Leg Grabs Are Back in Judo!

After a 14-year absence, certain prestigious tournaments, including the All Japan Open Championship, are experimenting with reintroducing leg grabs. Shintaro and Peter discuss this groundbreaking rule change, potential IJF adoption, and what this means for judo practitioners globally. They also explore how this rule change might attract more wrestlers and Brazilian jiu-jitsu athletes to Judo especially in the U.S., and Shintaro offers insights on how to integrate leg grabs into training. The conversation touches on the future of judo in the U.S., particularly in the lead-up to the LA 2028 Olympics. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:45) Leg Grabs Returning in Competitions (00:03:20) Compromise on Leg Grab Rules (00:06:30) Effects on Judo Spectatorship (00:10:39) Impact on American Judo and Wrestlers (00:13:52) Integrating Leg Grabs into Training (00:21:42) The Future of Judo and Competition (00:24:33) The American Judo Style