Do you ever cringe when you see a “technique” performed that inevitably will lead to injury?

Sometimes the person is lucky and doesn’t get injured in that instance, but you know that if they continue to do things the same way, someone is going to get hurt.

I've been noticing a trend in BJJ lately with more people incorporating variations of Judo throws like Harai-goshi, Uchi-mata, and O-guruma into their game.

It's awesome to see these techniques being used, but there's a little detail we should talk about to keep everyone safe and sound.

Some grapplers, especially in no-gi, are using overhooks to set up these throws without paying enough attention to something called the hikite, or pulling hand.

Why does this make me cringe?

Well, when you neglect controlling the hikite, it can lead to some pretty rough landings for your training partners – think belly-down or with their uncontrolled arm posted.

In Judo, the emphasis and importance of hikite is not just for efficiency but also for safety.

That lesson should carry over to Jiu-jitsu as well.

After all, we're all about control and looking out for each other on the mats.

Using and modifying Judo-inspired throws is great, but let's not forget the basics.

To truly master the bio-mechanics of a throw, we've got to keep our focus on control and safety.

That means giving hikite the attention it deserves.

Trust me, your training partners will thank you for it, and you'll be one step closer to becoming a complete grappler.


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And remember, when you learn one technique you know one technique.
When you learn a concept you know a thousand techniques.

See you on the flipside. - Larry Keith