Originally posted by: DimMak
Date: November 22, 2015 at 06:40 PM
Source: https://forum.mmajunkie.com/threads/the-striking-of-ronda-rousey.67774/
This does not fall under Rousey's "striking", but I have been itching to bring it up and also have NOT seen it discussed ANYwhere..
Just like in wrestling, Judokas have a favorite side they like to set up their throws (in wrestling it would almost be equivalent to the lead leg they choose to lunge from). In my limited experience, the majority of judokas like to turn counterclockwise when setting up the throw. That means their left hip is the point of contact with their opponent (usually the opponent's right hip, initially); however, Ronda favors turning clockwise into her opponent which means the point of contact is her right hip. Here are some examples:
We all witnessed how Holly created space by blocking Rousey's hips with her arm. Holly also chose not to place her free hand around Rousey's waist which helped keep her arm out of danger. Tristar coach Zahabi illustrates here:
With Holm being a Southpaw, it made Ronda's clockwise setup more difficult bc ideally Ronda's right hip wants to initially make contact with her opponents left hip for maximum efficiency.
I am not saying Ronda is not an ambi-thrower <inserts Zoolander gif> bc almost every elite judoka needs the ability to approach techniques from either side. However, I do think that throwing a Southpaw using Ronda's clockwise setup is slightly harder to complete. Thoughts??
