Judo In Jiu-Jitsu: Guard Pulls? What Happened To Throws!

This idea has been floating around in my head for a while, but World Judo Day has brought it to the forefront of my mind. As most of you know, jiu-jitsu evolved from judo. It is the next step. There is no jiu-jitsu without judo. They’re like distant cousins. So when did they start to drift so far apart? Probably around the same time jiu-jitsu practitioners became lazy with their stand up, and started doing the guard pull. Oh yes, the dreaded guard pull. Does it come from a weak stand up game? A fear of being thrown? Wanting to take it to the ground quickly? Whatever the reason, it seems throws have begun to fade from the jiu-jitsu scene. Oh sure, every once in a while you’ll see a one arm shoulder throw where the guy drops to his knees to get the throw (Ippon Seoinage). There might be an Uchi Mata or some other leg reap, and the occasional half assed hip toss. The point is, jiu-jitsu starts from the feet for a reason. The point is to take your opponent to the ground, and let’s face it, pulling guard isn’t the best way to do that. Unless of course, you don’t know any throws, in which case it is the best way because you’re avoiding being thrown. But every jiu-jitsoka learns single and double leg takedowns, and you don’t even see many of those happening. Don’t get me wrong I’m not against pulling guard, I love starting from the guard. It’s my favorite position in all of jiu-jitsu. I’m not advocating against guard pulling, I’m advocating for more throws and takedowns.

I know a lot of people want jiu-jitsu to become a spectator sport (don’t ask me why, I think that’s a horrible idea). Let me tell you, the first step you should take is to make sure you’re not pulling guard. Think about it this way, if die hard jiu-jitsu fans who actually go to tournaments to spectate think that pulling guard is uninteresting, how boring will it be to someone who doesn’t understand jiu-jitsu? The answer is pretty darn boring. But, if you add in some judo throws, with guys getting hip tossed way up in the air, then maybe, just maybe, you have a shot at jiu-jitsu becoming more popular. People want to see action, and pulling guard and sitting there isn’t the way to do it. Yes, there are plenty of people that are active from the guard, myself included, but too often a guy in guard just holds his opponent there, and then his opponent doesn’t really want to pass because he’s afraid to get swept. Now you end up with this Mexican (Brazilian?) standoff. That’s boring to watch even if you practice jiu-jitsu. Who would want to watch that on their television? What’s the solution? Learn some judo throws!

A lot of schools do teach some basic judo moves, but students don’t practice or utilize them, and once they start sparring from the feet or go to a competition, they’re not confident in their own standup game – hence, the guard pull. It doesn’t take much to learn a throw or takedown, and you don’t have to learn a hundred throws that are complicated. You can just learn one or two simple but effective techniques and practice those constantly. Knowing how to halfway do ten throws, isn’t as good as mastering one or two. Like I said, I think a lot of guys are unsure of themselves on the feet. They’re afraid of getting reversed or thrown. Take a leap. Go for the throw. What’s the worst that can happen, you land flat on your back? I mean, it’s not like that happens when you pull guard or anything…

Oss! See you on the mat.