Yamabushii
Green Belt
I just came across this video and wanted to get some conversation going on this. I'm curious about how other people in the BJJ community feel about his remarks. Five-minute video below.
I agree, but the more one focuses on the competition the more danger there is to losing sight of the self defense applications. The more restrictive (or divorced from reality) the ruleset the more this risk increases. I don't follow the trends in BJJ competition, so I don't know where things are now, but there was a time when it seemed that it was a common and effective strategy to fall on your back and go butt rouching around the mat. It may be advantageous under the rules, but if I really wanted to hurt someone in a bar fight situation, I'd love to see them rouching towards me like that.I think Bjj would still be dangerous. I don't take BJJ lightly just because someone does it as a sport.
I didn't realize you were that old!It depends on the experience of the practitioner. I wasn't introduced to BJJ until 92, I had been training full time fighting arts at that point for twenty years.
BJJ changed everything. I have no idea what it would have meant to me if I had never trained before. But just about every day in the BJJ school my mind was racing "You know what this would be good for?" Or "I need to ask so so for more of that."
or "Oh my God why didn't someone teach me that years ago!"
In my opinion, every single thing you ever do in Martial Arts (minus all BS) every single day you spend in the dojo (staying away from BS dojos) adds up to becoming what you want to be as a Martial Artist, what you want to be as a fighter, what you want to be as far as self defense is concerned and what you want to be as a teacher. That last one depends on your ability to teach, especially basics.
I tend to agree with this sentiment
In my experience BJJ has 6 aspects: Competition gi, competition no gi, MMA, academy training gi, academy training no gi, & self defence
Probably the most visible components are the competition sides and naturally these areas have experienced a lot of innovations that are driven by the rulesets (eg lapel guards in gi and berimbolos in no gi)
Although the rules are designed to approximate a fight they are not perfect and innovations driven by the rulesets generally speaking (not always) detract from the self defence side of things
I’d also say that the self defence aspect of BJJ is the most underdeveloped side of the art. It’s based on the judo self defence curriculum which is a reasonable place to start, but it hasn’t had anywhere near the same amount of attention, refinement, deep study etc that the other aspects have
I would say yes and no, because I've seen examples where martial arts skills would have come in handle. There was a case where there was a struggle over a shot gun, Knowing staff techniques would have given the victim the advantage in terms of controlling the weapon, It would have prevent him from being shot in the chest point blank.If your main aim in training is self-defense there are much more effective ways of using your time than heading to a martial arts dojo.
I’m not sure I agree with thisTo be honest, 100% honest. If you are fit and strong, understand a few basic techniques and can handle aggressive situations and people without being overcome by fear, then you will be fine. There is no need to spend endless hours learning martial arts techniques.
If your main aim in training is self-defense there are much more effective ways of using your time than heading to a martial arts dojo.
Never participated in BJJ myself. Self-defense is different to competition. We all know this. People join martial clubs for all kinds of reasons. Some styles are set-up for, and based on competition. The environment in which you train will influence how you proceed. The Gracies created the UFC in order to promote and spread BJJ around the world and they have achieved their aim.
Whatever your chosen style, it is sure most youngsters will want to test their skills. Competition with rules is the best, and safest, way to test your techniques, skill and intestinal fortitude.
Is it the most effective way to practice and prepare for self-defense scenarios? Well, it certainly helps. But there is more to self-defense than just fighting somebody.
To be honest, 100% honest. If you are fit and strong, understand a few basic techniques and can handle aggressive situations and people without being overcome by fear, then you will be fine. There is no need to spend endless hours learning martial arts techniques.
If your main aim in training is self-defense there are much more effective ways of using your time than heading to a martial arts dojo.
Agree with most of what you guys are saying. There is way more to martial arts than self-defense anyhow. Competitions are a fun way for youngsters and those who have no real fighting experiences to test their mettle. If you train in a style which is competition-based, then it is highly likely that you will end up competing.
Oftentimes it is the young (or the dumb) who imagine themselves in self-defense scenarios and spend years training for such an event. How many end up in actual self-defense situations is anyone's guess? But I would bet my bottom dollar most martial artists never need use their skills outside of a dojo, or competitive environment - this of course excludes those working in professional security settings.
Martial arts are heavily promoted as systems of self-defense, yet their value goes way beyond fighting in competitions, or the 'street'
That's pretty much true. Unfortunately, it only describes about one percent of the population.To be honest, 100% honest. If you are fit and strong, understand a few basic techniques and can handle aggressive situations and people without being overcome by fear, then you will be fine.
Yep! Probably less than 1%.That's pretty much true. Unfortunately, it only describes about one percent of the population.