JohnnyS

It took me 12 years to get my black belt in BJJ.

One of the big keys for the toe-hold is to hold the leg tight to your body first, then turn the foot.

I've been in plenty of fights, but not "combat" as in war.

BJJ will work just fine in a street fight, as many of it's students will testify. You're probably best off learning BJJ for a while, and then start your cross-training in a striking art such as Muay Thai or Boxing. As far as multiple opponents, do a search on this or other forums to find out why a knowledge of grappling is necessary.

Good post Hudson. Those nancy-boy wrestlers like Coleman, Kerr etc are just lucky they've never come up against a decent striker because there's no way they could take anyone down since tackles are too slow. Also, those Judo guys must have poor base to get thrown or swept like they do.

And? The point is, squeezing your legs around the guys waist is a waste of time. You are much better off learning how to do a decent submission. What part of this is hard to understand?

Re Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: Could also be because it's Portuguese spelling

From guard, elbow strikes to the head and heel kicks to the kidneys. From inside guard, punches to the body and head, puls headbutts. From mount, don't punch. If you punch and his head is on the ground, it's like hitting a bowling ball with teeth. You'll break your hands. Use elbow strikes from mount instead of punches. Generally speaking, you need to be in a position of control to apply strikes, or they will be ineffective. Even striking when someone in your guard is more or an annoyance than anything - you're not going to knock the guy out unless the guy lifts his head up and you kick him under the chin ala Renzo vs Taktarov or Bustamante vs Trellingham. So don't think that striking - no matter how hard your strikes are standing - will have much effect on the ground without the appropriate grappling skills to get you into a good position first.

Like I said before, no-one has ever died from being choked in a Judo competition. If I had the choice between being choked unconscious or punched unconscious, I'd definately take the choke.

Check out John Will's books: http://www.bjj.com.au/shop.htm

You think someone would get less damage from being punched and hitting their head on concrete? There's always a chance that someone can get injured when you defend yourself. Having said that, in all the years of Judo competition, not one single person has died as the result of a choke. Conversely, how many people have died in boxing from being punched in the head?

Judo throws are taught, but aren't a focus. Most BJJ takedowns teach how to firstly clinch without being hit, then generally trip the opponent for the takedown. They are easy to learn and can be quickly applied against an opponent unskilled in grappling arts. The problem with some Judo throws is that a) you have to turn your back on your opponent for a lot of them and b) they require a lot of finess to work. In a fight against someone unskilled in grappling, once you clinch and attach your body to theirs it's easy to take them down, without risk of being struck. If you try a Judo throw then you're usually at striking distance. Judo throws work, there's no doubt about that. They do take time to make them work however, and Kano recognised this which is why he wanted people to concentrate on throwing before ne-waza (He says this in one of his books, I can't remember which). More and more BJJ schools actually now focus on wrestling takedowns, because it's immediately applicable to no-gi, and MMA, as well as also working with a gi. P.S For Judo followers, please note that I am not saying Judo throws don't work. They obviously do and can be very effective in a fight if you throw someone hard onto concrete. However, it's a longer process learning this against an opponent who strikes than learning how to bodylock and clinch.

Rickson is revered by all BJJ guys as the best ever. He still makes World Champions tap. Why would he possibly need to fight a worked fight against Takada? That makes no sense at all.

Sanchin is only harmful if you train it incorrectly. When people learn things they sometimes focus on the wrong thing and then it gets perpetuated. Sanchin shouldn't be done so veins are popping out on your forehead, or you get hemerroids.

I'd feel much safer choking someone unconscious than punching him. People have just as high a chance (probably higher) of dying from being punched in the head as thye do of being choked. Especially if after being punched they drop and hit their head on the ground. I know of two people this has happened to in the past 18 months, one of whom was a famous Australian cricketer.