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I was often told (by an old sensei) that if I can't train in a dojo with a human uke, elastic bands could be the best way to keep training and maintain good form.

I understand that it can be excellent to perform Uchi Komi against a force (kind of dynamic body building) while executing a pure movement.
But I wonder how to use elastic bands/devices. I imagine there are many exercices to improve power-speed-endurance...

I need advices about number of sets and what kind of exercices develop particular aptitudes. So all returns of exerience would be welcomed.

kevin ternet
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Uchikomi using bands (or ropes, or dummies) is for technique training, development or sport-specific explosiveness, speed, and agility, and maybe a little bit of sport-specific conditioning. It is not meant for general strength or endurance work, and could even be harmful to developing fast technique if one's whole-body speed is not yet developed.

General strength should be developed with standard modern resistance training methods such as powerlifting or Olympic lifting with barbells, kettlebells, or dumbbells. Speed and explosiveness should be developed with Olympic lifts, sprints, and jumps. General endurance or cardio should be developed with standard modern methods like running, swimming, or cycling (all steady-state) and interval work like sprints or circuits using bodyweight or dumbbell exercises. General coordination should be developed with tumbling exercises and field sports.

Save the uchikomi for making your turning throws stronger, crisper, and faster. It is particularly helpful for turning throws such as seoinage or haraigoshi, but I've also heard it used for osotogari.

Dave Liepmann
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    Uchi-komi can in principle be used for every standing technique (to some extend even for sutemi-waza). It can be used both for developing/correcting certain features in the movement (e.g. hip turn in tsugi-ashi when engaging for ko-uchi-gari, directions of pulling, height-level of the hip, etc.), as well as sheer muscle memory for moving patterns. It in effect is together with tandoku-renshu the equivalent to Kata in Karate (muscle memory, prescision, speed). Elastic bands add pulling resistance and aspects of balance to tandoku-renshu, closing the gap to proper uchi-komi with partner a bit. – Philip Klöcking Dec 09 '16 at 15:58
  • Thank's Dave and Philip. I will keep in mind Uchi Komi are perfect for muscle memory for moving patterns. I've found this video with interesting elastic bands exercices for harei goshi and o soto gari. – kevin ternet Dec 09 '16 at 16:30
  • @kevinternet: If it is one of the videos I think it is, be careful regarding the height of the hip. Most of the guys in videos out there are too stiff in their supporting leg, meaning that they will have to work with strength rather than technique if it comes to throwing an actual partner, simply because they are not under/behind the gravity center of their opponent. And especially in o-soto, the opening and driving movement with the forearm holding the lapel is crucial. The rest of the points (rhythm, keeping the bands under tension all the time, etc.) are mostly correct, though. – Philip Klöcking Dec 10 '16 at 03:51
  • @PhilipKlöcking : but this problem would deserve a post. I make o-soto this way and harei too. In fact I'm affraid I practice judo like a horse and I'm rarely under/behind the gravity center of my opponent. Why because my opponents are 100Kg horse too and never let me go behind with my heap. So I'm looking for having domination with kumikata and then it's easyer to threw o-soto or harei-maki-komi. So I believe elastic bands would fit cows like me. – kevin ternet Dec 10 '16 at 07:32