This article won’t be about what martial art is better for groundwork but what are the differences between those two. Primarily because Judo’s groundwork is a bit limited when we talk about sweeps, transitions, submissions… and especially playing from the back.
Why is that so? Because there is a time limit in Judo once you hit the ground. So in modern Judo, it would be a waste of time to train groundwork the way it’s taught in BJJ. You simply have no time to play on the ground and you can’t play from your back. If you hit the floor with your back you lost the match. So why bother with it? The only way you can play from your back is when your opponent pins you down to score a win. But then you’re not really “playing” from the back, you’re trying to get in a neutral position as fast as possible. And when you hit the ground in BJJ that’s where the fight actually starts.
Judo is incredibly complex throwing art on the feet just like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is incredibly complex art on the ground so talking about what’s better on the ground is a bit clueless.
The best explanation would be to say “it’s the same art with different rules”.
Let’s see what are the main differences between Judo and BJJ groundwork in the video below!
