The USA’s Travis Stevens, probably the hardest working judoka around, has taken home a silver medal in the 2016 Olympic games.
In a past AMA on Reddit, Stevens revealed that in an IBJJF match, he would in fact pull guard:
I train 8 times a week I go to renzo’s when i can on weekends which since the olympic run has only been 1 every 3 months where as before it was every weekend Good is a relative term, I’m better than most but not as good as the Garry Gordon Eddie Depends on the rules rules dictate strategy but in an IBJJF match I would pull/Jump Guard.
When FloGrappling asked Travis Stevens, about how he looks at guard pulling he responded:
“I think it’s a must. I’m a big fan of guard pulling in jiu-jitsu. And I believe knowing where to put your hands and knowing how to grab the gi properly is an important part of being a guard puller. It’s an essential part. I would much rather see my players pulling guard rather than jumping guard.”
Now Stevens reveals that when he does BJJ, he uses more Wrestling than his world class Judo:
Here is a quick shot on your opponents ankle that you can do to score a quick 2 points. Having a little bit of basic basic wrestling can really help you with your takedown game. That says a lot coming from a judo guy. But when I do BJJ I mostly use wrestling. My judo is just use to intimate people on the feet but I almost never pull the trigger on the throws.
He added:
Having takedowns that your opponent don’t see coming that are not consistent is important. That’s what this technique is for me. Something that isn’t done that often but it has a high percentage of working because it really catches my opponents off guard. I will give this disclaimer though: Don’t do this against a good wrestler (good meaning national level or higher).
BJJ GOAT Marcelo also explained his reasoning of preferring Wrestling over Judo when doing BJJ:
Marcelo Garcia on Why he Prefers Wrestling over Judo To Complement Jiu-Jitsu
Travis shows a sweet low single shot that is perfect for BJJ and Wrestling, but not illegal in Judo with the current IJF rules:
Travis Stevens 5 Favorite takedowns for BJJ
Travis Stevens on how we can blend judo and wrestling to take people down and keep them down.
You don’t need a Gi to land big time throws and takedowns, and Travis Stevens is here to show you how with No Gi Takedowns.
- Adapt your Judo game to No Gi!
- Learn how to utilize no-gi grips to gain similar advantages over your opponent as you would with the gi.