Judo Official Judo Thread

[SoftGi]

Osu, everyone.

New to the forum and just beginning my Judo journey. I’m drawn to it for the structure, the calm, and the deeper philosophy behind the movement.

I’m tall and lean, based in Belgium, and planning to start formal training this year. In the meantime, I’m trying to build a foundation — mentally and physically.

Any advice for a complete beginner who wants to build consistency and avoid rushing into ego traps?

Also curious — what helped you fall in love with Judo when you first started?

Thanks for having me.
– E

 

[TheFakeMacoy]

Osu, everyone.

New to the forum and just beginning my Judo journey. I’m drawn to it for the structure, the calm, and the deeper philosophy behind the movement.

I’m tall and lean, based in Belgium, and planning to start formal training this year. In the meantime, I’m trying to build a foundation — mentally and physically.

Any advice for a complete beginner who wants to build consistency and avoid rushing into ego traps?

Also curious — what helped you fall in love with Judo when you first started?

Thanks for having me.
– E

The best way to build consistency is to make sure you're able to attend as many classes regularly as you can. When starting out, focus on going to judo rather than worrying about getting in extra work outs. Strength and conditioning are always helpful, but you don't want to do too much too soon. Once you're in a routine with Judo, then you can think about adding in weight lifting sessions. However, if there's a fair bit of time until your classes start up, it doesn't hurt to build a bit of a base by doing some lifting now.

The best thing to get in the right mindset for Judo in my opinion is to focus on trying to throw your opponent. Don't worry about defense so much when you start. You will get thrown, a lot. That's fine. You want to make sure you get used to committing to your attacks. Don't half-ass your attacks because you're afraid of getting countered.

The best feeling in Judo is to land that effortless throw that sends your opponent flying for ippon. That's what I love about Judo.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Osu, everyone.

New to the forum and just beginning my Judo journey. I’m drawn to it for the structure, the calm, and the deeper philosophy behind the movement.

I’m tall and lean, based in Belgium, and planning to start formal training this year. In the meantime, I’m trying to build a foundation — mentally and physically.

Any advice for a complete beginner who wants to build consistency and avoid rushing into ego traps?

Also curious — what helped you fall in love with Judo when you first started?

Thanks for having me.
– E

My advice is don t overthink it. Be aware of autistic online stuff that splits hair in 4. Train as much as you can. Observe.

 

[SoftGi]

The best way to build consistency is to make sure you're able to attend as many classes regularly as you can. When starting out, focus on going to judo rather than worrying about getting in extra work outs. Strength and conditioning are always helpful, but you don't want to do too much too soon. Once you're in a routine with Judo, then you can think about adding in weight lifting sessions. However, if there's a fair bit of time until your classes start up, it doesn't hurt to build a bit of a base by doing some lifting now.

The best thing to get in the right mindset for Judo in my opinion is to focus on trying to throw your opponent. Don't worry about defense so much when you start. You will get thrown, a lot. That's fine. You want to make sure you get used to committing to your attacks. Don't half-ass your attacks because you're afraid of getting countered.

The best feeling in Judo is to land that effortless throw that sends your opponent flying for ippon. That's what I love about Judo.

Thank you for the detailed and practical advice — I really appreciate the clarity.
I like that mindset of "just commit to the throw" and not worry about defense too much at the beginning.

It helps to know that getting thrown is part of the process — not failure, but progress. That effortless ippon moment you described? Sounds like something to work toward, slowly and consistently.

I'm still early on, but your perspective gives me a solid idea of where to start focusing.

 

[SoftGi]

My advice is don t overthink it. Be aware of autistic online stuff that splits hair in 4. Train as much as you can. Observe.

Thanks for that reminder — it's definitely something I'm learning to balance.
I like to reflect a lot before I start something, but I'm also making sure that mindset doesn’t replace movement.

I'll keep showing up and observing — with presence, not perfection.

 

[Thrawn33]

Thank you for the detailed and practical advice — I really appreciate the clarity.
I like that mindset of "just commit to the throw" and not worry about defense too much at the beginning.

It helps to know that getting thrown is part of the process — not failure, but progress. That effortless ippon moment you described? Sounds like something to work toward, slowly and consistently.

I'm still early on, but your perspective gives me a solid idea of where to start focusing.

Ukemi should be the first technique you strive to master.

Once that fear of getting thrown goes out the window your confidence attacking will improve, after all what's the worst that can happen in randori...you get tossed, you get up, repeat.

Enjoy the journey, stretch and hydrate and don't overtrain early.

 

[SoftGi]

Ukemi should be the first technique you strive to master.

Once that fear of getting thrown goes out the window your confidence attacking will improve, after all what's the worst that can happen in randori...you get tossed, you get up, repeat.

Enjoy the journey, stretch and hydrate and don't overtrain early.

Thank you - I really appreciate that. I'm realizing more and more how much of his journey is about surrendering to the process and trusting the fall. Ukemi is definitely something I want to spend time with, not just as a skill, but as a mindset. Appreciate the reminder to stay hydrated and not overdo it early on, too.

 

[Thrawn33]

Thank you - I really appreciate that. I'm realizing more and more how much of his journey is about surrendering to the process and trusting the fall. Ukemi is definitely something I want to spend time with, not just as a skill, but as a mindset. Appreciate the reminder to stay hydrated and not overdo it early on, too.

Ukemi has saved my ass in real life more than Osoto... lol.

 

[SoftGi]

Ukemi has saved my ass in real life more than Osoto... lol.

Haha, that's both impressive and reassuring.
Ukemi = inner peace and fewer bruises, I guess.
I still can't wait to get on the mat and feel that rhythm.

 

[shunyata]

Ukemi has saved my ass in real life more than Osoto... lol.

Seriously. Ukemi has saved me from catastrophic injury.

Not in streetfights, but when you get launched over the handlebars of a bicycle and do a forward roll on concrete instead of face planting.

 

[ChickenBrother]

Ukemi has saved my ass in real life more than Osoto... lol.

Seriously. Ukemi has saved me from catastrophic injury.

Not in streetfights, but when you get launched over the handlebars of a bicycle and do a forward roll on concrete instead of face planting.

This x 1000. If you take nothing else away from Judo, learn proper ukemi because it will save your ass in daily life. I also upended myself on a bicycle and instinctively hit a forward roll on asphalt. Some scrapes on my hand and forearm but not a scratch on my face or head even though I (stupidly) wasn't even wearing a helmet.

And it's not the same as BJJ "breakfalls." I love BJJ and have a brown belt in it but those guys can't ukemi for shit because they don't have to.

 

[Thrawn33]

And it's not the same as BJJ "breakfalls." I love BJJ and have a brown belt in it but those guys can't ukemi for shit because they don't have to.

God this.

My first BJJ club with my Judo background I thought I did the polite and proper thing and asked the coach about throwing folks since we started our rolls standing.

He said blue and up was no problem since they learned breakfalls...

...it was in fact a problem after a few Blues bitched I was going to hard in practice...and I threw them like I'd throw an orange belt adult judoka...

To be fair coach had my back and pointed out how I was lessening the impact with my follow through and they should be thankful I had enough skill to know how to do that. I think they were just disappointed I wasn't your typical WB fresh meat.

 

[ChickenBrother]

God this.

My first BJJ club with my Judo background I thought I did the polite and proper thing and asked the coach about throwing folks since we started our rolls standing.

He said blue and up was no problem since they learned breakfalls...

...it was in fact a problem after a few Blues bitched I was going to hard in practice...and I threw them like I'd throw an orange belt adult judoka...

To be fair coach had my back and pointed out how I was lessening the impact with my follow through and they should be thankful I had enough skill to know how to do that. I think they were just disappointed I wasn't your typical WB fresh meat.

TBF there are dick Judoka out there who slam noobs but the "breakfalls" I've seen taught at most BJJ gyms are a pork filled abomination. My gym has guys doing forward rolls leading with the back of their hand with palm facing in.

 

[shunyata]

God this.

My first BJJ club with my Judo background I thought I did the polite and proper thing and asked the coach about throwing folks since we started our rolls standing.

He said blue and up was no problem since they learned breakfalls...

...it was in fact a problem after a few Blues bitched I was going to hard in practice...and I threw them like I'd throw an orange belt adult judoka...

To be fair coach had my back and pointed out how I was lessening the impact with my follow through and they should be thankful I had enough skill to know how to do that. I think they were just disappointed I wasn't your typical WB fresh meat.

It might have been the disappointment, but from my experience a ton of bjj guys are legit scared of standup and will go to the internet to whine about wrestlers and judoka being too rough with them.

By the time you get to brown and black belt most of the ones who are left have been crosstraining one way or the other, but a lot of white and blue belts are scared of gravity and will brag that they turn down the wrestlers for rolls.

 

[Thrawn33]

It might have been the disappointment, but from my experience a ton of bjj guys are legit scared of standup and will go to the internet to whine about wrestlers and judoka being too rough with them.

By the time you get to brown and black belt most of the ones who are left have been crosstraining one way or the other, but a lot of white and blue belts are scared of gravity and will brag that they turn down the wrestlers for rolls.

No BS, I came in very humble, and like I said I spoke to the coach because I didn't want to be "that guy".

The more senior blues and up loved me because they wanted to work stand-up. One purple asked me to never pull guard and promised he would never as well and we'd teach each other. Good dude. Pretty sure he hit every sub in the book on me.

I pulled guard on the non wrestler white belts. I needed to work my bottom game. Wrestlers were fun for this former wrestler pre-leg ban Judoka.

It was always the new blues with no prior training who had the ego problems. One dude went to sleep in practice because he didn't want to tap to a white belt, then I felt like a dick. Found out later he was kind of a mat bully, and a few of the senior guys loved it.

Now I'm a busted old purple who hasn't rolled in a few. I get spending lots of time learning to breakfall is not good business in BJJ but damn...at my last club were I was one of the more seasoned guy coach let me teach breakfalls so guys would love the random standing only "rolls"

 

[BoomStronk]

Also have been saved by ukemi. Sprinting across a field at night with a friend - we were running from a cab. Stupid shit, I was young. My friend and I were running side by side. We both tripped on some wire invisible at night.

I automatically rolled through and popped up and kept running, barely even slowed down. My friend face planted, chipped his tooth and sprained his wrist.

Get ready for lots and lots of drilling. Going up and down the mats in lines over and over and over again doing things like ukemi or kazushi. This can be annoying when you first start, especially because you won't br smooth yet, but as this thread attests with the ukemi anecdotes, its effective in making things automatic.

I find it interesting that some guys in this thread are talking about boldly committing to attacks. I defer to their probable significantly deeper experience than mine, but I sort of consider the opposite approach.

One of the conceptual fundaments of judo is exploiting openings, and counterattacking. Until you've really mastered a throw, its almost impossible to just grab a judoka and throw him the way you want to. You've gotta get him moving first, reacting to something and then throwing him in response to how he reacts. Again, im absolutely not the expert here, but I always sort of thought that judo taught you individual throws in sort of the same way readers first learn individual letters: They are important elements, but you can't really do much without combining them.

Anywho, yes, the feeling of effortlessly exploding someone's legs up over your head and hearing and feeling the "whomp" while seeing the refs arm straight in yhe air... man, that's like Crack, baby. More satisfying than a submission.

 

[Patrick Jane]

I find it interesting that some guys in this thread are talking about boldly committing to attacks. I defer to their probable significantly deeper experience than mine, but I sort of consider the opposite approach.

One of the conceptual fundaments of judo is exploiting openings, and counterattacking. Until you've really mastered a throw, its almost impossible to just grab a judoka and throw him the way you want to. You've gotta get him moving first, reacting to something and then throwing him in response to how he reacts. Again, im absolutely not the expert here, but I always sort of thought that judo taught you individual throws in sort of the same way readers first learn individual letters: They are important elements, but you can't really do much without combining them.

You are never going to really master a throw when you learn to already just use it as a setup. The problem is that it's tempting to float from slop technique to slop technique instead of improving your techniques.

That's kind of a common thing with BJJ as well though, where you see a bunch of exotic techniques to solve problems that wouldn't arise if you did the basics properly in the first place.

 

[BoomStronk]

You are never going to really master a throw when you learn to already just use it as a setup. The problem is that it's tempting to float from slop technique to slop technique instead of improving your techniques.

That's kind of a common thing with BJJ as well though, where you see a bunch of exotic techniques to solve problems that wouldn't arise if you did the basics properly in the first place.

I agree with you for sure. I think thats what people probably are talking about when they said thay Rickson was amazing at BJJ because of his absolute mastery of fundamentals.

Maybe it was just me and my way of learning or whatever but the first click moment in learning judo for me was realizing that none of these techniques were going to work off the shelf. In a competition, if I wanted to throw my opponent with o Soto gari, it was virtually impossible to do that if my opponent knew I was trying to do that. Having exceptional o Soto technique, even perfect technique, wouldn't allow me to land it if my opponent knew that's what I was trying.

Of course, as i learned and fought better competition. , my opponents would realize that my first "fake" setup technique was indeed a fake and then they'd anticipate my 2nd move and counter that. This sounds to me like what you're talking about - at a certain level of competence, you can't afford ham-fisted sloppy moves because they are just openers for the throw you're going for. I suppose I was thinking more about beginner level thinking - I can remember being frustrated that my throws never worked until I started using kazushi, reactions and counters.

But, im absolutely not an expert. I haven't been inside a judo dojo for decades

 

[Thrawn33]

Anywho, yes, the feeling of effortlessly exploding someone's legs up over your head and hearing and feeling the "whomp" while seeing the refs arm straight in yhe air... man, that's like Crack, baby. More satisfying than a submission.

Don't forget the "oooooo!!!" from the crowd when you land that big perfect straight to back ippon, they may not have caught it, but everyone heard it, and there's the ref with the arm in the air....

Damn I miss that.

 

[Patrick Jane]

I agree with you for sure. I think thats what people probably are talking about when they said thay Rickson was amazing at BJJ because of his absolute mastery of fundamentals.

Maybe it was just me and my way of learning or whatever but the first click moment in learning judo for me was realizing that none of these techniques were going to work off the shelf. In a competition, if I wanted to throw my opponent with o Soto gari, it was virtually impossible to do that if my opponent knew I was trying to do that. Having exceptional o Soto technique, even perfect technique, wouldn't allow me to land it if my opponent knew that's what I was trying.

Of course, as i learned and fought better competition. , my opponents would realize that my first "fake" setup technique was indeed a fake and then they'd anticipate my 2nd move and counter that. This sounds to me like what you're talking about - at a certain level of competence, you can't afford ham-fisted sloppy moves because they are just openers for the throw you're going for. I suppose I was thinking more about beginner level thinking - I can remember being frustrated that my throws never worked until I started using kazushi, reactions and counters.

But, im absolutely not an expert. I haven't been inside a judo dojo for decades

The big blind spot here, to stay with the O Soto Gari example, is assuming to just do the technique and call it a day. I think people confuse grappling with boxing often times, where you fake one punch and do another. Judo is more complex. The first challenge is not throwing your opponent but to establish a grip, and there are many ways to do that and many different ways you can grip for the throw. Same with different Kuzushi options. The mistake you made was substituting such things with direct entries to different throws and then just looking for what your uke is giving you to work with it seems. And that's kinda where we come full circle in the explanation. To stick with your comparison from earlier, it's not the throws which are the equivalent to different individual letters for people learning to read, but it's all the stuff happening way before the throw that are the individual letters which can be combined or exchanged into different sequences to create something coherent.

I think there is this widespread mindset among beginners that only a clean throw is an indicator of success, when even a good grip of controlling your opponents movement for a short while are very much accomplishments. The same applies to BJJ beginners who wonder why they can't just Armbar their opponent right away.