Michaela Whitebooi on Judo

Mpho Mabelesa

Martial arts have evolved throughout the years, and now there are multiple Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) competitions held all- year round. Yet, most of these styles rely on strikes and kicks to achieve victory, which might not be everyone’s cup of tea. There is, however, a martial art form that sets itself apart from such aggressive martial systems and it is called judo. Here at UP, on the Hillcrest campus, there is an opportunity for students to join in on the fun.

PDBY had the pleasure of contacting Commonwealth Games gold medalist Michaela Whitebooi and asked her to fill everyone in on judo. “Judo is known as the gentle way. It is a martial art, where it is mostly about grappling and takedowns. You can win a match by way of points, strangulation or arm lock.” When asked what values judo could teach a newcomer she replied, “Judo is a martial art that revolves around great respect for your sensei (coach) and your uke (training partners). It is about selfdiscipline, time management and goal-setting.”

Then finally, PDBY asked Michaela what someone could expcet if they joined the judo at UP, where she herself is a trainer. “As a beginner in judo, you will first learn how to fall before you learn how to throw. This means you will start off with basic movement and agility before you move onto learning judo techniques. Once you have gained the basics, you will move onto more judo- specific skills.” Whitebooi also indicated that at this point you have to ask yourself why you are doing judo in the first place. She says, “You can do judo in a social manner, where you want to keep fit, learn values and gain self-defense skills, or you can train for high-level performance such as going to the Olympic Games.” Regardless of your end goal, TuksJudo can help you achieve it.

So perhaps you are looking to try your hand at martial arts, or you want to leanr for selfdefense purposes, or you just want a good way to train all your muscles and not sign up for a gym, either way judo might just be the activity for you. To find out more info about judo at UP, find their webpage linked here: https://www. up.ac.za/judo