Madelene Rubinstein has etched her name in the history books as the first-ever Norwegian to compete in Judo at the Olympics. Despite her petite stature of 161 cm and 114 lbs, Rubinstein has proven to be a formidable opponent with an open mind and a willingness to embrace any challenge.
In the world of martial arts, “dojo storming” has become a popular trend. It involves entering a rival school’s dojo to challenge its members to sparring matches. Participating in such a challenge requires a great deal of courage, particularly when facing opponents who outweigh and tower over you.
However, Rubinstein remained undeterred. She fearlessly took on TV 2-reporter Mathias Skarpaas, who weighed in at 176 lbs and stood over 187 cm tall, without any hesitation. Despite the significant difference in size, Rubinstein’s skill and determination allowed her to emerge victorious.
Skarpaas himself admitted to having limited grappling experience and was essentially a white belt in judo.
In BJJ, it’s always interesting to see how a female would measure up against male competition because the weight and strength imbalance can be countered by a skill level. This is why we recently covered the case of a female judoka that won a male division of her local grappling competition.
Of course, this is far from the only challenge that makes rounds on social media. There was recently an old clip that resurfaced featuring a woman taking on a man in an impromptu grappling challenge.
While these videos are educational the gender gap in terms of strength cannot be understated – an equally skilled woman facing a man will lose to him 9 out of 10 times. There are various biological factors contributing to this.
Rubinstein’s triumph is just one of many accomplishments in her judo career. She claimed victory at the European Cup in Tampere in 2015 and secured a silver medal at the European Cup in Sarajevo, along with numerous other medals.
Rubinstein’s success serves as an inspiration to aspiring judokas worldwide. Her unwavering dedication, courage, and exceptional skill have enabled her to conquer challenges and achieve greatness in her chosen sport.
