Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is very unique compared to many other martial arts because you learn how to use your whole body against your opponent while using minimal striking and strength. One of the philosophies behind Jiu Jitsu, as I will break down into my own words, is that if the fight were to stay standing and one person is much larger and stronger than the other person, then the more larger person has an advantage. I have seen plenty of fights. Some of them in a cage with skilled opponents and others on the “streets”. I have never seen a fight where one opponent didn’t get hit. It’s going to happen! If the person whom you are fighting is of equal height, weight, and skill as you, then there is a 50/50 chance that you will win. The problem is that you will rarely getattacked by somebody your equal size, weight, and skill level. Possible, but unlikely. In that case, chances are the larger opponent is going to win. I could be wrong but the fights that I have witnessed, in the cage or on the streets, the larger opponent always has the clear advantage.
This is where a BJJ practioner sees that he has the advantage. Instead of standing with the person where the larger opponent out matches him and he is the under dog, he knows that if he takes him to the ground, uses his body against his movements, then he has the advantage and makes his opponent the under dog. If his opponent tries to hit him when his back is on the ground he no longer has the power of his hips to throw the punch. It is only a matter of time before his arms and body tire out and his punching becomes useless. It is at that point that the BJJ skilled person will start executing submission after submission until something is broken or his opponent is unconscious.
That is the probable scenerio if the fight goes to the ground. The question you have to ask yourself is, “what if the fight doesn’t go to the ground”. Hmmm. This is a question that many BJJ academys forget to ask themselves. Any Jiu Jitsu practioner that has been rolling for at least 6 months would do pretty good on the ground with just about any average person that walks in the door. Stand them up and that is another story. It seems like alot of people have gotten away from the self defense aspect of this art. To me, it is the most important.
This is why you have to keep in mind every aspect of a fight. It is very important to train for any scenerio that could possibly happen. It would be a shame if you could do all these beautiful sweeps, fancy submissions, and flashy holds but you can’t even defend yourself against a simple school yard headlock or protect yourself from a basic jab!
In conclusion, it is extremely important to prepare for the worst. If you are taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the cardio workout or the competition aspect, then that is fine. There is nothing wrong with that. If you are taking it because you want to learn how to defend yourself, then make sure you practice all the elements that make up a fight.
This is where a BJJ practioner sees that he has the advantage. Instead of standing with the person where the larger opponent out matches him and he is the under dog, he knows that if he takes him to the ground, uses his body against his movements, then he has the advantage and makes his opponent the under dog. If his opponent tries to hit him when his back is on the ground he no longer has the power of his hips to throw the punch. It is only a matter of time before his arms and body tire out and his punching becomes useless. It is at that point that the BJJ skilled person will start executing submission after submission until something is broken or his opponent is unconscious.
That is the probable scenerio if the fight goes to the ground. The question you have to ask yourself is, “what if the fight doesn’t go to the ground”. Hmmm. This is a question that many BJJ academys forget to ask themselves. Any Jiu Jitsu practioner that has been rolling for at least 6 months would do pretty good on the ground with just about any average person that walks in the door. Stand them up and that is another story. It seems like alot of people have gotten away from the self defense aspect of this art. To me, it is the most important.
This is why you have to keep in mind every aspect of a fight. It is very important to train for any scenerio that could possibly happen. It would be a shame if you could do all these beautiful sweeps, fancy submissions, and flashy holds but you can’t even defend yourself against a simple school yard headlock or protect yourself from a basic jab!
In conclusion, it is extremely important to prepare for the worst. If you are taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for the cardio workout or the competition aspect, then that is fine. There is nothing wrong with that. If you are taking it because you want to learn how to defend yourself, then make sure you practice all the elements that make up a fight.
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