Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Judo Scoring, Explained!

Now, if you’re like me, you’ve been watching Judo online while you should have been spending time with your family or sleeping…or working. Firstly, I’m sorry you’re like me, but secondly you’ve probably been baffled by how Olympic Judo is scored. You’ve no doubt seen more then one match where the score went quickly to something like 101 to zero, and then an instant later then losing fighter is declared the winner after a single move.

(Fighters struggle to reach the score multiplier before it fades)

Therefore, I scoured the web looking for an explanation and found the answer to be a lot more interesting than I first thought. (H/T to http://www.judoinfo.com/rules1.htm)

The goal of competitive Judo is to score a single point, called an Ippon (this is opposed to actual Judo where the goal is to finish off the masses of redshirts in front of you and still have enough energy left to take on the hidden island’s boss, the old man with the razor claw and the wheezing laugh who’s holding the world for ransom).

The first competitor to score this one point by either maintaining a pin for 25 seconds, choking out or submitting an opponent, or ideally: throwing the opponent to the mat with “considerable force and speed” (you gotta love a sport with that phrase in its official rulebook) will win instantly.

Lacking that, one can win by scoring two half-points (math is power) called Waza-ari, by achieving a not-so-forceful throw, or a 20-second pin.

Points are also scored for ‘partially successful’ throws and 15-20 second pins, known as Yuko, and non-back landing throw results and brief pins, called Koka.

Scoreboards represent these by separating them into three digit numbers. Therefore, a contestant with one Waza-ari, one Yuko and no Kokas would have a score of 110. While an opponent with zero Waza-aris three Yukos and two Kokas would have a 32. If this match timed out, the first competitor would win, even though he or she had less scoring moves. (Ippons are not recorded since scoring one would end the match)

Recently abandoned scoring rules include the awarding 5/8th of a point for throwing your opponent through a wall. Also removed: knives, lengths of lead pipe, and hunks of energy-restoring, bone-in pork roasts. Finishing moves are still allowed if enough Chi has been accumulated.

Hajime and enjoy!

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