Three-time USA Judo national champion Justin Flores has spent decades on the mat as both a competitor and coach, working with athletes ranging from Ronda Rousey to high-level jiu-jitsu competitors like Keenan Cornelius.
In a recent podcast episode, Flores offered an assessment of where many jiu-jitsu practitioners fall short in stand-up grappling: they collect moves instead of building a system.
“I would say it’s move collecting versus a system,” Flores stated. “A lot of jiu-jitsu practitioners at a high level, they know a few moves, but they haven’t filled in the gray areas. So they try these moves when the timing is not right.”
The distinction matters because isolated techniques, no matter how well-drilled, tend to break down in live situations. Flores points to grip figh ting as a telling example. Many jiu-jitsu practitioners limit their hand to one or two positions.
“They’re trying to do a move or two from positions that don’t really make sense, but they know those moves. So those are the moves they’re going to use.”
In judo and wrestling, this problem gets addressed early. Athletes learn to identify their dominant side, lead with the correct foot, and chain techniques so that one flows into the next based on an opponent’s reaction.
“In wrestling and judo, you’re chaining techniques together because you understand how one leads to the next,” Flores said.
His prescription is not to start from scratch, but to build around what a practitioner already does well. If someone has a strong uchimata, the goal is to connect that throw to related techniques on the same leg, use foot sweeps to set it up, and plan what comes next when the initial attempt fails. The result is a sequence rather than a collection of disconnected options.
Footwork and stance are equally foundational, and Flores makes the point at every seminar he runs. He asks how many attendees are right-handed, then how many lead with their left foot. Both groups are nearly identical in size.
“Your best weapon is behind you now,” he said. Leading with the dominant foot puts hip rotation, throw mechanics, and reactive speed in position to act rather than catch up.
Flores puts the core problem simply: “That’s the difference between move collecting and having a system.”
Judo and wrestling build that system by design. Jiu-jitsu stand-up work, as it is commonly taught, often does not.
