Shintaro Higashi Teaches Full BJJ Class — A Pure No-Judo Jiu-Jitsu Breakdown
For fans of Shintaro Higashi, this class offers something a little different: a full Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu session, taught and led entirely by Shintaro himself. Known primarily for his Judo and takedown expertise, Shintaro flips the script in this episode and goes deep into pure ground grappling—no Judo, no takedowns, just BJJ.
The video was filmed during a live noon class at his dojo, with Shintaro stepping in for Brian Glick, who was out sick. It’s a full session with real students, live instruction, situational drills, and even a little rolling toward the end.
Shintaro opens with an honest take on his relationship with ground work: “I was known for my stand-up. Even in high school wrestling, I never chose bottom. I’d rather give up a point and start neutral.” That mindset followed him through much of his early martial arts journey—until he fully committed to learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Now a BJJ black belt, he’s as sharp on the ground as he is on the feet.
Watch the full video here ↓
The class itself is structured around practical BJJ concepts, starting with guard passing and retention drills. The idea is to give both the top and bottom players live, realistic reps without crushing resistance. Students cycle through sequences like passing to side control, allowing the opponent to retain guard, then switching roles.
The emphasis is on controlled, give-and-take movement—a cooperative format that teaches awareness, timing, and fluid transitions. “You’re not feeding problems to your partner,” Shintaro says. “You’re letting them work—letting them see and feel the positions.”
The second half of class moves into guard passing variations from seated guard scenarios. Students work on creating side-to-side movement, tipping the opponent to break posture, and using grips to enter into X-passes, knee cuts, or underhook knee-on-belly transitions.
These aren’t static drills. They’re dynamic, situational, and layered with detail. Students are encouraged to respond to real reactions—like high legs, inversions, and grip fighting. The final drill combines all three pass types into one free-flowing guard retention/passing exchange.
This video also shows Shintaro’s growth as an instructor who respects BJJ’s internal systems—not just adapting Judo groundwork, but truly embracing and teaching jiu-jitsu in its own right.
For anyone training in BJJ, especially those working on guard passing, retention, or positional control, this video is a goldmine. It also shows how effective instruction doesn’t require elaborate systems—just good, clear concepts, and a space to explore them live.
To see the full class, drills, and rolling, watch the video on YouTube. And keep an eye on HigashiBrand.com for upcoming gi collaborations with Fuji and more instructional content on the way.
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