What do you think of Travis Stevens? (USA JUDO)

[KingGuerrilla]

I got my first black belt in Judo and loved the sport but had a hard time finding gyms after a couple moves and finally gravitated towards different styles, here I am a few decades later and my new training partner absolutely loves Judo so I dusted off my old gi and got back to it. After doing a little bit of research I found this character Travis Stevens and found his videos interesting until I ran across this where frankly he ends up just coming across like a car salesman looking for a job. I didn't think the IJF let people compete in other grappling Sports?

 

[shunyata]

Travis is outstanding.

USA JUDO and the IJF have a lot of issues.

You think wrestlers bitch about rule changes since the 90s?

Welcome back to Judo!

 

[RJ Green]

Travis is a boss. Straight warrior. Broke himself to get Judo on the map and worked his ass off for his hardware. Hope dude is getting paid for all the video content.

The IJF is a cancer rotting the heart and soul of Judo. There's a reason BJJ surpassed it in popularity.

He's not wrong about USA Judo. He, Ronda, and Kayla got where they are *in spite* of USA Judo. There's a reason our only modern Olympic medalists were from the Pedro's.

 

[KingGuerrilla]

Travis is outstanding.

USA JUDO and the IJF have a lot of issues.

You think wrestlers bitch about rule changes since the 90s?

Welcome back to Judo!

I was absolutely appalled by the leg grab ban and couldn't believe that it really happened but I'm having a hard time getting excited about Travis.

* I wouldn't exactly say I'm back at Judo because I can't find anyone but my training partner who knows what it is

 

[KingGuerrilla]

Travis is a boss. Straight warrior. Broke himself to get Judo on the map and worked his ass off for his hardware. Hope dude is getting paid for all the video content.

The IJF is a cancer rotting the heart and soul of Judo. There's a reason BJJ surpassed it in popularity.

He's not wrong about USA Judo. He, Ronda, and Kayla got where they are *in spite* of USA Judo. There's a reason our only modern Olympic medalists were from the Pedro's.

I really loved Swain and Pedro but Travis doesn't seem to come off with the same level of friendliness... he seems a bit more confrontational and accusatory but frankly after dealing with USA judo and the IJF I could imagine why

 

[KingGuerrilla]

I was always told the IJF would send ninjas to your home and kill your puppy if you competed in any other martial art... how come Travis is still walking a straight line?

 

[Little Mac]

I was always told the IJF would send ninjas to your home and kill your puppy if you competed in any other martial art... how come Travis is still walking a straight line?

You know what, When I left Pe-De-Pano's school when I moved away from Tampa and lived on the other side of that area and was looking to study more grappling styles. I came across a Judo school in my area that was not very welcoming and assumed right away that I was there for Olympic training and to old to be trained for the Olympics. Funny thing was I just wanted to learn Judo and possibly even compete in some Grappler's Quest tournaments knowing the basic BJJ I had and supplement it with Judo Throws for the No Gi bracket.

That school acted like that stuff like Grapplers Quest and NAGA are the devil. I think they were associated with USA Judo but were thrown out of that Dojo space they were in due to their attitudes towards potential students who weren't what they were looking for.

 

[KingGuerrilla]

You know what, When I left Pe-De-Pano's school when I moved away from Tampa and lived on the other side of that area and was looking to study more grappling styles. I came across a Judo school in my that was not very welcoming and assumed right away that I was there for Olympic training and to old to be trained for the Olympics. Funny thing was I just wanted to learn Judo and possibly even compete in some Grappler's Quest tournaments knowing the basic BJJ I had and supplement it with Judo Throws for the No Gi bracket.

That school acted like that stuff like Grapplers Quest and NAGA are the devil. I think they were associated with USA Judo but were thrown out of that Dojo space they were in due to their attitudes towards potential students who weren't what they were looking for.

almost sounds like they were worried about the competition!

 

[Little Mac]

almost sounds like they were worried about the competition!

It seemed like it, The woman who was the program director was very snooty and rude. And you would think they would want to welcome anyone who was willing to learn and pay them to teach them. Nope. However now In TX and very happy at the current gym I'm at for BJJ, The owner of the Gym wants to add Judo classes since we have a Judo BB with us who is currently a Purple in BJJ under my Professor.

Told the Judo guy the same story I told you and he said the exact same thing you said, However he told us all Judo and BJJ work in harmony with one another and your cheating yourself if you do not train some Judo with your BJJ and vice versa. To be truthful I still want to learn Judo and supplement it with my BJJ and vice versa.

 

[EndlessCritic]

Travis Stevens is as legit as it gets. And he's basically a grizzly bear.

 

[KingGuerrilla]

It seemed like it, The woman who was the program was very snooty and rude. And you would think they would want to welcome anyone who was willing to learn and pay them to teach them. Nope. However now In TX and very happy at the current gym I'm at for BJJ, The owner of the Gym wants to add Judo classes since we have a Judo BB with us who is currently a Purple in BJJ under my Professor.

Told the Judo guy the same story I told you and he said the exact same thing you said, However he told us all Judo and BJJ work in harmony with one another and your cheating yourself if you do not train some Judo with your BJJ and vice versa. To be truthful I still want to learn Judo and supplement it with my BJJ and vice versa.

I am of the firm opinion that BJJ is nothing more than judo groundwork taken to the bank because of brilliant marketing and a little thing called the UFC



* Judo dismissed its martial arts relevance in order to clutch at sport glory and BJJ is following in their foolish footsteps.

 

[Little Mac]

I am of the firm opinion that BJJ is nothing more than judo groundwork taken to the bank because of brilliant marketing and a little thing called the UFC



* Judo dismissed its martial arts relevance in order to clutch at sport glory and BJJ is following in their foolish footsteps.

I do agree, Judo and BJJ come from the same roots and I love them equally as I do with Muay Thai and Dutch Kickboxing. Sure the politics are out there, But I just want to learn and get better for both myself and have fun participating in tournaments to see where I'm at and make BJJ, Judo, and My stand up I'm learning work the way I feel it should. It can almost come to the point that I have the Bruce Lee mind set but it is what it is.

I love both arts equally, While I do prefer the No- Gi Variants about more but I understand the purpose of Gi training.

 

[KingGuerrilla]

Travis Stevens is as legit as it gets. And he's basically a grizzly bear.

wonder how hed do in MMA

 

[KingGuerrilla]

I do agree, Judo and BJJ come from the same roots and I love them equally as I do with Muay Thai and Dutch Kickboxing. Sure the politics are out there, But I just want to learn and get better for both myself and have fun participating in tournaments to see where I'm at and make BJJ, Judo, and My stand up I'm learning work the way I feel it should. It can almost come to the point that I have the Bruce Lee mind set but it is what it is.

I love both arts equally, While I do prefer the No- Gi Variants about more but I understand the purpose of Gi training.

I avoided lapel grappling for many years considering it kind of ridiculous with MMA on the horizon but these days I have come full circle and consider its self-defense aspect important. I personally trained about 90% Gillis and would love to see a giless version of Judo one day.

If I were in charge of the IJF I would have a freestyle, Greco-Roman and giless version of Judo... it's okay to add to a sport but never take away

There's no question that BJJ is much more welcoming to Judo than Judo is to BJJ but then again Judo seems to hate everybody.

A handful of times I found myself without a MMA opportunity and resorted to traditional BJJ, everyone instantly made me as a wrestler and thought I would be an easy win once they threw the gi me...

surprise!!

I warned them my first martial art was Judo (they snickered) although it was many years ago and Judo is extremely rare walking into a BJJ Club so they don't have much experience dealing with it... trouble was I had many years of folk style wrestling under my belt also so groundwork was something I was extremely comfortable with.

 

[CFGroup]

The golden triangle of American Judo!

Pedro/Stevens

KBI first under Nobuyoshi Higashi and now his son Shintaro Higashi

and

Jason Morris

with a few others thrown in the mix, you can't get better Judo training ops all within a three hour drive.

Great years to be in my training prime!

The palace politics of IJF has killed the spread of American Judo stone cold dead!

My new instructor out west said he couldn't let me train at his club if I didn't pay IJF due's and was forced to kick out all of the BJJ cross trainers.

They'll purge anyone or anything and rather close clubs to keep the cashflow coming.

 

[KingGuerrilla]

The golden triangle of American Judo!

Pedro/Stevens

KBI first under Nobuyoshi Higashi and now his son Shintaro Higashi

and

Jason Morris

with a few others thrown in the mix, you can't get better Judo training ops all within a three hour drive.

Great years to be in my training prime!

The palace politics of IJF has killed the spread of American Judo stone cold dead!

My new instructor out west said he couldn't let me train at his club if I didn't pay IJF due's and was forced to kick out all of the BJJ cross trainers.

They'll purge anyone or anything and rather close clubs to keep the cashflow coming.

how does hating on BJJ and wrestling help Judo? One would think this is the time to join together!

* I tried to start a judo Club in my small coastal town and they (USA Judo) wanted me to drive up to another city to demonstrate kata no kata and interview with their representatives or they wouldn't recognize my belt... that kind of stuff would never happen in wrestling or Sambo

Just a few weeks later the covid shutdown occurred and I lost all my people who were interested in Judo to the local BJJ Club that continued to operate...we had 7 athletes who wanted to compete in judo now we have 2

 

[efficientjudo]

My new instructor out west said he couldn't let me train at his club if I didn't pay IJF due's and was forced to kick out all of the BJJ cross trainers.

They'll purge anyone or anything and rather close clubs to keep the cashflow coming.

Sounds like a national governing body thing, not an IJF thing - because you only pay dues to the NGB, the IJF don't collect checks from clubs or individuals.

I don't think the IJF is perfect - but it seems to me from the outside (I'm UK based) that American Judo has an internal politics problem separate from the IJF.

I know Stevens had his issues directly with the IJF as a competitor, and so understand his personal dislike of them (and rightly so), but the average Judoka on the ground has no interaction with the IJF whatsoever, and beyond complaining about rules changes, shouldn't really have any gripe with them - because its ultimately the NGB that are determining the situation at a grassroots level.

 

[KingGuerrilla]

Sounds like a national governing body thing, not an IJF thing - because you only pay dues to the NGB, the IJF don't collect checks from clubs or individuals.

I don't think the IJF is perfect - but it seems to me from the outside (I'm UK based) that American Judo has an internal politics problem separate from the IJF.

I know Stevens had his issues directly with the IJF as a competitor, and so understand his personal dislike of them (and rightly so), but the average Judoka on the ground has no interaction with the IJF whatsoever, and beyond complaining about rules changes, shouldn't really have any gripe with them - because its ultimately the NGB that are determining the situation at a grassroots level.

AWESOME!!!!

 

[KingGuerrilla]

Sounds like a national governing body thing, not an IJF thing - because you only pay dues to the NGB, the IJF don't collect checks from clubs or individuals.

I don't think the IJF is perfect - but it seems to me from the outside (I'm UK based) that American Judo has an internal politics problem separate from the IJF.

I know Stevens had his issues directly with the IJF as a competitor, and so understand his personal dislike of them (and rightly so), but the average Judoka on the ground has no interaction with the IJF whatsoever, and beyond complaining about rules changes, shouldn't really have any gripe with them - because its ultimately the NGB that are determining the situation at a grassroots level.

will you elaborate on USA judo's internal political problems?

I've been involved with MMA for many years and I'm just getting back into Judo... much to my disappointment it seems to be at about the same level as the last time I trained in 1995!

What's your opinion on the leg grab ban??

 

[efficientjudo]

will you elaborate on USA judo's internal political problems?
What's your opinion on the leg grab ban??

I can't talk to the internal politics because I'm not based there or particularly clued up on it - but Judo in the US seems very fractured, and I've never heard anyone from the US say anything positive about any of their (is it three?) national governing bodies.

It seems there is a lot of anti-IJF sentiment in the US - but its interesting that sentiment doesn't seem to exist in other countries, even in places like the UK where Judo also seems to be dying a death, and unable to adapt to BJJs popularity or provide adequate support to its national level athletes - people in the UK don't blame the IJF for issues that are within the British Judo Associations remit - but it seems common to do so in the US.

In terms of the leg grab ban - I liked Judo better when leg grabs were there, but it is what it is. And if you put aside notions of what Judo is or should be, I think the current rules actually make for some interesting contests.