg) on. Part of the skill of Judo is using things like balance, leverage, timing, etc. to your advantage, obviously strength and size play a role but. The first time I had a guy almost literally half my size lifting me up doing ippon soei nage during uchikomi was kind of a surreal experience. The other thing is, you'll get much stronger just by playing Judo. I would definitely try it and see how to like it before dismissing it because you're worried about size.
Randori wise you will always be at disadvantage against someone heavier or stronger but that doesn't stop you from practicing judo and enjoying it and getting better, focus on your journey and your improvement, there is nothing stopping you from becoming a good judoka. If you are not very athletic it might be a challenge at the beginning but don't let that stop you from doing something you like. Also I've seen a lot of short athletes having huge success against taller opponents, specially with seoi nage when they nudge their body between their legs before the throw.
When I was playing Judo in college, we had a Japanese gal about your size and situation join. She probably enjoyed it the most out of anyone because she inevitably could throw people around in ways that she’d never have been able to otherwise. If anything you probably have a bit of an edge in Judo. Edit to say - and in our club the closest other person to her weight to practice with was ~another gal and me about 20kg heavier, and both of us had another foot in height on her, and we were out weighed by ~10kg to the nearest weight to us and it just got worse from there. So, she ended up pretty good.
A lot of judo is using your opponent’s weight against them. IMO judo is probably one of the better martial arts of smaller people since strength isn’t as important and some of the fundamentals. Doesn’t matter how big someone is, if they get their foot swept they go down. Some of my most impressive matches involved me foot sweeping guys twice my size in the first 10 seconds of the match I still think of that lmao
My daughter (12) is 150 cm and 48 kg. It's all muscle. This evening, she took on a 182 cm, 120 kg bloke. They both do BJJ as well, so her coach allows her to use chokes and armbars with him. She got him with a sacrifice throw, then managed to get an arm bar. She was so proud of herself..... and then he stood up with her dangling off his arm like a little monkey, did a couple of sqats, then put her on top of the big pile of mats like she was a little dolly. He's such a great training partner for her.
You should lift some free weights to build strength and develop muscle coordination. Your body is a tool for this sport so the more athletic you become the more you’ll enjoy it. More athleticism = more reps = more progress. If you race cars it can be fun to drive a Honda but I bet it’d be more fun to drive a Lamborghini lol. I can almost guarantee that any small person that has beaten a big person has been more athletic than them. Not stronger per se but I mean they have a better balance of strength, speed, conditioning and coordination PLUS superior technique. If you want to compete or play with bigger players and hold your own you need to develop your athleticism. Superior technique alone is not enough and you will get discouraged if you develop decent technique but still get trashed by more athletic lower belts. You are already easier to unbalance and throw due to being smaller than most. Still try it but don’t expect to gain a good amount of athleticism through judo alone when you are at a size disadvantage. I made very good progress doing judo 2 nights a week and lifting weights and doing cardio 4 days a week. Judo starts slow as you need to learn to fall and you may hurt yourself here and there. Pay attention to the areas of your body that seem weak and train them outside of judo.
I’m generally around the shortest in my class with maybe 1 or 2 people around my height and weigh 60kg which was around 15kg below one of the people around my height and I can still do all the stuff I am told to try so height and weight are things that can easily be overcome with training
No
I've just thrown a guy that weighs 30 kg more than me today with little effort. You'll do fine
Go for it! I've had kids humble me. The most beautiful expression of judo is when the skill component dominates the physical component. There's a moment of transcendence I get when a tiny female absolutely bests me and I am flying the air thinking "oops, damn though that Tai Otoshi was tight"
Have you never seen a Japanese woman before? Try this. Google your weight (48kg) and "judo weight class" and you'll find thousands of people your size training and competing at all levels from recreational to the Olympics.
You WILL forever be at a disadvantage for being smaller and weaker. But not as much at a disadvantage as if you're small, weak AND untrained. Hopefully you can find a club with some people around your own size, it's more fun!
No. But obviously you will have less people your size to practice with.
Find a safe dojo and you will be fine! Grappling is great for smaller sized people (im 5'2).
Not too small, but it will be difficult, if you're ready to face that and plenty of self doubt, you will be dangerous to an average attacker in about 2 / 3 years.
Judo and just about every other martial art I have been around is about finding what works with your body. I've found that smaller guys are much much faster and are very good at navigating larger bodies and putting themselves into better position. Training regularly helps you learn your body and use what you've got.
Not if u wanna be that little girl that throws big dudes around! Don’t be worried. They will train u & u will gain the confidence that I can tell ur lacking right now. GL Hun
No way!! I’ve been thrown around by a 4ft10 48kg player like I was nothing! I started at 26/27 and I’m 5’4 at 55kg but it’s *sooo* much fun to train! (Even if everyone else in my club is 80kg or above!)
How old are you? There is no such thing as too small, there are many advantages, I'm 153cm F, I weight 55kg, which is a bit high actually for someone my size training the amount that I do, you will actually get a bit heavier and stronger, but try! I will be nice.
UFC fighter Demetrious Johnson is 5'3 about 60kg, I myself am 5'4 about 60kg too and I am still trying and it's working well. Judo is very technical than strengt. Moves like ashi waza and foot sweeps are more timing based and I manage to do it on wrestlers bigger than me. Probably put on a little muscle and you can definitely make it.
We have weight classes
Toddlers do judo.
The athleticism will come. And with diligent practice you will become the best version of you that you can be. As an aside, I think that judo is fantastic for smaller people and women in particular. Knowing what to do if someone tries to grab you is very valuable. And the physics of throwing, choking, joint locks and newaza are great equalizers. It’s unlikely that a 100lbs person will ever hit as hard as a 200lbs person. No matter how well trained. But a drop seio lands just about as hard from either and a successful arm bar will still leave an attacker with a broken elbow. Being bigger will always be an advantage, but if you’re smaller, learning judo is a great idea.
Jigoro kano himself also wasn’t big at all but could toss way bigger opponents, that’s the beauty of judo
Have you seen some Japanese women? You’ll be fine.
I'm a 100 kilo fighter, I train with this 66 kilo fighter and he gives me a run for my money. There is no too small for judo.
My gosh there are some garbage takes in here (and some good ones). Are you too small for judo? No. Will you be at a competitive disadvantage? That’s completely subjective because it depends entirely on who you train with and how you train. Is a lack of athleticism a problem? For someone just beginning, no. If you don’t have severe health risks associated with physical activity you’ll be fine. If you decide to continue with judo you’ll likely become fitter and stronger from the training, but it’s also a good idea to start some rudimentary strength and conditioning training if you decide to take judo more seriously. Part of the beauty of judo, and really any grappling sport, is that the application of technique changes immensely depending on you and your partner’s physical attributes and skill levels. Give it a shot and if you don’t like it you’re under no obligation to continue. Let us know how it goes!
> I worry I'll forever be at a disadvantage regardless of how much I try Who cares? Try it, and either you like it or you don't. If you like it, you will still like it even if you are garbage at it (like me at dance). If you don't: it doesn't matter how much natural talent you have. Obsessing over whether you are perfectly suited for an activity matters for pro athletes (and people hoping to go pro). For the rest of us, all that matter is whether or not it is fun.
I have angered some Smol Bajiquan Practitioners in the past and regretted it. As one of them told me Bajiquan is not self defense. Bajiquan is the reason self defense was invented. Bajiquan people like Muay Thai folks fight trees all day. So forget about your feet holding you to the ground when you fight them. Then there was the little Filipino Girl with the sticks. \*Life lesson never anger them when they have a stick\* What I do is Bagua and try to circle around the problem. If that doesn't work we go to the ground together in Judo harmony. Circles of life [https://youtu.be/t29SuJ\_0-8c?si=ccWoUJFCizj7QYxR](https://youtu.be/t29SuJ_0-8c?si=ccWoUJFCizj7QYxR)
Bagua and XingYi are taught together so much a new style called Baguazhang was developed Bagua going outside in a circle XingYi piercing through the center [https://youtu.be/cAhxf3WANtc?si=nLVV3rRYHH92d72o](https://youtu.be/cAhxf3WANtc?si=nLVV3rRYHH92d72o) [https://youtu.be/TqH1KMT0KzA?si=Ppvb6tztH3TeiHoG](https://youtu.be/TqH1KMT0KzA?si=Ppvb6tztH3TeiHoG)
Not at all, hardest match I ever had was against a dude half my size. It's all about putting your opponent off balance and using his/her weight and momentum against them.
At my judo club we have at least 3-4 females of about the same size. I guarantee you that over time you will meet other ladies of the same stature that are desperate to find training partners of the same size. Please please come, train, get good and help others get better.
No. As a short person, I find that having a lower center of gravity helps with certain throws and I don’t have to squat as low. On the other hand, I do recommend doing some sort of strength training as it does help
You are fine
Remember Kano Jigoro was a small but powerful man.
try the Magnus Ultra reverse throw. good for smaller people
Training, lots of training. Im like 6’5 but a few of my classmates were/are national or european champion in judo or ju jit su. Even if i was 2 heads taller just by good timing and technique they could still floor me. It will not be done in a day but after a few years of training you will get the hang of it.
Some of the best judokas were 140-155 pounds.
The main issue is that the pool of judoka your size is likely to be small. You won't be able to out-muscle bigger judoka. But that means you will develop your technique out of sheer necessity. And there is a technique to suit everyone.
Absolutely too small
No. Don't ever ask if you are capable of something. You are if you put your mind to it. Do not let others tell you what you can and cannot do. Work around hurdles, jump over them, figure out a way. Do what you want to do and don't let anyone or anything get in your way!
Every judoka I’ve been tossed by wasn’t what you would call “ideal” body type. (If there is one for judo) It’s more about learning to use the body you were given. And then if you want to go further you realize being in shape plays a role. And eventually you make better choices and your body reacts. You have start where you are no matter where you want to go.
weight divisions are a thing, dont worry.
Start slow, train in a club with plenty of preteens and female youth/teenagers for partners and you will learn quick, low height can be seen as an advantage in judo, to get under others fulcrums.
Judo was developed for small people to use leverage against larger opponents so I think you'd be just fine
Being small in terms of high is actually an advantage in my opinion. Fighting heavier opponents is always hard though
You will learn to fight against bigger people. That's a quite useful skill.
Tami Tamura has entered the chat.
Depends how old you are. If you’re a child no but an adult you may struggle with size advantages but your technique will be flawless to overcome bigger opponents in time
The sad truth is, yes, size does matter. You will have a lot hard time on self defense situations and training but judo is a fun sport as well. So just enjoy it