The Shintaro Higashi Show

In this special episode, Shintaro sits down with ONE Middleweight World Champion Reinier de Ridder (RdR) to talk about his lifelong martial arts journey that started with Judo and his current journey as an MMA champion. RdR also talks about his upcoming submission grappling superfight with Tye Ruotolo at ONE Fight Night 10 on May 5, 2023. Join our Discord server and start chatting with us and othe...

ONE Championship, a global combat sports titan, is coming to America! In this special mid-week episode, Shintaro sits down with Chatri Sityodtong to discuss ONE's American expansion and his lifelong martial arts journey. Don't miss ONE Championship's first event in America, ONE Fight Night 10: Johnson vs. Moraes 3, taking place at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colorado on May 5, 20...

We all know Judo can be rough on the body. This aspect of Judo can be a limiting factor in growing Judo's popularity. What kind of steps can we take to make Judo safe for everyone? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter talk about some of the strategies we as a community can take to help make Judo safe. Join our Discord server and start chatting with us and other grapplers by supporting us on Pat...

We have all heard of Shintaro's idea on how to grow Judo in America: a grassroots, bottom-up approach that starts with the local Judo communities. In this episode, Shintaro and Peter go deeper into this approach and discuss "what we can do for the sport of Judo right now." They stay away from things that are out of reach for Judo hobbyists, and focus on the simplest and easiest thing...

We all know the benefits of learning Judo, but how about the flip side: are there any benefits of "teaching" Judo? Not many of us are in the position of answering that question, since most of us are not Judo teachers, but Shintaro can thanks to its extensive experience in teaching Judo. In this episode, Shintaro and Peter attempt to answer that question. Join our Discord server and start...

Shintaro recently received his BJJ black belt from his friend Brian Glick, a Danaher black belt. In this episode, Shintaro talks about what that means to him, and how it's been to be a student again. He also elaborates on how his BJJ journey has shaped his Judo. Join our Discord server and start chatting with us and other grapplers by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/shintaro_...

Many of you may be curious about what Shintaro's current training looks like. How many times a week does he do Judo? How about BJJ? Does he lift at all? Does he run? In this episode, Shintaro gives a detailed breakdown of his current training! Join our Discord server and start chatting with us and other grapplers by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/shintaro_higashi_show . Any amou...

Judo teaching styles have evolved over the years, and Shintaro is a living embodiment of that evolution. In this episode, Shintaro describes how his father's traditional teaching style was like, and how he took his father's style and improved it to the style he follows now. Join our Discord server and start chatting with us and other grapplers by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/s...

Coaching doesn't end in the dojo. When an athlete participates in a competition, their coach usually is by their side on the mat, shouting out encouragements and directions. This "mat-side coaching" can be the difference in the outcome of a match. How should this type of coaching look like? What is the most effective way to do it? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter discuss "mat-side coaching," an...

Most people, when they say they do boxing, do what they call "cardio boxing"-- using boxing as a means of exercise, not as a combat sport. This is massively more popular thanks to its safety and approachability. Would this model work for Judo? How would this "Cardio Judo" look like? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter go in depth about Cardio Judo and how it could be implemented. Join our Discord...

By popular demand, Shintaro and Peter are talking about Shuai Jiao! They're no experts of Shuai Jiao, so in this episode, they focus more on their first impressions of the art, and how it fits in the broad grappling world. Join our Discord server and start chatting with us and other grapplers by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/shintaro_higashi_show . Any amount helps!

Competitions are a big part of many grappling sports including Judo, BJJ and wrestling. What'd be the best way to prepare for them? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter go on a deep dive into various aspects of competition preparation-- from mental preparation to weight cutting. Join our Discord server and start chatting with us and other grapplers by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.c...

Judo is one of the most popular sports in the world practiced in over 200 countries. If you go to a Judo tournament in Judo powerhouses like Japan and France, you can find yourself in a packed stadium with roaring crowds. This is certainly not the case in the USA where Judo is dwarfed by the popularity of wrestling and BJJ. Why is Judo not popular in the US and what can we do about it? In this epi...

Traditionally, Judo classes have been quite simple: warm-up, uchi-komi then randori. But recently, we see many different class formats thanks to the influence from other sports such as BJJ, Taekwondo, boxing and even ballet! So what is the best training format to run your Judo class? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter discuss how Shintaro likes to structure his class and training at his dojo KBI....

Every Judoka at one point or another goes through a phase where he/she wants to master Uchimata. It is one of the most popular throws know for its versatility and beauty. But it remains an elusive throw for many. Why is uchimata so hard to learn? Can we learn it more easily somehow? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter discuss the learning aspect of uchimata, and a new uchimata instructional from S...

All the techniques in Judo, and other sports for that matter, have small details that are super important for their successful execution. Shintaro calls these details "Micro Judo." Unfortunately, these details are neither easily learned or taught, and experts learn them after years of practice. Can we learn Micro Judo more quickly in a more deliberate way? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter discu...

Rule changes are some of the most popular and controversial topics among Judokas, and they've been covered quite a bit in the podcast. How about this time, we take the initiative and propose new, interesting rule changes that could help Judo. Will these rules help or hurt Judo? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter talk about some of their ideas on new rule changes that could make things interesting...

Let's face it, the vast majority of us cannot even practice Judo a few hours a week, let alone full-time. You may have a busy day job; you may have family obligations. Whatever the reason, we try to find a way to do Judo while busy. In this episode, Shintaro and Peter talk about ways you can stay engaged with Judo without going to the dojo all the time. Please support us on Patreon if you can: htt...

Drop seoi nage is one of the most popular and spectacular throws in Judo. Despite its popularity, it's one of the hardest throws to master. Why is it so elusive, and what can we do about it? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter discuss all the details about drop seoi nage. Please support us on Patreon if you can: https://www.patreon.com/shintaro_higashi_show. Any amount helps!

The word "kuzushi" gets thrown a lot in Judo and, to a certain extent, BJJ. It usually gets translated as "unbalancing", but there is a lot of missing context in the translation. What does "kuzushi" exactly mean? Does it apply only to Judo? How can we apply it in our grappling? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter go in depth about kuzushi. Please support us on Patreon if you can: https://www.patre...

Adult white belts often are the butt of the joke in certain Judo and BJJ circles, but they form the foundation of the sports. How important are adult white belts for your Judo and BJJ gym? How important are they for the sports in general? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter discuss the importance of the adult white belts and the role they play in the grappling communities. Please support us on Pat...

One of the most important aspects of running a dojo that frequently gets overlooked is how to manage parents of kids at your dojo. They come in all kinds of variety, from the busy ones that barely pay attention to the ones with extremely high expectations who pay too much attention. They are an integral part of the dojo, so how can we manage them so that their kids, and the parents themselves, can...

Explosiveness is a key athletic ability in a lot of sports, and Judo is no exception. How important is explosiveness in Judo exactly? Is there a way to train for it? Is there a way to excel at Judo without being explosive? How about other grappling arts? In this episode, Shintaro and Peter go in depth about explosiveness in Judo and other grappling arts. Please support us on Patreon if you can: ht...

Peter, a longtime Judoka, has been doing BJJ almost exclusively for the past year, and he has made some interesting observations about it. Now, he wants to share his thoughts with you and hear your thoughts! Do you agree with his thoughts and observations? Did he miss something? Please support us on Patreon if you can: https://www.patreon.com/shintaro_higashi_show . Any amount helps!

Judo can be a frustrating sport, and Judokas often become frustrated with their lack of progress, but it doesn't have to be that way! In this episode, Shintaro and Peter offer some quick tips that can help you get better at Judo right away, so you can start throwing people! Please support us on Patreon if you can: https://www.patreon.com/shintaro_higashi_show . Any amount helps!