Should I Switch to Judo?

I'm a currently a brown belt in BJJ and wanted to hear different point of views on this matter.  I've been training in BJJ for over 10 years and know that I want to at least get my black belt in BJJ before switching to judo.  My question is for those on here that maybe have switched to different styles or stayed in the same one for the whole time, if you could go back would you have stayed in the same art until 8th or 9th dan or would you have switched to get a broader spectrum of skills in grappling?

I train both though Judo is my first love - I don't see why you need to switch - in terms of technique they enhance each other.

I wouldn't switch. Only if I am 10th Dan, because then there is nothing more to achieve.

Anatol wrote:I wouldn't switch. Only if I am 10th Dan, because then there is nothing more to achieve.

Even tenth dans can continue learning.

If possible, I would train both. Often Insights gained in one style can be applied in the other, and thus help you grow. No one martial art is complete.

Hi Kaze

Kaze wrote:

Anatol wrote:I wouldn't switch. Only if I am 10th Dan, because then there is nothing more to achieve.

Even tenth dans can continue learning.

There was some irony included. Ranks are the confucian part of Judo.

I don't really have the option of training both at the same time.

I do feel that that if I went into judo I would be mainly focusing on standing throws with a little bit of ground work but not nearly as focused on it as in BJJ.

I'm thinking that if I switch I will learn new and exciting things.

However, I also worry that I may miss out on other amazing things had I stayed focused and looked more deeply into BJJ by keeping it my focus.

Or that my bjj will suffer as a result and it will be almost as if I digressed in something that I spent so much time aquiring skill in.

Kind of the whole jack of all trades master of none dillema.

Take a few Judo classes & see what you think. You might not like it. Plus some people have a hard time becoming white belts again, the learning curve is too annoying.

You might find that Judo provides what has been missing with your BJJ game, you might have lots of "Aha" moments. On the other hand you might become really frustrated with not being able to grab legs or with people turtling on the ground all the time.

Try Judo for a while and then decide what you'd like to do.

I actually have done a little judo for a few years while training BJJ and got to green belt level. I learned a lot and did like it and was thinking about persuing it after I got my BJJ black belt.

I'm just not sure if I should drop BJJ for judo after black belt or if anyone has done something similar and regretted it or felt it was a good decision.

I've dropped Judo in the past in favor of other arts, and always gone back to Judo. I went to BJJ and trained to blue belt, I missed the throws of Judo, so now train in Judo with the occasional crosstraining in BJJ.

If you can only train in one art at a time & would like to become better at Judo then I'd give it a go. You can always go back to BJJ, you are already good enough that you'll never lose it. Just might not be as up to date in whichever is the most popular form of guard!

I would stick to BJJ if you plan to teach or compete in that art though.

lzybmbjj30 wrote:

I do feel that that if I went into judo I would be mainly focusing on standing throws with a little bit of ground work but not nearly as focused on it as in BJJ.

.

Not necessarily , Ive actually known a couple of Judo clubs focus more on groundwork than standing ! Depends on the club, many are half half some have almost no groundwork.
Yes to new and exciting though - No harm trying it out and seeing which fulfils you more. Thing is - if your BJJ level goes down - getting your blackbelt might be harder and you might want to wait to get it first. Though you know - you'll get your old level back with a couple of months training. Judo has actually helped me in BJJ groundwork too believe it or not.

Hm, at more than 20 years in judo, the only way I'll get an 8th or 9th degree is through an "unaffiliated" school.... Besides, how many women actually ever get that highly ranked?

OP, you can learn whatever curriculum you want. Lots of judo translates to BJJ, and visa versa. You can grade in any MA you want. Shodan is a really cool achievement, but it just reflects your own personal journey in that MA. The question is, why are you doing MA? If it's to get the highest rank possible, then don't switch. If it's to learn, then there's a ton of ways to learn, and one of those ways is to cross train in other MAs. The question is whether or not cross training in other MAs enhances your understanding, or screws you up. Take two very different people, you'll get two very different answers.

For me, I like messing around a bit in other MAs, including a bit of BJJ. I do it because it takes me out of my rut and makes me think of things differently. Other people cannot think like that and it confuses them. No problems.

You do what you need to do to get where you want to go in your journey. If you want to collect black belts, fine. I've got 2, don't need or want more, but that's me, and reflects what's important to me.

Stacey wrote:Hm, at more than 20 years in judo, the only way I'll get an 8th or 9th degree is through an "unaffiliated" school....  Besides, how many women actually ever get that highly ranked?

OP, you can learn whatever curriculum you want.  Lots of judo translates to BJJ, and visa versa.  You can grade in any MA you want.  Shodan is a really cool achievement, but it just reflects your own personal journey in that MA.  The question is, why are you doing MA? If it's to get the highest rank possible, then don't switch.  If it's to learn, then there's a ton of ways to learn, and one of those ways is to cross train in other MAs.  The question is whether or not cross training in other MAs enhances your understanding, or screws you up.  Take two very different people, you'll get two very different answers.

For me, I like messing around a bit in other MAs, including a bit of BJJ.  I do it because it takes me out of my rut and makes me think of things differently.  Other people cannot think like that and it confuses them.  No problems.  

You do what you need to do to get where you want to go in your journey.  If you want to collect black belts, fine.  I've got 2, don't need or want more, but that's me, and reflects what's important to me.

This is interesting - but I think although I like to say we do not care about rank - there is apart of me that does. Im getting a wee bit older now and am still a brown belt largely due to administrative issues (Ive trained in over ten countries at about 40 different clubs in the last eight years due to my job making me travel ), most people who started Judo with me got their blackbelt long ago. Rank is not the most important thing to me in Judo, its actually quite low on my list of reasons to do Judo - but I would like to get my blackbelt competing while I still can. Plus you cant actually compete for gradings until you get your brown belt in the UK now. Having said that I would put learning new things above rank. The problem is our society does not think like that and neither do many people in the Judo world.

The quote....

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." — Robert Heinlein

comes to mind. How can you ever go wrong with broadening your horizons?

afulldeck wrote:The quote....

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." — Robert Heinlein

comes to mind. How can you ever go wrong with broadening your horizons?

NICE quote (apart from Butcher a hog) .......but there's also  "Jack of all trades, master of none" .

Gus wrote:

afulldeck wrote:The quote....

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." — Robert Heinlein

comes to mind. How can you ever go wrong with broadening your horizons?

NICE quote (apart from Butcher a hog) .......but there's also  "Jack of all trades, master of none" .

but the full quote is ....

"Jack of all trades, master of none
often better than a master of one"

I'm a believer in being a Renaissance man

afulldeck wrote:

Gus wrote:

afulldeck wrote:The quote....

"A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects." — Robert Heinlein

comes to mind. How can you ever go wrong with broadening your horizons?

NICE quote (apart from Butcher a hog) .......but there's also  "Jack of all trades, master of none" .

but the full quote is ....

"Jack of all trades, master of none
often better than a master of one"

I'm a believer in being a Renaissance man

oooohhh theres a quotation Ippon right there but well, Leonardo for example was a master of all ! In  all fairness I started training BJJ when I was a Judo blue belt and I cant say its done my Judo any harm, but to give up judo altogether for a while ? hmmm ....

EternalStudent wrote:If possible, I would train both. Often Insights gained in one style can be applied in the other, and thus help you grow. No one martial art is complete.

Well, other than Ameri-Do-Te.

We had a BJJ black belt instructor who did judo with us for few years. He realized the sharp
difference of the standing skill between a good judo black belt competitor and him. He realized
it takes much more to become proficient and effective with a throw than a ground technique. He also
appreciated Jigoro Kano's philosophy more than the BJJ culture from which he rose up the rank.
In fact he wished that he started judo first because having the experience of newaza as a BJJ black belt, he realized the specialization curve of the tachiwaza and newaza are not the same.

BJJ to Judo is not too much of a stretch. IF you come from a striking background to Judo that is entirely different thing. I was in TKD form 21 years and even did a little of it on the side when I was starting Judo. It’s almost harder because of how you have to think about fighting.

You don't have to be a jack of all trades. I know ten years is a long time, but if you spend ten years on judo and bjj you can be a master of both. That's what makes a master - ten years of hard work, isn't it?

10 years of judo is not a master. 50 years of judo is a master, and they would likely tell you they are still working on stuff.

We obviously have different definitions of master. A medieval master was someone qualified to represent a guild or a trade without embarassing them or lowering the accepted standard. Ten years in judo is a master. Right around sandan I guess.

Depends on what you mean by "10 years". 10 years of recreational practice around here is a shodan like me who isn't particularly good. 10 years of dedicated practice could be an olympian.

The quote... "A rolling stone gathers no moss" seems particularly relevant here.... and pun-worthy.