Sens55 Posted August 15, 2003 Posted August 15, 2003 Pretty much. There were three instructors that came together. They all had a Kenpo background, but two had a TJJ background (I don't know which style) and another did kickboxing and wrestled in college. They kind of blended them, and of course they couldn't ignore what the Gracies were doing. Some classes are all groundwork, others look like a kickboxing or a boxing match. They use a lot of boxing conditioning (medicine balls, speed bags, jump rope) and such. It's kind of fun. A lot of the guys do NHB matches regionally. That's not my bag (way too old, and I don't want to get any uglier than I already am) but it's something to watch. The "competitors" have some pretty brutal workouts. It's also very laid back in that you work at your own pace, so to speak. If you need a break, you take a break. If you want to roll for an hour and have a partner, you rolll for an hour. Or you can just work on technique. There are belts, but nobody wears them. We workout in shorts and T shirts. I'm not saying it's better than BJJ, TJJ or anything else, it's just different (and yet remarkably similar). My point being, there are lots of styles and blanket statements about BJJ or TJJ being better might be misaligned. Styles, schools and individuals all differ and it's really about what you want for your time and money. If you think that MMA/NHB is the measure of success, then go to a school/style that focuses on that. If you want to study a more traditional style, or more stand up work, then maybe BJJ isn't for you. Some styles are right but the schools wrong. One of the reasons I left the BJJ school (besides it being further) was that it was full of 20-somethings that wanted to be the next Royce Gracie and had way too much testosterone to burn. They were all itching to prove their manhood and they liked me as a target (I'm 6' 300 lbs). I didn't like by the Stretch Armstrong toy for kids half my age. And I have nothing to prove. I'm not entering into any competitions and I'm not going to bars to get into fights (hell, never seem to make it to the bars much at all anymore). And as far as self-defense, I know a fair amount and my shotguns and pistols know the rest. I just wanted to workout with my son who lives with my ex to learn something that might help him if he's in a fight. I thought the AJJ taught a more complete form. He can box/kickbox someone if they jack with them, and if he ends up on the ground, he can guillotine them or joint lock them into stopping. So when any of you say that this style is better, my question would be "for whom?" If the answer is you, then you're correct, but understand that it may not be the answer for the other person that has different goals.
Tibby Posted August 15, 2003 Posted August 15, 2003 The AJJ sounds interesting, can you give us any sites on it?
Sens55 Posted August 17, 2003 Posted August 17, 2003 The only one I know of is https://www.combat-ajj.com It's not a great site. The instructor is much better at instructing than marketing. He's actually quite cool, but the site is a little cheezy. He's been doing this pretty much his entire life. He can still roll a little, but mostly he preps guys to do NHB matches. More of a corner man if you will.
Tibby Posted August 17, 2003 Posted August 17, 2003 So, AJJ is more of a sport then anything? I like it, It sounds interesting.
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