Judo Determination

If you add determination to your life, it will improve your judo. If you add determination to your judo, it will improve your life. I’ve wanted to write about this for several months, and it has always eluded me. Before validating the opening statements, it is necessary to understand “determination”. 

Determination is a state of being. 

Determination is not:

1. Stick-to-it-ism.

2. Tenacity

3. Fortitude

4. Positive attitude

5. Obsession

6. Compulsion

These are descriptions and synonyms. For me, determination is more about indomitable spirit. In that regard, it comes closer to being my somewhat fantastical idea of what a samurai warrior was. 

Let me tell you a story. Several years back, I went to Chicago to compete in the then Masters division. I won my first two matches with o-soto-gari for ippon, so I was doing okay. My next match was against a lifetime judo friend. When we did randori at home, I will venture to say that I often came out ahead in the standing part. That was never true of the ne waza. Before “Hajime!”, I wasn’t overly concerned. The moment we took grips, that changed. 

I felt the grip of a two time world masters champion. At the time, I didn’t recognize my situation, nor analyze it. It was only many years later that I realized that my defeat-producing resultant stupid judo move was in part caused by that first and ongoing subliminal domination. The grip wasn’t especially stronger than ever, it was not oddly placed, and it didn’t have added defense in it. It simply sent the message that the person owning it was determined to prevail. 

My friend’s grip took away my timing, game involvement, and strategy and tactics savvy. I couldn’t have related that at the time. In retrospect, I knew something was off. My throws weren’t there for me. In desperation, I attempted tomoe nage. How many times  before and since have I told my competitors to never do a sacrifice throw as a desperation move? Did I need to add, never against somebody who loves mat work? Honestly, on the way down I already was saying, “Oh, sh*#!” , and I could hear my judo buddy chuckling. 

I’d wager that when I was a young competitor many of my opponents felt that determination in my grip. Before matches, I’d walk over to the trophy display and look at the gold and say, “You’re mine. You’re coming home with me today.” There are reasons why my judo friend is a two time world champion, and I believe his skills and his love of treachery aside, his intrinsic determination to win his judo matches is a fundamental one. 

Some people are more deterministic in their approach to life and its tasks than others. That’s who they are. For many, that’s just how they always were, since diaperhood. It is possible that many are determined not to be the bad side of the coin, be the loser, the non-finisher, the drop out. 

You can’t just summon up determination, unless you’ve trained yourself to do that. How many people who are suddenly determined to stop smoking, stop drinking, lose weight, make more money, drastically change their lives fail, sometimes over and again? 

The purpose of this blog isn’t to make you a champion judoka. It is to point out that in order to succeed at tasks you need determination
. Judo can, in a turn around sort of way, teach you determination. 

1. Set yourself a determined goal.

2. List the steps necessary to attain it. 

3. Put a time marker on the steps. 

1. Make it long enough that it’s realistic.

2. Make it challenging. (Don’t say “ten uchi komi” when you know it should be fifty)

4. Set “work” times when you will work on them.

1. Give them their own space and place.

2. Don’t miss your own appointments.

Be aware that procrastination and task avoidance are how failure works to subvert your efforts to succeed. See them as minor moments and carry on.

Start with small tasks you know you always find challenging and train yourself. Keep your ultimate goal in mind. That is to become a black belt at determination domination. Look at it like a judo match, and take a determined grip. 

Use determination as a tool to help with small but challenging judo tasks. You want to improve a throw? Go ask for help. Create times to do nage komi on it. Want to improve your ne waza? Go get scuffed up by somebody good, a bunch of times. Get some mat burns. Better endurance? You know what to do, so start sucking wind. 

It is said that successful people are those who are willing to do what unsuccessful people are not. That doesn’t mean illegal activities. It means the extra fifty uchi komi, the getting up an hour earlier to go for a jog, asking for help, forcing oneself to complete tasks. Since it’s things you aren’t wanting to do, only you can complete the list.  Doing these things creates self-determination. 

Determination isn’t about a single task. It is about what you are. It is about what you make yourself.

Determination is a state of being. 

 

What You See Is What You Don’t Get

Or: You Get What You Don’t See. Get it?

Let’s say you have just been shown a throw and are now working on doing it. Before sensei comes around, there was a lot going on in the teaching part, before you started to work. What is happening is that you are now being shown what you didn’t see, or maybe weren’t shown, or perhaps what you saw and didn’t realize was important, or misinterpreted... Or… some combination of these things. 

There is very likely a teaching / learning disconnect involved. 

Let’s begin with a focus on throws, since they are the most challenging aspect of judo. They are so challenging that they are, I believe, one of the main reasons BJJ is so popular. But that’s another blog. I’m going to fly right in the face of my own statement and now say that judo throws aren’t that challenging at all, in and of themselves. In and of themselves, they are a simple matter of biomechanics and the laws of physics.  Sequentially, a disruption of balance combined with a fulcrum point and a specifically formed shape and continued motion in the primary direction creates a judo throw. The throws are not challenging, but they present a very challenging learning process. It is the learning process that needs to be worked on. If you do this, your judo will get better sooner. 

First, let’s put some responsibility on senseis. I’ve been a sensei for decades, and I have to admit I have not focused on these teaching skills as much as I should, often not at all. Senseis get taught judo, and then they teach it as they were taught, adding their own personal styles and perspectives. Most, fortunately,  teach basics in the same traditional style.  I did not say “fault”, but “responsibility”.  As senseis, we likely did not have the benefit of having senseis who taught us how to be a sensei. Therefore, the following thoughts and suggestions are simultaneously for both student and teacher. Moving forward herein, everybody is student and teacher, student, sensei, and semi-self-sensei. 

     Judo in itself is easy. Learning it is tough. Why? Because learning judo requires both visual and kinesthetic understanding. You have to both clearly see and feel the throw. There are four basic types of learners: visual, auditory, reading/writing, and kinesthetic (physical). In a live teaching situation, all but the reading and writing part are going on at the same time. No wonder that learning something simple is tough. 

Here are five ways to teach / learn better. I hope a couple might be useful for you. 

1. Show and see from different angles.  See / show the action from all four directions. Senseis should rotate  to show it from four directions.  If the sensei doesn’t, then either ask to see it from another angle or move around to see it as you ask to see it again, as needed. (Secretly train your sensei. Keep bugging sensei all the time to “see it again, please.” If you are willing to risk being a nuisance, maybe sensei will become conditioned to just do it.) 

      Be both presumptive and proactive. If you know what the throw is going to be, figure out where you have to get to for the best viewing angle.  Once some teaching is going on, move to the best place to see it. It is typical of students to just stay where they were when doing the practice, waiting to start their endeavors in the same place. 

Senseis, plan ahead. Figure out the major action the students have to see and show them that. Think of a couple of best angles to make it clear.  Since the students might not know these things ahead of time, it’s your job to make all the viewing angles and details accessible. 

Pretend you are making a teaching video and direct your action to the camera (that is the student(s) ). Sometimes, invite a close-up, like “Look at where my right foot has to go to make this work.” Put it there, point at it, hold the pose. 

2. Learn to copy. I say this over and over. If sensei stands in front of class with thumbs hooked in the obi, stand that way. If sensei’s feet are in a certain position, copy it.  Copy the details of the general exercises precisely. The better you are at copying physical actions overall, the better you will be when you learn and copy something in specific, when it really counts.  If a sensei shows how a hand moves, it might be a good idea to have students then actually physically do the move.  If one just says, “Look. Here’s what you do with your right hand to get a better lift,” and then the student waits to try it ten minutes later, there’s a connection concern.  If the sensei says, “So, now, take your right hand, grab an imaginary beer mug and pour the contents on your right shoulder, like this,” and has the students do it in the moment, that’s an action that can be copied, more easily recalled, and used later. 

3. Learn / teach the individual physical elements separately. This is a tough one.  You have to deal with both hands, both feet; all body angles, specific body contact, head movement, and primary fulcrum point placement.  That’s eight items right there. What does each do? What does each continue to do? What changes take place with each as the throw progresses? 

We are also cursed with our brain’s tendency to make the mental misinterpretation of the big motion being the primary goal. The big motion is often the leg.  For the leg, its throws like harai goshi, hane goshi, o-soto-gari, and (aaargh!) uchi mata; for the arms soto makikomi, regular and sode tsurikomi goshi; and you get the idea. It’s the big thing we see and think we have to copy; but it’s the little things that have to be done correctly before the big things will work. 

Senseis should consider all these needs and common fixes for throws. Some examples are: For tai-otoshi, they always leave the collar hand behind; for hane they always get hung up on what looks like an all-leg lift and forget about the uki goshi hip part. Point them out during the initial teaching and get them pre-fixed. Every throw in the entire syllabus has its own “gremlin” list.  Don’t teach it and then go around fixing things you could have emphasized in the first place. 

Student, be your own sensei and look for what is making the throw really work. Also realize that what you mess up in one throw will likely create gremlins in others. If you have a tendency to not get your fulcrum point in the right place in one front throw, it is likely it happens in another. Watch closely to see how it is done. 

4. Pay attention.  As a sensei, I’ve cautioned students that something is a common challenge, something most people do wrong; I send the students out to try the throw, and there it is, the very thing I just showed, happening right before my eyes! 

5. Ask for help. If you aren’t having success, raise your hand. (But it’s embarrassing!) No, actually, it’s not! Nobody is looking.) If it helps, have the sensei put your body parts in the right places (not on yourself, but on uke 😉). Have sensei physically adjust you, as if you are a mannequin. turn your wrist, place the sole of your foot, adjust your hip contact. 

Senseis can tend to show, rather than fix. “No. Do it like this. Watch me.” This is followed by a beautiful demonstration of the technique.  Whatever it is that the student is supposed to be watching can get lost in the big picture. 

Along with this, as a student, once you’ve been shown what to fix, fix it.  Don’t be the student who gets in put from sensei, does it, then a few tries down the way reverts back to the bad way. Senseis, don’t fix it and walk away. Keep an eye on this student. Once you walk away, re-check very soon to see if the gremlin is still controlling the student.  It ain’t fixed ’till it’s fixed. 

Students.  Be a team. When you are trying something have uke help out. If the sensei just said “Pull here,” and moves on, then if tori doesn’t manage to do the action, loses it somehow, uke should say something. I’m not suggesting ukes become mini-senseis and start teaching; just be a helpful reminder. 

Remember, senseis don’t often get opportunities to work on teaching skills. If they were fortunate, their senseis were great examples, whom they followed. Most senseis are pretty darn good teachers. I apologize for any seeming presumptions otherwise. As a sensei, I'm always very pleased when a new bit of teaching wherewithal comes to me. If I can find a new something the students can do to make their learning more efficient, I'm thrilled.

A judo throw has many basic parts. What direction does this throw go? Where’s the kuzushi? Where and what is the fulcrum point? How does it get there? Then, how does the throw get continued? How does it end? 

Just because a throw has many parts doesn’t make it complicated. Just because a throw is easily defined doesn’t mean it’s easy. 

Pick a suggestion or two. Or, see if any suggestions ring a bell, “Yeah, that’s me!”.  Look at the big picture, then focus on the close-ups. Be proactive.  Use these tools to help you have patience with challenges. 

Hopefully, these suggestions will help make your judo work.

 

Learn Fearlessly - Outgrip Anybody

Extensive grip fighting is being more and more eliminated from judo shiai. This is a good thing. The taking of a favorite grip is nothing new, and has likely been around since the first days of randori. However, the ripping away of the opponent’s hands, the patty-cake and finger locking gripping, and the holding back or guarding the lapel have all caused judo contests to look absurd and provide for less true judo taking place. I’ve personally believed that if grip fighting is as valuable an activity as many claim, perhaps a new sport called “Gripping” should be created. Since the battle for grips still exists, I’m required to come up with an alternative for you, not just complain about it. Let’s take a thought from a judoka who likely knew more about judo than most of us, Shozo Nakano.

 Shozo Nakano is not well known to most judoka. His idea about his opponents’ grips is more judo-like than the current grip-fighting position. Nakano was born in January 1888. He was promoted to 10th Degree Black Belt after his death on December 22, 1977. He became a master instructor at Tokyo Ikashika University (Medical School). He energetically promoted Kodokan Judo to the world. His uchi mata throw was very famous.

He said "My strategy is to let my opponent get his favorite satisfactory grip, and then I find my own way of chance to throw my opponent." 

Nakano's advice has been mine, too. I recommend you have an attack you can do from any grip you take, and especially as a response to any grip that is put on you. Part of the definition of yielding, I believe, is to adapt to circumstances. This attack can be several ways to do one throw, or a throw for each challenge.

If you know a judoka has a favorite throw from a favorite grip, analyze it and learn to respond and adapt it to your advantage. Most judoka have a favorite throw that they do from a very specific grip. That is why they fight to get it. Imagine their surprise when they discover, mid-air, that you really liked their grip, too. 

This is a very good idea for your randori practice. Ask your partners to take grips you won't like, or are having trouble dealing with. At first, you might defend against uncomfortable grips using strength and pushing resistance—like a white belt. You might even get thrown more than usual. Disregard that and seek out the Nakano option. Learn both defense with leverages and positioning your body, and opportunities for your favorite throws, or discover the opportunity to add a new technique to your repertoire. Adopt the attitude, “Your favorite grip becomes my favorite situation.” This is yielding. Now, you are doing judo. 

This can also create a psychological advantage. The opponent is not only deprived of the favorite grip's effectiveness, but also feels your lack of fear, moreover, possibly even a sense of your having taken control.

Unless your opponent has several arms and hands, or a prehensile tail, you should be able to come up with solutions for the truly limited number of grips that exist.

Judo in Life

The life lessons are clear, as well. I am not recommending that you purposely put yourself in physical or psychological danger. Learning to respond to adverse and seemingly overpowering situations in randori can give you a similar mindset adapting to obstacles off of the tatami.

In so far as interpersonal relationships are concerned, you will find plenty of opportunities to apply this theory. If you do it in judo practice, you will perhaps find it easier to do in life. In judo, this is what randori is for. Those who practice useful randori are few. If you try Nakano’s idea always, you will be among the few, and your judo will improve considerably. Nakano became 10th dan. Copy him.

More info on Nakano—http://www.judo-ch.jp/english/legend/nakano/  This is a quick and very impressive Kodokan Hall of Fame page. 

Pre-Kuzushi

When four-time Olympian Jason Morris was visiting his friend two-time Olympian Rene Capo at my dojo, Rene and I were watching him randori. Rene said to me, “Here comes his tomoe nage.” Yep. A few steps later, up and over went uke. I inquired, and Rene said, “He always makes those first steps like that.” 

Jason’s big throws, a tai-otoshi and a move he calls his “Sticker” ( an ankle wrapping, foot lifting ko soto gake kind of thing) are moves he does that are his methods, unique to him. They aren’t easy to instantly copy. Jason showed these on a previous visit a couple of years before, and on this one, was kind enough to again give us a mini-clinic on them. The first time, folks really sweated to get the moves right, and a few weeks later, most abandoned them. So, this time, I asked Jason if he would not only show what he did, but also the “when”. He liked that idea. I think some folks actually got some of that input. 

Earlier, in my competition days, my money throw was seoi-otoshi. I did it with a step across the front that was followed by the other leg then corkscrewing across into tai form, while the arms did a morote seoi nage top. The leg part started similar to o-guruma. When I visited other dojos, I’d get asked sometimes to teach that. By the end of an hour, most students were getting it. I never saw it performed in randori or shiai. Many years later, when asked by one of my students how I used to do the throw, I showed him how I did it. As I watched him try it unsuccessfully in randori over a couple of sessions, I realized the problem. I’d never shown him, or the students of years before, when I did it, how I set it up. Worse, I didn’t know myself!

But when I’d done it to win matches, I didn’t have a conscious idea, and I couldn’t have told you my pre-kuzushi set-up. I was an unconscious competent of the non-useful variety.  I was not a conscious competent. Nor, did I know enough about such things to be able to become aware of this situation, so I couldn’t take my unconscious skill, dissect it and use that information to improve my other throws. That was then, and now I can hope to pass this on to you, for all your tachi waza.

·         Experiment with walking styles

·         Uchi komi for a purpose you know

·         Randori with intent

             Walking Styles

The answer isn’t anything like, “I do it when uke steps forward with the right foot.” That’s because the question is, “How, and with what rhythm did you get to that point, just before uke stepped?” Let’s look at some examples we might be familiar with, or can imagine, almost feel.

You make a circular tai sabaki step with one foot, as if to walk around uke, uke responds by stepping in a sideways scissors step, and you do okuri ashi barai. Or, you walk backwards with two tsugiashi steps, uke follows with somewhat similar steps, and on the second step, you perform tai otoshi. Or,uke steps back with the sleeve side foot and you don’t follow, but do a non-compliant step and rather than follow, you step forward but more to the side than the line on which your regular step would have gone; uke next steps awkwardly to a right sided recovery and you do a quick step around for harai goshi as uke’s right foot comes down. 

 Now, how about your throws? Let’s use a throw with which you have a modicum of success, and let’s make it one you feel suits you, and you want to make it more effective. You first have to know where you want uke to take the critical last step. Now, experiment with how to get uke there in a flowing manner. You have arrived at the throw’s sweet spot. If you get it right off the bat, good for you; but expect to struggle with this for some time. 

Uchikomi

When I first accidentally found the walking pattern that pulled the trigger on my seoi otoshi, I didn’t have to worry about the kuzushi and tsukuri. I’d done hundreds and hundreds of step-ins all summer long. The throw now had the speed and the form. Once the set-up dance had done its treachery, the seoi showed up. I believe that is a major reason uchikomi is valuable. It makes it possible for your reflexes to fire off the throw into a functional form when the right opportunity says hello. 

No matter what the uchikomi situation is in your dojo, there often is time to show up early and get an uke and do a hundred uchikomi.   Uchikomi can be done with a judo partner anywhere, since there is no throwing. 

There are uchikomi apparatus you can purchase for doing solo uchikomi. Super legend Isao Okano used to use a tree for an uke, and it is said he wore the bark off one side. 

Randori

This is perfect to work on in randori. That’s one of the things randori is for, the learning of the dance that goes with your attack. Don’t get mechanical. It will help make your judo work. You don’t have to throw at each possible chance. You want to go for a feeling, not an ippon. Don’t waste randori by making it a contest. It is practice time, and you will be rewarded if you use it conscientiously. Kano Shihan referred to randori as “randori practice”. It was a learning time. There are plenty of times when you randori with judoka of lesser skill. This is a very good opportunity to practice pre-kuzushi. 

         Use the Internet. Watch the judoka who are good at the throw you are working on and see if you can find each one’s pre-kuzushi. Then, see if it works for you. Don’t try to copy their exact throw, but learn how their set-ups and walking styles might help you.  Note that these are not necessarily what they show when they demonstrate how they do their favorite wazas. Yasahiro Yamashita is a great example of this. Watch him do a clinic on o-soto-gari, and then watch him use it in shiai. 

Search for the “when” in your throws, not the “what”. This will help make your judo work. 

 

 

Kaeshi Waza - Make Your Counters Count

If you do good kaeshi waza, counter techniques, your judo will improve.  If you study counter techniques, your judo will improve exponentially.  Consider these thoughts.:

• A perfect waza can’t be countered.

• The similarity between a good throw and a good counter is the seizing of opportunity.

• Excellently applied counters should not rely on strength.

• Counters teach us to do better wazas. 

• There is a concern regarding teaching counters to novice students.

• Countering must be practiced.

• Study Mifune’s Nage Ura no Kata.

If a technique were perfect, that would mean that it could not be countered, or it wouldn’t be perfect. However, very rarely is any technique perfectly done, and even the best techniques can be made to be imperfect; and that is what you must do to make a good counter. This is true of both standing techniques and holding techniques, from hold downs, to arm locks to chokes. The world of counter techniques for this is very large and might be a different blog. For now, tachi waza will be the focus. 

You can use a couple of methods for making a throw vulnerable to your kaeshi waza:. 

1. Control the force, thereby stopping the kuzushi to tsukuri action. For example, a direct front throw such as o-goshi or ippon seoinage can be hip checked. Then the throw might be countered to the rear with tani otoshi. 

2. Join the force. Momentum can be redirected. A scooping lift on an incoming hip technique can give you ushiro goshi. Okuri ashi barai can be countered by tsubame gaeshi. 

3. Uke’s force can be totally avoided. Don’t be there when they show up, and uchi mata becomes uchi mata sukashi. Or, an attacking hip can be slipped and your hip slipped in; thereby, o-goshi countered by uki goshi. 

If you look deeply into kaeshi waza, you will see how important it is to thwart your opponent’s kuzushi. Sufficient kuzushi will almost always result in a successful throw. Even ugly throws work if it is in place. Once kuzushi begins to blend into tsukuri, the placing of the fulcrum point, the oncoming completion of the throw is almost inevitable. I’m never tired of saying that kuzushi is judo, and judo is kuzushi. Yet, speed and strength very, very often are what make throws work. I also never tire of saying that these aren’t judo throws, just because they happen in a judo venue. These, then, are what you should hope to conquer with counters. 

Rule # 1 - Take Control of Uke’s Kuzushi.

Take away the off-balancing, or exploit the lack of it. In order to make a successful counter, you first have to take control. 

Simple and moderate readjustments of your body weight and its position to the attack can throw off kuzushi. If you can anticipate it, you can use debana, i.e. move to a different place just before the kuzushi is attempted, strike first based on anticipation. (This is a frequently sought after kendo technique.) It doesn’t have to be a huge movement, and probably shouldn’t be. 

Defend by creating a physical force against uke’s arm(s) or body. For instance, uke is attacking with uchi mata, and you force their collar hand’s (tsurite) arm to a non-functional place. Or, a hip technique is being started and you push that hip further through, creating a counter leverage against the initial kuzushi. 

The good news inside all of this perhaps seemingly technical advice is that you can find a myriad of counter techniques already suggested for every throw. The bad news happens if you just do them and don’t understand them., Understanding them helps you to see the things you must do to perfect your own throws, and make them less vulnerable and more likely to succeed. 

Rule # 1 - Take control of uke’s kuzushi. The good news here is that many opponents attack without creating good kuzushi, or often without any. The bad news is that they all too often succeed anyway. 

Change Your Reflex

When beginners, it’s expected that an attack is met with an alarmed resistance. That method of defense becomes stiff arms, rigidity, and some sort of defensive posture. Those are the very things combination techniques are made for. Also, most advanced players just blast through that defense and throw the beginner anyway. 

At the original North Star Judo, we had a thing called “Fred the Post”. A large, building support that was just at the edge of our mat area; so, we padded it and named it. Later, we hooked up a harness. Once you were in it, you became the perfect uchi komi partner. Tori could blast in with maximum pull and intention, and you could just stand there and smile, maybe even taunt uke, just for fun. “Is that all you’ve got?” “C’mon, try harder!”. One bonus thing that ukes got was an awareness that fast could be slow. You could feel the smallest part of the start of a throw. The first step in, that was once a speedy blur, now became in slo-mo. You could feel if there was kuzushi. Or not. 

Sadly, too often, the instant fear reaction becomes a situation where the judoka is just happy to have avoided being thrown. Let’s say that two judoka are walking about in randori and one blasts in on a throw, the other resists and the throw fails. The survivor is happy the throw failed and they continue. Frequently, that survival is a period of time when there is a struggle between the players at the moment when tori is grunting at a struggle and uke is desperately resisting; in other words, a really ugly moment. In effect, uke allows tori to fail without paying for it. This throw effort could likely have been countered at the first initiative. Or, it could have provided opportunity for attack while tori #1 was recovering from the awkward failure. Take a break and watch randori sessions and you’ll see a frightful abundance of this. Look for the opportunities and say, “If I were in there, I could have…” 

Counters are Proactive

You don’t have a Fred the Post and a harness. You do have randori. If you allow yourself to be thrown, you can study the throw, beginning to end. Take some falls to learn what the throw (and the thrower) is doing. Eliminate the beginner’s fear reflex. 

“The opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.”

Sun Tzu - The Art of War

Sun Tsu quotes are great, but you are advised to pick out the operable words therein. I believe in this case, we are concerned with “Opportunity”.  You must learn what the opportunities are like, and the best way is to let them take place. Get thrown. Forget resistance and focus on what’s happening. See where the potential weaknesses are and where and how kaeshi waza can be made. 

The need to be proactive is an important one. Early on, and in some cases forever, some judoka become counter bushwackers. They wait in the bushes and, rather than making their own throwing efforts, try to ambush their partners. If that’s done in a purely defensive way, it isn’t doing your judo any good. However, if you want to play some judo chess, then by all means do so. Create false opportunities for your adversary, set traps, then spring them. This is especially cool to do if you know what your opponent likes to do. Create an opportunity just for that situation. This is called having a strategy. All judo is reactive, and the better your good reflexes, the better your judo. Useful reflexes come best from training, from practice; otherwise, they aren’t functional, as in the case of reacting to a throwing attack with stiff arms. 

Use Seiryoku Zenyo 

There are only so many types of common judo throws. Most judo throws are like other judo throws. One counter might, therefore, suit several. There’s a maximum efficiency feeling to this idea. The attaining of maximum efficiency via the best use of ones efforts is one of the founding principles of judo. Shihan  professor Jigoro Kano saw it as a judo exercise and a way of enhancing ones life personally and socially. Studying it as it applies to kaeshi waza is a good idea. Rather than only saying, “How can I counter this throw?” also ask “And to what throws can I apply this counter?”. 

For more info on seiryoku zenyo, read what Kano had to say: http://kodokanjudoinstitute.org/en/doctrine/word/seiryoku-zenyo/

If you add these extras to your counter techniques, your kaeshi waza, they will likely help make your judo work. 

          

P.S. I've taken liberties with italics. Never mind.

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