Do you cross train?

I'm curious as to do any of you cross train in other arts/disciplines?  I'm mainly referring to grappling arts such as bjj, jjj, wrestling, and sambo, although I'm sure there could be a benefit gained from anything to some extent or another.  How often do you practice it?  How do you see it benefiting your judo?  I'm always surprised to see the amount of judoka, especially the older generation, that have never trained in anything else.  I'm a big fan of cross training and I think modern judo has evolved to the point you see athletes cross training to gain any advantage they can.

Myself:  I come from a mma/ no gi grappling school that I started going to 7 years or so ago.  I did that for about a year and quickly realized I didn't want to fight, don't like getting hit and don't want to spend $80 a month for something I'll have nothing to show for down the road, so I found judo and never looked back.  About 3 1/2 years ago a sport bjj school opened up near by and I quickly signed up.  I got my blue belt after about 1 1/2 years and have been going 2-3x per week since.  I love the sport almost as much as judo.  I feel it has helped me in all the obvious ways, but mostly in the guard passing, submission defense, and conditioning in the extra mat time.  A lot of the success from bjj in judo for myself comes down to the particular referee and the amount of mat time they allow.  A lot of the flashier sweeps, submissions, and back attacks don't work in judo because you don't have the time to set it up, but I still have fun learning it anyways.  I also try to go work out with a friend that coaches folk style scholastic wrestling once in a while when I have time.  The benefits are huge in the turn overs and conditioning, but I just don't have the time to make a habit out of it.

My area is not a very popular judo area with only 3 major clubs, including the one I go to.  So with the exception of small talk at tournaments, I'm kind of cut off from the judo crowd.  I'm curious as to if cross training is becoming more popular and what others thoughts are about it in other parts of the states and world.  Thanks!

No. Only judo. A lot of people on here cross train though.
Personally I have never had to as I had access to plenty of different judoka and classes for most of my judo life.

I train bjj as well as judo.  I do 2 classes a week of each and have to say that they compliment each other nicely.  There are not many judo clubs by me either, so to get extra mat time in I almost had to take bjj as well.  Luckily the bjj school has an instructor who is also a brown belt in judo, so he mixes in some throws from time to time. Love both arts.

3 major judo clubs in your area?????  Lucky duck.

I do about one BJJ class per week. Frankly, I would rather have the predominance of my training be in said art. However, Judo is much cheaper and it has grown on me.

At the risk of sounding a pansy, Judo scares the bejeesus out of me at times. It also tends to hurt more. There are many things I like and admire about Judo, though. 

I feel like Judo ne waza principles of quick, effective moves and pinning are very useful. Also, more aggression and decisiveness

rjohnston411 wrote:I do about one BJJ class per week. Frankly, I would rather have the predominance of my training be in said art. However, Judo is much cheaper and it has grown on me.

At the risk of sounding a pansy, Judo scares the bejeesus out of me at times. It also tends to hurt more. There are many things I like and admire about Judo, though. 

I feel like Judo ne waza principles of quick, effective moves and pinning are very useful. Also, more aggression and decisiveness

Don't feel like a pansy, many of the bjj guys I train with call the 3 of us judoka who train with them "those crazy judo guys".  They all seem scared to be thrown for some reason.  The thing is, if you started judo first, falling is no big deal.

If it is a clean throw, not so bad. If the guy lands on you after a botched uchi mata and nearly breaks your ribs...now that hurts .

Or makkikomi as done by the overzealous in club randori. Those folks need to calm down. Also, getting dropped on your head is bad but I can't seem to remember why....

OldeEnglishD wrote:I train bjj as well as judo.  I do 2 classes a week of each and have to say that they compliment each other nicely.  There are not many judo clubs by me either, so to get extra mat time in I almost had to take bjj as well.  Luckily the bjj school has an instructor who is also a brown belt in judo, so he mixes in some throws from time to time. Love both arts.

I do about the same as you.  2 days in each, unless I have a judo tournament coming up. Our bjj instructor is also a brown belt in judo, so it's a very judo friendly club.  On open mat night, a lot of the guys will start standing with me with no leg attacks or guard pulling. They know I'm controlled enough to not slam them through the mat, so I get some extra practice in.

Q mystic wrote:3 major judo clubs in your area?????  Lucky duck.

By my area, I ment the 4 county area.  They are both an hour drive away.  Luckily our club owner/coach is in good with both, so occasionally we get to go work out with them.

Some other arts I tried just for fun once was aikido and krav maga (spelling?)  Our bjj school hosted a seminar from each.  I couldn't get much from the aikido.  The ukemi was way over emphasized and looked very cooperative.  The krav maga was fun, but I don't plan on disarming anyone or using a knee to the groin in a judo shiai.

I am going to start BJJ next week.  I actually have little interest in it- I love Judo throws 1000X more than Newaza- but the classes are super convenient- 7am-8am Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I can go before work- and plus they're right down the street from my house.

God how I wish Judo offered the same amount of classes as BJJ.  I would ____ing kill to train Judo twice a week in the morning before work.  Night classes are just so hard for me with a newborn but as there are only two Judo dojos anywhere near me I have to go when the classes are- which is never convenient.  BJJ otoh I can practically pick and choose where and when...

Anyway as far as cross-training is concerned, i'll say this: the guys that have done or are currently doing BJJ just absolutely demolish me on the ground.  I mean it's not even funny- they kill me.  They're just so calm and relaxed and it's just a matter of time before I'm tapping- which makes me want to check it out.  Also, in BJJ they drill, drill, DRILL- which we never do at my Judo dojo.  I have a feeling that BJJ is better for guys like me who do everything wrong- meaning, you get schooled to do things right, whereas in Judo I just keep making the same mistakes every time and my improvement is slight.

I'm looking forward to the methodicalness I hear is part and parcel of BJJ.

I recently participated in a 5 hr session which we did drills and randori in the following disciplines:

Judo
Greco
Freestyle
Sambo
BJJ

I had the fortune of having done these styles before and also I still train/coach in 3 of them.

I also had the fortune of meeting a french nidan judoka and participate in randori with him in these styles, as well as with others. The exchanges were a great experience in tactical shifts and allowee everyone to explore each art/sport within its own paradigms, rather than argue theory each person ealked away with an understanding and more importantly a feel for each.

I highly recommend such days.

Cheers

tafftaz wrote:No. Only judo. A lot of people on here cross train though.
Personally I have never had to as I had access to plenty of different judoka and classes for most of my judo life.

same here :-)

atb

sodo

I trained BJJ for about a year and a half. I think BJJ is great but I wasn't happy with the teaching I was getting so I stopped.

Well I have a 4th Degree BB in Tae Kwon Do ITF sytle which is so different than my Judo training so I throw some kicks and do some striking here and there.

Muay Thai. Completely different sport and environment, I like the cardio aspects of it and I even have gone to camps in Thailand. I did try MMA gym and did the BJJ-nogi wrestling-MMA fighting but with Judo and Muay Thai I was jsut gettijng hurt too much and I am not an MMA/UFC fighter wanna-be or amature fighter.
So I paired it down just Judo and Muay Thai and I am quite comfortable with that.

I do judo 4x per week, and BJJ 1-2x per week.

if I had to pick just one I'd stick to judo, but I enjoy the BJJ too because the guys there are always down for a hard newaza session, and it's a good experience. I always have a good time. but then again I always have a good time at judo too.

I like BJJ because over there I get to work on fluidity and subtlety in my newaza, much more than I get to work on that in judo. so even if not all, or not even most techniques transfer over, you're still learning how to move on the ground from people who specialize in moving fluidly on the ground. over there I'm known as "that judo guy that's always choking people out."

the people I do judo with like that I cross train, because when I learn a new technique that will work in judo, I bring it back to share. the BJJ guys like it too, because from time to time if what they're doing is similar to a judo technique after class (because doing it during class is rude IMO) I'll show some of them the version I'm familiar with. sometimes they like it better, sometimes they don't. frankly I enjoy the discussions more when they don't like my version. but what pleasantly surprises me is how many of the BJJ techniques I bring back to judo end up being something my head sensei already knows from his time in Korea, and that leads to discussions that I learn a lot from.

So many similarities between the arts. 

One advantage of Judo is it makes you a bit more tolerant of pain. I notice that things just don't seem to bother me.

BJJ I could see doing later into your life. That or Kosen-rules Judo. Less wear and tear, possibly.

Q mystic wrote:3 major judo clubs in your area?????  Lucky duck.

I'll second that! Only 3 major clubs...

No, only judo

Only Japanese ju jitsu.

Ben Reinhardt wrote:

Q mystic wrote:3 major judo clubs in your area?????  Lucky duck.

I'll second that! Only 3 major clubs...

haha I guess others have it a lot worse then us in Western PA?  I'm used to comparing it to BJJ schools/clubs that seem to be popping up everywhere, all over the country.

TJCuchi_mata wrote:

Ben Reinhardt wrote:

Q mystic wrote:3 major judo clubs in your area?????  Lucky duck.

I'll second that! Only 3 major clubs...

haha I guess others have it a lot worse then us in Western PA?  I'm used to comparing it to BJJ schools/clubs that seem to be popping up everywhere, all over the country.

Money to be made teaching BJJ in the USA. Not so much, Judo.

^ I wonder just how much of that comes down to availability or convenience for potential members. 

In my old town, there were 3 or 4 Bjj clubs. 3 of them offered 10+ classes/wk and the 4th offered only 3 classes/wk. The 3 clubs that offered many classes, had many members; the one club that offered only 3 classes had about a dozen members...which it looked like about half were kids. This resembled the local judo clubs numbers which also only offered 3 classes/wk.

Well, adults work varying schedules. The variety of classes does help.

i've dipped my toe in to BJJ before and have enjoyed it. I found that it really gave me an edge where my Judo Newaza is concerned although i'm pretty easy prey to BJJ blue belts and above.
Other than that I do boxing padwork once a week for a good cardio workout and did Wing Chun for many years before I woke up smelt the coffee

Even Kung fu is useful if taught in an applicable way to defending yourself.