Tua Tagovailoa turns to Judo

[Woodman]

Tua Tagovailoa turns to Judo to avoid head injuries when falling - ProFootballTalk (https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2023/02/22/tua-tagovailoa-turns-to-judo-to-avoid-head-injuries-when-falling/)

In late December, after Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (https://www.nbcsportsedge.com/football/nfl/player/57496/tua-tagovailoa) suffered his most recent concussion due to his helmet striking the ground, former U.S. Olympic judoka Jason Morris contacted us via email with a simple suggestion for Tua — try judo.

“I was watching your show with Peter King talking about Tua’s concussion situation and the fact he keeps hitting his head on the ground,” Morris said. “I have forever thought and wanted the NFL to employ an expert Judo player/coach to teach the football players a little Judo, which starts with learning how to fall properly as we take tons a falls everyday but know how to naturally take that fall without hitting our heads.”

[Woodman]

“We’ve got a plan set up,” Tua said. “I’ll be doing Judo on Fridays just so that I can kind of figure out understanding my body and how to fall. . . . Just trying to help myself.”

It’s important that he does. He suffered at least two, and probably three, concussions during the 2022 season because his helmet struck the turf after being legally hit. As we’ve said all along, the physics are against him, given his size. He has to figure out how to protect himself, whether it’s finding a way to avoid those hits or, as he’s doing, finding a way to take those hits without hitting his head.

And it’s clear he’s moving forward with his career, hopeful that he’ll be able to avoid additional concussions in 2023.

[kgun12]

Maybe he watched the original The Longest Yard?

19695

[OpIv37]

Every martial art should teach you how to fall.

That being said, judo is great. I only ever got to a gold belt (2nd level), but I got really good at a couple of the basic throws. It was great grappling against guys who did not know how defend the judo throws and I'd drop them on their ass.

The best and worst thing about judo is what I call the "oh ****" moment. It's that split second between the time the guy on the business end of the throw knows he's gonna hit the ground and the time he actually hits.

[Woodman]

Maybe he watched the original The Longest Yard?

19695

Or he should have.

[Woodman]

Good for Tua he's gonna be falling a lot so this is great news.

[Mace]

Will be awesome to see a rusher closing in and hear "HWAAAAAAAH" as Tua does a controlled tumble to the turf.

Or he could forget himself and react by dropping the ball and flipping the dude over his hip...THEN tumbling.

[Mike13]

Will be awesome to see a rusher closing in and hear "HWAAAAAAAH" as Tua does a controlled tumble to the turf.

Or he could forget himself and react by dropping the ball and flipping the dude over his hip...THEN tumbling.
Ahh the Josh Allen on his own goal line special.