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Before becoming the Chief Operations Manager of Vucina Construction, Ryan Vucina participated in competitive judo, ranking fourth nationally. Judo practitioners such as Ryan Vucina must master a variety of forms and techniques to excel in this art.
Judo training consists of three different types of practice. Formal exercises, called kata, focus on building the practitioner’s understanding of basic techniques and form, to be used in the other two forms of practice. Freestyle fighting, or randori, focuses on applying those skills and can be practiced with opponents of any skill level. Randori with a more skilled opponent often involves getting thrown frequently and defending against an onslaught of attacks, while randori with a comparably skilled opponent is closer to a match in terms of overall flow. Finally, in a judo match, judo practitioners apply the skills learned during the other forms of practice.
Judo practitioners must practice against both stronger and weaker opponents to build a solid foundation before a match. Only a judo practitioner who is experienced with both throwing and being thrown will be able to maintain composure and move effectively in a proper match.
Ryan Vucina 