When I was a competitor, I had to myself a lot of things. I did have coaches who taught me a lot of things but my access to them was limited (usually during my university's summer vacation period, which was about three months). For the other nine months, I was left to my own devices.
I thought a lot about how to improve my judo and my approach to judo training was definitely not dogmatic. I was constantly experimenting and trying out new ways of doing things. This attitude is still with me today as a judo teacher.
While my approach to teaching is constantly growing and evolving, there are a few basic principles that I hold on to:
a) Just because something is traditional or has been done for a long time, doesn't mean it is the best or the optimal way to do it. Do not be afraid of slaying sacred cows.
b) That said, it's important to avoid making changes for the sake of making changes. If a traditional way of doing things is working fine, then adopt it. Change it only if it is not working well.
c) There are seldom stark right and wrong ways of doing things, just more effective and less effective ways. If a student wants to do a technique with a funny grip that happens to work well for him, why the hell not?
d) If a newaza move is too complicated, forget about it. Judo is a fast-paced, fast-moving sport. There's no time for complex maneuverings. Judo groundwork is all about quick, decisive action.
e) It's always easier and faster for a judo player to progress in newaza than in tachi-waza (assuming the same amount of training) because newaza just requires practice. Throwing, in contrast, requires some element of natural talent.
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