The grip dispute (kumi-kata ) in judo: A scoping review

Abstract

<p>In judo combat, the grip (<em>kumi-kata</em>) helps to control and to dominate the opponent, and per the current rules is a prerequisite to executing a throwing technique. In this scoping review, articles and reviews published in scientific journals in English were searched in Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases from inception until December 2020. The studies were classified into technical-tactical or time-motion analyses, grip or grip attempts, grip locations on <em>uke</em>´s (athlete receiving the attack) <em>judogi</em> (judo uniform) or hands that performed the grips, and one or two hands holding. Articles evaluating the physical and physiological capacities of grip dispute were excluded. From 286 articles identified, 41 were included in the final selection. Two reviewers screened the records independently for eligibility. One reviewer extracted all data and the other reviewed the data for accuracy. The main results showed that: i) more experienced athletes hold the <em>judogi</em> for less time before attacking and focus their vision on the face and collar; ii) male athletes, especially heavy ones, hold longer in the <em>judogi</em> and use more defensive grips (collar and collar); iii) the most used grip was collar and sleeve; iv) the most used position was <em>kenka-yotsu</em> (opposite sides). The result of this scoping review may assist coaches and athletes to develop training strategies according to the athletes’ technical-tactical objectives, as well as future investigations that can be conducted related to grip dispute in judo.</p>

The effects of weight categories on the time-motion analysis of female high-level judo athletes between the 2016 and 2020 Olympic cycles

“…In both Olympic cycles, the 48 kg athletes had the longest approach, attack, defense, groundwork and pause times, despite they had spent less time in the attack, defense and pause phases in the 2020 Olympic cycle compared to the 2016 ( Table 1 ). Athletes with lower body mass are generally more agile and quick in their movements and need to spend more time in the approach phase to perform an efficient grip and apply immediate attack techniques; consequently, defending against the opponent is difficult ( Kashiwagura and Franchini, 2022 ). Moreover, the approach and groundwork phases can be used to manage combat time and avoid opponent attacks after obtaining a score.…”

The Role and Development of Strength for Elite Judo Athletes

“…Elite judo athletes have also been found to have greater total neuromuscular activation and decreased coactivation of agonist and antagonist muscle groups when performing throws and jumps (81). These findings indicate that enhanced storage optimization, reuse of elastic energy, and a faster transition between eccentric and concentric phases (i.e., lower coupling or amortization time) during SSC activities may be facilitated through improved temporal strategies, translating to better performance during competition (16,42). Exercises such as countermovement jumps using variable resistance on a belted squat machine (see Figure 9) may provide a specific way to develop explosive strength for judo because it accounts for the length-tension relationship of ascending strength movements and is produced through a rapid leg extension without full hip extension, enabling transfer to many of the throwing techniques in judo (6,68).…”

“…Judo athletes must perform decisive and explosive actions to effectively position themselves and initiate a grip (60). The grip dispute (kumi-kata) is critical for controlling an opponent and dominating the match (42). The direction of an attack influences certain grips, and grasping particular regions of the opponent leads to more decisive and effective attacks (i.e., dorsal region) (41).…”

“…Therefore, the ability to perform highly technical actions explosively can mean the difference between executing successful and unsuccessful attacks. A recent scoping review by Kashiwagura and Franchini (42) on the kumi-kata found that more experienced judo athletes spend less time holding the judogi before initiating throws than less-experienced athletes. This suggests that more advanced judo athletes possess the explosive potential to execute kumi-kata and throws in a time-effective manner and demonstrate superior technical and tactical capabilities than less-experienced judo athletes.…”

Strength and Conditioning (S&C) Practices of Judo Athletes and S&C Coaches: A Survey-Based Investigation

“…The quantity, duration, and recovery periods used for randori can be manipulated to elicit different physical, physiological, and perceptual responses to training (9). Accordingly, using S&C (general preparation) and randori (specific preparation), judo-specific fitness can be enhanced, which has been shown to underpin the execution of judo techniques and high-intensity grip disputes (32,34) and be a discriminating factor between competitive standards (e.g., national vs. regional) (18). For example, performance in neuromuscular tests (i.e., standing long jump, seated medicine ball throw, and handgrip strength) was moderately correlated with the Special Judo Fitness Test (SJFT) and Judogi Grip Strength Test (JGST) (37).…”