In a video going viral online, a female judoka can be seen grappling and dominating a professional soccer player on the mats. While the match-up may seem unusual at first, it highlights the incredible grappling ability and martial arts prowess of the judoka.
The video shows the two squaring off, with the soccer player making some initial attacks. However, the judoka swiftly takes control, using her superior grappling skills to repeatedly take her opponent down to the mat at will. Despite the soccer player’s gender and athletic ability, he proves to be virtually defenseless against the judoka’s throws, sweeps, and pins.
While the female judo player had a black belt, her male sparring partner donned a blue belt albeit it’s likely this was a loaner considering he had no gi pants, just the top.
While grappling may look gentler than a brawl, industry experts agree it is a foundational and arguably the most important aspect of real fighting. As the judoka demonstrated, if you can control where the fight takes place and enforce your will with superior grappling, you have a decided advantage even against a larger, more athletic opponent and can even negate some of the gender differences.
The judoka’s dominating performance showcased the effectiveness of judo’s grappling techniques. Her ability to consistently take the soccer player down highlighted years of intense training and dedication to the martial art.
Ultimately her sparring partner got one throw in, indicating that he too had some grappling skills.
For those familiar with the judoka, her elite skills are no surprise. She has gone viral before for subduing unruly individuals, including a security guard, with her martial arts skills during public events and television appearance.
27-year-old Aigerim Abilkadirova has been training in judo since 2010. Abilkadirova has won four bronze medals: two from national competitions, one from European competitions, and one from the Continental Championships Cadets. In 2018, she won a gold medal at the Asians Open competition in Aktau. Recently, she was involved in a confrontation during a talk show hosted by Kazakhstan-based MMA promotion Ruh Fighting Championship. The incident went viral on social media, showcasing her judo proficiency and quick reflexes.
The video serves as an entertaining and educational example of how grappling can allow a smaller, skilled martial artist to handle a larger, physically imposing opponent from another sport. It earned plenty of appreciation from martial arts fans online.
