AngryMatt

That coach was doing that a favor. It's not that wrestling is a "man only sport because only men can take it." It's not that at all. Nor is it that men get uncomfortably wrestling women in a match. It's because it's extremely dangerous to run women down to the body fat percentage that most solid middle weight wrestlers (and by middleweight I mean 130-160) get down to. As a former HS wrestler who worked in a very difficult program, which yielded good results on the mat by the way, I can attest to the fact that it's very unhealthy for women to be in that kind of condition. It's a biological thing. Had that stuck with it there is a decent chance she could have jeopardized her future when it came to having children. Is that what drove the coach? I doubt it. But the point remains the same.

Gotta agree there. I mean all these sport arts have combat art parents, so they have street value. It's just a matter of getting into a position where you can hit that throw when the other guy is swinging fists or a blade.

I can't believe you are able to use the internet with the way you randomly mash the keyboard attempting to type a cognitive sentence.

Learn to fight so that if you must, you can fight and survive. Become a fighter so you know how to live in peace.

I don't have a school persay. The training is done AT my school, Lake Forest College, in a converted squash room. Taught by a 2nd degree black belt who has trained for 15 years in the basement of a man named Dr. Yo (Yamamoto) in Highwood, IL.

Never go to your back in a street situation if you can help it. So many bad things that can happen there. In a real fight, you're better off using the takedowns you've learned and then getting side or full mount. From there you can simply get the guy to stop or work strikes to ensure he's not getting up for quite awhile.

Indeed.

I know it was said before, but Skeptic is on the money here. I am a relatively inexperienced guy when it comes to MAs. But I am a BIG GUY and proficient in freestyle wrestling. Do you know what it's like walking around at 6'2" 230 knowing that if you don't watch your own strength someone is going to get hurt? I may have just a few months of JJJ under my belt, but I know far more than I did in early December! My sensei echoes the sentiments of Skeptic: The better you get the more appreciation you have for the weapon that is the body. We are so fragile and yet so powerful. It's alarmingly easy to really hurt or kill someone if given even a moderate amount of training. So for most people it results in a horror at your own skill when it comes to street situations. You learn to back off in cases that if you were unskilled, you'd take a swing. But if you DO get in real trouble, knowing a combat art is going to serve you well. It's going to end badly for your attacker, but the goal is to survive right? As someone who prefers having a firearm at his side, and not being allowed to while at school just outside the big city of Chicago, I think I do need to learn this combat art. I'm Southern suburb/rural boy in a Midwestern big city - big time transplant and I have no "street skills." And since I won't be living here for very long I don't have time to develop said skills, but I CAN develop my combat skills. It will help me avoid confrontations that don't need to happen and survive if something unavoidable occurs.

I honestly feel bad for a lot of you guys. I get my training for free, donations accepted of course. But then again, I train in a squash room converted to a temporary dojo. Which happens to be worse digs than what my sensei trains in.... his teacher's basement. Now it's a fantastic basement of course, but it's not like we're doing this all legitimate as the law looks on businesses. That's why I like it.

And of course we'll get Gumbi to talk some smack about JJJ. Bank on it.

Best Striking - JKD Best Takedowns - Wrestling Best Submissions - JJJ (due to submissions from standing) Best Grapple technique - BJJ/JJJ/Wrestling Best Ground - BJJ Best Stand up - Muay Thai Toughest Training - In my experience, wrestling. We had practice every day for three hours and gut check days twice a season in which we basically had seven hour practices which included an hour of sprawls, pushups and crunches, then two hours of chain wrestling, two hours of weights and two of sprints. Most Complete style - If you're proficient in any art, it will serve you well.

Yeah please do point out where I insulted BJJ. I said it was a great sport. Does that mean it won't work in a real situation? No it doesn't. It just means YOU AREN'T BEING TRAINED TO DEAL IN A REAL SITUATION. You're being trained to win, not survive. Now JJJ you're being trained to survive and not to win. That's bad for competition because you have to throttle back and you're not in an environment you're comfortable with. Not that I'd be comfortable in a street fight situation since I have under three months experience in JJJ, but that's another story. Besides guys, this "master -v- master" stuff is nonsense. True masters wouldn't be going at it with one another and I think we all know it. As far as all the training goes, my sensei teaches randori to the more experienced guys and does plenty of demos of it. I have the bruises of being thrown into walls after I charge him to prove it. And, of course, my classes are all free of charge. Very traditional stuff... all based on donations. But Gumbi, you sit there and you lambaste JJJ and then have the gall to rip me for saying BJJ is more of a sport and not a complete art? Jesus. Even BJJ guys will admit it's not everything there is to combat. But they'd say that they'd rather get incredibly proficient at one aspect than be more all around. Am I going to bash that? Hell no. And as far as respect goes, you need to learn to respect other arts not because you agree with them, but because you need to learn to be a MAN. Nothing to do with "Eastern philosophy" or any of that. I'm a Catholic through and through and dismiss everything as far as the religion goes. But I respect other people's choices in what art they choose because it's courteous and I'm a gentleman.

Amen, especially to that "respect for tradition" and I'd add there needs to be respect from the traditional guys to those who are into BJJ. I think I've done that, but if I have not, I'll be the first to man up and apologize for that.

When, in any BJJ training, have you worked with knives, bats or even strike combinations? I'm serious here. And since when did sparring give you the edge all the time? Do you need to know how to take shots? Yeah. You have to learn what it feels like to GET HIT. That's extraordinarily important. But drilling technique is better than sparring and/or "scrimmaging." It's the case in every sport and I fail to see why it wouldn't be the same for BJJ. Oh, and will you BJJ fanboys really stop with this JJJ -v- BJJ thing? When did you see one studying JJJ ever trash BJJ? I was pretty sure the couple guys here who train in Budo Taijitsu have said that BJJ is fantastic as a sport, works very well in competition and is effective in teachiing you to get your base.

I tore up my left ankle two years ago in a skateboarding . Every ligament and tendon torn except the Achilles and a massive dislocation. I've got about 80-85% strength in it and have to wear a brace when I hit the gym for any kind of training. I don't let my opponent do lock techniques on that foot, but I have no choice but to let them hit the sweeps and other techniques on the ankle. I also do my stances (Ichimonji, Jumonji, etc) kicks and other strikes with both sides. You just have to pretend that the injury doesn't exist. You injured a bone; it's stronger than ever right now. If it was soft tissue it's a different story, that stuff gets permanently weak. It's in your head man. I may not know a great deal about martial arts, but I know quite a bit about injuries. You just have to remember that you broke a bone and you're in BETTER SHAPE than before.

As my sensei has said many times: "Brazilian Jujitsu is a fantastic sport. But it is still a sport. I love rolling with those guys once or twice a week. Brings back good memories of wrestling in high school and college. Always fun to roll. But what good is it going to do in a fight if all I know are submissions and no strikes? If I'm on my back and a guy who is 150 pounds heavier than me is in my guard or has a full mount is blasting me, how am I going to get an armbar or even a sweep without losing concentration on blocking those hard shots. If I miss one block, I'm probably knocked out." So the key? Learn to adapt, learn to react, learn to "be like the water." Learn the strikes and get in a position where you're not working off your back. How is working submissions going to help if you're in a bar or alley or something? It's not. What will help is knowing how to block those knife strikes, those drunken hooks, so you can lock up the limb or return a strike and then walk away. Is BJJ a bad art? Hell no. Is it beneficial to you? Absolutely. Gives you a fantastic base - much like doing swordwork these days is obsolete but it works your balance well. BJJ will give you huge advantages in a sport situation. But it's a sport, not a combat art. Now is that a knock to BJJ? I don't think so. It just has a different goal than Budo Taijitsu, one no less honorable than any other goal of a martial art. That's all.

So you've been in the Marine academy I see. Spoken like a true BJJ fanboy.

Google is your friend.

Expect to be mugged on the way since it's in Harlem. Oh, and then expect all ground work. Tons of submission holds and mostly working from your knees and guard. A little work from standing neutral, but only grappling takedowns. No strikes.

Good answer, AngryMatt! By the way, what are you angry about? hohoho.. nothing my friend. It's just a nickname I've earned while at college.

I guffaw at anyone calling his art the "ultimate art." Proficiency over style my friend.

I really like that. Well said my friend.

Well I think it matters a LITTLE on what art you've selected. But not much. I wasn't able to do as much as a somersault before I started jjj. Just three months later I could hit four different forward/side rolls and two types of back rolls. Of course, that goes along with all the other techniques. I'm about as unflexible as they come and I'm 6'2" 230lbs. Pretty big guy. And yet I can do it just as well as the smaller guys. So yeah, if you master the basics and build your skills properly you can become a black belt with enough time. How much time? Depends on the art and requirements.

Yeah I don't think that anyone here is saying your art shouldn't be stress tested. I'm simply trying to stick up for my art and point out that in a few months I WILL be sparring. I'm still a little too inexperienced to do so right now. If other schools aren't sparring, that's just idiotic. Nothing I know of the art, which again I'm not expert in, says you shouldn't be sparring. I just know from experience that learning technique comes from drilling. Finding out which techniques work the best in a real situation comes from live goes.

'Twas very effective, though it did require a four hour soak. It's bright white now... AND my sensei switched to his black gi so nothing like that happens again. All is well.