Strength and Conditioning for JudoJohn Amtmann, EdD, and Adam CottonMontana Tech of the University of Montana, Butte, Montana

© National Strength and Conditioning AssociationVolume 27, Number 2, pages 26–31

Keywords: judo, grappling, strength, conditioning, interval training

Judo, one of the most popular sportsin the world, is an exciting grap-pling sport similar to wrestling, but

unlike wrestling, the competitors wearthick jackets called judogis or gis. The giallows for different tactical approachesfor the judo athlete when compared towrestling, and some say judo is moretechnically oriented as a result of thisdifference. Nonetheless, judo athletesrely heavily on strength and condition-ing to ensure success. Every judo coach

should be aware of this, and should workclosely with strength and conditioningcoaches to develop an appropriatestrength and conditioning program fortheir athletes.

This article will discuss the literaturepublished on injuries most common tograppling athletes and will make recom-mendations regarding strength and con-ditioning approaches to prevent injuryand improve performance. We encouragethe athletes and coaches to keep an activemind in analyzing what works best forthem. The methods described in this arti-cle are what have worked for our athletes,but may not be best for others. Combin-ing the effects of a properly designed andexecuted strength and conditioning pro-gram with quality coaching on the tech-nical aspects of judo will improve perfor-mance and help to prevent injury.

Rules of the GameJudo matches may last anywhere from 3to 10 minutes depending on a variety offactors, but the regulation time for na-tional and international matches is one5-minute period. A judo competitor canwin a match by scoring an ippon (“fullpoint”). If an ippon is scored, then thematch is over. This is an important dis-tinction to the judo athlete who may

have to fight in up to 6 or 7 matches in 1tournament. The score of ippon can begiven to a judo competitor by one of thefollowing 4 ways:

• Throwing an opponent onto his orher back with impetus.

• Holding an opponent down on hisor her back for 25 seconds.

• Strangling an opponent into submis-sion.

• Joint-locking an opponent into sub-mission.

If a match is not won by ippon by theend of regulation time, then whomeverhas accumulated the most fractionalpoints during the match is declared thewinner.

InjuriesPreventing injury in sports by trainingspecific joints identified as frequentlyinjured is known as prehabilitation (4),and identifying injuries incurred in spe-cific sports and developing programs toprevent them is a top priority of strengthand conditioning coaches. It is also thejudo coach’s responsibility to be knowl-edgeable about the most common in-juries in judo and about how thestrength and conditioning program willbe of benefit to their athletes.

s u m m a r y

For elite judo athletes and recre-

ational judo athletes alike, sport-

specific strength and conditioning

is essential in the prevention of in-

juries and for enhancing perfor-

mance. This article offers sugges-

tions for judo athletes and coaches

for the development of strength and

conditioning programs specific to

the requirements of their sport.

26 April 2005 • Strength and Conditioning Journal

Common injury sites in wrestling occurat the knee, shoulder, ankle, head, elbowand neck (2, 6). Although neck injuriesare most frequent in football and hockey(1), the neck injuries in grappling sportslike wrestling and judo, although rela-tively rare, are no less catastrophic (2,3). Previous studies reporting on thesport of wrestling have documented awide range of injury rates, from 10 to70%, depending on a variety of factorsincluding how injury is defined, thepopulation being studied, and whether atournament or a season was evaluated(10).

Pasque and Hewett (10) performed aprospective study to evaluate injury pat-terns in a large population of 458 high-school wrestlers during one season.There were 219 injuries in 418 wrestlersfollowed throughout the season, for anoverall injury incidence of 52 injuriesper 100 wrestlers per season. The mostcommon injury sites were the shoulder(24%) and the knee (17%). The re-searchers noted that the majority of in-juries occurred in practice (63%), al-though the injury rate was higher inmatch competitions. Sixty-eight percentof practice injuries occurred during hardwrestling, 23% during drills, and 9%during conditioning. Sixty-seven per-cent of all practice injuries occurredduring the last half of practice. Similarfindings were seen in match competi-tion, in which 42 and 36% of injuriesoccurred in the second and third peri-ods, respectively, versus only 22% in thefirst period (10). Other researchersnoted higher injury rates during compe-tition (2).

It is logical to think the injuries in judowould be similar to those found inwrestling because judo is a jacketed formof wrestling. Finnish researchers (8) usednational insurance records to analyze thetypes of injuries sustained by athletesparticipating in soccer, ice hockey, vol-leyball, basketball, judo, and karate overa 5-year period (1987–1991), and karateand judo had the highest rates of injury

reported. Approximately 70% of the in-juries reported occurred during practice,and upper-limb injuries were more com-mon in judo when compared with theother sports. The researchers also report-ed that dislocations were relatively morefrequent in karate and judo (8).

Athletes in grappling sports may sufferinjuries at many locations on the body.There is conflicting evidence regardingwhether the rate of injury is higher inpractice or competition, but the impli-cations for coaches are clear:

• Create a strength-training programthat is comprehensive and balancedin nature.

• Conduct hard randori (the technicalterm used to describe freestyle prac-tice in judo) sessions in the first halfof practice, or make sure the condi-tioning level of the athletes is highbefore conducting hard randori inthe second half of practice.

• Focus on technical mastery in theareas of throwing, falling, hold-downs, and arm-locks.

Strength TrainingFleck and Kraemer (4) recommend per-forming a needs analysis before develop-ing a strength and conditioning pro-gram for an athlete of a particular sport.The analysis should include a considera-tion of these questions:

• What muscle groups need to betrained?

• What are the basic energy sourcesthat need to be trained?

• What type of muscle actions shouldbe used in the sport?

• What are the primary sites of injury?

The primary sites of injury have alreadybeen discussed and are related to the firstquestion; all major muscle groups shouldbe included in the strength-training pro-gram for the judo athlete because of thediverse nature of injuries in grapplingsports. A comprehensive literature reviewfound numerous works offering guide-

lines for effective strength training pro-grams for grappling athletes (5, 7, 9, 12,13, 15). These programs commonly em-ploy exercises that enhance the strength ofall major muscle groups combined withlifts done in a ballistic manner. These liftsinclude the Olympic lifts and their sup-plements (power clean, power snatch,hang clean, hang snatch, and high pulls)and other lifts using an explosive phase,such as medicine ball throws, weightedsquat jumps, and weighted split jumps.

Neck training should be a special con-sideration for all grappling athletes.Judo athletes are encouraged to throwtheir opponents onto their backs withhigh force. Because of the nature ofgrappling and combat sports, the judoathletes are sometimes at risk for cervicalinjury because body positions of the ath-letes can become quite contorted. Some-times athletes being thrown risk cervicalspine injuries to avoid landing on theirbacks and conceding the score of ippon(Figures 1 and 2).

Our strength-training program includesa balanced combination of neck exercis-es for our judo athletes that includes a 4-way neck machine (Nautilus, Vancou-ver, WA), manual resistance exercises,and free-weight exercises. The exercisemovements target the cervical muscula-ture, and include neck flexion, neck ex-tension, and lateral flexion. Additional-ly, the upper trapezius and levatorscapulae play a role in cervical stabiliza-tion and are targeted with a scapular-ele-vation movement. Table 1 shows combi-nations of neck exercises to improveoverall neck strength. The athleteschoose one of these cycles and can per-form as few as 1 set of each exercise to ef-ficiently train the neck musculature.The strength and conditioning coachmust educate the athlete regarding theimportance of strict form in and overallbalance of the neck exercises. If 2 sets areperformed for the anterior cervical mus-culature, then 2 sets should be done forthe posterior musculature. In somecases, where muscular imbalances have

27April 2005 • Strength and Conditioning Journal

been identified, however, athletes maybe required to work a particular musclegroup or plane of motion more than an-other.

Another special consideration for thejudo athlete is grip strength. In judo, ifan athlete dominates the grip fighting,that athlete is usually in control of thematch and has a higher chance of win-ning. Although there are tactical andstrategic approaches to dominating thegrips, overall grip strength does play arole. There are numerous exercises thatfocus on the grip, and the following listis only a partial list of what the judo ath-lete can use to improve grip strength andendurance:

• Wrist curls.• Reverse wrist curls.• Barbell curls with pronated grip.• Pronated or supinated barbell or

dumbbell curls with a “thick” bar.• Farmer’s walk: using dumbbells,

walk with the dumbbells for as longas the dumbbells can be held. Ifwalking with dumbbells is not a pos-sibility, simply holding the dumb-bells in a seated or standing positionfor a designated period of time is aneffective grip strengthener.

• Judogi pull-ups: perform pull-upsusing an old gi or a towel hangingfrom the pull-up bar, instead of thebar. Also, just hanging from the gi ortowel in flexed-hang or straight-armposition.

• Wrist rollers.

What Energy Systems Need ToBe Trained?When considering the energy systemsused for a particular activity, it is essen-tial to analyze the intensity and the du-ration of that effort. Experts agree thatmost activities require energy fromboth the aerobic and anaerobic energysystems, but the percentage of adeno-sine triphosphate (ATP) productionfrom aerobic and anaerobic sources willvary according to intensity and dura-tion.

28 April 2005 • Strength and Conditioning Journal

Figure 1. This throw, teguruma (“hand wheel”), is common in competitive judo.The de-fender has 2 optinons, to tuck the head and roll thus conceding a score orpost on the head to prevent a score and risk injury. Photo by Bob Willingham.

Table 1Combinations of Neck Exercises

Cycle A Cycle B Cycle C

Shoulder shrugs dbNeck flexion fwNeck extension nhShoulder shrugs db

Harness neck ext.Lateral flexion mr (r)Lateral flexion mr (l)Neck flexion fw

Dead liftsIsometric (flexors), 60 s mrIsometric (extensors), 60 s mrShoulder shrugs db

Choose one cycle to perform, 1–3 sets of each cycle, 10–20 repetitions/exercise

Note: db = dumbbell, fw = free weight, nh = neck harness, ext = extension, mr = manual resis-tance, r = right, l = left.

According to the general guidelines inTable 2, energy system involvement isdirectly dependent on the duration ofthe activity. However, there are inter-mittent periods where intensity changesaccording to the demands of the partic-ular match in dynamic sports like judo.For example, at certain times the ath-letes may be working at 100% of theirmaximum intensity, and at other timesa submaximal percentage, and this istrue for many sports. Most experts agreethat during the 5 minutes of an averagejudo match, both aerobic and anaerobicenergy systems are contributing varyingpercentages at various times.

Pulkinnen (12) conducted a compre-hensive review of the literature related totime–motion analysis of grapplingsports and suggested a work to rest ratioof 2:1 to 3:1 for judo-specific intervaltraining. Likewise, Tabata and his asso-ciates (14) found that 7 to 8 sets of inter-val training with the same work to restratio had a profound effect on both aer-obic and anaerobic capacities. They usedinterval training for their national teamspeed skaters that involved 20 secondsof pedaling on a cycle ergometer at max-imal levels followed by 10 seconds ofsubmaximal work for 7 to 8 repetitions.Armed with this information, we usecircuit weight training (CWT) com-bined with interval training (IT) as themain components of our metabolic con-ditioning program.

There is no substitute for training inthe actual sport. However, because oftheir metabolic costs, CWT and IT canbe effective in creating a metabolicstate similar to what develops in a judomatch in a safe manner while maintain-ing strength (11, 14). This is especiallyimportant for those athletes who haveto meticulously manage total bodyweight.

The CWT should be developed in ac-cordance with the length of the bout.For example, the CWT session for anathlete preparing for an internationalevent consisting of 5-minute matches

may be different than the session for ajunior athlete preparing for a regionaltournament with 3-minute matches. Foran example of our basic CWT session,see Table 3. The frequency and overallvolume with which the CWT should beused depends on a variety of factors, andthe strength and conditioning coachshould work closely with the judo coachto monitor overall training and compe-tition volume in case acute programvariables need to be modified. Also, weencourage the coaches (and athletes) tomodify this program and to experimentwith other variations to determine whatbest suits the needs of his or her athletes.

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Figure 2. The athelete in white has countered an uchimata (“inner thigh sweep”) witha ride and roll maneuver. In defense, the athlete in blue is posting his head,attempting to prevent giving up a score. Photo by Bob Willingham.

Table 3Circuit Weight Training Session

1. One minute jumping rope 2. Leg extension 3. Leg curl4. Bent-knee sit-ups 5. Neck cycle 6. Overhead press7. Lat pull down 8. Dumbbell bench press 9. Barbell curl10. Wrist curl 11. Farmer’s walk 12. Leg press

For this session, upper-body exercises should have a performance goal of 12–15 rep-etitions and lower-body exercises 12–20 repetitions.There should be little to no restbetween the exercises.

Table 2Contributions of Anaerobic and

Aerobic Energy Systems

Time(seconds)

Anaerobic(%)

Aerobic(%)

0–30 s0–60 s0–120 s0–240 s

80706040

20304060

Note: Data from Powers, S., and E. Howley.Exercise Physiology: Theory and Applica-tion to Fitness and Performance. New York:McGraw Hill, 2001.

The intensity of the CWT session can bevaried by several methods. We recom-mend varying the order of the exercise toincrease or decrease the overall intensity.For example, for the first 2 to 3 weeks,the strength and conditioning coachmay alternate upper-body and lower-body muscle groups with successive ex-ercises to gradually prepare the athletefor more intense training as condition-ing improves. As the season progresses,the intensity may be increased by work-ing all lower-body and all upper-bodymuscle groups or by adding more multi-joint movements. To maximize efficien-cy of time, each circuit is separated bythe interval-training method describedabove.

Another method that can be used toprepare the athlete for the metabolic en-vironment specific to judo is judo-spe-cific interval training (JSIT). By this,the authors are referring to a collectionof movements that are specific to com-petition judo and can be performedwith high intensity. For example, theathlete could begin with 1 minute ofshadowing techniques (throws andtakedowns), then proceed to timed seg-ments of exercises totaling 5 minutes.This process can be continued for asmany rounds as desired. See Table 4 foran example.

Metabolic conditioning is a part ofgrappling sports and is usually a naturalcomponent within the drilling and ran-dori parts of the practice session.Pulkinnen (12) offers an example of thevarious components within a judo ses-sion:

• Warm-up: 10–15 minutes.• Conditioning: 30 minutes.• Technique instruction and review:

10–15 minutes.• Technique- or situation-specific

drills: 10–15 minutes• Randori: 30–45 minutes

More intense supplemental metabolicconditioning, such as the CWT andJSIT, can be initiated to improve lacticacid tolerance, and Pulkinnen suggests12 weeks to allow for this adaptation(12), which can be used on days off ofthe CWT program. There are manyways to manipulate this phase as the ath-lete’s conditioning and ability to with-stand lactic acid improves. For example,during the first week of JSIT, the athletemay require complete rest during the60-second break between rounds. Insuccessive weeks, the athlete may beginto shadow between rounds with increas-ing intensity. Also, the coach may de-crease the break from 60 seconds to 50,then to 40 seconds. Again, the purpose

is to create the worst-case metabolic sce-nario.

What Types of Muscle Actions?Concentric and eccentric muscle ac-tions will be natural parts of all of themovements within the metabolic con-ditioning phase. Isometric muscle ac-tions are a significant aspect of mostgrappling sports and should be imple-mented into the strength and condi-tioning program. For example, thestrength and conditioning coach mayimplement specific isometric variationsof exercises. Variations may include thehalf push-ups, v-ups, or holding of thepeak contraction in the pull-up orbicep curl. See Table 4 (round 2) for anexample.

ConclusionUnlike wrestling, judo can take differ-ent forms for different people. Sometrain in judo to learn self-defense, andothers train recreationally for fun or fit-ness. There are those who train for so-cial reasons, and retired judo athleteswho still enjoy coming to club workoutsjust to have fun randori sessions withsome of the younger members—thosesessions are enjoyed by the youngermembers as well. With wrestling, how-ever, the average wrestling club memberis young, male, and competition orient-ed. Our club encourages willing andable members to compete. We believethat competition judo offers an oppor-tunity for personal growth unmatchedby many other activities and sports. It isnot a requirement, however. No profes-sionally run club would make competi-tion a requirement, but to the membersthat are competition oriented, strengthand conditioning should be an impor-tant aspect of their overall training regi-men.

We work individually with the clubmembers involved in competition, de-veloping strength and conditioning pro-grams that work for them. Some of ourmembers are students with light semes-ter credit loads, and with these students,

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Table 4Judo Specific Interval Training

Round 1 60 s shadowing30 s push-ups30 s pull-ups60 s free squats30 s heavy-bag lifts or double-leg lifts with partner30 s osotogari attacks 30 s ouchigari attacks30 s shrimping (with partner, in legs around-bottom)Maximum of 60 s break between rounds.

Round 2 60 s shadowing30 s hold of the peak position of the pull-up30 s half push-up (holding the midposition)60 s half squats 60 s ippon seoi nage60 s ippon seoi nage into kouchi maki komi

we have more flexibility to vary the overall volume of work.

Others, however, work full time or arefull-time students with heavy semesterand course requirements and limitedtime to dedicate to judo or theirstrength and conditioning program. Inthese cases, the science of strength-training program development becomesmore of an art. Nonetheless, all of ourmembers use some variation of theCWT session described in Table 3 aspart of their program to prepare fortournaments.

For the recreational judo athlete, we stillrecommend a supplemental strengthand conditioning program. Staying inshape to play judo, rather than playingjudo to stay in shape should be the gen-eral rule, and we make ourselves avail-able to any of the recreational judo clubmembers who request help in develop-ing a personal program.

Judo is an excellent activity for chil-dren, and there is very little turnover ofchildren in our club. For children, wetry to incorporate strength and condi-tioning in a fun manner during practicesessions, and we encourage the kids toregularly perform at home the basicbody-weight exercises that are doneduring practice. Supplemental strengthand conditioning sessions outside ofthe judo practice sessions may be re-quired for the more serious competi-tion judo athletes, but exposing thechildren to some basic exercises thatthey may be using in the future, simplyfor health and fitness purposes, is desir-able.

To enhance performance and, even moreimportant, to prevent injury, expertisein the technical aspects of judo shouldbe combined with an effective strengthand conditioning program. There aremany different programs that could beused. We recommend including neckand grip training as components espe-cially helpful to the judo athlete. The

methods recommended within this arti-cle have proven efficient and effectivefor the athletes that we have workedwith. ♦

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John Amtmann is a professor for the ap-plied health science program at Mon-tana Tech, and is the strength and condi-tioning coordinator for the MontanaTech basketball teams. He is also thejudo coach for the Montana Tech JudoClub.

Adam Cotton is an undergraduate stu-dent in the Applied Health Science pro-gram at Montana Tech. He is an assistant tothe strength and conditioning coordina-tors for the basketball and football teams.

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Cotton

Amtmann