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Why BJJ Players Need the Judo Toolbox

Discover why BJJ players need a Judo toolbox. Learn to control the transition to the ground, score more points, and start your Jiu-Jitsu from dominant positions.

In many BJJ matches, the transition to the ground is an afterthought, a scramble where both players hope to land on top. But when you add Judo to your repertoire, you open up a much larger toolbox of takedowns. To include Arm Drags from Wrestling, Front Foot Sweeps, and general grip control.

This guide explains why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu players should learn Judo, and how developing a Judo Toolbox can increase their BJJ performance. Explained by Black Belt and experienced Professor Matt Davis, we break down how Judo can increase your grappling potential.

Watch Judo Take Downs

Dictate the Transition

If you have a world-class North-South choke, why would you start in a scramble? Judo allows you to:

  • Control the Landing: Choose throws that land you directly into side control or neon belly.
  • Score Early: Secure those 2 points for the takedown immediately.
  • Dictate the Pace: Force your opponent to play your game from the first second.
  • Transition to Submissions

Grip Fighting

Learning to control your opponent’s grips is a part of any standup routine. Judo teaches you leverage, collar and sleeve dominance, tempo control, and off-balancing through grips. These skills transition to any stand-up take-down martial art.

Start from Dominance

Performing standing work opens the door to their entire Jiu-Jitsu game. When you control the transition, you start from a position of dominance and control rather than recovery. The techniques we work on the other side of the mat—the sweeps, the submissions, the transitions- are much easier to execute when you’ve already put your opponent on their heels (literally).

Judo Submissions

Judo submissions translate extremely well to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, especially for developing strong attacks from top position. Traditional judo techniques like juji-gatame (armbar), collar chokes, and kimura-style locks are often applied directly after throws or pins, which helps BJJ practitioners learn to chain takedowns into immediate submission attempts. Because judo emphasizes control before finishing, practitioners develop a strong understanding of positional dominance, making their submissions harder to escape once secured. This approach complements BJJ’s submission-focused ground game by improving the ability to attack decisively from dominant positions rather than relying solely on guard-based setups.

Explosive Movements

Judo also significantly improves explosiveness and athletic movement, which can dramatically elevate a BJJ practitioner’s performance. The dynamic nature of throws, balance breaking, and rapid transitions trains practitioners to move with speed, power, and coordination. This explosiveness carries over into faster scrambles, more effective sweeps, stronger takedown attempts, and sharper guard passing. Many BJJ athletes benefit from this training because traditional jiu-jitsu can become slow and methodical, while judo develops the ability to react quickly and capitalize on small openings with decisive movement.

Ready to Test Your Skills?

Starting Judo can be an fun and exciting adventure. If you’re looking to add Judo to your BJJ toolbox, follow the steps below:

Your 3-Step Action Plan:

  • Sign the Waiver: New to the mats? Complete our Digital Waiver before your first class.
  • Check the Schedule: View our Official Class Schedule to join our next Fundamentals session.
  • Visit the Gym: Bring your clean white Gi and get ready to train with the best community in Omaha.

📧 Email Us: matt@legacybjjomaha.com

📞 Call/Text: (402) 651-7721

Join the Community Online:

Follow us for daily technique clips, student highlights, and gym updates:

Why BJJ Players Need the Judo Toolbox

Discover why BJJ players need a Judo toolbox. Learn to control the transition to the ground, score more points, and start your Jiu-Jitsu from dominant positions.

In many BJJ matches, the transition to the ground is an afterthought, a scramble where both players hope to land on top. But when you add Judo to your repertoire, you open up a much larger toolbox of takedowns. To include Arm Drags from Wrestling, Front Foot Sweeps, and general grip control.

This guide explains why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu players should learn Judo, and how developing a Judo Toolbox can increase their BJJ performance. Explained by Black Belt and experienced Professor Matt Davis, we break down how Judo can increase your grappling potential.

Watch Judo Take Downs

Dictate the Transition

If you have a world-class North-South choke, why would you start in a scramble? Judo allows you to:

  • Control the Landing: Choose throws that land you directly into side control or neon belly.
  • Score Early: Secure those 2 points for the takedown immediately.
  • Dictate the Pace: Force your opponent to play your game from the first second.
  • Transition to Submissions

Grip Fighting

Learning to control your opponent’s grips is a part of any standup routine. Judo teaches you leverage, collar and sleeve dominance, tempo control, and off-balancing through grips. These skills transition to any stand-up take-down martial art.

Start from Dominance

Performing standing work opens the door to their entire Jiu-Jitsu game. When you control the transition, you start from a position of dominance and control rather than recovery. The techniques we work on the other side of the mat—the sweeps, the submissions, the transitions- are much easier to execute when you’ve already put your opponent on their heels (literally).

Judo Submissions

Judo submissions translate extremely well to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, especially for developing strong attacks from top position. Traditional judo techniques like juji-gatame (armbar), collar chokes, and kimura-style locks are often applied directly after throws or pins, which helps BJJ practitioners learn to chain takedowns into immediate submission attempts. Because judo emphasizes control before finishing, practitioners develop a strong understanding of positional dominance, making their submissions harder to escape once secured. This approach complements BJJ’s submission-focused ground game by improving the ability to attack decisively from dominant positions rather than relying solely on guard-based setups.

Explosive Movements

Judo also significantly improves explosiveness and athletic movement, which can dramatically elevate a BJJ practitioner’s performance. The dynamic nature of throws, balance breaking, and rapid transitions trains practitioners to move with speed, power, and coordination. This explosiveness carries over into faster scrambles, more effective sweeps, stronger takedown attempts, and sharper guard passing. Many BJJ athletes benefit from this training because traditional jiu-jitsu can become slow and methodical, while judo develops the ability to react quickly and capitalize on small openings with decisive movement.

Ready to Test Your Skills?

Starting Judo can be an fun and exciting adventure. If you’re looking to add Judo to your BJJ toolbox, follow the steps below:

Your 3-Step Action Plan:

  • Sign the Waiver: New to the mats? Complete our Digital Waiver before your first class.
  • Check the Schedule: View our Official Class Schedule to join our next Fundamentals session.
  • Visit the Gym: Bring your clean white Gi and get ready to train with the best community in Omaha.

📧 Email Us: matt@legacybjjomaha.com

📞 Call/Text: (402) 651-7721

Join the Community Online:

Follow us for daily technique clips, student highlights, and gym updates: