Judo For The World

10/07/2026

Baku 2026

10/05/2026

🥋 BAKU 2026 — DAY 2: RESULTS & MY PREDICTIONS

Both champions predicted correctly! Five of my eight picks won medals. Here’s the full scorecard. 👇

MEN −66 KG
🥇 Hifumi Abe 🇯🇵
🥈 David Garcia Torne 🇪🇸
🥉 Takeshi Takeoka 🇯🇵
🥉 Denis Vieru 🇲🇩

My picks → actual results:
✅ Abe: gold → gold.
✅ Takeoka: bronze → bronze.
❌ Nurali Emomali: silver → 7th.
❌ Ramazan Abdulaev: bronze → no medal.

Abe and Takeoka delivered exactly as predicted. Garcia Torne and Vieru took the two podium places I missed.

🎯 Podium picks: 2/4 — 50%.
🎯 Exact medals: 2/4 — 50%.

WOMEN −52 KG
🥇 Uta Abe 🇯🇵
🥈 Ariane Toro Soler 🇪🇸
🥉 Ayumi Leiva Sanchez 🇪🇸
🥉 Odette Giuffrida 🇮🇹

My picks → actual results:
✅ Abe: gold → gold.
✅ Leiva Sanchez: bronze → bronze.
↔️ Giuffrida: silver → bronze.
❌ Mascha Ballhaus: bronze → 5th.

All four women I picked reached the medal contests. But Giuffrida and Ballhaus met for one bronze — only one could win it. Giuffrida made the podium; Toro Soler claimed the silver I hadn’t predicted.

🎯 Podium picks: 3/4 — 75%.
🎯 Exact medals: 2/4 — 50%.

📊 OVERALL
• Correct medallists: 5/8 — 62.5%.
• Exact medal colours: 4/8 — 50%.
• Gold picks: 2/2 ✅
• Silver picks: 0/2 ❌
• Bronze picks: 2/4 ✅

The strongest calls: both Abe siblings winning gold, plus bronze for Takeoka and Leiva Sanchez.

The biggest misses: both silver medallists. Spain earned three medals across these categories — I predicted only Leiva Sanchez’s bronze.

Six picks reached medal contests; five won medals. Both bronze positions count equally. Original predictions unchanged — an honest review of what worked and what didn’t.

Who impressed you most today? 👇

Prediction & analysis by Yerdos Khamzin
Results source: IJF

10/04/2026

10/01/2026

Abdurakhim Nutfulloev of Uzbekistan executes an explosive ura-nage against Kubanychbek Aibek Uulu at the Qingdao Grand Prix 2026.

This technical breakdown focuses on distance control, the body lock, center of gravity, leg drive, rotation, and control through the finish. The moment ends with immediate respect for his opponent — the true spirit of judo.

What impressed you most: the power, timing, or technique?

Technical analysis by Yerdos Khamzin.

09/29/2026

Unfortunately, the highly anticipated rematch between Uta Abe and Diyora Keldiyorova is unlikely to happen at the Aktau Asian Open 2026.

Uta Abe is scheduled to compete at the World Judo Championships in Baku, with the individual competition beginning on October 4 and the mixed-team event taking place on October 11. The Aktau Asian Open starts only six days later, on October 17.

Uta is currently not listed among the competitors for Aktau. Although the final entry list may still change, it appears unlikely that she will travel to Kazakhstan immediately after the World Championships.

However, the biggest and happiest news is that Diyora Keldiyorova is returning to competition after becoming a mother and taking a long break from international judo.

We are truly happy to see the Olympic champion back on the tatami. Welcome back, Diyora! We wish you good health, confidence and a successful return in Aktau. The judo world has missed you! 🥋🇺🇿

Hopefully, we will see the long-awaited Uta Abe vs Diyora Keldiyorova rematch at another major tournament.

Would you like to see this rematch?

09/27/2026

Perfect Judo Counter | Timing, Balance & Control 🥋🔥

A perfect example of how timing can completely change a judo exchange. 🥋🔥

Watch how the judoka in white controls the movement, uses his opponent’s momentum, and turns defense into a powerful counter.

What would you call this technique? 👇

Technical analysis by Yerdos Khamzin.

09/24/2026

JUDO FOR KIDS | Confidence, Balance & Discipline 🥋

Judo is more than learning throws. For children, it is a great way to develop balance, coordination, discipline, confidence, and respect for others.

Step by step, young judoka learn how to move, fall safely, stay focused, and become stronger — both physically and mentally.

Judo teaches skills that can stay with a child for life. 🥋

09/19/2026

KATA GURUMA vs KATA GURUMA! 🤯🥋

Ohad Moritz attacks first, but Ibrahim Demirel survives the rotation and immediately turns defense into attack. He answers with a spectacular kata guruma of his own for waza-ari!

This is elite balance, awareness, and reaction speed.

Technical analysis by Yerdos Hamzin.

Could you react this quickly?

09/17/2026

EXPLOSIVE URA NAGE! 🔥🥋

Roger Pereira 🇧🇷 turns Daniel Stein Padoa’s forward pressure into a spectacular ippon in the −60 kg Round of 32 at the Upper Austria Grand Prix 2026.

The decisive details: tight upper-body control, a strong base, precise timing, and total commitment through the rotation.

What impressed you most — the timing, the lift, or the finish?

Technical analysis by Yerdos Khamzin

09/15/2026

TATO GRIGALASHVILI vs MATTHIAS CASSE 🇬🇪🇧🇪

A legendary World Championship final from Doha 2023.

In the men’s under 81 kg final, Tato Grigalashvili faced Matthias Casse for the third consecutive time at a World Championship final.

After controlling the rhythm of the contest, Grigalashvili found the perfect moment and delivered a deep ippon-seoi-nage.

The throw was awarded waza-ari, giving the Georgian the decisive lead.

Grigalashvili won the final 1–0 and successfully defended his World Championship title.

A brilliant example of timing, kuzushi, movement and precision.

Was this one of the best seoi-nage attacks in modern judo?

Technical analysis by Yerdos Hamzin.

SeoiNage Georgia Belgium