Judo Olympian Matt D’Aquino: Four Best Takedowns For BJJ

24 Dec, 2016

You’ll probably remember Matt D’Aquino – the judo Olympian and third degree judo black belt from my last interview. Matt has been studying judo for over 23 years, and has competed in BJJ. He has a deep understanding of training stand-up for both judo and BJJ tournaments.

The judo gokyo has 67 throws. How does a BJJ guy decide which of those throws are best for BJJ rules and competition?

In this interview, the Jiu-Jitsu Times asked Matt about the four takedowns BJJ practitioners should learn.

Here is what he had to say.

Jiu-Jitsu Times: If you were going to name three or four judo throws that work best for the BJJ guy, which throws would you recommend? Why those specific throws?

Matt D’Aquino: I would recommend these four throws simply because they are easy to do and work on BJJ practitioners and judoka.

Deashi barai is great because you will end up in knee ride.

Sometimes your opponent ends up in turtle and you can attack the back like this video:

Kuchiki daoshi is another great one, as you can end up in knee ride or leg drag.

Ouchi gari is a great one because many BJJ guys sit back. The problem with this, though, is you will end up inside the guard.

Morote gari (double leg takedown) because double legs are great for all styles of grappling.

Lastly, I would recommend a fireman’s carry simply because it works both gi and no-gi, and many grapplers love getting an underhook, and so you can exploit that. However a fireman’s carry leaves you open for getting your back taken or crucifixed.