7 posts shown.
stormycobra812 said:I think I saw somewhere—I can’t quite recall the specifics, honestly—that some BJJ club from Mostar might be coming down to Dubrovnik for some seminars around August or September? Does anyone actually know anything about this?
Actually, those Dubrovnik seminars were wrapped up last month. There were four two-day sessions held at the Dubrovnik Bank Judo Club facilities, specifically organized for the members of the Gladiator MMA club—all thanks to an initiative by Mara Perak, who, if I recall correctly, is a national judo champion and a submission wrestling winner from Zadar.
There are plans for more seminars on the horizon, including potential visits from Brazilian masters to Dubrovnik, mostly because the interest from the Gladiator crew has been—well, let's just say it's been pretty intense.
Sarah Booth said:Does anyone know where I can pick up some gear—you know, T-shirts, kimonos, and all that good stuff—from Alliance Jiu-Jitsu? I’m looking to grab one of their shirts for a friend's birthday, but I haven't had any luck finding a shop online... Thanks!
I could probably shoot you a private message with the cell number for the guys over at the Alliance gym here in the States, if you’d like?
SiB said:I know there aren't any kimonos specifically for BJJ—what I'm actually looking for is a blue kimono for Judo... because where I am in the States, there’s basically zero chance of finding a blue one locally.😕
If you head over to the new shopping mall, there’s this boutique called Star Sport that carries Adidas judo kimonos—they have both white and blue ones available. In my experience, they seem to be decent quality and the prices are pretty reasonable (around 62 miles).
To a complete novice, JUDO and BJJ might look like two sides of the same coin—but then again, a beginner might think wrestling and submission grappling are essentially the same thing, or perhaps mistake Muay Thai for full-contact kickboxing, Savate for kickboxing, JUDO for Sambo, or Kyokushinkai for Shotokan...
In all those comparisons, you’ll find certain superficial similarities, but let’s be clear: we are talking about fundamentally different martial arts and disciplines. It’s the exact same story when you compare JUDO to BJJ. I suppose it would take far too long to sit here and lecture everyone on the deep theory and historical lineage of these arts, so I’ll leave any conclusions regarding their similarities to those who have actually spent enough time on the mats to feel the difference.
I should probably emphasize, though, that JUDO and BJJ can complement one another beautifully—they are certainly related branches of the same tree—but the deeper you dive into the training, the more glaring the distinctions become. Granted, training in one can certainly give you a leg up in the other, but those nuances are only apparent to someone actually doing the work, not someone watching a few DVDs and thinking they’ve mastered the essence of the sport. I don't mean to offend anyone here—I'm really not looking for an argument with anyone—I'm simply stating my perspective after years of grinding in BJJ under a Brazilian master and training alongside various JUDO experts, including some high-level black belts. From what I've seen, that experience doesn't necessarily make it any easier for them to grasp the specific tactics and technical nuances of BJJ.
Some people mentioned similarities in earlier posts, so I think I'll pivot and highlight the differences instead:
The philosophies differ, which naturally dictates how you approach standing combat, throws, and takedowns. For instance, many JUDO throws aren't particularly advisable in a BJJ match because you end up exposing your back to your opponent; others just aren't even possible due to the different body positioning required. Then there's the guard work in BJJ—something JUDO practitioners are still essentially trying to wrap their heads around and mimic. Using your legs so actively during ground fighting was always a foreign concept to JUDO stylists. Furthermore, BJJ offers a much wider spectrum of techniques, especially when it comes to finishing holds like joint locks and chokes. There is also a much heavier emphasis on minute details; I've seen JUDO players who think they know certain BJJ moves because they've seen them once in class, yet they can't execute them successfully because they lack an understanding of the critical, subtle mechanics.
At the end of the day, JUDO is a fantastic discipline, and if you're lucky enough to find a great coach, you'll learn some incredible things. But JUDO and BJJ are definitely two distinct paths, and I don't think it's right to mislead people by claiming they are one and the same...
I've been looking into this, but I don't really have any idea what to expect—do you happen to have any clips or videos I could watch just to get a sense of how it actually looks in practice?
Regarding the whole tooth loss thing—it’s honestly not quite as black and white as you're making it out to be. The reality is that injuries can happen in just about any discipline; I actually know a few guys who ended up needing dental work after training nothing more than standard, "traditional" karate.
In my view, it really all comes down to how the training is structured—specifically the person running the sessions. If you have a qualified instructor who actually understands their responsibility to protect their students, things are different. Not everyone is aiming to be a professional fighter, so I suppose training programs should be tailored to reflect that distinction.
At the end of the day, you can definitely train this style with very minimal risk or even no injuries at all, believe me.
Erik Paulson is basically the right-hand man to the legendary Dan Inosanto—and if you aren't familiar with his pedigree, he’s a former Shooto world champion who has coached heavy hitters like Josh Barnett (a former UFC Champion) and the UFC Legend Ken Shamrock. The guy has shared mats with just about everyone who actually matters in the grappling world—think Rickson Gracie, Gerard Le Bell, and the rest of those icons—which is probably why so many people refer to him as a walking encyclopedia of ground fighting techniques. On top of all that, Erik also instructs in Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Kali under Dan Inosanto, picks up Muay Thai from Ajarn Chai Sirisute, and studies Shootwrestling with Yoriyuki Nakamura... honestly, he’s a total combat sports gem, and I suppose he serves as living proof that traditional martial arts and modern combat sports can actually coexist without any friction.
p.s.
My own BJJ instructor, Kazeka Muniz, is actually a friend of Erik's; they used to train together back in the day, and Kazeka has always spoken about him as a true master and just an incredibly cool person to be around.