De Jong Built the Tracks; I Built the Train

In the brilliant Under the Tuscan Sun, Martini tells Francis: 

Signora, between Austria and Italy, there is a section of the Alps called the Semmering. It is an impossibly steep, very high part of the mountains. They built a train track over these Alps to connect Vienna and Venice. They built these tracks even before there was a train in existence that could make the trip. They built it because they knew some day, the train would come.

De Jong developed some grading before the knowledge existed that 'could make the trip.' The knowledge now exists in my The Science Behind All Fighting Techniques.

The first shodan grading is a revision grading. The candidate has to select and demonstrate five joint-locking techniques and five different takedown techniques from five different hand holds. They then have to select and demonstrate five different throwing techniques for hand, hip, and leg throws from any attack. Next is demonstrating three different joint-locking techniques and three different takedown techniques from five selected moving attacks.

How do you choose throwing techniques and takedown techniques if there is no definitive distinction between those two types of techniques? How do you examine a candidates selection if there is no definitive distionction? I audit the martial arts literature in this regard in TSCAFT and demonstrate that there is no definitive distinction in the martial arts. There is now in TSCAFT.

In TSCAFT, I explain how joint-locking techniques are techniques where forces are applied to cause an opponent's joint to move towards or beyond the limits of its range of motion. Why do you want to apply forces to move a joint towards or beyond the limits of its range of motion? The answer to that question is many and varied, including to be used as takedown techniques.

You could select and demonstrate the twenty five kansetsu waza and when called upon to demonstrate the twenty five selected taoshi waza, you could say that you've already done so if you selected astutely in the first case. :)

The kansetsu waza and taoshi waza had to be demonstrated from five different hand holds, however, the nage waza were classified as hand throws, hip throws, and leg throws. Why the difference? It's because the nage waza classification comes straight from the Kodokan Judo classification of techniques and KJ does recognise taoshi waza. All techniques that cause an opponent to fall to the ground are classified as nage waza.

The KJ nage waza classification is flawed. It's a great first attempt but it is flawed. You could have fun challenging the examiners by including techniques in other classes than the KJ classification and make a strong argument for the inclusion.

You could include inner and outer footsweep (ko uchi and soto gari) in both the taoshi waza and nage waza sections of the grading. :) Why? Because technically they are takedown techniques as performed in JDJ's school, however, in KJ they are classified as nage waza and they are technically throwing techniques.

You could then point out that in the seventh kyu (red belt) grading, these two techniques are included in the throwing techniques demonstration section, but in fact the way they are demonstrated they are technically takedowns.

JDJ specifically identified joint-locking techniques as takedowns in the last section of the grading, however, nobody included joint-locking techniques in their selected takedowns in the previous section of the grading. He had an intuitive understanding of the difference between throws and takedowns but it was not developed, articulated or applied.

It is a brilliant grading, one that provides insights, with the aid of the technical knowledge that is presented in TSBAFT. JDJ most definitely did build the tracks before there was a train capable of traveling on them. I've built that train. There is a lot to be learned from this gradings, but a lot more to be learned by its flaws and historical inconsistencies.