Turn no-gi hand fighting into clean foot sweeps and trips.
The Bottom Line
You learn a no-gi first-contact plan that builds to reliable foot sweeps and trips. The structure trains your timing through short drills before adding higher-amplitude finishes. You will not get a random move dump or gi-first grips that fail in no-gi.
⚡️ Quick facts
Best for: No-gi BJJ players
Skip if: You avoid standup
Tech focus: De Ashi Barai, Kouchi Gari, Ouchi Gari, Osoto Gari, Russian Tie, Arm Drag, Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi
Biggest takeaway: Foot sweeps work in no-gi.
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What You'll Learn
This is Higashi at his most BJJ-relevant: a no-gi, hand-fighting-first system that turns pummeling into foot sweeps and trips. The five volumes move from distance closing to head control, then into de-ashi, kouchi, ouchi, and osoto entries. You get simple positional cues plus drills that make timing feel natural.
Primary Techniques You'll Drill
- De Ashi Barai
- Kouchi Gari
- Ouchi Gari
- Osoto Gari
- Kosoto Gari
- Sasae Tsurikomi Ashi
- Russian Tie
- Arm Drag
- Headlock
- Uchi Mata
Format & Level
- Instructional style: System Based, Drill Heavy
- Skill level: All Levels
- Format: No-Gi
- Runtime: 3 hours and 21 minutes
- Volumes: 5
Should You Buy It?
Buy it now. I saw the biggest gains by repping the hand-fighting to de-ashi drill daily for five minutes.
Why Shintaro Higashi?
Shintaro Higashi is a US National Judo Champion and 6th-dan who also holds a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He runs Kokushi Budo Institute in New York. He competed internationally, reaching 43rd in IJF rankings. He teaches extensively online and on the BJJ Fanatics network. His instruction emphasizes grips, kuzushi, and chaining attacks.
Community feedback
Here’s a summary of common feedback from platforms like Reddit’s r/bjj.
😍 Why People Love It
- Best foot sweep explanations I have found; timing finally clicked.
- Clear, transferable no-gi grips and off-balancing for BJJ standup.
- Drills made de-ashi feel natural against resisting partners.
- Helped me punish lazy guard pulls with quick trips.
🤔 Common Criticisms
- Overlap with his free YouTube for some sections.
- Pummeling content felt basic for advanced wrestlers.
- Still tough to sweep heavy wrestlers consistently.
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Smart Alternatives
- No-Gi Judo Throws – Broader throw menu if you want more than sweeps. (Price: $79.00, 4 vols)
- Low Risk Judo Throws For BJJ – Designed specifically around common BJJ stances. (Price: $79.00, 3 vols)
- Demystifying Ashi Waza – Deep dive on the same sweep family in gi. (Price: $79.00, 3 vols)
Sources & References
Video Breakdowns
Official listing: View No Gi Judo: Foot Sweeps and Trips on BJJ Fanatics
Additional References
Your next step
You have the breakdown, community feedback, and my final thoughts. Now it’s your move.
