Jimmy Pedro: Judo | Take It Uneasy Podcast

Jimmy Pedro is an American judo competitor and coach, World champion, 3x World medalist, 2x Olympic medalist; we talk about his father (Big Jim Pedro Sr), his early career, the times he wanted to quit, overcoming a neck injury, coming back from retirement, the life of an athlete vs the life of a coach, a system for developing elite-level judoka, Japanese vs Russian judo, periodization, a weekly program for an elite-level judoka, toughest moment as a coach, watching Travis Stevens lose the semifinals at the Olympics, mental game, visualization, IJF, judo as a spectator sport, the future of judo in the United States and the rest of the world, and more.
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[@TampaFloridaJudo]

Jimmy Pedro helped my CAREER TREMENDOUSLY!!!!!! - Rhadi Ferguson

[@kozuchiosu9603]

Outsanding, sincere and so straight to the point, Thank you Sensei Pedro!

[@myz32rocks]

Great interview! Pedro and his stable of Judoka are all legends!

[@Reddragondiaries]

This was an awesome interview. Great job.

[@kigawman]

I'm starting to love this interview. A lot of personal questions have surface and its interesting how Jimmy answer them. Thanks Lex for this...

[@BinhtriVu]

This interview was GREAT! It's about an hour long but gives the listener an amazing insight into the mind of an Olympic caliber athlete. I was fortunate enough to meet Jimmy a few times and watched him coach Travis Stevens live at the 2012 Olympics in London.

[@tommyurso1811]

thank you so much for your contribution with this interview and to the sport of judo.

[@deecsaunders]

Such an inspirational guy. It was sad to hear about the pressure he was under when he was a kid. Although without this pressure from his dad I wonder would he have become a world champion?

[@byyr3]

Ofcorse not, diamonds are made through pressure. Pressure is good

[@alexeyepifanov2684]

Great person! I'm proud to been able to shake hands with him and my son to participate his great clinic

[@CheeseCakes11944]

i also really enjoyed this interview, it brought out the intelligence and back stories from jimmy. great interviewer great questions and great interviewee

[@moloned]

Wonderful interview by Lex and great honesty from Jimmy

[@glennthiemann6441]

Thanks Jimmy for sharing your experiences and dedication to Judo. I enjoyed your stories with Jimmy Sr.,your family, the competitions, the injuries and coaching. Keep up the great work in Boston.

[@jamescregg694]

I saw Jimmy Pedro on the mat as a six year old, and his sister as well, both very good! A Judo Hero!

[@romanmayer13]

amazing interview! thanks so much

[@drutgat2]

Good interview. Many thanks for this. Jimmy seems like a very nice, thoughtful and intelligent person.

[@SundownTE]

Fantastic interview right here

[@acidkroket]

really enjoyed this!

[@mangotango1131]

Excellent Interview...one of my favorites next to Ryan Hall's

[@Ippondo]

Excellent job Lex, thank you for giving this to us you and Jimmy have a book here. I remember enjoying your shiai road trip vblogs. Osu!

[@lucapuliti7663]

Man your podcast is amazing,thanks

[@robburson6761]

What a great interview.

[@Ela-eh3hm]

Amazing interview!

[@LeogenArt]

OSS!! good u tackled about the new rules of IJF.. thanks alex!

[@richardbeemer2651]

Outstanding interview

[@marceloisoni9158]

Awesome. Love Jimmy

[@matiasorfen]

beautiful interview

[@irish_failed_guitarist]

Awesome interview.

[@zoyahallman1343]

Good interview!

[@Uhhhrandomna]

Just got into your channel for the podcast with Michael Saylor, and I was like "dang, this channel is great. How did this Lex guy get his start?" He started with judo videos and a podcast with the legendary JIMMY PEDRO!?!?! It's like this channel was made for me.

[@andreacasali9767]

fantastic interview

[@jessieibarra7174]

Lex you're a legend

[@timothykalamaros2954]

Has jiujitsu sucked the air out of judo? We used to have a club nearby and it dried up. Other clubs on the USA judo list are defunct too. Sad!

[@ienjoybourbon321]

I totally take it easy all the time, but nonetheless I appreciate a great interview. Awesome watch.

[@davidsimms6441]

Here after the 2021 Travis stevens interview 2021

[@henrikg1388]

So well founded answers. I am impressed with this interview. I never got to become a competition sports judoka myself. Well, first of all I couldn't do it, but secondly, I thought of Judo as a martial art and not just a martial sport. I cross trained in thaiboxing at the time, and actually used some techniques that crossed over. That was before MMA became a big thing, and as stupid as I am, I thought Royce Gracie was a judoka. I think Judo have to reinvent itself back to the roots, but also into the modern world.

[@crashstitches79]

Jimmy is so right. The rule changes over the years aimed at getting and keeping judo in the Olympics have really compromised the art as a martial system. Newaza is stood up so fast. Leg grabs are hansoku make. Nowadays we get "ippon" throws all the time where uke ends up on tori's back with hooks because they sold out defense to get ippon. Judo self defense has become turtling and locking your collars down. What use is that in a grappling match or street fight? Such a beautiful art being compromised for potential TV ratings. Not even actual ratings, just potential ratings.

[@anilphilip546]

great insight!

[@internetenjoyer1044]

to be honest i dont think the changes make the art that dramatically worse as a self defence system. just dont use that gentle rolling thrown in a non competition situation, and cross train to get the single an double leg game down and that basically solves mot of the issues

[@georgetsili3861]

You probably don't train judo Your commend is absolutely wrong the rules it's about the sport In dojo you will everything about ne waza and about leg grap The option that judo change and became worst or for TV show is bullshit

[@kcwliew]

​@@georgetsili3861 Yeah I agree - BJJ player here but I trained 6 months in a Judo school in France because there was no BJJ school near me at the time. We spent MOST of our time on Newaza just because the coach was really into it. I had a blast and learnt so much. Hope is not lost for Judo. Judo guys know the score... There's a reason why Judoka black belts have to enter BJJ competitions as blue belts because grappling is grappling. Having said that - I also agree with the OP that it's sad that sports judo has seen these changes - particularly the leg grabs and newaza. I have a feeling that this will change though - the increasing interest in MMA and submission grappling should be of notice to the powers that be.

[@donaldhughes6717]

Well said. This is why you can actually make money teaching bjj. The public knows.

[@Triangulove]

He's friends with my instructor Jason Morris, who himself is an olympic silver medalist.

[@wolfrox777]

Jimmy nailed it. If everyone can't do it, it'll never be popular. Promoting Judo's self defense gets people interested, not competing.

[@sondrabecchetti4612]

Great interview. This is not me but my wife. This is Michael Kessler and it would be a sad day if USA Judo was abolished on the world scene. It was a great interview with your dad as well. I watched your dad perform a great standing arm bar at the senior nationals on my friend Lenny Urso.

[@caitd5677]

Your podcast are what I listen to when I drive to different sites for work.. Thanks :)

[@waikrujudovic]

Jim. 2002-2004 training with you we’re also some of the best years I’m my life training @ Pedro’s Judo with our Team of guys. I wouldn’t give a day up of it.

[@sangbeom6245]

Wow Jimmy Pedro

[@nidgeontour257]

Jimmy is spot on with the periodisation for the athletes! You need a structure and you need to learn to stay away from Judo and do something else! Less is more quality not quantity!

[@rudyrunner8103]

The future of judo is outside of the olympics Old rules and team competition in a club atmosphere That’s how clubs are developing traveling to other countries practice together enjoy the randori an international society without borders

[@sombojoe]

And he still has great hair!

[@BAMFITNESSUSA]

Was Jimmy Pedro from Lynn Massachusetts?

[@bobbyg3269]

Jimmy was right, 2 Olympians.

[@adinghosh917]

Please re upload Travis stevens interview @lex fridman

[@moefinesse9878]

sensei Pedro is America's greatest judoka followed by Kayla Harris, Rhonda Rousey, Travis Stevens and Gene Lebell

[@Ben.N]

Pog

[@cholakicha]

53:00

[@JohnSmith-zc1bj]

Should I learn wrestling or judo for MMA? If I can only dedicate 1 day a week to takedown work...

[@jugo1944]

Either but wrestling is much more available in US at least

[@mariarenatadesantis3901]

thats weird how he talks about the BIG COUNTRIES, when usa is the most powerfull nation in the world, and its horrible USA are cheapskates with their athletes.

[@sylverg5323]

Implied is "big JUDO countries". France has over 550,000 judoka with a current licence. USA has an estimated 25,000 judoka, 22 times smaller.

[@MoneyOverFame]

D Cooling no market, basically meaning wrestling completely dominates judo ?