Thursday of last week (April 18th, 2024) Tony was promoted to “shodan” (black belt) in judo!
It was a fun day on the mats with lots of friends and training partners coming to show support and celebrate.
For those unfamiliar, judo and jiu jitsu have many similarities while also having some important differences.
As far as similarities, both are grappling arts that include takedowns, ground grappling, and submissions.
As far as differences, jiu jitsu prioritizes ground grappling and submissions at the ultimate goal. Judo has seen significant rule changes over the past couple decades in order to keep its position as an Olympic sport. Some of these rule changes have resulted in a huge emphasis on takedowns (relative to ground grappling) and winning by “ippon” where you throw your opponent flat onto their back.
Both jiu jitsu and judo are known for being some of the most difficult martial arts to earn a black belt. The material is both complex and vast, and there is a large emphasis on sparring and ability to apply techniques successfully against a fully uncooperative opponent.
Tony took his first jiu jitsu class in 2003 and was awarded his black belt in 2014. He started judo a couple years later in 2016.
