Judo vs Jiu Jitsu: Origins & Key Differences

Judo and Jiu Jitsu are both martial arts forms with an enormous following. Though one is Japanese and the other is considered Brazilian (though its roots also go back to Japan), both disciplines engage the body and mind in the pursuit of perfecting each style. They are nothing alike, but their names, both sounding similar, often lead to a lot of confusion around which sport is which, what they ask for, and how they were born. Though the two disciplines may sound similar, Judo and Jiu Jitsu are very different things. Let’s see what sets them apart.

If you’re into online sports betting and a martial arts fan, this article could be the difference between betting on a winner and backing the loser, so let's take a look.

Judo

Judo hails from 19th century Japan: 1882, to be exact. Born from a combination of jujutsu (not to be confused with jiu jitsu), a form of close combat with the elements of mental discipline that are vital to making it in this sport. Jujutsu comes from the art of sumo, which dates back as far as 712. The Samurai, a warrior force in Japan until the Edo period, gave us the beginnings of this form of combat and developed jujutsu to fight at close quarters. This form of hand combat then became standard military training. 

As Japan began to modernize, jujutsu started to fall by the wayside but was rescued from obscurity by Kano Jigoro, the founder of Judo. Blessed with a slight physique, Jigoro wanted to work as hard as he could to become stronger and found a place as an apprentice under Fukuda Hachinosuke, a Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū style jujutsu master. When he was only 21 years old, Jigoro founded a sport that would go on to amass millions of followers worldwide. He took all the best elements of each jujutsu style and blended them seamlessly into one completely new form of fighting: Judo.

Jiu- Jitsu

Today, many people consider this form of martial arts to be utterly Brazilian in origin. This is untrue. Jiu-Jitsu, like Judo, has its roots in a fierce culture of Japanese fighters. We can thank a Japanese diplomat named Mitsuyo Maeda for this migration of the sport. He traveled between Japan and Brazil in the early 1900s and brought the discipline with him on his many trips. Technically, this form is still considered a form of Judo, another reason the two are so closely linked. Maeda set up his own training academy to teach this form of altered sport and brought in some of his techniques, which moved the discipline further away from its roots. The sport of Jiu-Jitsu focuses primarily on ground grappling and also employs several Western wrestling techniques.

Key Differences

While Judo focuses mainly on fighting from a standing position, Jiu- Jitsu focuses on grappling at ground level. These two techniques are both beneficial, and if you’re looking to become a fighter, learning each of them rather than choosing only one can teach you a lot of things you may not have considered before. In Judo, students learn takedowns, while in Jiu- Jitsu, students learn submissions and pins. Both will require an understanding of how to fall well and recover into a defensible position quickly, as well as a good grasp of throwing techniques. Jiu- Jitsu also focuses a lot more on surviving an encounter and is often referred to as a system of self-defense.

When it comes to competition, there is also a difference in the rules for the two sports and the way they are scored. If you are competing in Judo, you can win through five different routes. You can throw your opponent onto their back, pin your opponent for 20 seconds, force submission via armlock, force submission via choke hold, or by a referee’s decision. Jiu- Jitsu tournaments usually include two styles or formats. There is the point system/time limit/submission format, and then there is the submission-only format in which competitors must gain the upper hand and force their opponents into submission to win. A referee’s decision here can also lead to a win or a loss.

Wrap Up

If you like to watch martial arts or place a bet online now and then on the outcome of a match, it’s important that you understand these rules so that your bet is placed with an accurate understanding of how the sport works. Take some time to familiarise yourself with the differences between the two sports, and never mis-place a bet again! Judo and Jiu- Jitsu are sports that require a tremendous amount of discipline and physical stamina to master. Are you up to the task?