It’s Science: Josh Hinger Jiu Jitsu Breakdown
Abstract: All matches observed of Josh Hinger used in this small sample occurred at major jiu jitsu events in the years 2012-2016. Only techniques, occurrences and outcomes that were recorded are displayed in the data below (i.e. if no butterfly sweeps occurred, there will not be a representation of that in the sample data charts). Matches were selected at random. This is a limited sample – but given the estimated amount of matches in this time period – it is well above the percentage necessary to create a scientifically validated trend sampling.
Notable Jiu Jitsu Study Stats
- 91% win rate
- Scored first in 83% of matches
- Secured takedown in 41% of matches
- Average match length was approximately 6:38
- 50% of passes originated from half-guard or half butterfly guard
- 50% of his submission wins were by triangle
The Breakdown:
Josh Hinger took the no gi scene by storm earlier this year by securing his first IBJJF no gi world title at black belt at the No Gi World Championship. In his tear through the tournament, he was able to overcome several of the biggest names in submission grappling. In our breakdown of this Atos standout, we got to see exactly what makes him such a special grappler
Josh Hinger Study:
In a lot of ways, Josh Hinger is outside the box. He is often the elder statesman in many of the adult divisions, he embraces diversity in his attacks, and thrives in the chaos of a match. He is the definition of a grinder – in both the meta and macro game.
An example of the tremendous diversity we saw in Hinger’s game is exemplified in the start of his matches. In 50% of his matches, his opponent eventually pulled guard on him. In the other 50%, he mixed together an unpredictable firestorm of different takedowns. Of all the competitors we’ve ever studied, Hinger showed more diversity in his stand-up game than any other; ultimately showcasing 5 completely different techniques.
In our observations, Hinger was not afraid to color outside the lines in his approach. In approximately 38% of his guard passes, he went straight to mount. In another 38% of his passes, he attacked kimuras or pressured the head and arm enough to pass in a way that I’m ashamed to admit that I did not fully-understand. It actually was difficult for me to categorize many of his different passes; as they fall outside the categories that we’ve used for dozens of other competitors. Again, this is an example of Hinger sort of dancing to the beat of his own drum.
Hinger is the first subject we’ve ever studied that did not record a single sweep in any of the matches we observed. This is even more puzzling once you consider that Hinger secured approximately 33% of his submissions in the study from the bottom position.
I would describe Hinger as a freestyle submission specialist. His diversity often put him in position for very unique and unorthodox submissions. This would often see him snatching submissions very quickly when transferring into new positions against his opponent. Surprisingly, 50% of these submisisons were triangles. I say surprisingly because the rest were a mix of leg locks, arm locks, and monoplata armbars. Again, it’s his diversity and ability to thrive in quick transitions that made him such a threat to opponents.
Ultimately, Hinger was a really fun competitor to study. He was one of the first I’ve observed that I can fully-admit that I had trouble breaking down. His game just had so much fluidity in it that it made it hard for me to understand some of the nuances of his techniques. I can imagine him being a very difficult opponent to prepare for because he has so many different tools to attack with.
It will be interesting to see what we see next from Hinger. He’s proven that he has the ability and prowess to stick around and make waves in his division for years to come.
