Judo is one of the most respected and accepted of the traditional styles in the MMA world. Judo is the parent style of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ); Judo was passed on to the Gracie family by Japanese judoka Mitsuyo Maeda in Brazil at the beginning of the 20th century, which allowed Helio Gracie to form the foundation of BJJ.

Picture: Sensei Jeff with BJ Penn

 
More and more, Judo is being talked about in the world of MMA as a useful element of any fighter’s arsenal with fighters such as Yoshihiro Akiyama and Dong-hyon Kim proving that Judo is a formidable weapon in the hands of an expert.

In recent days, it’s become obvious that many elite-level MMA fighters who have no background in the art of Judo are beginning to take notice; Judo-style throws are now coming from some unexpected sources. The importance of cross training cannot be underestimated as illustrated by the following note from Luis Murillo, a top MMA fighter in Colorado:

Picture: Sensei Jeff with Luis Murillo

When I started fighting, all I knew was stand-up fighting. Because of this limitation, it took me forever to finish a fight.

Once I started to train with Sensei Jeff then everything changed for me. Sensei Jeff taught me all kinds of Judo throws, take downs, and submissions.

Thanks to Sensei Jeff’s instruction, I learned to be light on my hips, which make me faster on the ground thereby improving my fighting carrier. Now, I’m able to finish fights in the first or second round!

Meeting Jeff is one of the best things that have ever happened to me; he is a great coach and a great friend!

Anyone training for MMA is welcome to join the Suzuran practices; you’ll find that Judo will help take you to the next level!

Picture: Sensei Jeff rolling with Randy Couture