Posture, shisei, is how you hold your body: the position of your head, back and hips relative to your feet, from the natural to the defensive stance. Judoinfo.com lists the judo word, shisei, and two stances under it: shizentai, the natural posture, and jigotai, the defensive posture.
- Japanese name: shisei, "posture". Shizentai is the natural posture; jigotai is the defensive posture.
- In judo: throws are taught from shizentai, standing upright with knees soft, because from there you can move in any direction.
- In BJJ: posture is the first word a coach says to anyone inside a closed guard. Head up, back straight, hips under you.
What is good posture in judo?
Shizentai is upright and relaxed: feet about shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, weight even. It is the posture judo throws are built from, because every direction of movement is open. Jigotai is lower and wider, with the hips back and the body bent, and it is harder to throw from. It is also very hard to attack from, and Jigoro Kano warned against training in it: he wrote that a judoka who enters a contest with the sole idea of avoiding defeat becomes stiff and defensive, an unsuitable state for sharp action.
Uchi mata and the other big forward throws work best when the opponent takes a defensive posture, legs spread and upper body bent forward, which is why judoinfo.com notes it as the moment to attack.
What is good posture in BJJ?
Inside the closed guard, the top player's posture is the whole game. If the head comes down and the back rounds, the guard player has collar chokes, armbars and sweeps. If the head stays up, the back stays straight and the hips stay under the shoulders, almost nothing from closed guard works. BJJ Heroes describes the Sao Paulo pass as born from exactly that problem: a competitor trapped in a closed guard and overhooked, finding it impossible to posture or advance.
- Kneel with your knees wide and your toes dug into the mat.
- Sit back onto your heels so your hips are under your shoulders.
- Head up, eyes on your partner's chest, back straight.
- One hand on the chest or collar, the other on the hip, elbows in.
- If your head is pulled down, drive the hips forward and the head back up before anything else.
The most common mistake in both arts is bending at the waist. Bend at the knees and keep the back straight, standing or kneeling.
Posture drills are cheap: a mat, a partner and a few minutes every session. Our BJJ training gear is rash guards and spats for rounds with and without the gi.
Is a defensive posture penalised in judo?
The IJF Sport and Organisation Rules list shisei in their official terminology and translate it as "posture". Shizentai is the natural posture and jigotai the defensive posture.
The rules give a shido for an excessively defensive posture after gripping, and for using a grip to force the opponent into a bent position.
Sources
- Judoinfo.com lists the judo word, JudoInfo
- He wrote that, JudoInfo
- Judoinfo.com notes it, JudoInfo
- BJJ Heroes describes the Sao Paulo pass, BJJ Heroes
- IJF Sport and Organisation Rules, International Judo Federation
Related terms
Base, Off-balancing (kuzushi), Closed guard, Guard passing, Grip fighting (kumi kata).