Judo Olympian and BJJ black belt Travis Stevens recently appeared on the BJJ Fanatics podcast, and he had some fascinating insights to share about the state of Judo in the United States.
One of the key points Stevens made was how traditions and hierarchical structures within the sport can sometimes hold it back from growing. He expressed frustration with the way some instructors try to exert control over students, like not allowing them to step on the mat without permission.
“It drives me nuts when I see it – people can’t step onto a mat without permission. They have to wait. And it’s like, first of all, they’re a paying member, they should be able to bow on the mat if they need your attention and walk up to you and say hello.”
Stevens sees this as a “power trip” that then filters down through the ranks, with higher belts trying to dictate who lower belts can train with. He likened it to a boss forcing an employee to work overtime – something most people would push back against.
But the real eye-opener came when Stevens discussed how Judo could potentially increase its viewership and popularity. He proposed the idea of having athletes compete without their baggy gis on, suggesting this could help showcase the incredible athleticism of Judo players.
“Maybe we need to show more skin. The baggy gi covers everything. If you’ve ever seen a photo of [legendary Judoka] Ilias [Iliadis] without his gi on after training, you’re like, ‘That guy’s scary.'”
The reasoning is sound – without the bulky uniform, the casual observer could better appreciate the physical dominance and explosiveness of high-level Judo practitioners. Just like a singlet in wrestling can convey a sense of power, the gi may be obscuring some of Judo’s visual appeal.
Of course, there are safety concerns to consider, as Judo’s full-contact nature means competitors could easily injure themselves with the wrong throw or landing. But the general idea of finding ways to better highlight the sport’s athleticism is an intriguing one.
As Judo continues to search for ways to grow its popularity, particularly in the United States, innovative thinking like Travis Stevens’ may be just what the sport needs. By addressing outdated traditions and exploring new presentation formats, Judo could find a pathway to reach a wider audience and inspire the next generation of elite competitors.
