Sensei Paul Nothnagel
CEO of Hajime Judo Academy, Sensei Paul was born and raised in Roodepoort, Johannesburg. He started doing judo from the age of 7 at primary school. His home club for many years was Durban Deep Judo Club, Western Transvaal. Whilst at University he started taking competitive Judo and coaching more seriously and was the Chairman at RAU Judo. Hajime Judo Academy was purchased from Johan Boshoff in 1998. Current Qualifications: 4th Dan, EJU Level 3 Coach, JSA Coaching & Education Commission Member and Joburg Judo Chairman.
Sensei Mike Matare
Born and raised in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, Sensei Mike moved to South Africa and started training at Hajime Judo under the tutelage of Paul Nothnagel. Michael is a 2nd Dan Black Belt and full-time coach at various primary schools in Gauteng. He specialises in coaching Kata and has produced numerous National Champions.
Sensei Rock Lokonga
Born and raised in the DRC. Joined Hajime Judo Academy to coach in 2016. Sensei Rock is a 2x National Congo Champion, won the SA Championships in 2006 and is a 1st Dan Black Belt. He teaches full-time at various primary schools in Gauteng.
Sensei Jude Musedju
Born and raised in the DRC. It soon became apparent that he had a flare for competitive judo. Sensei Jude went on to win Junior Africa Championships in 2004, Jeux Francophonie Championships 2005, Africa Central Championships 2006, 4x National Congo Championships and later, SA Championships in 2009. Jude joined Hajime Judo Academy as a full-time coach in 2016 and has his 2nd Dan Black Belt. Sensei Jude also takes care of the Congolese Refugee Project of Hajime Judo Academy in Rosettenville, Johannesburg.
15 Reasons Why Martial Arts are good for your Kids.
by Yonah Wolf
- Self-Defence:
The number one reason why most people take up a martial arts is for self-defence, and pretty much any style is a great way to learn how to defend oneself. Not only will the martial arts teach you the techniques to defend yourself, but also the way to think about defending yourself. They build up the reflexes you need if you’re ever in a pickle, and give you the confidence to fight back – which leads me to my next topic…
- Self-Confidence:
As children become more proficient martial arts, their confidence gets a big-boost. They become more self-assured and confident. Their Sensei’s encouragement goes a long way to help them achieve this goal, but the confidence level will extend far beyond the Dojo.
- Belts and Ranking:
You’d be surprised how belts and ranking help build your child’s confidence and desire to succeed. Martial Arts use a system of Coloured belts to indicate the knowledge and skill levels of their practitioners. In many cases the first belt promotion can be attained in as little as a few weeks and when children obtain that first belt, it shows them that with the right motivation, they can succeed. Once a child passes one belt test he or she is already thinking about the next one. Belts are a great way to help children track their progress and motivate them to strive higher.
- Discipline:
The mantra of any martial art is ‘practice makes perfect’. There is constant repetition in drills and practices with emphasis on details and rhythm. Throws and techniques are repeated over and over. Even while sparring or competing – where a martial artist shows how creatively he or she can apply their well-honed skills – there are still rules and protocols to be followed. All of this teaches children to respect one another, their opponents and colleagues, and how to play games fair and square. These lessons are perpetuated throughout their lives. It also teaches them the benefits of frequent practice, and that patience and perseverance gets results.
- Emphasis on Individual Achievement:
In martial arts, each child’s success is based on his or her own individual merits. Yes, your child may not be the most winning Judoka in his class, but that will be because he tried and lost, and not because he wasn’t good enough. Your child will also not be stuck on a ‘bad team’ as their own ambition will help them achieve success. Knowing that their own ambition and abilities will drive them to succeed, will lessen the chances that your child will say to you ‘I hate this sport’. Since each child has an opportunity to play, there is also no scapegoat to blame if they don’t win, and there is always an opportunity to do better at the next tournament.
- Gender Equity:
I am sure that while many of you would consider martial arts for their sons, not nearly as many would consider it for their daughters. However martial arts are one of the few sports where both boys and girls can play together. There are also tremendous international opportunities in Women’s martial arts as well. It gives brothers and sisters an opportunity to practice together and learn from one another, not to mention the convenience of having all of your kids in one place at a time.
- Exercise:
The typical martial arts class will often be comprised of warm-up calisthenics, teaching and practicing moves and possibly some sparring. The warm up and practice comprise the bulk of the time, and for that time your child will be constantly on the go – stretching, crunches, punches and kicks. The workout each child gets will not only assist in the natural development of his or her muscles, but also help them build stronger Cardio-Vascular systems. Even in the most active of team sports children don’t get that much of a workout simply because they generally don’t play the whole game and even if they do, there are still breaks in the action.
- Respect for Strength:
The first thing the parents of (even slightly) mischievous children think about when they send their kids to martial arts class is: “Is my kid going to use this to hurt others?” Although this is a legitimate concern, it is always addressed early by instructors who remind students that the techniques they learn in the dojo stay in the dojo (except in self-defence), and shouldn’t be used to bully people. As children learn the ropes, they will learn to respect their newfound strength and techniques. They will also gain a disdain for bullying as well.
- Competition:
Just like in team sports, Judo is a competitive sport. Competition is great for kids to test their skills and show their progress. Unlike team sports, the loser can’t really blame anyone beyond his or herself. But then this gives them a sense of respect for their opponent, as well as motivation to do better the next time. Each tournament is a fresh start, and it is seldom that you get only one match (even in the Olympics where there is a single-elimination for the Gold and Silver medals, there is a second-chance round for those who have lost their first matches for them to be able to win a Bronze).
- You can do it with them:
Many martial arts schools offer classes for both adults and children. This means that you can watch your children work out, and then they can watch you. If you have the proper space for it, you can practice with each other at home, and learn from one another. This will give you a special activity to use as a bonding tool with your kids. You can also become physically fit together.
- The Never-Ending Season:
Many team sports, especially those primarily played outdoors, or in specific weather are seasonal. The Martial Arts are a year-round affair. As I mentioned above, a bad tournament only puts you out until the next tournament, and your exercise routine remains constant the entire year. Having this consistency also helps build upon discipline, and allows children to progress very quickly.
- They will exercise their minds too.
While all martial arts teach you fighting strategies, Judo really teaches much more. While learning Kuzushi (the art of breaking your opponents’ balance) and throwing techniques, they learn Mechanical Physics. Combination techniques and follow-ups teach them improvisation, and finally, they learn a lot of Japanese too!
- Judo isn’t about brute force, it is about control:
Kano Sensei (Dr. Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo), in his teachings, emphasized the concept of maximum efficiency. This is evident, as the crux of many Judo techniques is not necessarily brute force, but using your opponents’ movements and strength against him or her. While physical strength and size are important, mental strength is probably the most vital factor in competition, and life for that matter.
- Your child will be well coordinated
When you’re using your opponents’ moves against him or her, timing is everything. Many of the throws in Judo will simply not work if you don’t time them correctly. Feet, hands, hips and head all need to move in fluid and exact timed motions to properly execute a throw (which is why an Ippon– or full point – is so hard to achieve in competition). As your child practices he or she will learn more complex throws and, in turn, will demonstrate better reflexes and coordination.
- Judo is Universal
The techniques and principles of Judo are practically universal. A New Yorker can go to California for a week, and still find a place to play. There are over a hundred member countries in the International Judo Federation, and at the Olympics, the competing Judoka come from places as diverse as Cuba, Israel, and Kazakhstan as well as from the expected countries like Japan, USA, Russia and the France. Although the styles of teaching, ranking and promotion standards vary slightly from country to country – Judo is Judo. Which helps your child stick with it, even into adulthood, it will never be hard to find a dojo to train in, and the material will always be the same even if the location is not.