LAKE BUENA VISTA -- People around the world are flipping over judo at Disney's Coronado Springs, which hosted the USA Judo National Junior Olympic Championships this weekend.
The sport of judo is kind of like the popular mixed martial arts "ground-and-pound," without the pound.
MMA has has enjoyed an incredible surge in popularity in recent years, but it is still not as popular as the sport from which it originated. Judo is the second most popular sport in the world, next to soccer.
"The MMA has a lot of things realated to judo," said Jose H. Rodriguez, CEO of USA Judo, the U.S. Olympic headquarters for the sport. "As a matter of fact, if you actually look at one of the best, [Chuck] Lidell, and that group of fighters, they all came from judo. A lot of MMA agents out there are going to be checking out some of our athletes to get them into fighting in the MMA."
Of course, many of the athletes might not be turned so easily. Judo is something they have been doing most of their lives, and it is in their blood.
"I got into it through my father," said Tyler Ferry, a young judo practitioner from Riverview, in Hillsborough County. "He's been doing it since he was little. As I grew up, he came back, so I went with him and haven't stopped since."
"It's very tough. Everyone is out there to win, trying to make junior world teams, Olympic teams," Ferry said. "You just got to do whatever you can, and train hard."
"I mostly enjoy the competing part -- winning," said Ronni Aragona, of Rotterdam, N.Y. "It's a good high, being able to beat my opponents, and trying to improve myself every time I go to these things."
Even with all the takedowns and throws, the sport of judo is actually the safest contact sport for children under 13, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
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