Judo in the time of Covid-19: Amandine Buchard (France)

Amandine Buchard of France is the current World Ranked No. 1 player at -52kg. She is a World and European medalist and has won the gold medal in seven IJF World Tour events (two Grand Slams and five Grand Prix). She is currently in lock-down in her apartment in Paris.

Q: With France in a tight lock-down, are you able to do any kind of judo training at all?
A: No, all judo clubs are closed, as is INSEP, our national sports institute. It’s not possible to do any judo training because we are in a kind of quarantine. I don’t go out of my house, not even for a run. The only time I ever set foot outside is to take out the trash and to go to the supermarket or pharmacy. 

Q: How well have you adapted to the lock-down?
A: I cope as best as I can. At home I have a guest room which I have converted into a gym. I ordered some fitness equipment from Amazon so that I can still do some form of training and keep in good physical condition. Otherwise, I would just go crazy.


Q: When was the last time you did some judo?
A: The last time I did judo was a technical session at INSEP with Mélanie Clément, our -48kg player, and our coach Lucie Decosse on March 12. As for training in a group setting, it was at my club on March 4, in preparation for the French Team Championship which was to take place on March 7 and 8. It was cancelled of course.

Q: Are you watching lots of judo videos while in isolation?
A: I watch a lot of judo videos because I like watching ippons from various tournaments. But I don't do a lot of video analysis of my opponents… almost not at all.

Q: Don’t you want to analyse how someone like Abe Uta fights?
A: I might watch a few of her fights but in general I don’t like basing my judo on what the other player is doing and then trying to adapt to their judo. I prefer to work on my own judo.

Q: What is a typical day for you like before and after the lock-down?
A: Before all of this happened, a typical day would have me doing physical fitness training in the mornings. I would usually stay at the training centre to eat some food and chill with my friends until it's time for the evening session, which is focused on randori. When that is done, I would either go out with friends or we might head to my home and relax – have some Apéro, play some Nintendo Switch or watch something on Netflix. But nowadays, while in isolation, my schedule is completely different. I don’t bother to set my alarm anymore. I wake up when I wake up. I motivate myself to train. Then, I eat and just spend a lot of time on the sofa thinking about nothing in particular. Sometimes I’ll take a nap or play Nintendo or do some spring cleaning. It can get quite depressing. I feel like a lion caged inside a box.

Q: Are you keeping in touch with your teammates and coaches?
A: Yes, I stay in contact via WhatsApp and Instagram with my coaches, teammates and family members. We call each other, we send funny videos and photos to make each other laugh… anything just to make our days a little brighter.

Q: You have already qualified for the Olympics. How will you feel if Tokyo 2020 is cancelled or postponed?
A: Just thinking about it breaks my heart. The Olympics is my biggest dream, my reason for living. I had missed the 2016 Rio Olympic Games because I was unwell at the time. I don't want to miss another Olympic Games.

Q: What was wrong with you during the Rio period?
A: You could say my whole body was destroyed at the time. I had small injuries everywhere. I was also in a very deep depression, so much so that I had to see a psychologist. The pressure of being a top athlete coupled with the drastic dieting I had to do to make weight was too much for me. I had developed eating and sleeping disorders, I had behavioral and memory issues. It started in 2015 and it took about two years before I could heal myself.

Q: Kaori Yamaguchi, a member of the Japan Olympic Committee has said that the Olympics should be cancelled because it would put players at risk. Would you be willing to take that risk?
A: I am aware that the health and safety issue is much more important than the Olympic Games. But I can tell you this, if they decide to hold the Olympics as scheduled, I would go.

Q: Your judo has evolved a lot over the years. These days you do a lot of newaza with that special turnover of yours. How did that come about?
A: Yes, my judo has evolved. I came to specialize in newaza thanks to my time spent at the International Judo Centre in Valencia, Spain in 2016, when I went there to recuperate after my physical and mental breakdown. I can’t thank Sugoi Uriarte and Laura Gomez enough, as well as their entire club, for welcoming me into their judo family. It's what saved me, quite frankly.

Q: So, you didn’t invent that turnover technique?  
A: No, no… I learned that technique from Sugoi. Actually, many Spanish judokas do it: Ana Perez Box, another -52kg player, does it. So does Julia Figueroa, a -48kg player. Daniel Perez Roman, a -66kg player also likes to do this technique.

Q: You’re able to pull off some amazing ashiwaza from time to time. How did you train to be so good at timing?
A: To be honest, I don’t do any special training for timing. I do ashiwaza based on instinct and feeling. A lot of my judo is based on feeling rather than on rehearsed drills. I’m a very instinctive player.

Q: For tachi-waza your main technique these days seems to be drop kata-guruma to the side. How did you pick up that technique?
A: That’s something I’ve been doing for a long time now. I first learned how to do it by asking some of the boys during my cadet years. At first, I couldn’t make it work. I would hurt my head each time I tried it. But eventually I got it and now I can do it from all kinds of angles and all kinds of positions. It’s my most effective technique.

Q: Isn’t that the throw you used to catch Uta Abe in the final of the 2019 Osaka Grand Slam?
A: Yes, that’s right!

Q: After beating her in Osaka last year, you lost to her in the final of the recent Dusseldorf Grand Slam. What happened there?
A: Abe is my greatest rival. She’s really way up there. But I feel I’m gradually catching up with her. In Osaka, I was very motivated to win and my trusty kata-guruma came through for me. In Dusseldorf, I had just come out of a minor injury that I had picked up at a training camp in Austria. I nearly got eliminated in the earlier rounds. I eventually made it to the final but I felt like only 50% of my usual self, so I wasn’t able to fight well. I look forward to meeting Abe again, when I’m in better form.  

Q: You’re only 24 but you've been fighting at a very high level for nearly a decade. Do you ever feel worn out?
A: Since young, I’ve had this strong determination to become the best. I really wanted to make my father proud because he’s everything to me. I found success in judo at an early age and joined the French Seniors Team as a teen. It's very punishing physically, training to be a top athlete but I don’t feel ready to stop yet. I won’t stop until I achieve my biggest dream, which is to win an Olympic gold medal.

Q: Any words of encouragement to other judo players around the world who are also stuck in a lock-down?
A: It’s important to follow the quarantine guidelines. The more serious and reasonable we are about this, the faster the situation will improve and things will go back to normal. Don’t be selfish, I know that it’s not easy to be in isolation. Look at me, I’m locked up in my apartment, alone, without a balcony even. It’s really not easy at all but I follow the rules because it’s for everyone’s good. Be strong and be united in this difficult time. We will all get through it. 

And a special message from Amandine Buchard to the members of KL Judo Centre:

Judo in the time of Covid-19: Andre Ribeiro (Brazil)

Andre Ribeiro (2nd from left) had to cut short his trip around the world due to Covid-19

Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m an engineer from Sao Paulo, Brazil and I am currently on a sabbatical. I decided to take a year off to travel before relocating to Argentina where my wife is from.

Q: Have you been doing judo since young?
A: With judo it was love at first sight. It all started from an invitation by a friend, whose judogi I borrowed. I went from learning the basics all the way to actively taking part in competitions.

Q: Which club do you currently train at?
A: I train under Sensei Jairo de Andrade at Academia Shoorikan in Sao Paulo. It is a judo club in the heart of Vila Mariana whose members’ gentle and welcoming nature is matched only by their experience and fierceness in randori. Training is held three times a week, with extra bouts on Sunday morning and every other day if there are interested parties – and there usually are! Typical attendance is about 10 or so judokas per session, sometimes more when we have visitors from other dojos. There are judokas of every level at our club but at least half of them are black or brown belts. I would normally train there at least three times a week.

Q: Brazil is known as a strong judo country but just how popular is judo there?
A: Judo is a very popular sport in Brazil and it is known to every Brazilian. Judo is sort of like what badminton is to Malaysians. Though it is not as widely practiced as football, most people will have at least one friend who does judo and many parents will consider judo as a sport for their kids to take up. In almost every mid-sized city in Brazil you would have a few judo clubs to choose from, thanks to the successful work of Japanese immigrants who came to this country in the last century.

Q: Recently you were on a tour of the world but had to cut it short because of Covid-19?
A: Yes, before moving to Argentina, we really wanted to visit friends abroad and get a personal feel on how life is in different parts of the globe. Traveling also allowed me to train judo in different countries such as Germany, England, Italy, Thailand, Laos and Malaysia, and each and every time I was enriched by meeting incredible judo players and instructors. Covid-19 is a highly contagious disease and fighting it demands resources no country’s health system is able to provide. Social distancing is the only way of limiting the damage of the virus. For that reason, my wife and I had no choice but to pause our world tour until the situation normalizes.

Q: Do you always bring your judogi with you everywhere you travel?
A: Of course! Every long-term traveller carries with them some sort of awkward carriable object, normally something related to their hobby or passion. For some it’s a musical instrument, a yoga mat, a coffee machine… for me it’s my judogi. I’d deeply regret it if I had the chance to do judo somewhere and was not able to do so just because I did not have a judogi with me. So, yes, I bring it with me everywhere I go. Mine is a Brazilian brand called “Dragão”. It is a very nice, high-quality judogi.

Q: What are the differences you've seen in judo around the world?
A: Every athletic environment is influenced by the culture encompassing it, and judo is no different. Judo in Brazil, for example, is highly influenced by waves of Japanese immigrants, and so it is very technical like in Japan. We are taught to adopt a traditional sleeve and lapel grip, to do aesthetically pleasant throws and to aim for ippon all the time, just like the Japanese. Judo in Europe, on the other hand, is very scientific. Their levels of physical fitness are much higher, and the Europeans rapidly incorporate concepts and strategies that are very logical. You get to see techniques that are very different from traditional ones but which are very effective nonetheless. Several Asian countries I visited were led by Japanese instructors but it was amazing to see how they managed to combine both technique and strength in their judo. In Malaysia, I was positively surprised by the degree of instruction I had at your dojo, Sensei Oon. You’ve clearly done your research on judo and are able to give your students the instruction they need to excel in the sport.

Q: Are judo clubs in Brazil generally private clubs or are they government clubs?
A: Although there is government support for judo, most clubs, big and small, are private. Top level judokas mainly come from private clubs that are linked to bigger sports clubs. Examples include Clube Pinheiros in São Paulo and Sogipa in Porto Alegre. There are, however, some exceptions. Associação de Judô Vila Sônia in São Paulo, for instance, is a small club that has managed to produce some elite Brazilian judokas like Olympic Champion Aurelio Miguel and Olympic silver medalist Carlos Honorato.

Q: How is the Covid-19 situation affecting judo clubs in Brazil?
A: Small judo clubs are facing a very difficult time right now with all these closures. If this goes on for several months, it will threaten their very existence. They are now dependent on the support of their members because so far there’s been no government support. It’s our moment as judokas to rise up to the occasion and to help our clubs. For those of us who can afford it, we can do this by continuing to pay membership fees during the lock-down and accepting alternative forms of teaching from our senseis, for example, some teaching that is delivered online. Some theoretical aspects of judo, technical analysis and competition strategies, for example, can be taught without having to be on the mat.

Q: How are you coping with no judo training?
A: During the last weeks of our travel we were in places where there were no judo clubs, so I resorted to doing progressive bodyweight training instead. However, the thought of not being able to do judo due to the need for social distancing makes me quite sad. I will constantly strive to keep my judo alive by means of studying and watching judo videos, but of course that is no substitute for actual training on the mat. If the situation persists, I suppose at some point I will have to resort to doing technical drills on inanimate objects. Or on my wife, who is not a judoka… ha…ha!

Q: Do you think the Olympic Games will carry on as scheduled?
A: It’s unthinkable for the Olympics to happen as planned given what the world is going through right now. Even if it could be held, the Games are meant to be a happy and cheerful occasion, and it simply won’t be so if athletes aren’t properly prepared and there is a risk of another outbreak happening. Even if the worse is over by July, the world would still be mourning the impact of this pandemic. Who would be able to properly cheer for their country or favourite athletes in such a situation? Of course, as judo fans, we all want to watch judo at the Tokyo Olympics. So, I would hope that it will be postponed rather than cancelled.

Q: Any words you would like to share with Malaysian judokas?
A: To my Malaysian friends, I wish you patience and unity in these times of trouble. This too shall pass. And when it does, we will be able to go back to practicing our beloved sport more passionately than ever before. Remember also that size is not synonymous with quality: Take pride in the strength of your country’s judo. Train hard to become better and keep the flames lit.

Judo in the time of Covid-19: Luc Tournier (Australia)

Luc is a coach who still competes in veterans competitions in Australia and internationally

Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

A: I was born in France but I am now based in Australia – I have dual citizenship and all three of my children were born here. I started Judo in France when I was seven years old and I began competing at an early age. Today, I am now a club coach but I still compete from time to time in veterans competitions, in Australia and abroad.

Q: Which club are you with?
A: My judo club is based in Perth and is called Judo International. The head coach and owner of the club is a former British international and I am a senior coach there. We are a very competitive club and we have several national players, including some national champions among our cadets and juniors. We also have a group of motivated and committed veteran players.

Q: You were doing triathlon for a while. What made you decide to do judo again?
A: I liked the challenge of pushing my limits in the long-distance Ironman race. It kept me very fit and focused but nothing could replace the thrill of judo. After a long break, I returned to judo when my children started practicing. I think Pete, the head coach, grew tired of me coaching my kids from the side of the mat, so one day he presented me a brand new judogi and asked me to get on the mat. After that day, I’ve not done any triathlons.

Q: Why did you want your kids to do judo?
A: I want my kids to practice judo because of all the many good qualities that are associated with judo, which will help them in their daily lives. It will make them stronger people, not just physically but mentally as well.

Q: How is the Covid-19 situation in Perth?
A: At this time there are not many cases in Perth but with this virus, it can increase exponentially by the day. All local competitions, nationals and internationals have been either cancelled or postponed just to be safe.

Q: Are judo clubs still operating?
A: Many clubs in Perth and across Australia have now closed until further notice. At this stage, there is no instruction from the government to shut down, only a recommendation, but it may happen anytime now. We are anticipating a total lock down – similar to what is happening in France, Malaysia, etc. We need to seriously think about how to keep our judo members engaged and to keep them fit and focused as the clubs might be closed for a long time. That is a real challenge, and I will be happy to take onboard any suggestions from judo coaches around the world.

Q: Are clubs in Australia supported by the local council or state?
A: No, most of the clubs in Australia are privately owned. The Covid-19 situation will certainly impact clubs as there are ongoing costs.

Q: Do you think clubs can survive if they are required to shut down for a long time?
A: I am convinced that many clubs will survive because most are run by passionate people who put their heart and soul into the club. Nobody does this for the money. I think their members, especially the adult members, recognize this and will continue to support the club through this crisis. The main risk will be with the children, whose parents might pull them out of the club if the break is too long. Then the club will have a job of re-building the children’s classes.

Q: Were you training right up to the shut down?
A: Yes, I was training at my judo club and at a university judo club.

Q: If the clubs were not shut down right now would you still be training?
A: I would make a risk assessment based on the Australian Government Department of Health recommendation before deciding if I should stop practicing. This is one of those things where you would have to take it one day at a time.

Q: What are you doing to keep fit now that there’s no judo?
A: I’m still going to the gym to lift weights but I suspect my gym will soon be closing too. I go to the park to do some running. I also have my own little private dojo in my home where I can do uchikomi and newaza with my son and get my two daughters to practice too!

Q: Do you think the Olympics will carry on as planned?
A: I would be devastated if the Games are cancelled but I recognize that that’s the wise thing to do. What’s most important is the health and safety of everyone.

Q: Any advice for Malaysian judokas?
A: Stay positive, remembering that in any crisis there are opportunities. Keep fit and be innovative in training at home. Watch judo online and think about how you can improve your judo. Lastly, think about how you can help your judo club and your fellow member in these difficult times. We all want to have a judo club to return to when this blows over and we need our training partners to be there too. 

Judo in the time of Covid-19: Subhan Prasandra (Indonesia)

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
A: I’m a judo coach based in Tangerang City, which is about an hour’s drive from Jakarta, in Indonesia. I began teaching judo in 2005 so it’s been 15 years now.

Q: How many clubs do you operate in Indonesia?
A: I currently manage six judo clubs – Sandro Academy, BSA Judo, Saint Dojo, Fit by Beat Judo, Hendropriyono Dojo, Judo Paspampres – but obviously I can’t handle all of them by myself. Fortunately, I have some very good assistants who were my students before.

Q: Recently you got appointed to the President of Indonesia’s office. What’s that about?
A: I recently got the position of Associate Deputy Special Staff for the President of the Republic of Indonesia. My job involves analysing various strategic issues in my country.

Q: So, it has nothing to do with judo?
A: Actually, it does! I was also given the additional position of judo coach to the Presidential Security Force, called Paspampres. So, I’ll be teaching them judo.

Q: How are judo players selected for the national team in Indonesia?
A: It all depends on the results of the national championship. The champions are selected to represent the country and the No. 2’s become the reserve. They will be provided a monthly salary and other incentives. So, they are full-time, professional players. In Indonesia, professional players are not allowed to participate in amateur competitions. This is to make it fair to those who are not professionals.

Q: Are judo clubs in Indonesia shutting down because of the Covid-19 situation?
A: Yes, there is a complete shutdown now. For how long? Nobody knows for sure. The government says maybe two months but it could be longer. 

Q: Are clubs able to survive if they don’t operate for two or three months?
A: It depends on whether the members of the club are loyal or not. Without the support of club members, most clubs will not make it except for those that have government support.

Q: Since your clubs are all private, how do you hope to get through this?
A: To be honest, I don’t know. This is an unprecedented situation. Nothing like this has ever happened before. But it’s not just judo clubs that are in trouble, all sports clubs are. This is true all over the world. It’s a global phenomenon.

Q: What do you do for your students during this time of no training?
A: I make posters for the kids to keep their spirits up, I send them some tips on how to do exercises at home such as circuit training, I encourage them to watch competition videos on YouTube. I even make video calls to my members. Things like that. You have to be creative in times like these.

Q: Do you think Covid-19 will have a long-term impact on the popularity of judo in Indonesia?
A: It depends how long the crisis lasts. This thing is quite bothersome for everyone so we pray that it will be over soon. If not, some judo clubs will go bust, competitions won’t be viable anymore and eventually students will lose interest in the sport. It’s quite a bad situation, really.

Q: Do you think the Olympics should go on as scheduled?
A: I think the IOC should really consider postponing it. I realize that Japan has incurred tremendous costs for the 2020 Olympics but we have to prioritize the safety of the people. I’m not saying it should be cancelled but it should be pushed back to a later date.

Q: Do you have any words for the judo community?
A: In the world of judo there is often a lot of “judo politics” with conflicts between different factions. Maybe it’s time for the judo community to eliminate their differences and become more united. Judo clubs should be friendlier towards each other and do some joint activities. This way, judo can grow. We need this now, more than ever.