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Judo Olympian Travis Stevens: “BJJ’s Rapid Growth Outpaces Judo Due to Its Stronger Focus on Community Over Competition”

Judo Olympian Travis Stevens: “BJJ’s Rapid Growth Outpaces Judo Due to Its Stronger Focus on Community Over Competition”

Travis Stevens, an accomplished martial artist with a sixth-degree black belt in judo and a first-degree black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has voiced serious concerns about the future of judo in the United States. During a recent appearance on the BJJ Fanatics podcast, the Olympic silver medalist and three-time Pan American champion outlined the challenges facing American judo and emphasized the urgent need for change.

The Lack of Career Opportunities

According to Stevens, the primary issue hindering the growth of judo in the U.S. is the lack of career opportunities for young athletes. He pointed out that while Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is flourishing, offering numerous paths for practitioners to build careers, judo has not kept pace. “There’s no future, there’s no outcome for people,” Stevens lamented. “They’re struggling to stick around” in the sport, he added, underscoring the difficulties faced by those trying to sustain a long-term involvement in judo.

An Overemphasis on Olympic Success

Stevens explained that one of the core problems with American judo is its narrow focus on producing Olympic medalists. This approach, he argued, is unsustainable and has contributed to the sport’s decline. “If I told you like ‘hey you have to become a billionaire, otherwise don’t bother going to work,’ we would live in a community of poverty, because you just can’t operate with that mentality,” he said, drawing a parallel to the unrealistic expectations placed on judo athletes. The intense focus on Olympic success has created a system where only a few can thrive, leaving the broader community neglected.

The Contrast with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

In contrast, Stevens praised the jiu-jitsu community for its success in creating entrepreneurial opportunities and building a supportive environment for practitioners. “There are a lot of people out there who are working… blue-collar or white-collar jobs that love jiu-jitsu,” he noted. Stevens highlighted the appeal of BJJ’s core principles, such as self-preservation, protection, and honesty, which resonate with many and help to foster a strong, values-driven community.

This community focus, combined with a business model that emphasizes inclusivity and grassroots growth, has allowed BJJ to thrive. Stevens contrasted this with judo, which he believes has been hindered by its rigid, competition-centric mindset. “Judo tends to focus more on the competition side and less on the community side, which is where we really struggle,” he said. He warned that if jiu-jitsu schools adopted the same approach as judo, insisting that everyone train for the Olympics, the sport would lose the majority of its practitioners—a situation that judo is currently facing.

A Call for Change

To prevent further decline, Stevens argues that judo in the United States needs to adopt a more inclusive and entrepreneurial approach, similar to what has driven the success of BJJ.

 

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