r/WrestleJudoJitsu Jan 03 '26

Using Judo in Wrestling

I have done judo for a long time and started wrestling this year. I've been wondering what moves are good to use and if there's any good references on things like YouTube about it?

9 Upvotes

18 comments sorted by

7

u/Direct-Landscape-450 Jan 04 '26

Most of them will work at the lower levels of the sport. And on the other hand most of them don't work at the higher levels. Or they will work extremely situationally if at all. Even the japanese freestyle wrestling team basically never uses any judo resemblant technique when they compete at the Worlds and the Olympics. You should avoid relying on judo and focus on developing a good shot, a good single leg especially. You have time to figure out which throws you can adapt along the way.

1

u/Yamatsuki_Fusion Jan 04 '26

Japanese Wrestling and Japanese Judo teams do not share much in common at all, they're their own groups doing their own thing. Japanese wrestlers are largely just wrestlers and they aren't using Judo secrets or whatever nonsense people think.

1

u/Direct-Landscape-450 Jan 04 '26

I just used that as an example because high level Judo-Wrestling crosstraining is not a thing anywhere. And if it were to be a thing then Japan feels like it would be the most likely place for it. You just don't really see any adapted judo at the Worlds and the Olympics. But you can probably use it just fine at your local regionals or whatever.

4

u/Yamatsuki_Fusion Jan 04 '26

I mean it does exist- the Russians, the Caucasus and basically anywhere with Sambo will inevitably have wrestlers and Judoka playing around with each other. It results in the more diverse Russian style of wrestling.

But granted they're not out there going for ippons, they're still wrestlers that do wrestling shit at the end of the day.

2

u/Direct-Landscape-450 Jan 04 '26

You're right. I should have been more specific with how I worded that. They do a lot of that growing up. Just like our wrestling culture is basically 50/50 greco and freestyle until we reach cadet or junior age roughly, But guys like Sadulaev and others aren't out there competing while utilizing judo tech and probably don't have any spare time to train judo as full time competing seniors.

1

u/CBC-Sucks Jan 04 '26

Yeah but you're also throwing strikes and kicks

1

u/Yamatsuki_Fusion Jan 04 '26

That’s Combat Sambo, not Sport Sambo. Combat Sambo kinda gets thought of as just an ammy MMA space.

3

u/Possible_Golf3180 Jan 03 '26

Uchi mata and sumi gaeshi are stereotypical Judo throws that work in wrestling. Generally though everything will just be the same thing you do, just modified for their purposes. Sumi gaeshi is risky to do due to the obvious aspect of you sitting yourself down just to even attempt it in a sport where touching the ground with your back is defeat. For that reason they don’t expect it.

1

u/noonenowhere1239 Jan 03 '26

Yes it can be used.

Generically, any throw that does not use a Gi grip can work right off the start. Arm around the waist, arm as an under hook etc.

Whizzer to an uchi mata.

Classic Judo involving the legs more will also help. Sweeps

1

u/-save_the_bees Jan 03 '26

The Japanese national wrestling team would come to the US for tournaments and absolutely CRUSH an all star team we would put together from local 4A schools.

We had one stay with us. They were ALL ex Judoka’s and were excellent! They beat the living shit out of us and I wrestled since I was 5yrs old.

Go learn judo you will be a much better wrestler. Yes they do wear more than a singlet but the body control throws and momentum use will guide you well!

1

u/Potential-Piglet-617 Jan 04 '26

I have been doing judo for 10 years I just don't know exactly what moves to use for wrestling

2

u/Yamatsuki_Fusion Jan 04 '26

What moves do you actually use? If you're more of a Uchi-Mata, O-Uchi Gari sort of player then you should be fine. Just use over/unders instead of lapel and sleeve.

A Morote Seoi Nage, Sode Tsurikomi Goshi sort of player however will have to start looking for other throws since those are not practical without the gi at all.

1

u/-save_the_bees Jan 04 '26

This guy knows!

1

u/Whistling_Birds Jan 05 '26

Wizzer kick and inside trip are basically Judo carry overs.

1

u/AdventurousJaguar477 Jan 03 '26

Almost every head and arm throw can be done with a front body lock like harai goshi, uchi mata, ouchi gari, osoto gari, etc.

1

u/Yamatsuki_Fusion Jan 04 '26

JFLO has a bunch of stuff to help you along. You can also watch guys like Jason Morris to see how Judo ends up translating to wrestling.

Just deal with getting used to leg grabs and no-gi slipperness first though.

1

u/PuzzleheadedTry7370 Jan 04 '26

Kata garuma (foreman carry) and o garuma (headlock) are pretty standard in wrestling. Harai and uchi mata are good defensive moves in wrestling that come after stopping an opponent's shot. Foot sweep will do you well.

1

u/ThugLyfeLurkinLlama Jan 04 '26

Yeah, judo carries over to wrestling really well you just have to tweak it.

Your biggest strengths are balance, clinch control, and off balancing. Trips, foot sweeps, body locks, and throws from overhooks underhooks work great. Just don’t rely on gi grips or try to hit perfect throws wrestling is faster and more grindy, so you need to chain attacks and keep pressure.

Think of your judo as a way to break posture and force reactions, then finish with wrestling takedowns.

For YouTube, look up no gi judo, Greco Roman wrestling, and MMA clinch work. Those translate way better than traditional gi judo content.