Rogue, in Judo there are two belt divisions and several weight classes in each weight division. I would never wear my BJJ rank into a Judo tournament. That is disrespectful in the extreme, and probably disallowed by Judo rules. Jimmy Takemori would definitely have reamed me a new *******, and the Takai brothers who run the University of Maryland Judo Club probably would have too. Nice guys, but definitely competitive, and Takemori does NOT like BJJ guys showing up to Judo tournaments. I don’t consider myself the typical BJJ guy at a Judo tournament though. I’m not there to slap armbars on people while pulling guard. I’m there to try and win in a more Judo-y way, which I think the videos demonstrate.
The belt ranks go from white belt to 2nd brown, then 1st brown to black. At that tournament, I competed in both divisions. I had around 8 matches that day, mostly back to back, where I was running from one mat to the next, non-stop. I viewed Judo tournaments as a way for me to get some stand-up grappling in, while just gutting out the cardio beat-down I recieve. The rules are designed to minimize stalling - the clock is always running and defensive grips and posturing will result in a penalty called very quickly. Four penalities will get you DQ’d. Judo feels like a single-minded game of attack, attack, attack to me. Since my preferred mode of operation is more of a counter-fighter, it’s good for me to be in a situation that forces me to assault, rather than counter - or if I DO counter, to be forced to REACT, vice think about it.
In most top level Judo tournaments, they require you to show up with two gis - one blue, one white. As this was the State Open, what they had were a bunch of belts, either blue or white. One guy was blue, one guy was white.
I wound up taking 2nd in my weight class in the 2nd brown and under (5 matches in total). I was late turning out of a throw attempt by the eventual winner, I couldn’t quite throw him cleanly, and he was a blue belt in BJJ as well, so I couldn’t salvage the situation by just slapping a quick submission on him.
I was a DNF in the Black belt division. I won two and lost one, I think, and was in the repechage (consolation bracket) when I got launched and my shoulder dislocated upon landing…which led to surgery…