Although BJJ is based on Judo and has its roots deep in that system, not all BJJ submissions are allowed in Judo. Of course, it helps if you have a Judo training to grasp the basics but if you’re moving from BJJ to Judo you might be surprised at how some BJJ submissions will get you disqualified in a Judo tournament. This is especially true if you go for leglocks, wrist locks, or the spine.
That said some of the BJJ submissions that are allowed in Judo include Ezequiel, cross chokes, rear naked chokes, leg or arm triangle, bow and arrow among many others. As long as you don’t use your fingers on the opponent’s throat or use your Gi skirt to choke them and force a submission, you’re on the right side of the Judo rules.
In this article, we’ll focus on some of the most common BJJ submissions that are acceptable in Judo, how to use your BJJ experience to master them, and what to watch out for in order to not get disqualified in a Judo competition.
Ezequiel
In Ezequiel choke, you’re relying on the opponent’s wrist and Gi sleeve to force a submission. So how do you go about achieving that in Judo while also using your BJJ experience? You have to do it fast and wait for the right moment. Your motion needs to be fluid and precise. You’re going to combine the sleeve and wrist in a scissoring movement that blocks the adversary’s trachea.
This choke became popular in BJJ in the early days and many players embraced it and tried to come up with their own variations to perfect it. So what’s the reason for its popularity? It’s one of the easiest and safest chokes to perform from inside the player’s guard. It’s named after the famous Brazilian Olympian Ezequiel Paraguassú.
That doesn’t mean that Ezequiel Paraguassú was the one who created this choke. Its origins go back to the early beginnings of Judo. In Japanese it’s known as Sode Guruma Jime. But in BJJ it really flourished and many variations including the arm in Ezekiel developed out of it and were later adopted by famous grapplers.
Some of the top players who have an affinity for Ezekiel are Andre Galvao, Marcio Feitosa, Roger Gracie, Vitor Shaolin, Rafael Lovato Jr., and Rodolfo Vieira among others.
The Clock Choke
Put simply, the clock choke is all about grappling. You know you’re a master grappler when you can execute this choke with dexterity and ease. If you can come up with your own variation, which is a must for all serious BJJ top level players, that’s even better. So what is the clock choke all about?
For starters, you’re going to focus all your body weight and your attention on the opponent’s neck. This is one vulnerable part of their body that you can do a lot of work on and get a submission if you do it right. For preparation, you start with the turtle position and work your way toward the rival’s neck, slowly, but steadily.
With one arm choking the opponent, mostly it’s the right arm, you have a free left arm which you use to make your way under their armpit as you reach for their wrist. Now you have almost full control over their movement. Another option you have if you can’t secure the wrist is to go the inside of their thigh.
Now you’re ready to take your choke to its ultimate conclusion. Walk around your opponent with your forehead to the floor to achieve the strangle. And if you’re wondering where the name clock choke comes from, it’s from the shape your legs make as they walk around the head of the defender.
Americana
The Americana lock is all about the arm. Just like the clock choke is focused on the neck, this one has the opponent’s arm as its target. There are many names for this lock including top wristlock, bent armlock, figure four armlock, keylock, and in Judo it’s called ude garami.
But whatever name you like to call it, the fact that by controlling the wrists, the rival is left defenseless in the elbow and joints areas, make it one of the most advanced locks to get a submission. It is often combined with the side control position for maximum effect. That doesn’t mean you can’t get it from other positions. You certainly can.
Many notable BJJ champions prefer to use Americana. For them, it’s the go-to choke when the opportunity arises. It’s effective and efficient. Gabrielle Garcia, Fabricio Werdum, Lana Stefanac, Jeff Monson, and Rodrigo Nogueira “Minotauro” are just a few names of great champs who have mastered this technique and added to it with their own style and flair.
While the history of the Americana lock is shrouded in mystery, there’s no denying that it’s a popular technique and once you’ve got your head around the basics of the discipline, this should be one of the first techniques to learn and master.
Sumi Gaeshi
Sumi Gaeshi works well both in BJJ and Judo. Whether you’re moving from Judo to BJJ or vice versa, this is one technique you can use freely in either sport and achieve great results. It works well in BJJ as a response to the single leg takedown. As many players know, you can use the single leg takedown with great effect to take the opponent off their feet.
But the Sumi Gaeshi is the right response to this. So how do you use it to counter that popular BJJ takedown? For one thing, you need to maintain your balance. Even if one leg is off the mat, you can still lean on the opponent and force his hands off your arms or legs. This foils his attempt to take you down and give you valuable seconds to start your counter move.
Now reach for the opponent’s belt with your palm. This initiates your maneuver as you grab your opponent and slide under them using your leg as a hook. Done right, you’d be able to throw the rival on their back. You can apply many techniques to achieve this outcome. The Kimura grip is one great candidate and helps you get a submission.
The Triangle Choke
In BJJ, the front triangle choke is a popular technique that players learn about during their first few classes. And like many other techniques in the sport, its origins go back to the early beginnings of Judo. In fact, Judo has many variations of the triangle choke, that would surprise BJJ players taking their first steps in a Judo class.
The difference in implementation between the Judo versions and BJJ ones is in the position that you can apply each one. In Judo, for example, you can implement the triangle choke either from the turtle or side control positions. But in BJJ, triangle chokes are usually employed from the guard position. That said, the technique itself is almost identical in both disciplines and if you master it in one sport, you’ll be able to easily apply it in the other.
The idea is to force a submission by controlling the opponent’s body. You start with their arm. Squeeze it along with their head between your legs thus creating the triangle shape. From there on out it’s a matter of using your thighs to squeeze the arm and head while going after their free arm. You simply have a lot of control and you can take this wherever you want to go. But in most cases, a submission is your goal.
The point here is that you really have a lot of options and your next move is all about your mastery of the technique and your very unique style. Some people would argue that this technique or that is better in Judo than its counterpart in BJJ. That actually defeats the purpose of the sport. You’re not trying to limit yourself to one discipline or a very narrow interpretation of a certain technique.
In order to become a well rounded player regardless of the sport you practice, it’s important to keep an open mind and explore the various positions and techniques that overlap both sports. There’s no doubt that both Judo and BJJ have a lot to contribute and enrich the life of the player. So you’re encouraged to dig deeper into both sports to find common grounds and unique variations to common positions that make you grasp the spirit of the move or technique.