Both Judo and BJJ are similar in some ways but different in many others. While they share the same branch of the MMA family tree, Judo is more focused on self-defense and how you can take down and control an opponent much larger than you. BJJ on the other hand is all about grappling and being more on the offensive.
As a BJJ player, taking a few Judo classes can make a great difference to your game. For one thing, Judo supplements your BJJ practice and improves your ground skills. It also takes your tactics, grappling, attacks, and grips to a whole new level.
It’s interesting to note that most practitioners who do the cross-training are BJJ crossing over to Judo not the other way round. That’s because the rules of Judo are both ancient and inflexible, unlike BJJ. So Judo players hesitate to dabble in BJJ for fear of messing with their training and techniques. The same doesn’t apply to BJJ players who gain a lot from cross-training. So what exactly would you expect to gain from Judo training?
Tactical Advantage
Say what you like about the techniques that fill up the BJJ classes, books, and videos. When it comes to having a tactical advantage, you need to look elsewhere. Why? It’s not because BJJ as a discipline is not enough. But since everyone is exposed to the same methodology, only those who expand their horizons and skills with an extra helping of something extracurricular would stand out and have an advantage.
And that’s exactly what you’d be looking for when you do Judo cross-training. BJJ gives you ample practice in the top game. But what about the ground game? Let’s conjure up a scenario. You’re on the mat and opposite you is a rival that you know is an excellent top game player. He or she grapples like the best of them and has a death-like grip that will squeeze the life out of you. So what do you do?
Why, you take the game to the ground as fast as you can of course. And you better hope that player doesn’t dominate on the ground game as much as they do in the top game. Which brings us to the point I have been trying to make. When you train in Judo, your ground game becomes something totally different than you’d expect from someone who’s been confining their training to BJJ.
So if we reversed the scenario and you were the one dominating the ground game, your opponent will try to keep you off the ground as long as they can. But that’s not easy, and you soon will have the opportunity to demonstrate all your tactics that you have honed with Judo training. In tightly contested competitions when you and your opponent are on the same level, a small advantage can be all you need to dominate and get your submission.
Plug your BJJ Flaws
OK, so nobody is perfect. No matter how hard you practice and how many classes you attend a week, your game will always have holes in it. Even BJJ brow belts are surprised to find that they still hold on to misconceptions that they learned back in the old days of white belt classes. One of the main reasons why those flaws stick with you for so many years is because you never took the time to examine them with a critical eye.
For one thing, you’re always learning new techniques and honing your skills under the same discipline. So if you have to pick up a bad technique you’ll not know that it’s bad. You’re always adding new techniques and variations on old techniques. You don’t have the time to go through the old list and weed out the obsolete stylings that are acting as a hindrance. Until you attend a few classes in a different discipline like Judo. Then it comes as a revelation to you. You’ve been doing it wrong all these years.
Because Judo does things differently, it acts as a magnifying glass that exposes those flaws and makes them visible and clear. So what kind of game changes can you expect when you cross-train in Judo? Well, for starters, you’ll improve your attacks. Judokas are known for their fierce if also calculated attacks. Just mix it up with a Judoka and see how easily they can make you regret even agreeing to face them on the mat.
You also get to improve yourself in a general way. By that I mean you become a well-rounded player. You don’t just know a few techniques and can execute them flawlessly. You can handle yourself well and get yourself out of any situation that seems impossible to escape from. As I said, Judo makes you take a good look at your practice in BJJ and evaluate your whole approach to the discipline.
It’s All in the Grip
Of all the things that Judokas are famous for, their grip is one that has gone down the ages and become part of the folklore. You might find it hard to imagine that in Judo they don’t teach them a way to make their hands stronger beyond our human understanding. But it’s just the discipline that makes those fierce grips so pincer-like.
In Judo, a grip is half the game. The stronger grip usually prevails. If you have a strong grip you can take the game any direction you like. So what does that have to do with your BJJ game? Well, as it turns out, almost everything. An iron grip allows you to take the game to the ground any time you want where you can dominate your opponent with your Judo techniques.
Grips and throws go hand in hand. And they both build you from the ground up. You become a strong player both physically and mentally. Your mental game goes up a few notches when you hold your opponent, stare them in the eye, and know that you have a full repertoire of moves that will get them to the ground. When you do that, you become a mentally tough player, hard to shake, and harder to beat.
Be on the Offensive
As we all know, BJJ is a self-defense sport. It teaches you to counter any attack from any thug in the street even if they outweigh you. While that is a good thing, it doesn’t make you the kind of aggressive player that you want to be. It makes you a superb counter player. You wait for the other person to make the first move then you neutralize it, control their movement and render them harmless. But what if you want to launch the attack?
On the matt, in a competition, or while passing through a tough neighborhood, you don’t want to wait for an attack. For all you know the mugger could have a knife or a gun. You need to act first and take them down before they have a chance to use their weapon. That’s what Judo instills in you. That fighting spirit that goes on the attack without waiting for the rival to take the initiative.
In Judo you can’t be passive. It’s a flaw in the Judoka technique if they wait for the other player to take the initiative. So a few classes of Judo will take away that passiveness from you and make you look for an opportunity to seize the day as they say. You won’t waste time waiting. You get right to it and set the course for your offensive action.
And you know what that means to your BJJ game. You force the opponent to play your game. Most often they get in a defensive mode and wait for you to steer the game anywhere you like. That’s not a bad thing. A passive player is easy to submit.
Better Newaza
And last but not least, your Judo training makes you better at Newaza. It’s all about the transitions. You’re not getting to the ground then wondering what to do next. You already got the whole thing planned out while you were still on your feet. Judo is fast-paced as a game teaches you to think fast and think ahead.
This gives you an advantage over your opponent. While they’re still figuring out a defense to your current move, you’re already three or four moves ahead. Think of the tactical advantages you gain from that. That’s what Judo cross-training can give you and much more.