BJJ useful?

[jedimc]

sorry double post

[username9]

In my opinion, BJJ is the best art that there is once you hit the ground.

 

Many people say that they don't want to fight on the ground.....Well sometimes you have no choice....and for those that say that no one can take them down to the ground, I say that it's easier said than done.

 

I have trained in BJJ and yes, I can prevent the less experience practitioners from taking me down but I found it almost impossible to not be taken down by the veterans. Yes, they did teach a lot of sport techniques but they also taught a lot of techniques which would be useful in a real fight.

 

BJJ was lacking in strikes and limited in throws but it is an important part of an overall strategy to fighting.

 

Trying not to be a useless post saying "I agree" but...

 

I TOTALLY agree!!!! - Now go add this to the stupid argument I got myself dragged into in this part - the BJJ vs JJJ thing! lol

[baronbvp]

This a great, if long, discussion. My two cents: the more you learn and practice, the better. The more you diversify your repertoire of skills, the better, as long as you don't dilute a few good techniques that work for you with a variety so large you can't remember any of it in the heat of battle.

One guy earlier on said it best: you have to keep your head, be aware of your body and your situation, and then apply what you know when the opportunity presents itself unless you can make the opportunity. Many street fights degenerate from nice-looking moves into full-blown brawls as soon as the adrenaline flows and someone gets off balance. No dojo will teach you street techniques like ripping mouths or throwing dirt in someone's eyes, but that stuff happens in a real fight. Because there are no rules except do what it takes to win.

I saw Royce Gracie beat that Russian judo champ (name?) just barely in UFC. It was a long, boring grappling match that would never happen on the street because the guy's buddies or the cops would have shown up. Street fights are all about avoiding them if you can, then ending them quickly if you can't, and then getting away when the getting is good. Like fighter pilots learn, sometimes the best opportunity is to bug out with your life intact and fight another day. Tell the story of your hairy escape while you are in a bar with your buds, instead of telling the story of your loss while you are in a hospital bed.

Pesonally, I like the bits of different things I've learned -- a little judo, a little TKD, some Kung Fu, some boxing, some good old fashioned bar fighting, and now Shorin-Ryu. I'd like to learn BJJ but I'd probably get hurt training and I'm too old and have a job.

So I focus on a mix of striking and grappling techniques that work together for me and my body style. I know I will remember them when the adrenaline starts pumping and some dude won't leave it alone.

[Gumbi]

No dojo will teach you street techniques like ripping mouths or throwing dirt in someone's eyes, but that stuff happens in a real fight.

Because that takes numerous years of training to learn let alone master

I saw Royce Gracie beat that Russian judo champ (name?) just barely in UFC. It was a long, boring grappling match that would never happen on the street because the guy's buddies or the cops would have shown up.

Can you name the UFC? The only Judoka Royce fought in UFC was Remco Pardoel, and he ended the match quickly and decisively with a rear collar choke. I think you've got your fighters mixed up, because you're most likely talking about Oleg Taktarov who was a Sambo Champion.

As far as matches lasting a long time, first off, what if the cops dont show up, or what if your friends arent there? If either of the two happens, great, it didnt matter if you knew how to defend yourself or not. If neither of the two happens, you better know how to fight.

The reason matches also last that long is because you have two tremendously skilled atheletes in the ring who have been doing nothing but training numerous hours a day for at least 2 months in nothing but fighting- fights that are ended quickly often have a great gap in skill level between the two combatants. Look at someone like Fedor Emilianenko- easily the toughest guy in the world right now who just might kill a normal human being in a fight outside the ring, and some of his fights will still go the distance.

[baronbvp]

Remco Pardeol it was, in UFC II. He's from the Netherlands, not Russia. It's been awhile since I've seen it -- when it was first broadcast -- but I think I remember it took awhile to end it. As you say, both are very talented fighters but in the end Gracie was the better fighter.

I think BJJ looks very effective and very applicable to the street. I would like to learn it. But street fighting for any duration rarely ends well for anyone.

Where do you train? I haven't seen BJJ offered at any dojos near me.

[Gumbi]

I train in Philadelphia, but I'll see if I can dig up any places in the Washington Area.

You're right in that if it lasts long, its rarely ends well for anyone, but as I said, its the skill level of the fighters that lends the fight to lasting that long

Even boxers, who have the best punching skills, sometimes go 12-15 rounds and still never knock anyone out. Their opponents are often too skilled and too well trained to simply be overrun like a typical street thug.

[baronbvp]

I know, can you imagine fighting at that level for 45 minutes? Ali and Foreman banging on each other for 15 three-minute rounds. Yikes. No wonder they don't speak so well anymore.

I like kickboxing, would like to learn Muay Thai as well as BJJ.

[El Diablo]

I must agree with the majority. BJJ is excellent. Great workout! Yet, you must cross train. Some Muay Tai, kickboxing, Kung Fu, Aikido --learn as much as you can. Knowledge is power. The more power you have, the less you need.