Journey to Beijing Olympics
Last Update: Thursday, August 16, 2007. 1:56pm AEST
By Vicki Kerrigan
Judo is a sport where you are allowed to strangle your opponent and Ballina mother of two, Natalie Elmer is quite good at strangulation. She's so good at it she is in line to represent Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the sport of Judo.
Judo is a martial art, which originated in Japan, Natalie Elmer says it can be used for self-defence, but she practises Judo as a sport. "You throw people using their momentum. You use techniques you've learnt to throw them over your shoulders and hips to get them on the ground. As a sport and not a martial art you're then required to throw them perfectly onto their back to win a fight outright. If you don't throw them perfectly onto their back you then have to hold them down with other techniques you've learned to keep them on the ground. You can strangle and choke and arm lock your opponent to get them to submit."
So what's it like when you're thrown over your opponents shoulder? "Terrible, I don't like it at all. One of the first things you learn is how to land properly so you don't injure yourself but there's still times you don't because it'll be totally unexpected or people come straight down on top of you as soon as they throw you so you can't get up again. But its good fun, it doesn't sound like it, but its good fun."
By Vicki Kerrigan
Judo is a sport where you are allowed to strangle your opponent and Ballina mother of two, Natalie Elmer is quite good at strangulation. She's so good at it she is in line to represent Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the sport of Judo.
Judo is a martial art, which originated in Japan, Natalie Elmer says it can be used for self-defence, but she practises Judo as a sport. "You throw people using their momentum. You use techniques you've learnt to throw them over your shoulders and hips to get them on the ground. As a sport and not a martial art you're then required to throw them perfectly onto their back to win a fight outright. If you don't throw them perfectly onto their back you then have to hold them down with other techniques you've learned to keep them on the ground. You can strangle and choke and arm lock your opponent to get them to submit."
So what's it like when you're thrown over your opponents shoulder? "Terrible, I don't like it at all. One of the first things you learn is how to land properly so you don't injure yourself but there's still times you don't because it'll be totally unexpected or people come straight down on top of you as soon as they throw you so you can't get up again. But its good fun, it doesn't sound like it, but its good fun."
There are Judo clubs in Lismore, Lennox Head and Coffs Harbour. Natalie started Judo with her two boys about three years ago, "...a good friend of mine is a black belt and my kids started training with her and I thought I'd give it a go to help the kids through their belts and then they gave up and I kept going." As a mother of two, Natalie jokes there are benefits in knowing how to strangle someone, "That's the real reason I started up with the kids" she says with a laugh.
After just three short years competing in the sport Natalie has been chosen as a member of the Australian Judo shadow team and she will soon head off to the Australian Institute of Sport for further training. "The Shadow team is the prospective team for Beijing 2008, its the squad the team will be selected from," said Natalie.
Natalie says at the end of her working week she looks forward to Judo, "You've had your week of frustration and stress and you can just get on the mats and throw people around and its quite stress relieving if you like."
20 men and 14 women will be training at the AIS and in March next year Natalie will find out if she is jetting off to the Beijing Olympics.
Stay tuned to ABC North Coast because we will follow Natalie Elmers journey to Beijing.
FONTE: ABC Regional Online - Australia
After just three short years competing in the sport Natalie has been chosen as a member of the Australian Judo shadow team and she will soon head off to the Australian Institute of Sport for further training. "The Shadow team is the prospective team for Beijing 2008, its the squad the team will be selected from," said Natalie.
Natalie says at the end of her working week she looks forward to Judo, "You've had your week of frustration and stress and you can just get on the mats and throw people around and its quite stress relieving if you like."
20 men and 14 women will be training at the AIS and in March next year Natalie will find out if she is jetting off to the Beijing Olympics.
Stay tuned to ABC North Coast because we will follow Natalie Elmers journey to Beijing.
FONTE: ABC Regional Online - Australia
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