Martial arts that are similar to Judo in style

When it comes to martial arts that use grappling, there are very few out there that rival Judo in terms of its effectiveness. If you look at how popular it is, this should be telling. Having said this, there are lots of similar martial arts out there which have a lot in common with Judo in terms of style. In fact, you may not know this but Judo actually inspired a lot of grappling-based martial arts.

What’s great about learning similar styles to Judo is how well they can complement it. For instance, the ground game of BJJ links nicely to Judo, whilst the submissions of Sambo add versatility. Elsewhere, even wrestling has many similarities and is trained even though it doesn’t use the gi. The point of this article isn’t to rank any martial art above one another – and is instead looking at the similarities and differences between them. Of course, if you train all of these – then there’s still a good chance of getting cauliflower ear so there are no soft martial arts on this list. So, if you’re curious or if you’re looking at cross-training other disciplines then here’s the ultimate list of similar martial arts to Judo.

Similar martial arts to Judo

Greco Roman wrestling

Greco Roman wrestling has also been described as Judo without the gi. The reason for this is that Greco Roman also uses upper body grips, meaning that takedowns grabbing the legs aren’t allowed. In fact, if you literally took the gi off in Judo and kept the rules, you would basically end up doing Greco Roman.

Of course, the main difference is ditching the jacket which changes the dynamic completely. If you get a Judoka who isn’t allowed to grip material, then it changes a lot. For instance, in Greco Roman wrestling, throws are done by overhooks, collar ties, and underhooks. Whilst many of the throwing mechanics are similar – it takes time to adjust to training without the gi. This style of wrestling also translates well for Judoka’s who cross over into MMA.

Sumo

Aside from also being Japanese, Sumo is actually quite similar to Judo. Both start standing and aim at putting the opponent on the floor. The main difference is of course the size of Sumo wrestlers and lack of gi. It also has a different ruleset involving the circle and boundaries. Ultimately though, there’s a lot in common in terms of weight distribution, balance, and throws. In other words, Sumo is also very big on the idea of kuzushi.

Like Judo, these throws utilize upper body grips as well as the hips, as opposed to attacking the legs or feet. As the name says, Sumo wrestling is exactly that…wrestling – so there’s lots of cross over. Unlike Judo though, Sumo doesn’t allow for submissions, but interestingly it does allow for slaps. Sadly, if you’re looking for a Sumo dojo outside of Japan then you may be hard-pressed to find one as it’s not really a thing outside of its homeland.

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

BJJ was born when Mitsuyo Maeda trained with the likes of Helio Gracie from Brazil. Here, he taught the main principles of Judo which the Gracie family later expanded on with regards to the floor. Where most Judo battles on the floor, this is where BJJ just begins. This means that these days, BJJ can look very different from Judo, and sometimes it looks quite similar. In other words, BJJ is basically an extended version of newaza with different rules. You could also say that where Judo often ends when the action hits the ground, this is where BJJ begins.

It also has training in the gi and no gi so it’s pretty versatile as well as lots of different submissions. One key difference between the two though, is that BJJ is often done at a slower pace. Typically the energy whilst rolling is more spread out, rather than sporadic periods of intensity that are found more in Judo. Often, many Judokas will claim that Judo and BJJ are the perfect combination of styles as they go hand in hand.

Freestyle wrestling

When you take Greco Roman wrestling and combine leg takedowns, you get freestyle wrestling. These days, freestyle wrestling is hugely popular as it has more freedom and creativity than other types. You will sometimes see Judo throws used in freestyle wrestling, but for the most part, the classic double and single leg throws are used by the majority.

Although there is no gi used in wrestling, they do have the same level of intensity in common. This is because of the way freestyle wrestling is scored which is big on pins and putting the back on the mat. As a result, you can expect lots of scrambles and bursts of quick intensity. At the same time, you could argue that wrestling is more fast-paced due to the lack of grip fighting with sleeves and collars involved. Still, make no doubts about it – wrestling is a highly technical martial art and it would be unwise to think it’s simply about aggression and athleticism.

Sambo

Sambo is arguably the closest martial art to Judo but with a few tweaks. In short, Sambo is kind of reminiscent of old school Judo where there were fewer rules. Here, you’re allowed to perform banned takedowns such as kani basami without being disqualified. Similarly, you can grab the legs and perform the rice bag throw. Arguably, this could be a good or bad thing depending on your preference – but it’s fair to say that Sambo has grown in popularity quickly.

Another key difference is that its practitioners are also more driven by submissions. This includes all of the submissions used in Judo, as well as leg locks. Whilst the gi is still used (known as kurtka in Sambo), it uses shorts instead and its practitioners also wear wrestling shoes. It also has ‘combat Sambo’ which is basically a combination of Sambo mixed with MMA. However, some people still call it Russian Judo, and for good reason, as the two have lots in common and are stylistically very close.

Conclusion

What this article shows is that ultimately, different grappling styles have a lot in common with each other. Looking back, what typically divides each discipline is the change in rules which can massively shape how each art is trained and performed. What is also worth mentioning is that all of these arts would fit nicely with Judo and would only improve your game.

So, you may be very comfortable as a black belt Judoka – but if you started training BJJ then you may feel differently about your submission defense or working from your back. In short, each art is different and should give you a unique perspective on things, as well as the chance to broaden your horizons.