Judo Waza Map: Build a Connected Judo Game

Why a technique list is not enough

Use a technique list to find a name or revisit something taught. Use a map to describe the situation in which an option was practised, and a dated log to record what happened on a particular day. These records serve different jobs; none proves that a movement will work against another partner. Paper can be enough. Choose the format that lets you recover the relevant conditions without adding unnecessary recording work.

The map makes a relationship available for review, not necessarily correct. Keep the observed start separate from the option proposed by a coach or inferred by you. A partner stepping back, changing posture or moving to the ground does not identify a single correct next technique. Unconfirmed branches can remain questions rather than instructions.

Start from your core game

Begin with one tokui-waza or one throw family. Do not map every technique in the Kodokan list. Start with the throw you actually try in randori. Then add the grip, stance, entry, preferred direction, and common opponent reaction.

The map should answer a practical question: if I win this grip, what is my first attack, what is my second attack, and where do I go if the opponent blocks?

• Core grip and stance.
• First attack.
• Combination when the opponent reacts.
• Counter risk.
• Ne-waza transition.

Build branches from reactions

Build a map with the printable worksheet

A useful branch includes the conditions under which it was taught or observed. Describe what the partner actually did, rather than replacing the observation with a broad label such as defensive. The starting grip, distance, assigned task and permitted actions may differ even when two reactions look similar. Record those differences before comparing options.

Bring the map to your coach when deciding whether a question needs another observation or an assigned practice task. A map is not permission to add resistance, a counter or a transition by yourself. A question left unanswered is a legitimate outcome of the review, not an empty box that must be filled with a new drill.

Track what works under resistance

Keep cooperative practice, constrained tasks and free randori distinct in the record. A branch not appearing in randori may reflect missing opportunities, different conditions or incomplete observation; it does not by itself identify a training deficit. Note what actually occurred and ask your coach what evidence would justify changing the map.

Judo AI can help by connecting technique tracking, video analysis, and practice logs. The map becomes more than a diagram; it becomes a record of what your judo actually does.

• Distinguish observed attempts, learned options and untested hypotheses.
• Tag each branch by grip and stance.
• Connect failed attacks to video clips.
• Review the map before building the weekly plan.

Do not stop the map at the throw

When an observed exchange continues into ne-waza, note the position and how it arose if that is visible. Include only follow-ups already taught and confirmed for the relevant participants and conditions. A movement to the ground does not authorize an improvised pin, turnover or submission. Leave unknown or unagreed options blank.

Record the observed result separately from your tactical explanation. A failed throw followed by a ground exchange does not prove that the first action caused pressure or that moving faster would produce a score. Discuss the sequence with your coach without treating a diagram as an official rules judgment or an instruction for another context.

Common waza map mistakes

The first mistake is making the map too big. The second is mapping techniques you admire but never attempt. The third is forgetting the grip. In judo, the same throw can behave differently depending on sleeve, lapel, over-the-back, or same-side control.

Keep the map honest. It should show your current game, your next branch, and the evidence you need to collect.

Fictional example: an observed response, not an automatic branch

In a fictional example, a judoka notes that a partner stepped back during an assigned exercise. That belongs in the observation field; the next technique does not follow automatically. The judoka records the starting grip if visible, asks the coach which learned option fits this task, and leaves the follow-up blank until it is agreed. At a later review, a changed partner or resistance is recorded as a different condition, not silently counted as the same test.

The fictional record is not yet a complete practice plan. It contains an observation and a question that may need clarification. The next task depends on the coach’s assessment and the available partner, not on completing every branch of a template. If video is used, retain enough context to distinguish the starting position from what followed.

Review a branch when you have a reason: new information, a changed task or a question agreed with your coach. Do not add branches merely because another week has passed or one attempt succeeded. The value of a map is that you can recover and question the connection; its size is not a measure of skill or proof of improvement.