Perceived Danger!!

On a flight to Switzerland I overheard a couple of people comment on a newspaper report about Chris Hoy, Olympic Gold Medallist, and a cycling accident at the Track Word Championships in The Netherlands. (Article from International Herald and Tribune

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/02/14/sports/CYC-Track-Cycling-World-Cup.php )

The conversation was about was it news – a dad was saying kids fall off bikes all the time, he was dismissive of it. Mum was saying she didn’t think cycling was dangerous but at the speeds they go they don’t have much protection.

This brought about a thought and a recollection of a conversation I have had whilst doing circus skills workshops and magic workshops. Jugglers train to be technically perfect, never dropping a ball, just like a tight rope walker, they don’t want to fall off or wobble. Yet in order to entertain there has to be a perception of danger for the audience, a wobble and almost stumble on the tight rope or the aborted 1st attempt at a big move, a dropped ball or club them a successful attempt.

Cycling can be dangerous but it isn’t perceived as such. Judo can be potentially dangerous but when it is televised it is becoming sanitised. Boxing, Karate have blows to the head, cage fighting with its brutality all get good TV coverage, all have strong danger elements.

When the IJF remove a throw because someone breaks a leg, saying a throw is now to dangerous ( these where world class players), this reduced potential risk, but the reverse is true people want to watch the risk. This is what TV producers might call the car crash effect. When Joe Theisman's leg broke this was a highlight on TV news now it’s on the internet...here is the link .....

http://www.extremesportclips.com/video/299/Joe-Theisman-Leg-Break.html

Did you watch it ......if so why ...... You Tube is full of these.

The IJF want to make Judo a TV sport, a sport TV companies want to cover, we have huge throws, this is great but there is NO DANGER....we minimise risk. Look on You Tube for clips of O Soto Gari knocking someone out, strangles where the player is knocked out.

These elements make TV viewing – they are the danger in Judo. Give a TV company danger and watch viewers flood in. If you have to put in one martial arts event in your schedule for your TV company , you are looking for spectacular, danger and excitement would you be choosing judo over boxing, MAA or kick boxing or Thai boxing ? NO. Why the gap between fights and lack of action ...perhaps but no danger!!!

So we are cleaning up Judo for TV .......or are we removing the elements, the characters ( don’t get me started on mat side coaches) the danger or at least perceived danger. Some of it is just marketing...in MAA they CHOKE A PLAYER OUT ( sounds bad) in Judo we get him to submit ( much weaker how – talk him to death?)

Which sound more dangerous and which one would you watch?

Just an opinion and thought for the day.