Chapters: Ch 1 · Ch 2 · Ch 3 · Ch 4 · Ch 5 · Ch 6 · Ch 7 · Ch 8
Judo, BJJ & Grappling Arts
Shintaro Higashi — New York Kyokai (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC70qwffU7qQvTVm26wziD8A
Shintaro Higashi is a former World Champion and Olympian in judo, now running the New York Athletic Club Judo program and producing technical content. His channel covers judo technique at a high level — gripping, kuzushi (balance-breaking), throwing combinations, and the tactical layer of competitive judo. [→ martial-arts; judo]
Travis Stevens — Olympic Silver Medalist in Judo (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC98L1AqW263q3ctkpU6CPKw
Travis Stevens won Olympic silver in judo (London 2012) and holds a BJJ black belt under Renzo Gracie. His channel bridges judo and BJJ, covering the translation of judo’s throwing and gripping skills into BJJ/submission wrestling contexts — a rare perspective from someone who has operated at the top of both arts. [→ martial-arts; judo; bjj]
Knight Jiu-Jitsu (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDaSNu2fM3JL4VdlSwcFtOw
BJJ instruction channel — covering fundamentals, positional concepts, submissions, and transitions for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practice. [→ martial-arts; bjj]
savagegeese (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgUvk6jVaf-1uKOqG8XNcaQ
High-quality BJJ and grappling analysis channel — known for honest, detailed breakdowns of techniques, practitioners, and competitions. One of the most respected voices in the English-language BJJ community for its intellectual rigor and willingness to critique mainstream narratives. [→ martial-arts; bjj; martial-arts-analysis]
hard2hurt — Shane Fazen (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNKtHIrVMaDE7hovBvodpDw
Combat sports analysis and criticism by Shane Fazen — examining what actually works in fighting contexts and what doesn’t, with an emphasis on evidence over tradition. Covers boxing, kickboxing, MMA, and traditional martial arts with a skeptical eye. [→ martial-arts; combat-sports; martial-arts-analysis]
Inside Fighting (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWUFzIOS9j2bmdQmQl7lGbw
Boxing and close-range striking analysis — focusing on the inside fighting game: clinching, shoulder rolls, uppercuts, short hooks, and the tactical close-quarters dimensions of boxing that are often under-taught. [→ martial-arts; boxing; combat-sports]
Black Belt Magazine (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCD4dMBQ079UezL-QbmXSj_Q
The oldest and most widely distributed martial arts magazine in the English-speaking world. The YouTube channel covers interviews with senior practitioners, historical retrospectives, and technique demonstrations across multiple styles. [→ martial-arts]
Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt vs Judo Black Belt (YouTube, Watch History) Video exploring the match-up between BJJ and judo — illustrating how the two arts diverge after their common Kodokan origin. BJJ evolved from judo but prioritized ground fighting; judo retained throwing emphasis with ground work time-limited by competition rules. The comparison illuminates the trade-offs in each art’s development. [→ martial-arts; judo; bjj]
Black Belt Judoka TERRIFIES Jiu-Jitsu Competition (YouTube, Watch History) A high-level judoka competing in a BJJ tournament — demonstrating how judo’s dominant gripping game and explosive throws disrupt BJJ practitioners unfamiliar with the standing phase. A recurring theme in cross-art competition that reveals the gaps created by sport-specific rule sets. [→ martial-arts; judo; bjj]
My First BJJ Tournament — 53 Year Old White Belt (YouTube, Watch History) A middle-aged beginner’s tournament experience — notable for its honest portrayal of what starting a grappling art later in life actually feels like. The narrative arc of beginning something physically demanding as an adult practitioner resonates with the experience of many martial artists. [→ martial-arts; bjj]
Standing Submissions in MMA — The Shotgun Choke with Erik Paulson (YouTube, Watch History) Erik Paulson, a former Shooto World Lightweight Champion and catch wrestling specialist, demonstrates the shotgun choke — a standing submission from the clinch. Paulson bridges catch wrestling, Shooto, and modern MMA; his work on standing submissions fills a gap between pure grappling and striking-focused MMA. [→ martial-arts; grappling; catch-wrestling]
Fujiwara’s Brutal Joint Lock System — Catch Wrestling Wrist Escapes & Sparring (YouTube, Watch History) Analysis of Yoshiaki Fujiwara’s catch wrestling-derived joint lock system — covering wrist locks, arm bars from unusual angles, and the aggressive “hurting” approach of professional wrestling’s catch tradition. Catch wrestling (catch-as-catch-can) is the progenitor of both modern submission wrestling and early MMA grappling. [→ martial-arts; catch-wrestling; grappling]
Does Grappling Work vs Striking? (YouTube, Watch History) Analysis of the grappling vs. striking question — examining the historical record from early UFC, MMA evidence, and the tactical considerations of the clinch. A perennial question in martial arts that the sport MMA era has given substantial empirical data on. [→ martial-arts; martial-arts-analysis]
SUMO PRIME TIME (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLtOECZPTHBnR6X6Vg06LDQ
Luke Melia’s sumo commentary channel — providing English-language coverage, analysis, and context for professional sumo tournaments (honbasho). Sumo is one of the world’s oldest formal combat sports, with a tradition stretching back over 1,500 years. The channel makes the nuances of sumo technique and the rikishi ranking system accessible to non-Japanese audiences. [→ martial-arts; sumo; combat-sports]
Team Robinson MMA (YouTube) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrJnoPeom1sCCKsl9Mb25CQ
MMA team training footage and analysis. [→ martial-arts; mma]