CCA Previews ’18: Judo

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By Judo

When waiting patiently in line at a prata stall, have you ever stared in awe as the prataman behind the glass flips his prata oh-so-skillfully-and-gracefully? Well, the good news is: we have our very own beloved prataman here at Raffles Institution, who goes by the name Raju

But Raju is no ordinary prata-man. Instead of pratas, he flips something bigger, badder, and buffer – hoomans. And he doesn’t stand behind an ordinary flat grill flipping his dough; Rather, he flips ju-dough-kas in his state of the art dough-jo.

judo 1 — Raju’s dough-jo (aka the Dojo @ RI Y1–4 Gymnasium)

Raju is well-known for his prata flipping skills. He is full of little tricks up his sleeves, impressing whoever is bestowed the honour of watching him at work. Raju uses many different techniques to flip ju-dough-kas gracefully and effortlessly, because in his own words, “Every dough is special, and to each dough its own technique.” Going by this philosophy, Raju has produced the finest prata in town.

Now that he is an expert in his craft, Raju is looking for apprentices to learn his skills! He is looking to teach some of the famous techniques that he has mastered over many years of practice. Here are some examples of throwing techniques that we have practised:

Uchi Mata (Inner Thigh Throw)

Morote Seoinage (Shoulder Throw):

Raju also wants you to think out of the box, and imagine yourself as the prata. Wouldn’t it feel amazing, to get flipped all the time? To be able to bounce back every time, stronger than before? After all, the saying goes: fall down seven, stand up eight. Every time you get flipped, you get stretched more and more, helping you reach your maximum potential.

Perhaps you’ve been wondering, who is this Raju that you’re talking so highly about? Well, Raju is the proud owner of RAJU Prata House, formally known to most as Raffles Judo, and affectionately known to the inner circle as simply RAJU (because RAffles JUdo).

Here, at RAJU Prata House, we specialise in producing finest quality prata made from our amazing ju-dough-kas. This very special prata house features techniques imported all the way from the land of the rising sun – Japan. As the name suggests, Judo (柔道) is the Art of the Gentle Way – the safest martial art formulated by 1.57m tall Jigoro Kano in a bid to subdue physically domineering opponents while using minimum effort. Breakfalls form the crux of a judoka’s foundation – and safety – by ensuring the impact of falling is spread throughout the body. The next time you watch a judo video, you will understand that the loud thuds are secretly at work shielding the body. And the next time you watch a prata getting flipped, you will understand that every slap of the doughes stretch each ju-dough-ka to his or her maximum potential.

Curious to see what Raju’s pratas look like? Presenting to you 2018’s graduating batch of RAJU Pratas!

These t h i c c pratas have braved countless tough training sessions, continuously reaching greater heights in prata-flipping, or more accurately – throwing techniques. In fact, RAJU-dough-kas have consistently placed within the top 2 in the annual National Schools Judo competitions!

During the peak season, we always aim for the champion trophy. Although trainings become tougher, RAJU judokas all emerge stronger, both mentally and physically. Even through the toughest of times, there is nothing to fear, as the RAJU family will always have your back.

Don’t flip out just yet! If you’ve made it to the end of this article, you might be just the ju-dough-ka Raju needs! Do come down for a trial session at the Y1-4 Gymnasium, a stone’s throw away from the Y5-6 campus. We welcome people of all sizes; whether big or small, tall or short, RAJU has a place for you. Here’s our usual opening hours throughout the school year:

RAJU Prata House

Non-peak opening hours: