Top Notch Jujutsu, Starring Shinya Aoki

[vrax]

This is Shinya Aoki. He's in the top 5 at submission Jujutsu in the world. Here is a highlight reel. Skip to 1:51 for the action, which as a strange and special bonus is set to Portishead.

OH! Right, fair warning, there is a technically beautiful, but visually disturbing elbow break at about 5:05. If that will squick you, skip it.

Comments

[suchid]

Who would you rate alongside Aoki as having Top 5 Submissions in Jiu-jitsu?

[vrax]

Bj Penn
Minotauro Nogeuira
Eddie Bravo
then kind of a zillion way tie. But those are definitely the guys who I think are really at the top.

If you include players form any discipline you have to give a nod toward Josh Barnett, but he's clearly not doing JJ.

Fabricio Werdum, many Cesar Gracie guys, Jake Shields, the Diaz brothers etc. Of course he's out of his prime now, but Rickson Gracie will always be one of the all-time greats.

[suchid]

I'm confused as to Eddie Bravo. ;) I would substitute him for Roger Gracie.

[vrax]

Well given that Bravo taught Aoki, I cannot agree but Roger is excellent. Hmm. Roger makes a good one to round out the top 5. Bravo and Penn have also trained together extensively.

[suchid]

I don't think Bravo's submission skills are all that great. Aside from Royler Gracie at ADCC I don't believe he's submitted anyone that makes him stand out. Yeah, as an instructor, he's done well because Aoki's are slick and technical however I don't see that because Bravo taught Aoki, that Bravo should be Top 5. Otherwise one could make an argument for John-Jacques Machado because he taught Bravo, and then Carlos Gracie for teaching Bravo. ;)

[suchid]

Carlos Gracie for teaching John-Jacques Machado, rather.

[vrax]

I knew what you meant.

[vrax]

Well the Machado bros, whom I have trained with, are SO very impressive. I met them at a Radford Virginia Seminar being put on by Jerry Beasley(ed. of Black Belt Magazine).

You make a good point though. I will now have to rethink how I weight someone's ability to teach in a way that produces an effective student. Interesting, thanks for making me think it through!

[suchid]

It could just be that the art itself is good and that, for example, BJ Penn, Minotauro Nogueira, Roger Gracie, Shinya Aoki and perhaps Marcelo Garcia are the Top 5 Submission Artists in Jiu-jitsu because they display how good the art is with such ease?

[vrax]

Well certainly it makes for a good foundation but true mastery requires passion, 'emotional content' as Bruce Lee used to say.

Otherwise I would have to be saying that Kyokushinkai is excellent stuff because of the success of Georges St. Pierre, but frankly I don't think it's that great.