December 2, 2010

For this week's segment of Make Dan Sweat, CBS19's Dan Schutte tried Judo. Judo is a modern martial art and combat sport.

The goal in Judo is to keep your opponent under control for 25 seconds, but the most important lesson at Sal Shin Jo Judo is learning how to fall.

"You have to learn to trust your ability to manage a fall which is very counter intuitive. At first, most people's reaction when you fall is to try to stop, but you will never beat gravity. The best thing you can do is manage it," explained Gene Shin of Sal Shin Jo Judo.

The word Judo means "gentle way".

"The primary characteristic of [Judo] is to yield if somebody tries to be aggressive. That is why it is gentle. Instead of meeting force with force, you yield and turn an attackers force against them," said Shin.

Judo is both a physical and mental workout. "It definitely becomes a chess match," explained Shin.

One of the biggest benefits of Judo is the self confidence it can bring to both adults and children.

"I've been working with people my entire Judo career, so I've learned to just go with it," said Asa Shin, a Judo student.