Co-founder and Head Coach of Ippon Judo Academy & Train with the Champions Hatem Abdelahker has been living and breathing Judo since the age of three. A champion athlete who spent 9 years as the African and Arab Champion, Abdelakher won the Silver medal 3 times and the Bronze twice. He also proudly ranked in the Top 10 World Ranking Judo Athletes from 2009 to 2015. Abdelakher believes Judo has taught him a lot of values and ethics and helped him achieve countless goals. Along with his partner Hussein Hafiz, the duo decided to deliver their message of mental and physical fitness to the public through Judo. Through Ippon Judo Academy, the duo trains kids in 4 schools with a main center at the LakeHouse Club in LakeView Cairo. This month, Abdelakher shares some Judo basics with Cairo West Magazine.
Judo Salute
As the match begins, a player gets on the mat and must salute the coach and his opponent as a symbol of respect to the game.
Rubber Resistant Utchkomi
This band is designed to improve the technical ability of any Judoka. It builds resistance, which if used in exercise regimens improves the ability to throw more opponents for Ippon. It also improves your grip strength and fitness level.
Judogi Pull-ups
Judo is all about the strength of your grip, either from the sleeve or collar. Pull-ups while practicing Judo must be done with Judogis (thick jackets) with 2 different gripping techniques, one from the collar and the other from the sleeves.
Tire Flip
Tire training is intense core training, one of the best total body strength and conditioning workouts a person can do. You use all your body’s muscles when you flip the tire, and by varying the distance and number of times you flip the tire, you can get a great workout, which keeps your fitness and stamina up.
Flipping a Sandbag
An overhead flip with swing improves posture and mobility, as well as building strength, endurance, and overall conditioning. This exercise targets all the muscles of the back of the body and improves shoulder range of motion. It can also be used as a corrective exercise for those who work many hours at a desk or drive for long hours.
Ippon Sionagi
This wrestling technique involves lifting the opponent up and throwing or slamming them down. It is meant to emphasize a wrestler’s strength. These moves are used by wrestlers as ‘finishers’.
Uchi Mata
Classified as a foot technique, this move has consistently been one of the highest scoring techniques in competition.
Kata Guruma
This dramatic judo throw was popular during international competition until recent rule changes prohibited grabbing the leg. Modified versions can still earn a score in competition, but more commonly the technique used is a hand throw (tewaza), practiced as part of the nage-no-kata.
Child Pose
This is a beginner yoga pose that stretches the muscles of the low back, as well as the inner thighs. For tight back and hip muscles, this deeply relaxing pose will feel like work. It promotes flexibility, stress relief, and helps circulation to the muscles, joints, and disks of the back.
Hamstring Stretch
Bend one of your legs so that your knee is pointing outside and your foot is resting on the inside of your other leg. You should find that bending one of your legs makes it easier for you to stretch forward. Be mindful to keep your back flat and resist straining or bouncing. Try to grab your foot. Hold this position for 20 seconds then switch legs.
Cooling Down
This process of moving air into and out of the lungs facilitates gas exchange by bringing in oxygen and flushing out carbon dioxide, which cools the body down.
