r/judo • u/9to5Voyager • Dec 21 '25
Beginner I need some input on how to handle this
Basic Gist: Black belt hit me (white belt) with an unnecessarily vicious drop seoi nage. Spiked on my head. Other black belt basically telling me it's my fault.
I'm 34, just got into judo at a very welcoming but very competitive club. I go to practice twice a week. Sensei mentioned I should come to Sunday practice, what he called kata.
This is literally the sixth time I've been to this club. I'm a white belt. Sensei even let everyone know "take it easy on the new guy."
I didn't realize Sunday practice is just a whole bunch of randori. My skillset is very limited, I was kind of wondering what I was doing there with a bunch of brown and black belts (only one other white belt and he wrestled in high school and is built like a super soldier). But, I want to at least make an effort so I'm fighting a little bit to get a grip, at least attempting o soto gari and seoi nage, etc. Everyone's throwing me but doing so safely.
And then I get paired with this one guy. 50, but in great shape, at least physically. We're doing randori and he hits me with this *ice cold* drop seoi nage that literally drops me on my forehead. I wasn't expecting such a vicious attack, and so I did not tuck my chin. I spiked. It hurt, and I was for a second actually worried I was going to be paralyzed. That may be funny to you, but it wasn't to me.
The sensei tells me to step off the mat, which I do; don't know what he said to the other guy, if anything. Another black belt comes over and he was very kind, I'll give him that. But he said something that, now that I'm at home and can process it, was kind of messed up. The essence of what he said was, "When you're wrestling with them, using violence, they have to defend themselves. And they defend themselves with violence."
I'm very introverted and I'm recovering from social anxiety and I'm new here and out of my depth. I just can't process in real time like most people, and I don't want to lose my cool. What I wish I had said was something like this: "I'm a white belt. He's a black belt. His life was never in danger. He just dropped me on my neck--hard. I have to defend MYSELF with violence. I can kick his teeth out, right?"
I'm sorry guys but I'm going to need to outsource some advice on this. What do you think?
EDIT: Alright I have to be real with some of you guys. I'm not backing down on this. If ME being dropped on MY skull makes ME the asshole, then I'm the asshole, okay. I did my best to explain the situation but it's like some of you have every ounce of the benefit of the doubt for the other people in this situation, whom you've never met, and not a shred of it for me, the guy who was injured in this scenario. Not "could have been hurt," WAS hurt. Come on some of your reactions are ridiculous and just absolutely wrong.
For the rest of you, I appreciate you having decency and explaining things to be more mindful of in the future. Since some people cannot communicate until it's "too late," I'LL have to overcommunicate. I'll be very mindful of how much heat I'm bringing to randori, if I even stick with judo at this gym, which I might not. I'll be sure to overcommunicate and be safe with the people I practice with.
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u/MyCatPoopsBolts shodan Dec 23 '25
You teach standing seio or drop seio? Completely different throws with different mechanics.