The Rise of BJJ vs Judo

Rooneymara

Why do you think BJJ has become so popular over other grappling arts?

I'm thinking particularly Judo which already had a good foothold in this country before the introduction of BJJ and also has some of the attributes of BJJ.

I know MMA and the UFC in particular has been one of the reasons for BJJ's popularity but I believe also because BJJ is easier on your body in comparison to judo and therefore retains beginners better.

Is there any record kept of adults registered as club members in particular martial arts, I say adults as an adult has a choice what they want to do as opposed to a child you will generally go where they are sent.

EnjoyChoke

Rooneymara wrote: »

Why do you think BJJ has become so popular over other grappling arts?

I'm thinking particularly Judo which already had a good foothold in this country before the introduction of BJJ and also has some of the attributes of BJJ.

I know MMA and the UFC in particular has been one of the reasons for BJJ's popularity but I believe also because BJJ is easier on your body in comparison to judo and therefore retains beginners better.

Is there any record kept of adults registered as club members in particular martial arts, I say adults as an adult has a choice what they want to do as opposed to a child you will generally go where they are sent.

Judo is far more popular than BJJ

Jason McCabe

Judo is massive compared to BJJ

The biggest problem with judo has been the watering down of the rules over the years

Early judo even had leglocks

Stooped

Judo is bigger, but BJJ is quickly on the rise. My reason for it being so popular is like what you have stated in the OP. The UFC and MMA in general has definitely assisted BJJ in gaining popularity.

lawrencesummers

EnjoyChoke wrote: »

Judo is far more popular than BJJ

Is that an opinion or based on some facts and figures?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Judo has a steep learning curve, its also very tough & competitive.

BJJ is pretty relaxed and far easier in terms of injury and intensity trained.

In this country both styles are in a minority compared to most other styles, go to a kickboxing, TKD or Karate competition and see for yourself.

In Europe at least Judo is massive and competitions will often sell out stadiums, there are French judoka who have become millionairs through the sport.

I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long run.

In my opinion although BJJ has been gaining in popularity its still got ground to gain against Judo.

Shane Fitz

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote: »

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I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long run./Quote]

I think thats very harsh Mak, to the best of my knowledge every club in Ireland has open door policies with regard to members from other clubs. Many of the gym owners visit eachothers gyms and have standing invitations to eachothers members

slammer187

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote: »

I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long run.

Ah here now...

arybvtcw0eolkf

Shane Fitz wrote: »

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote: »

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I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long run./Quote]

I think thats very harsh Mak, to the best of my knowledge every club in Ireland has open door policies with regard to members from other clubs. Many of the gym owners visit eachothers gyms and have standing invitations to eachothers members

Its only been my experience and since judo is my primary sport I bow to your experience of course.

darced

This post has been deleted.

SDTimeout

For me, I got into BJJ through an upstart MMA club which made me realise fairly soon I didn't like striking and I love grappling.

Rural wise what's the story with Judo clubs ? I don't think there's any in Louth but now there are 3 BJJ clubs or at least 3 facilities offering BJJ.

Also the open mat thing imo isn't there with pure BJJ clubs, I think they're all fairly relax about it and welcome others to train. Maybe clubs with MMA classes are different and they don't want to train BJJ with people they might fight ? I know the BJJ community is far nicer than the MMA one ( even though a lot of people mix )

Rooneymara

Just to clarify that I never stated that numbers participating in BJJ were higher, as I'm not too sure that they are. Just that BJJ appears to have gained popularity over Judo in the interest it has gained and its retention of beginners. From my experience of Judo beginners are lost quickly because as well stated by
Makikomi:
"Judo has a steep learning curve, its also very tough & competitive.

BJJ is pretty relaxed and far easier in terms of injury and intensity trained."

Judo can be frustrating for beginners, in particular adults. Adults can feel happier with their progress in BJJ over for argument sake the first six months than someone taking up Judo in my opinion. I'd be interested to hear about peoples opinions of their first six months to year in either in either BJJ to Judo to see if my opinion has any grounding in reality.

As far as MMA and the UFC influence on martial arts I'll be interested to see what effect Ronda Rousey will have on the popularity of Judo now she's joined the UFC. Personally I think she's class, and not just because she's hot! She's won all her fights be armbar and is just vicious. She's a great advertisement for Judo in MMA.

Personally I can see Judo eventually gaining in popularity as a result of more adults taking up BJJ, I see adults taking up BJJ first and people who get serious in it taking up Judo to improve their BJJ.

EnjoyChoke

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Is that an opinion or based on some facts and figures?

Facts and figures.

EnjoyChoke

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote: »

I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long run.
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Get up that yard Mak!
Don't know if you had a bad experience, but in all my years training I've found the very opposite to be the case.

EnjoyChoke

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote: »

BJJ is pretty relaxed and far easier in terms of injury and intensity .

You should try a high level comp class for a different perspective :-)

Doug Cartel

Rooneymara wrote: »

Just to clarify that I never stated that numbers participating in BJJ were higher, as I'm not too sure that they are.

I'd guestimate that if you're only talking about adults then in Dublin (and probably Ireland, but I haven't trained outside Dublin) BJJ has more people at the moment - a lot of the judo clubs are very kid focused at the moment.

As to your original question about how it took hold so quickly, in America I think that a big part of it was down to how bad the judo scene is over there, which left a big gap in the market. It would be interesting to compare the uptake in the US vs France. (Of course one of the first places, outside of Brazil, BJJ took off was in Japan, so maybe there isn't much weight in that theory.)

lawrencesummers

EnjoyChoke wrote: »

Facts and figures.

Any links, just out of curiosity...

And whoever found Bjj clubs unwelcoming is either visiting some strange clubs, bringing an ego with them, or making it up, I've trained in a few clubs in Ireland and lots in the uk and Europe and been made feel very welcome at all of them.

Doug Cartel

SDTimeout wrote: »

Rural wise what's the story with Judo clubs ? I don't think there's any in Louth but now there are 3 BJJ clubs or at least 3 facilities offering BJJ.

A few years ago, after the project I was working on got canned and my job contract didn't get renewed, I ended up living in my parents place back in the Wesht. The main thing that motivated me to get up off my arse and find some form of employment was that there was no judo available.

Pretty soon after I left for Dublin, two BJJ places opened up. Eventually a Judo place opened up, but I think they only do kids classes at the moment.

Doug Cartel

By the way, I've never felt a BJJ club to be unwelcoming, and they seem to be just as accepting of people from other clubs training as in judo.

EnjoyChoke

lawrencesummers wrote: »

Any links, just out of curiosity...

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Ah Lar, come on now.

Mellor

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote:

I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long run.

Next time I'm in ireland, I'd like to get the chance to call into some of the Dublin BBJ gyms/clubs. I've never trained in any irish club previously, and my gym isn't a shared affiliate like alliance, gracie barra, checkmat etc. I'd also tell them that i'm just looking to train and I'll 100% not be signing up.

Even with all that, I'd be very surprised if I wasn't able to easily find a place to train.

Tom.D.BJJ

Mellor wrote: »

Next time I'm in ireland, I'd like to get the chance to call into some of the Dublin BBJ gyms/clubs. I've never trained in any irish club previously, and my gym isn't a shared affiliate like alliance, gracie barra, checkmat etc. I'd also tell them that i'm just looking to train and I'll 100% not be signing up.

Even with all that, I'd be very surprised if I wasn't able to easily find a place to train.

You're more than welcome anytime you're over man.

One other thing for everyone to note is that Judo is more popular in Brazil than BJJ . I would say that the only country where they are even remotely close in popularity would be the USofA

Oh and Makikomi, I don't know where you were not welcomed. It's normally the opposite in fact. I've trained in clubs from Belfast to Cork and have always been welcomed

Doug Cartel

Tom.D.BJJ wrote: »

One other thing for everyone to note is that Judo is more popular in Brazil than BJJ .

I was talking with a Brazilian guy about this, and he said that while judo is very popular, it's mainly seen as an activity for poor kids to keep them out of trouble. It's fairly unusual for adults to continue to do it, and usually only if they are very good and get some kind of sponsorship and start training for international competition. Recreational gyms are fairly rare. I suppose it's not unlike the situation with boxing before this white collar thing took off.

cowzerp

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote: »

I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long

Mak i only tell you that so you don't train anywhere else and tell all our trade secrets!

Don't mind Bigmak, he just happens to know many of the Judo coaches and the same would not be said of the BJJ coaches plus i think he's at that time of the month.

Tim_Murphy

Monserrat Crashing Coin wrote: »

I train in both BJJ and judo and the huge benefit for me is that I can visit any judo club in the country and be welcomed on the mat, I know for a fact that wouldn't be the case in BJJ ~ I think that will be to the detriment of BJJ in the long run.

I've trained in a good few different BJJ clubs here in Ireland, the UK and further afield, I've been made feel very welcome in them all. I've rocked into a small training group in a suburb of Bogota one time, a few guys with a few mats, and found the exact same relaxed and fun BJJ atmosphere that you find in the majority of places, no matter where you go. It's one of the really cool things about BJJ to be honest. I've no doubt that there are exceptions to that rule of course, but that's what it's been like in all the places I've been to.

just-joe

Doug Cartel wrote: »

a lot of the judo clubs are very kid focused at the moment.

This may be not at the moment but for eternity.

Doug Cartel

just-joe wrote: »

This may be not at the moment but for eternity.

Yeah, I guess you're right. Probably applies all across the world as well.

Rooneymara

Doug Cartel wrote: »

Yeah, I guess you're right. Probably applies all across the world as well.

Can you see this changing?

Do you think that people taking up BJJ and then deciding to do some Judo to supplement their BJJ will increase numbers in the future?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Its only been my experience and since judo is my primary sport I bow to your experience of course.

My reply earlier so I'm not getting into an online pissing contest.

Jonah42

Don't want to open a tin of worms here, but I thought I'd just throw in my own experiences...

I've trained both in Judo and BJJ and to be honest I've founded it harder and less welcoming going to different Judo clubs to train than BJJ clubs. (Possibly because of two governing orgs?)

I've also found that Judo guys tend to be a bit more anti-bjj than BJJ guys are anti-judo. It's only a very tiny minority of the Judo community that I've met that were anti-BJJ but I don't think I've ever come across a BJJ guy that didn't appreciate Judo.