I would direct you to the book 'Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Theory and Technique, by Renzo and Royler Gracie if you have not already read it. Specifically the theory portion of the book. Maeda had studied classical jiu-jitsu previous to Judo. When Maeda was fighting challenge matches, they were not limited to grappling. He modifed his Judo with his previous jiu-jitsu curriculum to include techniques not allowed in judo training. He insisted on calling it jiu-jitsu and it's believed that he did this because fighting challenge matches went against the Kodokans moral code. His challenge matches were vale tudo, not judo matches. What Maeda taught Carlos Sr. was a fighting art, not a sport version of submission grappling. The most important thing that Maeda taught him came from his judo training though, and that was the need for live training or randori.
In judo, only strangleholds and attacks to the elbow joint were allowed. Pressure to the face is illegal. Modern BJJ has leglocks, ankle locks, foot locks, hip locks, shoulder locks, neck cranks, cross faces. These are all techniques the Gracies explored after Maeda. In judo, if you are getting armlocked or triangled by a guy on the bottom, all you have to do is standup and the ref restarts you on your feet. In BJJ, you continue to attack the arm or neck regardless of whether the opponent stands or not. This meant techniques to defend armlocks and triangles from the bottom had to be developed to defend because standing up wouldn't save you. In judo, emphasis is placed on throws and not ground grappling. BJJ sought to bring the fight to the ground to disarm the striker and keep the fight on the ground until it was finished. This emphasis on ground grappling bore techniques other than just submissions. Escapes, sweeps, reversals, etc.
The strict moral code of the kodokan prohibited challenge matches. Carlos Sr advertised in the newspaper for fights. The Gracie challenge exists to this day and it's results have defined what is trained and what isn't. Today, in modern MMA, competitiors are versed in groundfighting and at the very least have trained takedown defense. It would be nothing short of retarded to fight vale tudo with no ground skills or at least defenses. BJJ is NOT the end all answer to fighting or martial arts! People should practice whatever art they want. Any art that is serious about being able to use it to fight HAS to include grappling to some degree. This can be done in addition to training whatever it is you already train. I would not recommend that someone desiring to fight vale tudo receive all of their training from me. I would recommend that they train some muy thai with a reputable muy thai academy. I would urge them to train some wrestling and judo for takedowns and takedown defense. I would recommend training some boxing and kickboxing to compliment the muy thai and I would only recommend that they train with me for groundfighting and the ability to end the fight. I believe this would make that person a well rounded fighter and hard to beat. It would not however make him bullet proof.
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