BJJ Is Basically Just Judo

Is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu basically just Judo? You’ll hear that claim all the time. Same roots. Same techniques. Same origin. So BJJ is just Judo… right? No. In this video I break down the actual history—what happened when Mitsuyo Maeda left Japan, what he was actually doing when he faced wrestlers under different rules, and how figures like Sadakazu Uyenishi fit into the story. This isn’t the simplified version. We’re looking at: How Judo developed from multiple jiu jitsu schools Why fighters like Mataemon Tanabe exposed weaknesses in early Kodokan Judo How those same problems reappear when Maeda travels and fights under different conditions And how the art that eventually becomes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is shaped by cross-training, challenge matches, and rule sets Because once you understand that… It becomes very clear why BJJ isn’t just Judo. If you’re interested in: the real history of martial arts how rule sets shape fighting systems and why “origin” doesn’t define an art you’re in the right place. Subscribe for more videos on historical martial arts, pugilism, and the real stories behind how these systems developed.