Jimmy Pedro is one of America’s top Judo competitors (having won two medals from the Olympic games), and can be argued to be one of our finest Judo coaches well. When I got the chance to interview Jimmy about the benefits of Judo training for the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioner, I knew from the get-go that I was dealing with the right guy.

In this brief article, I’ll cover the three major benefits that Jimmy identified as critical for any BJJ practitioner looking to gain from Judo training.

 1 - Better Takedowns, and a Better Base

    As a 128-pound Jiu Jitsu player, I’m about as comfortable on my feet as I am on a bed of nails - and when a single-leg doesn’t work, I’m quick to pull to the bottom position to start the match if I’m up against a strong Judo player. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but - like a lot of BJJ guys - if the match 100% counted on a takedown to get the points - I’d be shaking in my boots a bit.
    For Jimmy, “takedown” skills extend beyond just the initial battle from the feet, and include the scrambles and random positions that happen constantly in a ground-fighting match. Strong Judo means a strong base, and a strong base is applicable in a million situations outside of Seoi Nage throws. If your struggling to come up on top in a scramble, or get your leg kicked out as your opponent attempts to sweep to the top - you’ve got a situation at hand that can often be best served by strong Judo skills.

2 - Grip Strength, and Better Control

    “Gripping an opponent when he is on his back or in your guard only requires so much strength - but when he’s standing - he has his whole body to break that grip, and it forces your grips to be stronger,” Jimmy says. Not surprisingly, he mentions how much BJJ students comment about the strength of the grips of Judo players, and how strong they feel because of it.
    Being able to grip swiftly and maintain control can help BJJ players in terms of getting chokes, passing guard, or getting a sweep, but there may be not better place to train the power and speed of those grips than on the feet while training Judo. Jimmy goes into some gripping detail in the technique video feature on the Science of Skill (http://scienceofskill.com/jimmy-pedro-on-judo-for-bjj/).

3 - Intensity and Urgency When it Counts

    Judo is a more intense game than Jiu Jitsu for a number of reasons. First, the sport requires more contact and action on the feet. Second, there is no “path of least resistance” in terms of pulling guard positions - only a takedown with do. Third, a submission is not needed, only a big throw is needed.
    During my interview with BJJ World Champion Andre Galvao, he mentioned that the most important element of his Judo cross-training was the intensity and aggressiveness that it developed in him, a mindset often neglected in Jiu Jitsu.
    Being able to cultivate the ability to “turn on” a full-force effort applies beyond takedowns to ever aspect of attacking in grappling, and like grips, can be a lessons learned best while cross-training in Judo.

I would like to say a big thank-you to Mr. Pedro for taking the time for our interview - and for allowing me to share his insights. If you’d like to check out his new program called “The Takedown Blueprint” (a video training course explaining the applications of Judo for grapplers and BJJ players), please visit: http://bit.ly/18JC1d7.
    
All the best to the BJJers and Judoka,

-Daniel Faggella