Jimmy Pedro U.S.A.
Judo Champion of the World 1999/2000


Jimmy Pedro World Judo Champion explains how to control pre-competition nerves. How he studies other great champions. His pre-competition training. He tells about how he had a dream the night before the World Championships and how his Kata-guruma is different, he even says how he would change the rules. Plus much more.


Judoka from all over the world were invited by Dave Quinn of Worldjudo.org to ask World Judo Champion Jimmy Pedro a question. A number were chosen and the results are given below:-

Dave Quinn:  "Hi, Jimmy Pedro its Dave Quinn here from England at Worldjudo.org".

Jimmy Pedro: "Hi, How are you?"

Dave: "Very well thanks. I was on the internet and asked site visitors to put forward some questions that they would like to ask you. Some of them are very interesting".

Jim: "Sure, go ahead".

Aoute Constant, Togo National Team Asks:
"I'm a togolese (Togo is a country of West Africa), I'm a young Judoka, 135Kg and my rank is Blue Belt. I'm in the National team of my country. Which techniques are the most effective in the over 100 kg category to win the fight?"

Jim: “If you are a big guy, then a good technique would be a Harai-goshi or an Uchimata”

Aoute:  “How would you control your breathing and stay calm in a fight?

Jim: “Before you step onto the mat you have to be able to relax even before you compete. Many people get very anxious and nervous and jittery so already their heart is beating very fast. The anxiety causes you to be tired. Maybe five minutes before you actually fight you need to sit down, relax, control your breathing before you get onto the mat.”

Naomi James, British International,14th Mon Junior, Asks:
“What do you think about the crowds at the World Judo Championships? What was it like winning at Birmingham? The atmosphere at the Worlds, when you were winning was really exciting. Did you feel that?

Jim: “Absolutely, it felt like I was competing in America, it felt like I had the huge support of the fans in the final match. I have many friends in England.”

Dave: “I know Neil Adams speaks highly of you. I trained at the same Club as Neil for a year or so at the Budokwai in London.”

Jim: “Great judoka, great person”

Dave: “Jim your katagaruma is fantastic, phenomenal. The combination you seem to do, Katagaruma-Taniotoshi is brilliant.

Peter Broom New Zealand Asks:
"Hi Jimmy, I hope training and everything is going well for you. As someone who does traditional throwing techniques like Tai-otoshi and Tsuri komi goshi people have been telling me to learn some pick up and kata guruma style techniques. How important is it in international judo these days to have some of these things in your arsenal? Do you place a lot of emphasis on these techniques or is it more just an instinctive thing?

Jim: “I think it comes natural to me. I wrestled here in America for quite a few years. I think that’s where I developed the katagaruma, but  I do it a little bit different than most – I try to come back to my feet and finish the throw on my feet, as opposed to rolling on the ground like a normal katagaruma.”

Peter: "Lastly, when fighting classy players like Japans Nakamura do you go in with a pre-conceived game plan or do you go in with an open mind? Thanks very much for your time, keep up the awesome judo, its cool to watch.

Jim: “No, absolutely, I go in with a pre-conceived game plan. I do a lot of video analysis before the fight and plan for them. If I know I’m going to be in a certain situation with them – I know everything ahead of time and what I’m going to do and how to react.”

Paul Cooper Great Britain  Junior 11th Mon Asks:
“At what time did you feel that you could be the World Champion?”

Jim: “I’ll tell you the night before the World Championships I dreamt I had won the World Championships.  I woke up at 3am and was disappointed because I really thought my dream was real, and when I woke up I thought – Oh my god, I have to go through it all again! Oh no, it hasn’t even started yet!”

Dick D. Johansson, Sweden I.J.F. Asks:
“What’s your normal training routine and how often do you train?”

Jim: “I’m on a six day a week programme which includes lifting Olympic style weightlifting twice a week, I do circuits for cardiovascular twice a week, I do sprint workouts or running routines twice a week. That’s all done in the morning and then I do judo five nights a week.”

Dick: “Do you change it in anyway up to a big competition or does it stay consistent”

Jim: “No, it changes. Its all cycled towards the big competition. The lifting changes, running changes the judo changes. I guess the judo practice for instance – instead of ten rounds of five minute randori, in a night, as the competition gets closer, the judo training changes so that its more intense, its shorter, its not that tear down process of an hour of straight randori. There’s interval training with more intensity for a shorter period of time.”

Dave: “Do you have a specific trainer or partner that works with you?”

Jim: “Yes I have both.  I have a strengthening and conditioning coach who organises all of my morning routines including running and lifting.  And then I also have my father who is my judo coach who organises all of my judo training.”

Adam Bick, British International Junior 15th Mon Asks:
“Who is the best opponent you have ever fought?”

Jim: “Phewww, I’ve faced many great, great players in my day. Udo Plomos, Uki Masa, Nakamura, Sirgay Cosminion.”

Raúl Merino, Spain Coach Asks: “How do you cope with a disappointment, when you think perhaps you should have won, when you feel perhaps you didn’t get the result that you would have expected?”

Jim: “The Olympics Games was a perfect example of that. Finishing fifth in the Olympics was a huge disappointment for me. I expected to win Gold or at the very least finish with a medal. Initially it was very difficult to deal with for maybe the first week or two I was very depressed, very angry but looking back I wouldn’t have changed a thing.  I know that I did everything possible to be at my best that day. Judo is a funny sport. I wanted to be on or near my best when I competed in Sidney.”

Ruddy Miranda, Puerto Rico Asks:
“What weight training exercise would you suggest for judo?”

Jim: “I would say it would be a complex which would be a squat, or a push jerk without putting the bar down you do about six repetitions of that. It takes endurance, it helps explosiveness over a long period of time and that’s one of the main exercises I use in my weightlifting routine.”

Dave: “What do you think would make judo more interesting on the television?”

Jim: “I think if they didn’t show a match in its entirety, if we’re going to put judo on TV we cannot show live judo. It has to be an edited version, half hour show of action packed, the best moments of the event, all the exciting matches, all the spectacular throws and colour commentary.”

Dave: “If you were able to change any rules in judo, what would they be?”

Jim: “Yes I would make it an overtime, there would be no decisions in judo. Sudden death, overtime.”

Dave: “I know the European Judo Union are trying out a new addition. They are experimenting by putting an extra 30 seconds on a fight if there is no score. I think they call it the golden score”

Jim: “I agree. You win by penalty or score but at least there should be a score by the end of the match.”

Dave: “What about the final in the Worlds when you was fighting Macarov?  You were holding him down and then he escaped. What were you thinking then?”

Jim: “I thought it was all over when I was pinning him, and then it was just one of those things that you dread – O.K. now I’ve got to stand up and fight him again!”

Dave: “Thanks Jimmy for giving us the opportunity to speak to you. It’s a real honour. I and many thousands of others wish you every luck in your future judo career.”

Jim: “Thanks, and I thank you for your interest. Bye”

Many More Jimmy Pedro Pictures coming here very soon.

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