On Saturday 25 November, the Sheffield University Kyu-Grade Tournament (SUKT) took place in the main hall of the Goodwin Sports Centre. With a total of 155 entrants split among the various weight, gender and belt categories, it was the largest turnout in the past ten years for this judo event. Judoka (judo practitioners) of all kinds weighed in and warmed up as they prepared to test their skills in a gentle way, though you would be forgiven for thinking this martial art is anything but gentle.
A judo match can be won in several ways, the most desired being that of an ippon (one full point) which can be awarded by throwing an opponent with force and speed onto both their shoulders. Other ways include getting two waza-aris (throws where the opponent didn’t land on both shoulders), pinning an opponent back-down to the mats with a holding technique for 10-20 seconds or submitting them with a choke or joint lock.
After a prolonged weigh-in period, the matches began around 10.30am with the women’s orange belts and under category. A majority of the matches ended with hold-downs or waza-aris, but some managed to impress the crowd with powerful and skilful displays of throwing, giving their opponents some air-time before delivering them back to the mats. Popular throws included the seoi name (one-arm shoulder throw) and drop seoi-nage which could be executed so swiftly that it was equally impressive to witness a successful defence as it was to see the well-earned victory.
Later in the day, other categories began their matches and the throws grew in their complexity. By the time of the green and blue belts, throws such as o-uchi-gari (major inner reap), o-soto-gari (major outer reap), and soto-maki-komi (outer winding throw) were becoming commonplace as competitors racked up their medals. Teams from Durham, UEA and Bangor cheered each other on and some of Sheffield Uni’s own tested themselves against tough opposition – particularly impressive were AQ Khan who won gold in his category and club captain Jacob Wagstaff being an inspiration to the beginners.
Eventually, it was time for the 1st Kyu/brown belt divisions to begin. These matches had added importance to the competitors as it wasn’t just about winning, it was about becoming a black belt. Those with a brown belt, by the rules of their governing organisation, must earn their next rank through competition. A total of 120 points must be gathered to reach the coveted 1st Dan and a single victory can net them 10 points. It sounds fairly simple – win twelve matches and you’re there – but once you witness the abilities of these brown belts, it becomes clear this challenge is a mountainous one. However, despite each of these competitors dealing with immense pressure, a sense of camaraderie and friendship could be found between them, sometimes to such a point that a competitor would smile with infectious joy when they were thrown to the ground by their peer.
Eventually, the last matches wrapped up, rather fortunately, around the exact same time and the job of packing away the mats fell to anyone who had decided to stay until the end. It’s clear that judo is equally a community experience as it is an individual sport. While the joke of martial arts being a group of people in angry white pyjamas might persist, this competition disputed that notion and looked to welcome everyone.
The next competition in March is the University of Sheffield International Student Teams (USIST) in which individuals will compete for their team and a fancy cup at the end.
