From: taddiken@ms.uky.edu (scott taddiken)
Subject: Re: JUDO - Fighting for grip
Keywords: judo, gripping
    <1992Oct14.180134.13436@mlb.semi.harris.com>
Summary: You may be able to do well without playing patty cake.
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 22:50:54 GMT

I share a distaste for too much gripfighting.  It is vitally important not
to let the opponent fight his fight, but it is my opinion that those at the
lower levels of the sport make rather too much of this.  As the original
poster stated, it is particularly vexing when a workout partner begins slapping
at your hands in what is supposed to be a learning, relatively friendly
situation.  I have figured out one or two ways of dealing with these people.

First and foremost, I try not to allow my opponent to break my posture,
regardless of his grip.  I have found that people who stress gripfighting
above the rest of their judo tend to rely on getting you into a specific
position that they are used to throwing from.  Often, I will bait my opponent,
freely offering him any sleeve or lapel he likes, but refusing to bend or
turn the way he wants.  You would think they could just throw you, anyway,
but they seem to have trouble.

I try to embarass him by constantly closing the distance, bouncing him off the
walls of the dojo if he retreats too far.  You've got to be careful when you
do this, however.  You might think that you are vulnerable to forward throws,
such as hip throws, forward footsweeps and the like.  Paradoxically, you are
not (unless your approach is headlong), because your opponent will not have the
necessary control to do more than fall onto his face; you are vulnerable to the
leg pick (ryote dori, I believe, is the Japanese term), where the opponent 
steps deep between your legs with one leg, grabs you at the knees, and pulls.
Some people are surprizingly good at this, so watch out.

If you play this way, it is very useful to have an ambidextrous style.  If your
opponent seems to prefer to get a dominating right sided grip, let him.  Then
take a left sided grip underneath and inside his arms.  Grip gently, and he may
not realize how much of a threat you have.  Footsweep vigorously (and well, of
course :) to force him to pull his legs back away from you.  If he does pull
his legs away, he looks like a fool with his "dominating" grip.  Be prepared
for him to attempt one of the modern sambo style leg grabs, or just to try some
doomed throw, and end up on his face.

If you and he get one grip, and he insists on making a big issue of the second
grip, grab his lapel with your free arm and pull hard.  I'm not sure exactly
why this works.  I think it's more psychological than physical, but he will
ALWAYS grab the sleeve of the arm that you just grabbed him with.  Now,
casually transfer that grip to HIS sleeve.  Time for judo.

One more point.  I've found that it is a bad idea to attempt osotogari on the
"wrong side" (that is, with a grip on his right sleeve, yet attacking his left
leg) against an opponent with a heavy style based on superior gripping. His
arm is free to pick up the leg you're sweeping with and well, you know.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scott Taddiken, University of Kentucky