Ahh, one of the ultimate questions in the grappling world — what is the difference between Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? There’s usually a follow-up question along the lines of — which one is better? Before putting the two through the ringer for best, we first must understand the uniqueness of both. Judo and BJJ are both incredible forms of combat sports and martial arts that originated in Japan.
History of Judo:
Judo was discovered in the late 19th century by Jigoro Kano as a physical and philosophical practice. With tremendous focus on strength and momentum against one’s opponent. Although Judo techniques were originally designed to hurt or kill opponents in an actual battlefield, the term Judo is divided into Japanese characters: Ju-gentle and Do-the way. Judo was then adapted for students to learn as a form of safety and discipline with profound respect. Kicking, punching, or striking techniques are not applied at any time as well as no equipment is used. It is all about balance, power, and movement that requires considerable time, effort and energy.
History of BJJ:
Following the creation of Judo, Kano traveled the world and taught in Brazil. BJJ focuses much more heavily on ground combat with chokes, locks, reversals, and sweeps. In BJJ, you will find some Judo techniques. You will also find that BJJ uses more leverage and patience. BJJ is acknowledged as a more full grappling art.
Judo Vs. BJJ:
Okay, so now that we have some more background knowledge on Judo and BJJ. Which one is “better”? Judo is known as the complete grappling art while Judo is the superior takedown style. BJJ incorporates Judo technique meaning that if someone practices BJJ, then they most likely will know a thing or two about Judo as opposed to the other way around. If someone practices Judo, they may not know how to finish the fight on the ground. BJJ is great for simulating a real-life fight situation while providing a great mental and physical workout that improves confidence. Judo is more about the throwdowns with limited ground time. BJJ is ground focused with takedowns being less important. Some people refer to Judo like fine wine while BJJ is like beer. Ultimately, the choice is yours and what you feel is best to fit your training goals.
