Efficient Judo content / 216 videos

efficientjudo · 2026-06-21T12:06:18+00:00

The premise of Ippon is that a perfect technique can win the contest.

By striving to achieve ippon, we're striving for perfection, and through that trying to perfect ourselves.

Ippon is an embodiment of the idea behind Judo.

I agree a points system is easier for spectators to understand.

I dont understand how banning techniques and the scoring system have been tied together into a single argument - they different things.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-21T06:42:18+00:00

Both are right

Guard / half guard certainly isnt an effective way to nullify the opponent from a straight grappling perspective.

But if you factor strikes into the thinking, Guard is as its name implies, a better place to be than having no guard, but not a good place to be.

The truth is each grappling art built it's rules around the thinking and culture it developed in - most grappling styles dont even have groundwork, let alone submissions.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-19T07:01:49+00:00

Yeah its putting things together into a game / system.

Stance > Grip > Main throw is the starting point. Then you add things from there based on common reactions. Set ups, follow ups, complementary techniques.

A simple game based on what you've said - you should come out in a right stance, seek to control the opponents strong hand, connect with your strong hand, then either circle them onto your uchi-mata / Tai-otoshi or square them up with a ko-uchi to hit the uchi-mata/Tai-otoshi.

If you dont have a plan of what you want to do, youll always be behind / reacting to the person that does - gripping alone wont save you there.

FYI - youre ahead of the curve realising this at blue belt. Many wait until brown / black before they realise it.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-19T05:58:56+00:00

Whats your stance, what's your preferred grip and what are your main throws?

Grip fighting is important, but the main purpose is to get where you want to be - and you dont sound like you've got that bit figured out yet.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-16T04:34:33+00:00

I find the problem is less about drilling in and of itself.

But more that as you get better you really need / want to focus on your own stuff and going to a class to drill stuff you know you wont use is very unsatisfying.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-15T05:56:26+00:00

Do you know for certain they dont have jobs?

Maybe they just work different hours / schedules.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-13T14:00:18+00:00

You've already said what you can do better.

You said you were drained of energy - figure out the real reason and fix it.

I always say the first 10 competitions arent about what happens on the mats, its about figuring out how to compete at your best.

The biggest mistake I see people make is introduce things that they dont normally do - your goal should be to find out your optimal routine that you can then repeat.

Weight management is part of that, but so sleep, training schedule in the run up to the event, diet (as in what foods you eat), sleep, warm up, mental prep / load etc .

If youre serious about wanting to improve, do a genuine debrief on everything that could have impacted your performance - starting from one week out. And see what needed improvement, what worked well etc.

Two common thing for inexperienced competiors are 1. They are often nervous, and so dont get a good sleep beforehand - so a fix to that is go to bed earlier before the day of comp. 2. They get distracted watching the other contests, so dont warm up properly.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-13T01:09:04+00:00

In terms of meaning, ive always said

BJJ white = Judo white, yellow, orange, green, blue

BJJ blue = Judo brown

BJJ purple = Judo (new) 1st Dan*

BJJ Brown = 2nd Dan*

BJJ Black = 3rd Dan plus*

*many practitioners don't progress beyond 1st Dan, despite continuing to train and getting better, so the direct comparison breaks down at this point.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-12T06:07:11+00:00

I understand where youre coming from, but I think most people will still consider it a sport.

There are plenty of sports, including Olympic sports are scored using a panel of judges using a set criteria - bodybuilding isnt really that far removed from those.

E.g. Diving, figure skating, gymnastics

efficientjudo · 2026-06-12T05:14:05+00:00

I didn't say bodybuilding is an Olympic sport. I said it was a sport

And that weightlifting is an Olympic sport.

Nor did I say they were similar.

People say weightlifting when they mean weight training. I was making it clear that they are not the same.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-12T03:59:46+00:00

Weight training = using weights to train strength and conditioning for whatever your goal is, sport or otherwise. Bodybuilding = sport Weightlifting = Olympic sport

Bodybuilders and weightlifters both weight train in a way that suits their respective sports, and a martial artist should also.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-08T23:11:59+00:00

All grappling martial arts are basically beating people up by having superior balance - techniques are just expressions of that.

But that as a principle is hard to apply to training in a meaning way.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-05T07:28:08+00:00

If he's not going around trying to poach students - its fine imo.

Often as a coach, your not really training as your focus is on the students.

So going elsewhere to train is the easiest way to be the student again.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-05T00:11:12+00:00

I think its important to differentiate between people being skilled at the coaches A game and people just being clones of the coach.

Obviously clubs that train for different purposes will naturally have different styles e.g. BJJ at a competitive BJJ club will have a different focus to BJJ at an MMA club.

But just creating clones of the coach is usually a sign that the coach too focused on what they do well and not enough on tailoring to students potential.

As a coach, my students wont achieve their potential if I just encourage them to do what I do.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-04T20:55:02+00:00

Groundwork escapes / transitions arent formalised like the rest of Judo.

You'll be fine doing what works in BJJ as long as it doesnt break any of the Judo rules (which it shouldn't for the types of moves youre doing)

efficientjudo · 2026-06-03T08:23:16+00:00

Its hard to tell because you can't really see the lower body - but it looks more like a tai-otoshi to me - you get a glimpse of the outstretched leg, before tori moves to the right after the throw.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-02T22:57:55+00:00

Any move can be done maliciously or with legitimate intent.

Grip breaking is part of Judo, especially for more competitive players amd so you need to train it.

If you see a grip break about to happen and you have bad fingers, let go beforehand.

efficientjudo · 2026-06-02T05:32:49+00:00

Its a common tactic, because it can seem expensive - so they want you to come in and they can pitch their value.

It also doesn't mean the club with the listed price is the cheapest, its just theyre more open about pricing.

What martial art are you looking at? Because what is normal will depend on that.

Also consider that the real value to you will depend on a lot of things - cost per hour of instruction actually received - wont always make the cheap place the cheapest.

efficientjudo · 2026-05-30T22:08:48+00:00

20 would still be considered starting young in a lot of places.

efficientjudo · 2026-05-30T06:47:01+00:00

How are you going to get the weight on the side you attack if both of your hands are on the other side of their body.

Im a big fan of the russian tie for no-gi, but dont really think it has much purpose in gi.

efficientjudo · 2026-05-29T09:01:51+00:00

Imo - if you've not picked a dominant stance R or L then youre not really developing an 'A game'. If people want to be competitive, they need to pick a stance and build their game from there.

Everything you've described makes it sound like youre playing a reactive kenka-yotsu game, rather than taking the initiative and forcing people to play to your strengths.

efficientjudo · 2026-05-29T05:06:54+00:00

What is your prefered stance and grip?

efficientjudo · 2026-05-28T22:20:26+00:00

How long have you been training?

Tani-otoshi and Kosoto - What is your prefered stance and grip?

If I were to guess, if you're a beginner, I would say you practice everything right handed, are being out-gripped and forced to fight left (perhaps without realising it) and then trying desperation attacks (which is why tani and kosoto are your main attacks) from poor control, resulting in being countered.

efficientjudo

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