Owen Livesey, Commonwealth Games gold medalist and accomplished grappler, has made bold claims about the stark differences between judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training standards. The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games champion, who has successfully transitioned into high-level BJJ competition, argues that judo athletes operate on an entirely different plane when it comes to training intensity and commitment.
Speaking on The Grapplers Perspective Podcast, Livesey detailed his eight-year stint training full-time at Camberley Judo Club, describing conditions that would challenge even the most dedicated athletes. Living in dormitory-style accommodation with twenty other elite judokas, Livesey painted a picture of total immersion in the sport that goes far beyond typical BJJ training environments.
“When I find with Jiu-Jitsu is people train full-time but it’s just like kind of within their gyms there’s not like a professional setup,” Livesey explained. “But with Judo being Olympic sport is actually a full full setup so you can like relocate the gym will provide absolutely everything.”
The living conditions at Camberley were basic at best. Athletes shared bunk beds in a building that Livesey described as being in poor repair, with leaking roofs and mice running through the corridors. Despite earning only £120 per week with £50 going to food, Livesey maintained this lifestyle for nearly a decade, driven purely by competitive ambition.
What sets judo training apart, according to Livesey, is the systematic professional approach mandated by its Olympic status. Athletes received dedicated strength and conditioning coaches who programmed training cycles around tournament schedules, ensuring peak performance when it mattered most. The training partners were exclusively world-class competitors, with three athletes from the same facility winning gold at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“We progress so fast in that building,” Livesey noted. “I’d never had a British senior medal and literally like within 12 months I won Gold.”
This rapid improvement stemmed from being completely immersed in the sport – training, eating, sleeping and studying judo with no outside distractions.
The mental commitment required for elite judo also differs significantly from BJJ culture. Livesey emphasized the lack of social media posturing and trash talk that has become commonplace in modern grappling.
“Judo does not get anywhere near the recognition it deserves in this country like the athletes on a World level in Judo are just absolutely ridiculous,” he stated. “There’s just no s— talking… you just got the some of the best athletes you ever see in your life and they’re all just the nicest people.”
This professional, no-nonsense approach extends to technical development as well. Livesey‘s current success in high-level BJJ competition, despite minimal focused training, demonstrates the superior athletic foundation that elite judo provides.
“If I trained like I am now and competed where I used to competing Judo I am not going through a first round ever,”
he admitted, highlighting the astronomical skill level required at Olympic-standard judo.
The financial sacrifice required for judo excellence also far exceeds what most BJJ athletes experience. While top grapplers can earn significant money through instructionals, seminars and sponsorships, elite judokas survive on minimal stipends while dedicating their entire lives to the sport.
