Judo expert and influencer Chadi offered his perspective on how foot sweeps can effectively end potentially dangerous altercations while minimizing harm to all parties involved.
The video, which Chadi believes was recorded in Italy, shows police officers confronting a man walking in the middle of the road. When the individual attempted to assault an officer by striking their vehicle, law enforcement swiftly responded with what Chadi identifies as a judo foot sweep technique, allowing them to safely detain the individual.
“This looks like a de-ashi-harai as they are stepping forward,” Chadi explains, referring to a classic judo technique that targets an opponent’s foot during forward movement. “Originally this is how it was meant – either as they are stepping forward or their weight is coming off of the foot, that’s when you sweep forward.”
The judo expert points out that while some might describe the technique as “ko-soto-gari” (small outer reap), the absence of leg pinning suggests it was indeed a foot sweep execution. To illustrate the technique’s application in controlled settings, Chadi references examples from competitive judo, including demonstrations by renowned judokas Inoue, Muneta, and Maruyama.
While analyzing the incident, Chadi emphasizes the importance of understanding context in any confrontation. “The moment he struck the car, he now just proved himself to be unfortunately a menace, and then they had to deal with him with physical force unfortunately,” he notes about the individual in the video.
Throughout his analysis, Chadi repeatedly advocates for de-escalation and responsible behavior from all parties. “Always try to be on your best behaviour and don’t do any unnecessary assaults or any unnecessary attacks,” he advises. For those in law enforcement, he adds, “If someone is not showing to be a threat, again, no need to do that.”
This isn’t the first time Chadi has analyzed police use of judo techniques. He mentions a previous video from Ireland that similarly demonstrated how foot sweeps can be employed in law enforcement situations around the world.
The judo influencer frames these techniques within the broader philosophy of judo’s founder, suggesting that while many now view judo as simply a sport, “the main goal is to create a better society as the founder wanted it to be.”
Chadi concludes his analysis with a call for everyone to strive toward positive contribution to society: “Try to always do the right thing… Nothing good in this life is easy… but choosing the right [path], doing the effort is the reward itself.”
