Sophie Cox Judo

Double Olympian Sophie Cox starts her class this Wednesday at Judo Excellence Hebden. Age 14+

A recent article from BJJ Eastern Europe features John Danaher talking about why revisiting the basics can transform your jiu-jitsu.

And in my opinion, this is one of the biggest challenges for any coach.

Keeping students focused on the basics.

Because the moment people start watching high-level grappling, they get drawn into the flashy techniques. The modern game. The unorthodox moves.

And I get it. I like that stuff too.

But what most people don’t understand is that the athletes doing those techniques are able to do them because they already mastered the basics.

They’re not skipping steps. They’ve already gone through them.

It’s the same thing you see in striking.

You look at someone like Muhammad Ali or Anderson Silva dropping their hands and still performing at a high level.

That only works because their fundamentals are so sharp that they can afford to break the rules.

A beginner tries that, and it falls apart immediately.

Jiu-jitsu is no different.

A lot of beginners think that learning advanced techniques will put them ahead. But in reality, it usually slows them down.

Because they don’t have the foundation to support it.

When you look at someone like Gordon Ryan, you can see that evolution clearly.

Early on, he had a very dynamic, leg lock-heavy game.

But over time, his game became more about control, pressure, and positioning before the finish.

That’s fundamentals.

Weight distribution. Timing. Control.

All the things that aren’t flashy, but win matches.

And this applies to everyone.

If you’re a hobbyist, fundamentals give you longevity. You can take time off, come back, and rebuild your game faster.

If you’re a competitor, fundamentals are what decide close matches.

In my case, every time I come back from a break, I go back to the basics. I rebuild from there until everything starts clicking again.

That’s the real difference.

It’s not about knowing more.

It’s about doing the basics so well that everything else becomes easier.

What do you think — are fundamentals still the most important part of jiu-jitsu, or is the modern game taking over?

In April I'll be starting a new class mixing together the best of both JUDO and BJJ. Think it'll work? I asked AI to help me summarise the two disciplines...

Similarities and Differences Between Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) share a common ancestry in traditional Japanese jujutsu and are closely related grappling arts. While both emphasise leverage, technique, and strategic use of body mechanics, they evolved with different priorities and rulesets that shape how each discipline is practised today.
Similarities
• Both originate from traditional Japanese jujutsu and share significant technical overlap.
• Both emphasise grappling, leverage, balance breaking, and effective use of technique over strength.
• Both include throws, joint locks, pins, and ground control as core technical elements.
• Both use a gi (uniform) in many settings, influencing grip fighting and technique ex*****on.
• Both sports promote discipline, respect, problem-solving, and controlled sparring (randori/rolling).
Differences
• Focus of the Sport: Judo prioritises standing throws and takedowns; BJJ prioritises ground fighting, submissions, and positional control.
• Rulesets: Judo awards points for throws and pins; submissions are allowed but less emphasised in competition. BJJ heavily rewards positional dominance and submission attempts.
• Training Culture: Judo often focuses on explosive movement and dynamic throwing drills; BJJ training typically invests more time in ground transitions, guard work, and live rolling.
• Techniques: Some leg grabs common in BJJ are illegal in modern judo competition. Conversely, judo includes many throwing variations rarely practised in BJJ.
• Competition Duration and Style: Judo matches are shorter and more explosive. BJJ matches are longer, allowing for strategic positional battles.
In summary, judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu share deep historical roots and overlapping technical foundations, yet differ meaningfully in focus, strategy, and training emphasis. Together they offer a comprehensive understanding of grappling from standing engagement to ground mastery.

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Sophie Cox Judo

So this is what we will do March 8 IWD We invite you attend our club with other likeminded females to learn from 2 x judo Olympian, BJJ black belt, European and worlds golds medalist @sophiecox_judo Start time is 1100 and will hopefully finish around 1300 This is fully sponsored by Rise Graplling and no fees are required. We may also have slots for an evening class on Saturday evening with Sophie. Free to males and females

🥋HAPPY WORLD JUDO DAY🥋

Class Stealth BJJ - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in Manchester 7-8pm
Continuing to look at sacrifice throws
https://youtu.be/dyTge_EvjaU?si=epQYF3pOhoNo9MYq
https://youtu.be/dyTge_EvjaU?si=epQYF3pOhoNo9MYq

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Hirano giving us that uchi-mata... with the extra lift off!🇯🇵 Follow all the action on JudoTV.com 💻 #JudoJuniors #Peru #Lima #IJF #Judo

Classes this week:

Tuesday 7.30 to 8.30pm@RGA Salford

Friday 7-8pm@Stealth BJJ Oldham

PM for privates and more details