Having had a few months to reflect on the World Team Championships, I've decided that it was the best judo tournament I've ever attended.

Both Olympic Games (2000 and 2004) which I was lucky enough to be involved with come close, but didn't quite have the drama of the 2006 Teams. The atmosphere at an Olympics is fantastic. There's a real buzz and party feel to it. But the atmosphere in Bercy Stadium was something quite unique. The patriotic French crowd are a very knowledgeable judo audience. They know exactly when to encourage their own fighters, when to intimidate the opposition or referee, when to cheer, and when to jeer.

There is an added spice to a top line team competition, which you don't get with individual events. Firstly, the feeling of winning or losing is shared with an entire squad which only adds to the intense emotion of team judo. As a seven-person competition, with each squad allowed up to 14 fighters, team selection and tactics come into play. There are several fascinating clashes, with some countries being stronger at lighter weights, others stronger at the heavier end, and some teams juggling their starting line-up depending on opposition.

Some of the team line-ups in Paris is absolutely mouthwatering. The Cuban women had four World Champions in their starting seven and the Japanese women three reigning Olympic champions. Tadahiro Nomura, the legendary Triple Olympic Champion, led out the Japanese men, while Won Hee Lee, the stylish -73kgs World and Olympic Champion was back for the Koreans, after a two-year break. And the Russians had a selection headache at +100kgs, with both Alexander Mikhaylin the triple World Champion and Tamerlan Tmenov, the World and Olympic silver medallist, both vying for the one position.

For shocks and upsets, the Teams is incredible. Two fascinating encounters take place between the favourites Japan - and the hosts France, in both womens and men’s competition. The drama that unfolds in both matches is simply beyond words. So many of the contests provoke strong clashes in styles, and, even in cultures. It includes a remarkable Eastern European wrestling match between Russia and Georgia, and two grudge fights between the stylish judo nations of Japan and Korea.

The 2006 World Teams DVD is different to any other Fighting Films DVD. A revolutionary draw sheet menu guides the viewer through all preliminary contests, showing only the best highlights from each team match. Set to music, narration and stylish graphics, this is the first time judo has ever been seen in this way. The story of the preliminaries builds the excitement of both competitions, before live commentary kicks in from the semi-finals onwards.

Filmed in 16:9, The Teams is FFs' first widescreen production, which only adds to the theatrical feel of the DVD. Because we had no problem in obtaining the host broadcast footage, it means we have cameras on both coaches, the crowd, all the other fighters, and multiple angles on the action.

As a result, the 2006 World Teams DVD is the best competition production Fighting Films has ever put together. Both tournaments are packed onto one two-hour DVD. Fighting Films have spent a lot of time and effort recreating the tension of Bercy; showing the influence of the crowd, the agony, the ecstasy, and the most fantastic judo on the planet today.

The 2006 Judo World Team Championships DVD will be available for £25, only from Fighting Films Ltd.

Previous Articles:

Feb '05: Behind The Camera - When are the Olympics going to be ready?
May '05: Behind The Camera - IJF Coaching Series Part 1
Aug '05: Behind The Camera - IJF Coaching Series Part 2
Oct '05: Behind The Camera - 2005 World Judo Championships
Apr '06: Behind The Camera - The Fighting Films GB World Cup
Aug '06: Behind The Camera - 2006 European Championships
Oct '07: Behind The Camera - 2007 World Championships and the FF GB Judo World Cup
Oct '07: Behind The Camera - Autumn and Winter 2007