Any of you practice(d) both judo and brazilian jujitsu?

[Mauby]

My friend, who's my age (late 30s), was telling me he wanted to get into martial arts. I asked him for what reason and he said it was to get in shape. I took him to my Capoeira class last night so he could check it out & give it a try. After the session, he told me he changed his mind, he wants to take martial arts for self defense reasons. I suggested judo or brazilan jujitsu. He asked which is easier to learn in the beginning...I was stumped as I really don't have much experience with either. So, if any of you have practiced both judo and brazilan jujitsu please let me know your take on which is easier to learn when first starting out (for a 38 year old.) He definitely knows for 100% sure that he doesn't wanna do Capoeira anymore.

 

[Flambeur]

Originally Posted by Mauby

My friend, who's my age (late 30s), was telling me he wanted to get into martial arts. I asked him for what reason and he said it was to get in shape. I took him to my Capoeira class last night so he could check it out & give it a try. After the session, he told me he changed his mind, he wants to take martial arts for self defense reasons. I suggested judo or brazilan jujitsu. He asked which is easier to learn in the beginning...I was stumped as I really don't have much experience with either. So, if any of you have practiced both judo and brazilan jujitsu please let me know your take on which is easier to learn when first starting out (for a 38 year old.) He definitely knows for 100% sure that he doesn't wanna do Capoeira anymore.

I'd love to help, but can't stop staring at your avatar long enough to think something up.

 

[Gradstudent78]

Originally Posted by Mauby

My friend, who's my age (late 30s), was telling me he wanted to get into martial arts. I asked him for what reason and he said it was to get in shape. I took him to my Capoeira class last night so he could check it out & give it a try. After the session, he told me he changed his mind, he wants to take martial arts for self defense reasons. I suggested judo or brazilan jujitsu. He asked which is easier to learn in the beginning...I was stumped as I really don't have much experience with either. So, if any of you have practiced both judo and brazilan jujitsu please let me know your take on which is easier to learn when first starting out (for a 38 year old.) He definitely knows for 100% sure that he doesn't wanna do Capoeira anymore.

Have him go check out some classes and see which appeals to him more.

 

[oceans11]

Originally Posted by Mauby

My friend, who's my age (late 30s), was telling me he wanted to get into martial arts. I asked him for what reason and he said it was to get in shape. I took him to my Capoeira class last night so he could check it out & give it a try. After the session, he told me he changed his mind, he wants to take martial arts for self defense reasons. I suggested judo or brazilan jujitsu. He asked which is easier to learn in the beginning...I was stumped as I really don't have much experience with either. So, if any of you have practiced both judo and brazilan jujitsu please let me know your take on which is easier to learn when first starting out (for a 38 year old.) He definitely knows for 100% sure that he doesn't wanna do Capoeira anymore.
Sounds like it depends on what his "real" motive is. To me (no offense intended) he used the excuse of getting into shape because he didn't know what Capoeira was & then noticed it wasn't the traditional street style fighting, more of a fight hidden in dance. And then he asks which is easier to learn between Judo & Jujitsu? So it kind of sounds like he either maybe got punked or wants to punk someone & learn how to do it in the shortest amount of time. But IMO if he wants to get his workout on AND learn self defense he can't go wrong with either Judo or Jujitsu but if he just wants to submit, ground & pound I don't think anyone would disagree that BJujitsu could end up being the more brutal of the 2 if thats what his intentions are.

 

[globetrotter]

judo and jujisto involve a lot of falling down. I did judo when I was a teenager, and now I do a little groundwork in krav (I'm 41) - I wouldn't want to be falling on the floor all the time at my age, I am not sure that I could handle it.

 

[toothsomesound]

Hm. I'm an aikijutsu (aikido, roughly) guy, but my school teaches jujutsu as well. However, Atemi Ryu Jujutsu is a little different than the Brazillian schools. We emphasize a lot more aggressive standing techniques, as opposed to grappling and groundwork. I don't know a whole lot about judo, but I can tell you that judo will focus more on locks, throwing and groundwork, while jujutsu will feature strikes in addition to those things.

In terms of self-defense, I don't think you can really beat a good jujutsu school. At nearly any level, it is [arguably] the most logical and effective means of immobilizing an aggressor. Some people would say athletic arts like Krav or Jeet Kune Do are "faster" or harder, but I would hardly call those systems "self-defense".

Anyway, depending on your buddy's fitness and the prospective schools, judo might be the safer or less taxing alternative. I don't want to make any unfair assumptions, but capoeira is certainly more physically taxing than either jujutsu or judo, and your friends sudden change of "reasoning" seems somewhat indicative of his commitment and/or self-confidence.

In the end, the best thing for him to do is to check out both schools. Most schools have a "come once and check it out for free" policy, and if they don't, whatever, group lessons are usually pretty cheap. Definitely have him do some of his own research. However, I personally would try and sway him towards the jujutsu, judo is more sport oriented in terms of its "alright, try to lock or throw this guy as fast as you can!" mindset. A good jujutsu school would go more along the lines of "Incapacitate this guy as fast as you can, by the most efficient means possible and necessary."

 

[greasypeanut]

i would say if ur friend wants to take a martial art for self defense out of the two, i would go for judo. bjj is mainly ground work. while judo, well at least the sport aspect of it, is more about stand up combat. but i think a more practical self defense martial art would be something like krav maga, muay thai, or boxing. most fights dont start close enough where people are grappling, and most street fights end with some sort of knockout punch or kick

 

[Eason]

Judo would probably be better for self defense, but BJJ is easier to learn at first.

 

[Matt]

Half disagree with Eason there. Sorry Doug, with you that judo probably better self defense style (Ive been thrown by a judo dude...knocks the wind out of you quick smart). But having dabbled in both, I found judo much easier and more intuitive to learn.

Neither would be my first choice for a self defense style though. If he wants street self defense thing, go do krav. If he wants exercise and to learn to really throw...go do boxing or muay thai.

 

[merkur]

..

 

[scarphe]

no I study a well rounded judo program

studing both depending on the schools can be good. but if you ave good judo teacher most of the bjj will be covered in the program, as bjj comes from judo, if the judo focuses mostly on the standup you proabaly need some bjj for ground ground work. but if the judo does 50 percent standp and 50 ground work you will proabaly be pretty good.
a bjj studetn will know more about groundwork but not alot more, but the tradeoff is is worth it.

For sd i would recomend judo, as good as bjj is why in fight do you want to be on the ground? who knows when friend 1 and 2 come along.

 

[Matt]

does your school allow leg locks and ankle locks? Those are banned in competition judo, and therefore not taught in most schools, right?

 

[scarphe]

Originally Posted by m@T

does your school allow leg locks and ankle locks? Those are banned in competition judo, and therefore not taught in most schools, right?

i have been taught several leg lock and a few ankle locks and we use them in practise. the only real problem i have with the program, it habing soem sd as well, is the unrealistic knife defenses taught.

 

[Mauby]

Thanks for the feedback gents.

Originally Posted by Flambeur

I'd love to help, but can't stop staring at your avatar long enough to think something up.
I probably should have changed the avatar before asking the Q.

Originally Posted by Gradstudent78

Have him go check out some classes and see which appeals to him more.
That was part of my plan, thanks.

Originally Posted by oceans11

So it kind of sounds like he either maybe got punked or wants to punk someone & learn how to do it in the shortest amount of time.
He's not looking to fight anybody. He's almost 40, the days of brawling are over. He's just looking for a hobby or something.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

I wouldn't want to be falling on the floor all the time at my age, I am not sure that I could handle it.
I hear you brother.

I had suggested to him boxing first, but I got the feeling he'd rather be thrown than punched. I think he got turned off seeing someone get the wind knocked out of him via a kick in Capoeira. Not to mention the class "almost gave him a heart attack." Advanced Capoeira incorporates some bjj in their ground fighting. I'm nowhere near that level yet, and my bud would never stick around long enough to ever get there.

Eason, did you practice both? I'll tell him that judo may be more what he's looking for. I don't think cost is a factor. If it were me, I'd go for judo soley on the fact that around here a judo club charges $25/mo. and the bjj schools charge $90-120/mo.

 

[thekunk07]

i started jujitsu about 4 weeks ago.