jarrod
Senior Master
looking back on almost every untrained fight i've ever seen, a punch or two gets thrown then the scrap goes to the clinch. from the clinch it's a short trip to the ground, often by accident if not design. if punches are still flying they are pretty ineffective due to the range & body mechanics. this got me thinking about how humans are 'wired' to fight.
even at our most aggressive, we are wired for self-preservation. if someone hits you, the untrained impulse is often to grab them in order to neutralize their strikes before mounting your own offense. to me, this was a large part of the appeal of jujitsu, sambo, & other grappling arts; i wanted to excel at the most common instinctive range. it's a tremendous advantage in the respect that on the feet, there is always the threat of a "lucky punch". there are no lucky submissions.
this is not at all to say that grappling in inherently superior to striking (for the love of god, please don't steer this thread in that direction). there is also a huge advantage to learning to establish & excel at a range which is contrary to most people's instincts.
however, whether you are a grappler or a striker, the clinch or tie up is often where it will be decided if the fight goes to the ground or remains standing. if you choose striking as your primary focus, you should dedicate a portion of your training to the clinch. if you do not disable an untrained attacker within the first few techniques, this is almost certainly where you will end up.
just a saturday AM ramble,
jf
even at our most aggressive, we are wired for self-preservation. if someone hits you, the untrained impulse is often to grab them in order to neutralize their strikes before mounting your own offense. to me, this was a large part of the appeal of jujitsu, sambo, & other grappling arts; i wanted to excel at the most common instinctive range. it's a tremendous advantage in the respect that on the feet, there is always the threat of a "lucky punch". there are no lucky submissions.
this is not at all to say that grappling in inherently superior to striking (for the love of god, please don't steer this thread in that direction). there is also a huge advantage to learning to establish & excel at a range which is contrary to most people's instincts.
however, whether you are a grappler or a striker, the clinch or tie up is often where it will be decided if the fight goes to the ground or remains standing. if you choose striking as your primary focus, you should dedicate a portion of your training to the clinch. if you do not disable an untrained attacker within the first few techniques, this is almost certainly where you will end up.
just a saturday AM ramble,
jf
