And when/if you have the opportunity, be the small guy going after the big guy. You can do it mentally (think small, even when opponent is smaller than you) or actually (go ask the 6’6” 280lbs young gun to train).

@@KamaJiuJitsu 100 percent - I always train with the biggest guys in class as my default. A couple of the guys are close to 300 lbs. It has felt special to me that the smaller guys with rank have started to seek me out to roll. Even a couple brown belts. I say out of live rolling after class in the beginning if no one else was near my size or bigger. Perhaps the coolest thing about it all is that they want me to learn and progress.

Finding “technical” big guys is like finding the ole “needle in the haystack.”

Question for you… when does a “Martial” art become a “combat” art? Also, when the aikido/karate practitioner gets clinched and taken down, are aikido and karate still “martial” arts?

@@KamaJiuJitsu I think it’s common to see “martial arts“ as more of an art than a self defense system. Tai chi is also considered a martial art but wouldn’t you say it’s quite different from Jiu jitsu? Or wushu for example, you can’t apply these in a self defense situation and they are more of an art form. Not that anything is wrong with that. Martial art becomes a combat sport when the focus is on combat not art, and a self defense system once proven it can be applied as such. Back in the eighties/nineties when any style was “karate” and all fighting was “martial arts” it would possibly make sense to call it this, but these days when the difference between bullshido and true fighting is clear, I feel bjj shouldn’t be put under the term of martial art and should be made clear that is is a self defense system or a combat sport.

And you see, when we debate semantics, we need to take all definitions into account, don’t we? “Martial” pertains to “war.” “Sport” refers to… sport. Combat is combat, but when combined with “sport,” is it “martial?” I get you, the “martial arts” have been watered down as time has gone on. But there IS a difference between Combat and Combat Sport. So, is what you call “combat sport,” actual combat, or is there a ref, judges, and a rulebook involved? I say most definitely. Now a martial “art” likely has no ref, no judges, and no rulebook BUT, given the change in martial arts over the decades, i would venture a guess that a martial artist has just as much of an opportunity to win in combat vs each other with no real rules (or fewer rather than more, at least) involved. BTW, thank you for the great (head scratching) debate!

Oh, and BTW, a good chunk of BJJ today is no longer “self-defense.” GJJ has always strived to be “self-defense.” GJJ was also never really sold as a combat sport.

@@KamaJiuJitsu hah I didn’t know we are debating but I guess let’s have a discussion since we started. There are 2 issues with what you are saying, the first is if we take all definitions as you suggest than we also have to consider the word art. BJJ has no forms, no flashy kicks, and nothing than can look impressive to the person who doesn’t know what’s going on, as opposed to let’s say kung fu or any other styles that have forms. These styles by direct definitions “martial arts” or arts of war. It doesn’t mean self defense and matter a fact doesn’t necessarily imply combat at all. Ki Gong is technically a “martial art” but doesn’t really have nothing to do with fighting. There is no sparring of any kind and for the most part practitioners are never fighters. BJJ on the other hand is sparring and fighting, these 2 can should not be tossed under one umbrella. One is an art form someone can do on their own and look pretty and the other is “let me choke you in the most uncomfortable way till you pass out”. They are not the same. The next problem is the fact that terms and words tend to change meaning. For example the term idk gay, it used to mean happy, then it became an offensive term. If back in the day martial arts was an umbrella term for everything, now it’s almost always synonymous with bullshido. When referring to boxing no one gonna say it’s martial arts lol they gonna say it’s a combat sport because you actually fight though under a controlled setting. BJJ is a self defense system and was mean to be such, but it grew its own branch to become a combat sport since people began to use BJJ vs BJJ and not only for self defense purposes, that’s why these 2 definitions would apply.

Happens.

Man, I wish I knew of some. That’s not near Saskatoon Saskatchewan is it? I don’t know Canada other than BC and Quebec and Toronto.

@@KamaJiuJitsu Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it. Yea… I’m quite far from Saskatoon. I’ll be sure to drop by your school if I’m ever in the area.

I was just asking because we have a student there.

We certainly try to.

Everyone wants to train what actually works especially people who compete. Not just Kama JJ.

And yet, you see so many competitors doing stuff that doesn’t work against simple, basic defense concepts.

I’ve had three of them that did it in 4 months. Two are bad ass black belts now, and one is a really good brown belt. A good curriculum and a top notch methodology will do that once in a while. 🤷‍♂️

Yes! Thank you!

Don’t worry! It happens to ALL of us! If anyone has been training for years and has not been put to sleep at least once, (i contend) they’re not pushing hard enough to battle/fight to be the best you can be!

That’s the exact mindset you need to succeed. If you have FUN training, you WILL improve to the best you can be (whatever level that may ultimately end up being.” Keep up the good work!

We (Dave Kama, me (Ryan), and two other KJJ black belts went to Buffalo Trace in 2022!

That is true. If the curriculum is too vast, you “learn” a lot, but you won’t “know” a lot.

Lots of us have to work with our bodies we can’t do takedowns everytime and if we do it’s light takedowns

Yeah, I don’t come down from the Fadda line, and us here on the Gracie side didn’t hear much about them, so I claim ignorance. I apologize for my misinformation on Franca, I was merely trying to include him and his lineage in here, but people like you only look for errors. Shoulda just left the lineage out completely, huh? John Danaher gives credit in an interview to Dean Lister on the leg stuff, btw (false info from you, much?).

Except they did Vale Tudo prior to the UFC/MMA.

From my understanding, Gracie Ju Jitsu came more from Helio being weaker and smaller than his brothers. Or at least how I've heard Royce describe it. What's more interesting, I find is the relationship between Gastao Gracie and Count Coma. Gracie Ju Jitsu was taught to the rich while the poor learned it elsewhere. These are conclusions I've come to watching videos on the subject, just seeing what other people think. Also, how the Gracies believed the knee bars and heel hooks were lesser techniques for the lower class. Finally, the red flag with a black lightning bolt. Is this a fascist symbol? There are articles that say Gastao was a fascist,I'm not sure if this is true or not. Finally, Helio did name his sons after his favourite car company. I know you're close to the lineage, so I figured you'd be the best person to ask.

Ok, lemme think… now mind you, everything i have is (pretty much mostly) from family members I’ve known over my 35 years in the art, so take that for what it’s worth (2 cents, maybe?). 1) Helio (from what I’ve seen) was actually BIGGER than Carlos, Sr. At least, he was taller than Carlos, Sr… 2) GJJ was taught primarily to the rich and powerful in Brazil, at least in the beginning. Why was that? It was because they ONLY taught GJJ in 1-on-1 settings. Truly “greedy” (i debate that moniker, as well) instructors would only teach group classes, since per hour, group classes net WAY more $$ to the school/instructor. But Carlson, Sr did open up his school to those less fortunate and put several of his students on scholarship and charged them nothing. That’s why years later, members of BTT were said to break off from him because he wanted a portion of their winnings for teaching them for free. Goes to the old adage, “never expect gratitude from someone you did a favor for.” 3) yes, they were convinced of the efficacy of footlocks and knee bars later on. They never really incorporated heel hooks until much later, i think, and even now, it’s not a focus. 4) I’ve NEVER seen the red flag with the black lightning bolt in any interaction I’ve had with any of them (Relson, Rorion, Royce, Rickson, Royler, Rodrigo, Roger Machado), so i have no idea what their politics are/were. 5) speaking of the car, i think only Royce was named by Helio, as Rolls was Carlos, Sr’s son, but raised by Helio as Helio’s oldest son (before Rorion, who is his oldest natural son). Hope that helped!

Not all the other promotions.

Very well said.

Japanese jiu-jitsu is a martial art, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo are not martial arts, but sports disciplines like boxing for example. you can object to me that with the help of judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing, you can defeat an opponent in battle, but other sports can also be used in battle. football players kick hard, volleyball players hit hard with their hands, and baseball players can kill a person with a bat and a chess player can hurt with a chessboard. martial arts will differ from sports in a different psychological preparation, different goals and tools. In terms of tools, Japanese jiu-jitsu is more suitable for combat because it teaches you to fight at different distances. the distances of hand-to-hand combat are as follows, I will give them according to an old book of the 20s: -A distance of 4-5 steps. This is the scope of the revolver (as well as throwing a stone, knife, bottle); -The distance is 3-4 steps. This is the scope of the cane, chain, baton; -The distance is 2-3 steps. This is the scope of foot strikes; -The distance is 1-2 steps. This is the scope of punches (and fingers); -The distance of the fight is close without girth and 1 step. This is the sphere of blows with elbows, knees, head, painful techniques on the joints of the hands; -The distance of the struggle is close to the girth, i.e. the struggle, which has a predominantly forceful character. Fight lying on the ground (wrestling) and fight from the ground against a standing opponent (kicking). So Japanese jiu-jitsu has an arsenal of techniques at all distances, and Brazilian only at 1 or 2. There is also a separate conversation about the applicability of the stalls in a fight with several opponents. something like this

GJJ is actually closer to what judo WAS prior to (maybe) the 1950s. Traditional Jujutsu is more comprehensive.

@@KamaJiuJitsu some questions u got here def deserve a video. i get GJJ is a combat system, probably superior to any other existing alone. bjj lacks takedowns, gjj will prepare you for the real world, even for attacks that are not allowed in current days' mma.

What questions should I do a video on?

To use techniques from sambo, judo and wrestling, you will have to practice sambo, judo and wrestling. It's not about technique, but about using it against a resisting opponent. If you beat a punching bag at home, it doesn't mean at all that you will learn how to box. On the other hand, you will not be able to simply apply the techniques you have learned from sambo, judo and wrestling in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, since there are other rules that determine other conditions -from the type of clothing to another type of movement. You will have to redo these techniques to meet new conditions

I say yes.

Yeah, kids and teens can get thrown all day long. Adults, have to be eased into it, and then, not do it too frequently. Me myself at age 56, I completely understand. If I were just starting off, I would probably skip judo days Altogether!