First Self Defense class kicked my butt!!!

[middy]

there is honestly no way to get out of it when a good BJJ artist locks a good blood choke on you. you're done. finished. history.

So... how well do those chokes work when the chokee's two buddies are standing there kicking you in the kidneys?

BJJ is great for one-on-one. Self-defense has little to do with one-on-one...

 

[taliv]

Oooh yep, let's build on that. This will happen, so watch how the instructors handle it. If they remain patient and try to justify learning certain things first, that's good. If they sink to that person's level and start fighting and nit-picking with them...that's bad--they're forsaking the idea of even being there in the first place.

i agree completely


another thing to watch for is when people start reading their resume to you unsolicited, or telling you that their techniques are unbeatable, or that they (or their art) are the only one who knows a specific technique.

 

[phoglund]

So... how well do those chokes work when the chokee's two buddies are standing there kicking you in the kidneys?

BJJ is great for one-on-one. Self-defense has little to do with one-on-one...

There is a lot of truth to this. BJJ is great one on one which does indeed happen. Just last weekend I used the choke mentioned earlier to control a situation. It works quite well, but it only worked for me because nobody else in the room wanted the guy on his feet either. The thing I like about that choke is it's not harmful to the individual choked (as long as you quit when they go unconcious) and it's nearly foolproof once you gain the position.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, it's important to have at least a passing skill in many Martial Arts to be able to effectively defend oneself in all defensible situations.

 

[strambo]

BJJ is the BEST self defense/offense art in the world. why do you think all the UFC fighters use it?

Because it works well it in a ring, one on one, against a skilled opponent, within a set of rules when said event goes to the ground.

It is very dangerous to adapt what folks do in any sport and assume it would be "the best" for a different situation. Competitors do whatever works best for their competition because that gets them paid.

Interestingly, BJJ dominated early on in UFC because most people didn't know how to defend against it. Soon everybody was training it and it no longer dominated as a stand alone art. Now, you have to have a good standing game (boxing/muay thai) clinch game, takedowns and defenses as well as ground game where BJJ works quite well. A new term was coined to cover this by calling it 'Mixed Martial Arts". I also find it interesting that early on (and still?) the guard position was considered a position of advantage though not as good as the mount. I watched a lot of recent PRIDE and UFC fights and the guy in the guard is certainly not in an advantageous position. Many KO's and beat downs have been administered from within someone's guard.

I'm not knocking BJJ, you just have to compare apples to apples. The best form of defense for the street is something that takes into account the possibility of multiple armed opponents, short time frames and rapidly changing situations. Awareness/avoidance, positive mindset, tools (a firearm is best) and H to H skills developed for the realities of a hostile situation, as opposed to a sport.

I try to look at fighting systems and skills as objectively as possible...after all the bad guys don't care what I think is the ultimate fighting style. I will either be breathing afterward or not.

 

[Turtle Club]

I reached yellow belt in highschool in Karate before quiting to concentrate on football.

What would be some good mixed martial arts to practice if I wanted to enter my local "Mr. Bar Brawler" Contest. Its sort of like "UFC"/"King Of The Cage"/"Toughman". Its our local boxing promotors version. Basicly it is a caged wrestling ring, is has a few strick rules however far less than UFC or toughman.

I want to just be a self defence / mixed martial arts bad A55.

 

[Danus ex]

Danus Ex, actually the instructor seems pretty cool. He's very hands on in showing how things should be done. I was the unlucky fellow who got to put him into a chock hold so he could show everyone some basic moves to get out of it. I'm glad he had good control when he made a shot to my groin!!!! He also wants us to ask questions, which I find good as well. I have real problems with someone who just says to do something but doesn't want to answer some basic questions.

That's fantastic. I'm glad you're enjoying it, keep it up and keep your brain going--and remember, fun facilitates learning!

 

[middy]

What would be some good mixed martial arts to practice if I wanted to enter my local "Mr. Bar Brawler" Contest.

Look at what most of the UFC champions trained in. Most of them were remarkable wrestlers ealry in life, and some kind of ground game is vital or you are toast once you're clinched. One-on-one, a wrestler will dominate a striker almost every time. The striker will get in a few good punches and then be pinned to the mat and pummelled or choked into submission. Some training in striking styles is necessary also, mostly to learn how to block, take a punch, and effectively use fists, elbows, and knees once you have your opponent pinned.

Almost any combination will be effective if you train hard enough, but I think Greco-Roman wrestling and kickboxing are a particularly potent combination. You should concentrate just as much on conditioning as on technique; your average Joe is not going to last a round in a boxing ring; the first good body blow will knock his wind out and he won't get it back.

Keep in mind that this is for one-on-one unarmed combat. For practical self-defense I would recommend something like Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, Goju Ryu Karate (soft or soft-hard styles that will unbalance attackers and keep you on your feet ready to run).