Looking at what makes Mongolian Judo so unique

These days, there’s a lot of talk surrounding Mongolian Judo. This term is common amongst Judokas, but also with grappler’s in general. Interestingly, this wasn’t always the case and even as little as ten years back you wouldn’t really hear the term.

So, what is Mongolian Judo and how does it work? In this article we shall look at how it works, its nuances and what makes it so different compared to other forms of Judo. Remember, Judo is ultimately Judo and all grappling is kind of the same, but there’s also quite a few territorial differences and quirks that operate from country to country.

What is Mongolian Judo?

Perhaps the best way to describe Mongolian Judo would be to describe it as wrestling mixed with Judo. That is, there’s certain throws that Mongolians specialize at. As mentioned earlier, certain countries have their own style; Japan is very good at wrist throws, Georgia has the Georgian grip – and the Mongolians have their cross between regular Judo and wrestling.

Specific examples of Mongolian Judo

In terms of specifics, there are a few notable Mongolian Judo techniques that quickly spring to mind. The first is the front Uchi Mata which is one of their signature moves. As the name suggests, this is an Uchi Mata performed when you’re facing the opponent, as opposed to on your side or with the opponent behind you.

This relies on belt grips and lifting with your hips and is basically an Uchi Mata from the front. If you’ve watched professional wrestling, then the closest looking thing is the belly-to-belly suplex. If performed correctly, this throw should result in ippon.

Another big part of Mongolian Judo is relying on its wrestling origins. So, even with a gi present, you will see Mongolians rely on underhooks and overhooks more so than other countries as this links back to Mongolian wrestling.

Other Mongolian Judo moves

To perform the front Uchi Mata, you will often use belt grips to control the waist of the opponent. This is a key part of Mongolian Judo. Compared to more conventional forms, Mongolian Judo has a big emphasis on grabbing the belt and using the waist to initiate throws. As well (and also related to this), this links up with using the hips to gain elevation. Because of this, a lot of people say that Mongolian Judo is quite similar to Greco-Roman wrestling, albeit whilst wearing a jacket.

Similarly, other nuances include a bigger emphasis on cross-grips and some variations to conventional moves. For example, one of the more famous variations used in Mongolian Judo is the Tai Otoshi which is done slightly differently compared to normal Judo. It’s variations like this where its reputation comes from, as well as creating a production line of elite Judokas.

Why is Mongolia so good at Judo?

In all honesty, Mongolia aren’t the best country in the world when it comes to Judo. Arguably, Japan, Russia and France are all superior. If you want to be specific, you could add in a few other countries too. However, when you crunch the numbers, suddenly Mongolia looks more promising. The reason for this is based on its population.

The aforementioned countries all have populations over 65 million people and beyond. In comparison, Mongolia’s population is well under 3.5 million people. When put into perspective, this makes a big difference and highlights the success of the country where population count, it’s probably the best Judo country in the world.

Mongolia and its culture of grappling

If you understand Mongolian grappling culture, then you will understand why they’re so good at Judo. In short, grappling is Mongolia’s main sport. Whilst some countries will have kids that like to play soccer or basketball, grappling is the number one for Mongolia and it’s quite unique in this sense.

This means that a lot of kids will grow up to be good grappler’s as it’s literally taught to them at a young age. Basically, there are a few key parts of Mongolian culture that include the grass lands, horse riding, bow-shooting and Mongolian wrestling. Culturally, it’s a massive part of Mongolia which makes it easy to understand why it’s so popular.

Another example of its cultural relevance can be seen by the former president of Mongolia, Battulga Khaltmaa. Unlike most politicians, Khaltmaa was a World Judo Champion and this is what got him into power. As you can see, Mongolians take grappling very seriously and being a good grappler commands respect and status.

Mongolian Bokh and its relation to Mongolian Judo

Aside from Judo, Mongolians will often train Bokh, which is another national hobby. This has different rules compared to Judo and is closer to wrestling as it allows practitioners to grab the legs. There’s also a pretty big emphasis on grabbing the waist and this is where many of the Bokh throws originate from. Also, Bokh does wear certain pieces of clothing on the upper body that can also be grabbed, which also translates well with Judo.

The main point though, is that the literal outfit of Bokh forces its users to grab the waist. Unsurprisingly then, Mongolian Judokas will often create the same grips whilst fighting Judo. Of course, there’s certain rules such as not touching the legs in Judo – but with a bit of training and practice, you’d naturally avoid this anyway. To summarize, Mongolian Bokh helps its practitioners when it comes to Judo and also teaches many throws from the waist grip.

Bro science or fact?

One lesser-known theory about why Mongolians are good at Judo is due to science. Or, bro science as it’s also known. This is when someone has a theory that isn’t based in science, but sounds like it could be. Overall, bro science can be dangerous as it spreads misinformation sold as facts, but it can also be interesting to entertain certain ideas.

In the case of Mongolian wrestling, the theory goes that Mongolians have been genetically predisposed to grappling after thousands of years due to their lifestyle. The reason behind this is that they spend a lot of their time riding horses and shooting arrows. Supposedly, this resulted in people who naturally had a low center of gravity, compared to people from other ethnic backgrounds. Whilst this is a nice idea, it’s not scientifically backed so it could be nonsense. More realistically, the reason why they’re so good at Judo is probably due to a culture that’s surrounded in wrestling from a young age.

Summary

Mongolian Judo certainly has its own unique culture and style. But, as we said earlier in the article – it’s ultimately just Judo done slightly differently. If you really want to see something that is uniquely Mongolian, then looking at Bokh is probably your best bet.

In conclusion, Mongolian Judo can be categorized as wrestling Judo that looks more rough and less clean compared to Japanese Judo. At the same time, it’s highly effective and emphasizes belt grips and certain variations that are very efficient when it comes to landing takedowns.