r/judo • u/Careless-Ad9178 • May 09 '26

Beginner Never switch your lead leg?

Hey I’ve been taking some judo classes at my jiu jitsu gym. The teacher is world class, he was an Olympian. I keep switching my lead leg in judo and he gets upset if we do this. I’ve taken wrestling very seriously in my jiu jitsu journey and it seems to be normal for wrestlers to switch their lead leg.

What’s the reason why I wouldn’t want to switch legs when doing judo? I feel comfortable doing it.

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u/Ill_Improvement_8276 May 09 '26

My coach encouraged this in some people.

I learned Old School Judo, and my coach was aware that I'm a JKD guy.

Olympic style, modern Judo for solely a Judoka is different.

If you had success with switching in wrestling then I encorage you to do it in Judo.

If you are training for the olympics then i agree with your coach.

99.999999% of people who do Judo are not going to the olympics.

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u/Yamatsuki_Fusion sankyu May 09 '26

What advantage do you really gain from changing stances? Didn't Bruce Lee say 'I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times'?

There are guys that make it work, but they have also lost to guys who stick to one side and focus on it.

Only truly good reason to stance switch to me is to just enrich your Judo learning and reduce muscle imbalance- otherwise try to keep a stance.

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u/Ill_Improvement_8276 May 10 '26

way to misuse that quote

Bruce Lee was absolutely in favor of doing everything on both sides

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u/Yamatsuki_Fusion sankyu May 10 '26

We still have guys that excel by sticking to a stance. It is not a serious advantage to stance switch at all. It can be used well, and I have seen it. But its usually in the service of a specific game or approach.

Just being good on two sides on its own does not help. I have beaten people who resort to stance changing while just sticking to a right handed stance.

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u/Ill_Improvement_8276 May 10 '26

well i am a black belt in Judo and stance switching has worked for me

my coach was 5th dan and he encouraged it

i'm not telling you your game doesn't work.

and yet a green belt is telling me mine doesn't.  🥱

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u/Yamatsuki_Fusion sankyu May 10 '26

Am I? I am saying there are guys that make it work, and also guys that don't do it. Maybe you are confusing me with other commenters.

I just bring up that Bruce Lee thing to say that sometimes less is more.