My First Class

So today was my first ever Judo session.  I managed to find a cheap Gi, plain white, very different from my black or blue Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi covered in patches!  It was also quite weird to put on a white belt and be the least skilled person in the class, but it also felt great to know that I would be learning something completely new and adding to my grappling game.


I wasn't quite sure what to expect, when I first started BJJ I found the training really tough so it was with some apprehension that I began the class.  Surprisingly, the warm up was almost exactly the same, a run around the mat to get the blood flowing, break-falls and forward rolls.


I was then taken aside with Simon, a BJJ purple belt who I've trained with for a number of years.  The Dan grade who looked after us, Racky, was extremely welcoming and very helpful.  We were shown a key entry practice called 'Uchikomi'.  Judokas use this to practice their entry into throws and to be honest I found it a bit odd.  Racky explained the principles behind Uchikomi and suggested we focused on body placement and unbalancing your opponent.  I can't quite see it yet, but I can definitely understand why unbalancing your opponent will make executing throws that much more successful.


We ended the session with about twenty minutes of Newaza or groundfighting, now this now this I found really surprising.   I expected very little groundwork and expected it to be quite slow with the focus on hold-downs.  However this was full-on sparring and some of the Judokas were quite skilled on the ground. That said I felt that they were stronger at defending positions and remaining static rather than the BJJ method of groundwork which is more fluid and dynamic.  On the other hand your average BJJ practitioner's takedowns are incredibly basic in comparison to your average Judoka, which is why I feel a mixture of both arts makes for a complete grappler.


On the whole, I found my first class to be incredibly enjoyable and I truly believe that adding Judo to my BJJ game will enhance my all round grappling ability.  I'm really looking forward to the next class.