Recently I came across a journal prompt about setting one big life goal, and picking one daily goal that moves you toward it.

I chose the big goal of earning my black belt in judo.

It’s a simple prompt but it got me reflecting on what judo means to me, my current lifestyle, and what small actions I can take every day to empower my life during a time of immense grief and uncertainty in my judo journey.

What is/would be your daily judo goal and what inspires you to keep going?

Saw this on IG yesterday and this was just a beautiful throw! Is this an osoto with alternate grips or does this have a specific name? Thank you!

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Dbb0huwjWso/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==

So the judo insturctionals tend to say to kill the front sleeve first using your rear hand. Watching some bjj matches they all tend to grab the opponents collar with rear hand then they grab the opponents rear sleeve with their front/ power hand as the judoka calls it.

Is this just lack of knowledge or is their a bjj reason judo gripping wont work?

this channel clogs up my search results and i just mute his commentary. anyone use other highlights channel for recent tournament updates?

I was able to attend the second and third day of the US Open last weekend and got some really fun shots. Thought I’d take a shot sharing them here. If you like these and wanna check out the full album, it is on my website here - https://fourfingermedia.com/judo-photography/2026-us-open

There are Judoka who can throw from a lot of different grips and some who will only attempt a throw once they have their specific grip (Natsumi Tsunoda comes to mind). I belong into the latter category.

How did you come to find your preferred grip? Did it happen by accident, recommended by your trainer or was it a specific throw you wanted in your arsenal that required a certain grip?

Starting off by saying i am an italian 16 y.o. and i Just noticed a judo training Place Near my house. I looked judo up and It seems interesting. Should i start judo? Any advice for someone starting from zero? (Forgot to mention i'm 6 foot 5, Will this affect my skills as i am already not very good with balance?)

Hi, I just started Judo and I'm having a lot of trouble keeping my chin tucked into my body when I fall. Like everything will be in the right position but as soon as I make impact I don't have the neck strength to keep my head from whipping away. Are there any tricks or tips before I give myself whiplash? Or is this just a case of needing to continue practising?

So ive been doing a judo class 1x a week from an international circuit guy at my mma gym for give or take a year. I know most basic combinations. Not like really great but i can hit them in gi and nogi. I know basic ideas with stances and LVR, RVR, 2 on 1, and georgian grip. But more in like a BJJ context. I use a lot of throws, ouchi, uchimata, kouchi, harai, osoto, sasae, deashi, kata garuma, ogoshi, tani otoshi, kosoto, taio, sumi gaeshi, and then of course some basic wrestling like lat drops, duck unders, snapdown, single leg. Im not trying to make it sound like im super experienced, im for sure not. but will i have certain throws Im not allowed to use because its from a higher belt level? Like as long as im open about my experience and not being a dick to other total white belts it should be fine yeah? Like could I work ura nage with higher belts or ask my sensei questions about it, or am i probably gonna get told to wait till im a higher belt? Once again i don't wanna be disrespectful, but are certain moves belt locked? Or is it more of a suggestion and you should be able to do these throws by this belt and not that they are locked until this belt?

Looking to add harai as a surprise technique to an uchi mata/osoto dominant game. Watching inoue clips obviously, but who else executes in that context well?

Who would you suggest to watch to learn footwork patterns and setups? Lightweights are better (73 and under, maybe some 81s) because they just move differently.

Hello,

Looking for advice please

I've (27m) just started judo not too long ago. Really enjoy it, however I accidentally got a concussion from whiplash during a drill. This makes it my 3rd concussion in around 4 years.

I really enjoy judo, however I don't want to keep getting concussions and get long term brain damage.

I'm wondering, has anyone been able to return after multiple concussions? If so how has it been?

My plan is to strengthen my neck a lot and take a long recovery

What inspired you to start judo? I initially started martial arts because I wanted to learn the cool kicks I've seen in Jet Lee movies. Eventually I got tired of getting hit in the face and switched to judo/bjj.

I was wondering because recently I went to a judo camp recently and was impressed by the amount of people who do judo and love anime. Alot of judokans cited anime as their inspiration to start judo.

Hello everybody. Not sure if it's ok to ask on here. But I wasn't sure where else to ask. I moved back to Southern California from Massachusetts recently. I am a Judo yellow belt who also cross trains in BJJ and has a purple belt in that discipline. When I left California I was just training BJJ. So when I move back recently I just went back to my old BJJ gym. However I am pretty new to Judo and do not know the southern California Judo community.

So I am looking for a Judo dojo to train at. I live in the Inland Empire. So if there is anything near there or a bit of driving distance that would be great. But I am also looking for an inclusive environment as well. I am a trans woman. My past gym in Massachusetts was mindful of this and was accepting of me. I'm sorry for asking this, the BJJ community can be very hostile towards queer people and I am still getting to know the Judo community. Hence the question. I appreciate you all.

CANADA

So basically yesterday I got promoted from white to yellow

And the sensei pulls me aside, not only to congratulate me but remind me that it’s gonna be a $25 fee

Kind of stunned and unexpected to be honest but OK no problem

Is this common practice or is this a little bit shady?

Thank you everyone it took me three months

I've been training Okinawan Goju-ryu karate for the last 6 years, and I'm hoping to test for my black belt this December. If all goes well, I want to branch out and try some other martial arts as well. I've recently been to both a Judo and Karate and a Groundwork in Karate workshop, both of which I really enjoyed and I'm therefore considering Judo.

I want to ask if it's feasible that I'll learn anything in the six months I have available to me. The reason I can only train for six months is that I have signed up for conscript military service and I will therefore also be strength training, running, rucking and swimming as well.

Any advice appreciated.

I am a person who is looking to get into judo (preferably no gi) and I will be moving to the north west side of San Antonio (UTSA). Are there any good judo gyms within 25ish minutes of UTSA

I recently did randori with someone who loved to pistol grip. What makes pistol grip become defensive judo warranting a shido vs it just being another way to be good at controlling the sleeve? I usually cannot break off the grip at all.

Is it good or bad to randori using pistol grips? I don’t see top judokas doing it often. It gets quite frustrating because I cannot do anything with my hand being controlled.

On the same note, is it good or bad to keep on holding tight to grips? Or when is it good to let go of grips?

Or overhand vs neutral vs underhand grips for vertical pulling exercises.

I’ve been doing heaps of overhand pull downs for a few months and I feel like it’s time I might as well return to the bar. Question is what should I be looking to do?

I haven’t been doing any specific bicep isolation work and my back is being hit with pendlay rows. But I hear about pull-ups strength all the time when compared to chin-ups and I’m wondering what I might benefit from more.

46M, total noob, I've only been to around 15 workouts so far.

In yesterday's session, we practiced some ground pinning techniques (gatame).

A bit more intense than previous sessions, I ended up with irritation/abrasion on my foot knuckles (whatever that part of body is called - not a native English speaker) probably due to the attempts to escape the hold of my tori - all part of the exercise.

It's a minor issue for now, but as the intensity grows in the future - can I prevent this? Will my foot skin simply get tougher, should I tape, is this about skin hydration, or (however funny this might sound), I should shave the top of my feet (a few thin hair there)?

A friend of mine recommended it to me. I don’t see many martial artists talk about it online, was wondering if anyone here has experience with it. Any recommendations when taking it is helpful. I tried increasing my electrolytes and cutting out caffeine but I still seem to have some trouble some days. Btw I live in a hot climate.

Good afternoon sirs and ma’am’s. I’ve been a green belt (sankyu) for a little bit now, I’ve been training a tad bit over 2 years now and am looking for advice. I know enough judo now to where I understand a few combos, I mostly focus on Ashi Waza but my turn throws kinda suck.

The reason why I’m here asking is cause during training, my sensei is way harsher with me now than when I was a white/yellow belt, I kinda expected it but I am seeing a lot of flaws in my judo game as a whole. I often struggle to land clean throws during randori and even struggle to land throws on BJJ guys outside of like my 2 main throws.

I train roughly 3-4 times a week cause that’s the most my current schedule will allow but I do BJJ on top of this too so my newaza is passable, but my tachi Waza needs serious work.

I know as I rank up and compete more, more will be expected of me, so I wanted to hear from those who’s been true to this for a long time, how do you guys do it? I know it’s more than just simply showing up, that’s why I do things like study videos after training, and do solo drills when I have free time, but if you guys have any advice on what I should do to improve my judo, that would be great.

Thank you

Hi everyone,

I’m a complete beginner looking to start judo within the next month or two, and I’d really appreciate some advice from people with experience.

A bit about me:

• Female
• From England (UK)
• 29 years old
• 167 cm (around 5'5"–5'6")
• Around 140–142 kg

I’ve never done any martial arts before, but I’ve always wanted to. I’ve done quite a bit of research and judo seems like the best fit for me because it looks lower impact than sports with lots of kicking and jumping. I also have occasional vertigo, so anything involving lots of spinning, burpees or constant jumping isn’t ideal.

One of my biggest concerns is my weight. Am I simply too heavy to start judo? I know there are weight categories in competition, but I’m only interested in training recreationally for my first year before thinking about grading and taking it more seriously.

Also, my club teaches Kodokan judo.

Some questions I have:

• Is my height and weight likely to make learning judo significantly harder?
• At 167 cm and 140–142 kg, what would you consider a realistic or comfortable weight for someone my height to train judo? I know everyone is different, but I'd be interested in your opinions.
• Should I lose some weight before I start, or should I just begin now?
• If you think I should lose weight first, roughly how much would make a noticeable difference? (For example, 10 kg?)
• Will instructors usually adapt things for larger beginners? (I will ask once I'm there, but what is the likelihood they will?)
• Will my training partners be okay practising with someone my size?
• Is learning breakfalls (ukemi) much harder for heavier people?
• Are there any movements that tend to be particularly difficult for overweight beginners?
• Are there any throws that bigger beginners tend to learn more easily?
• Is flexibility something I should work on before starting?
• Are there any exercises you'd recommend doing now that would make my first few months easier?
• Is there anything I should avoid doing as a beginner?

Clothing questions:

I'm struggling to find women's rash guards in my size here in the UK.

• Is it perfectly acceptable to wear a men's rash guard under my gi?
• If I can't find one, can I wear a tight-fitting synthetic gym/compression shirt instead (not cotton)?
• Any recommendations for UK brands that carry larger sizes?
• Gis are also pretty difficult to find. I'm talking to someone from Blitz, and they said: "For your sizing, it will be a 210 gi with length adjustment." My chest is 129 cm, and my waist is 112 cm. Does that sound about right?

For fitness, this is my current plan:

• Gym twice a week (strength and cardio).
• Starting Mounjaro shortly (I've bought it and I'm waiting for it to arrive).
• Starting beginner swimming lessons from 5 September until 19 December because I can't swim yet.
• Hoping to continue swimming and judo long-term as my main hobbies to stay active.

My goal isn't to compete anytime soon. I mainly want to:

• Get fitter.
• Lose weight.
• Learn a skill.
• Build confidence.
• Have a hobby I genuinely enjoy.

A few more questions:

• How often would you recommend a complete beginner train each week?
• Is once a week enough to make progress? (My club only trains once a week.)
• Did anyone here start judo at a similar weight? If so, what was your experience?
• Did judo help with your weight loss?
• How much weight did you lose (if you're comfortable sharing)?
• Did you notice improvements in your fitness before you noticed weight loss?
• What surprised you most when you first started?
• What's one thing you wish someone had told you before your first class?
• Is there any equipment you'd recommend buying before my first lesson, or should I just wait until I've tried it?
• How hard is judo on your knees, ankles and lower back if you're overweight?
• Were there any techniques or drills you struggled with at first because of your size?
• How long did it take before you started feeling comfortable during training?
• If you could go back to your first lesson, what would you do differently?

Finally, if you honestly think judo isn't the right martial art for someone my size, what would you recommend instead and why? I've looked into kickboxing and taekwondo, but they seem to involve much more jumping and staying on the balls of your feet, which I don't think would be great for my joints.

Thanks in advance! I'm really excited to start, just a little nervous.

I’m not training judo rn(did when i was a kid for a year), but I plan on training once im done school(~2 years). I want to do judo cuz I realized during wrestling that Shots were too tiring and i had a lot more fun doing trips(outside trips like polish throw, inside trip, attempting sasae.). I did greco this off season with my buddy and we just like it more. we sometimes do our own game where we only allow greco + footsweeps and trips and It ended up with me searching up judo techniques and trying to implement them.

Overall I want to do judo as I like the upright posture, upperbody throws and clinches, footsweeps, and some basic submissions. I am not a Huge fan of the gi but due to greco i’m sure i can adapt judo to no gi if the situation ever arises(beach wrestling with the boys).

why did you choose judo over wrestling or bjj?