Written by Matt D’Aquino, a multiple Australian and Oceania Champion and a 2008 Beijing Judo Olympian. He has been studying Judo for over 28 years. He is a 4th Degree Judo Black belt and a black belt in BJJ. Matt has come out with a great new DVD set for BJJ players: Judo for BJJ.

There are a few things that I tell people that will help them get better at Judo.

Have a good gi:

I always encourage judoka to invest in a good gi. Don’t go with a no name brand, but buy a well known gi brand, such as Mizuno. A judo gi is like a good suit, when you wear it you feel good and it is nice to feel good. Secondly a quality gi is tailored nice so the cut and design of the gi will fit nicer than a run of the mill gi. Wearing a good judo suit will also make you look the part and it’s like the saying “fake it til you make it.” People spend hundreds of dollars in a dinner suit they wear once or twice a year but a good judo gi you wear two to three times a week.

Have a good club:

You must have a good club in order to improve your judo game. Many people believe that a good club should be a huge club with six mat areas a sauna and a gym. But many of the top judo clubs in the world are one and a half mat areas and a small weights area. The space of the club isn’t what makes a good judo club it is the people that make up the club. The judokas in the club should represent the fundamental aspects if judo, mutual welfare and benefit.”

Therefore they should understand that not everything is about them and that everyone is there to learn and enjoy the benefits of judo.

Have a good mindset:

You must have a particular mindset about judo. If you do not like to learn then judo is not a sport for you. If you do not like to lose then Judo is not for you and if you do not like to grow and develop your current skills into better skills then judo is not for you. Judo requires dedication a d a lifetime of study. Judo is not just a martial art or sport but a journey. Not just a journey from white to black belt and beyond but further. Judo is an art where you never stop learning and growing and there is always something new to learn and develop. The day you think you know it all is the day you will begin to plateau in not only your judo skills but in your enjoyment for the art of judo. So stay strong mentally and you will go far in judo.

Have a good strength and conditioning program:

You have heard me say it over and over again. You must have a good strength and conditioning program if you want to get better at judo. I don’t just mean any strength program or a power lifting program or a cross fit regime. I am talking about a program that is written specifically for judo. I have written fitness and conditioning manual called workouts for judo that answers all your questions about fitness and conditioning for judo. By having a program written for judo will help you get better at judo and quickly due to the fact that you won’t be gassing out or worried that you are going to run out of steam. You can just keep on going and keep on working your technique.

Be critical:

Be critical about your judo game. What aspects of your game do you need to improve on? Do you need to develop a better ground game? Is your ground game good but your transitions bad? Do you use enough foot sweeps or do you grip fight too much? If you are critical about your judo game and put strategies in place to rectify these holes then you will become a more complete judoka if you critically analyse your judo and adjust what needs fixing. You may need to film yourself doing uchikomi and analyse you technique to make sure you are doing everything correctly.

If you implement all of these aspects into your Judo you will slowly begin to see results.

With These Techniques You Will Throw More People in BJJ Competition Than Ever Before and Instantly Gain an Edge Over Any Guy in Your Weight Division.

• Matt D’Aquino is not only a Judo Olympian, 4th degree judo Black belt, but also a competitive BJJ black belt.
• Simple and easy grip breaks that can break even the strongest of grips Throws and takedowns that almost guarantee a dominate position afterwards.