Black Belt Confession - BJJ SUCKS For Self Defense

[@MrGWolf-ih6me]

The exact same thing happened to Taekwondo, the traditional self defence and realistic fighting technique has been lost in favour of chasing plastic trophies and Olympic medals.

[@inside_fighting]

Seems to happen in most martial arts that become popular

[@adcyuumi]

Tae Kwon Do is (and always was) the sport form of Tang Soo Do - same family in terms of martial tradition, taken in two very different directions in term of functionality. This split put Tae Kwon Do on a path away from self defense. Aikido and Tai Chi suffered in much the same way. The forms are taught, but the function is absent. Most teachers do not have the expertise to teach it as a self defense art, as they only know form. We are starting to get terms like "combat Tai Chi" to differentiate between two very different paths within that art, but it's been slower to happen because the emergence of Tae Kwon Do and Tang Soo Do were both quite deliberate and given their respective names purposefully. Nobody mistakes one for the other, the way park Tai Chi and combat Tai Chi are conflated. BJJ is now on that same path as several other traditional arts. There ARE still BJJ schools that teach it properly as self defense, but most schools are now sport oriented. We will need to start saying "combat BJJ" now, or come up with some similar term.

[@LuckyCharms777]

⁠@@adcyuumi There was a guy in my city who used to teach both combat tai chi and sport (exercise?) tai chi, unfortunately last I knew he only teaches sport tai chi, that’s if he’s even still alive. It would’ve been neat to see someone using combat tai chi.

[@untilvalhalla7854]

TKD’s “shortfall” happened when it became an Olympic sport. The rule set adopted to get it accepted basically made it a kicking game. As a striking art it has way more hands and fists.

[@dorjedriftwood2731]

TKD was a nationalist Korean youth training exercise. Listen to the explanation of the forms and it will be parables from south Korea about honor and dignity and respect because it was a way of creating a cohesive culture in male youth. It was always propaganda first, and it is more derived from Karate than anything. Sorry this is absolutely provable just listen to the explanation of the key forms of Tae Kwon do.

[@jabinkooistra-bond]

Finally a black belt who wants to acknowledge the shortcomings of bjj. Great video

[@brianmeen2158]

Yeah I’m very disappointed that bjj has lost so much effectiveness in mma .. mma these days is basically kickboxing with 4 ounce gloves and occasional takedowns mixed in

[@user-vg8tv1hp9c]

It's good but has it's flaws. If fighter 2 has bjj defense with good striking they don't need to submit you to win. And BJJ fighter only weapon is to submit or choke you unless they're skilled enough to use it in an mma setting

[@nicklubrino2606]

I have a BJJ blackbelt friend who would argue that he could choke out 1 opponent and move on to the next. Thus, a BJJ blackbelt can take on multiple attackers. That’s a stupid argument because it takes 3-4 seconds to choke someone out. By then, the 2nd guy would have smacked your head in.

[@sylvanusjoseph1140]

Absolutely. I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR YEARS. Now numerous BJJ black belts are finally owning up to its lack of real world self defence.

[@Afrocyber2010]

No Martial Arts is the best. Jocko the marine from American is black belt in BJJ and he says bjj is the best. So, I would trust his knowledge than someone who is never been in war and had to fight

[@isaacrussell3143]

Appreciate this video. I’m a black belt, and I always tell people at our gym “don’t go thinking you’re Jason Bourne.” The inverted, examine your rectum BJJ has always annoyed me because of it niche novelty versus wide spread applicability. In a controlled environment, more old school a BJJ or combatives can be remarkably effective. Against an untrained opponent? Sure, you can use sport BJJ more. However, in an uncontrolled environment, sport BJJ is definitely not the go to. Stay up and balanced, strike effectively, situational awareness, aggression, and retreat when able. Worm guard is worthless in this environment. For self defense, if you pick one martial art, I pick Muay Thai. However, cross training basic techniques with situational awareness is best.

[@inside_fighting]

I agree with everything you said

[@k9m42]

Muay Thai is not effective in a street fight. Never had an issue taking down a guy that only strikes and crushing them quickly. Judo/Wrestling/BJJ.

[@vitorcrema7167]

​@@k9m42 Are you a x men and don't know?

[@wesleyselkridge2197]

​@@k9m42You've never been in a drunk bar brawl at 3am with 30 guys punching, stamping, stabbing, hitting with chairs, throwing glass etc....BJJ is useless.

[@fredrikhedlund]

Agree. It's better to train a wrestle-up move than guard play for self defense

[@tylerellis942]

So glad to see more Jiu Jitsu guys having these honest conversations. Great video Bro!

[@nightangelx1513]

Your work guard comparison is 100% on point. I started learning jiu jitsu with my dad in 2001 because I wanted to choke people and do arm bars. Also I’m a small Filipino kid, so this was my only real chance at self defense. Fast forward about 10 years we’re learning all these technical grips, and positions that just aren’t practical. I switched to a MMA gym where they showed what does and doesn’t work when you’re getting your face smashed in.

[@PierreBegin-cl5js]

I’ve was served 3 humble pies in my life. 3 times from judo guys. Friends who gave me a gift in humility. The amount of control that these guys have in a rumble is amazing. How to destroy a grown man without hurting him….. Even after years of boxing, kick boxing and Muay Thai i always make sure to bow low to judo black belts. Respect judo always

[@JohnLoogleman]

I'm mid forties and came across a young guy the other day whom has being doing farm work for a relative of mine. He's only 18 but a Judo black belt and a world junior champion. His father is one of the countries senior Judoka. He was very polite and still a kid in his demeanor, being still intimidated by an older man. All the time I was thinking how would I deal with this kid if it came down to it. I was honestly stuck for answers other than extreme violence involving the tools around me etc. I have a decently rounded skillset but out of condition. Sometimes you never know who you are talking to is what I'm getting at.

[@TheInfantry98]

@@JohnLooglemanBang bang bang oh look martial Arts person is extremely dead. Martial Arts are a complete joke in every facet of self defense. Grown men use knives and Firearms to solve problems in THE REAL WORLD

[@brianmincher716]

Damn straight. . . Anybody who has ever messed around with a Judoka will know the truth of what you say here.

[@chriscotton4207]

That's how everyone who trains feels to people who don't train. Go to BJJ. Go to muah Thai, go to wrestling. Each sport you'll have a new reset.

[@daveadams7989]

@@kensley94true this. There’s levels to everything. Some judo black belts are utter garbage and then there’s the elites, and everyone in between.

[@midlifecrisisadventures3872]

This is 100% spot on. As a BJJ brown belt, I always tell newer guys to focus on the self defense aspect and ignore the other sport aspect unless they plan on competing.

[@H33t3Speaks]

Good to hear that reformative impulse kicking in.

[@-whackd]

Unarmed self-defense is stupid and doesnt exist. Its for poor people living in violent ghettos (and youll still get stabbed anyway) or people who hang around drunks at nightlife. You are 100% more likely to get permanently injured in one of your joints at BJJ than ever having a fair unarmed fight on the street.

[@marksanchez7323]

What if they don't care about the incredibly low chance of being in a fight and instead just want to get good at jiu jitsu?

[@midlifecrisisadventures3872]

That’s why I mentioned if they want to compete or are interested in sports Jiu jitsu. Too many people think what they are learning self defense and it couldn’t be further from the truth. Sport jiu jitsu is awesome, you just have to understand the difference.

[@Canecorso14]

Mostly all schools focus on sport

[@Docinaplane]

Very well said! As you, the more I evolved my skill set, the more I noticed how many martial art techniques were based on fighting an opponent doing the same martial art.

[@inside_fighting]

It’s a huge oversight in almost every martial art and why many don’t work against unpredictable wild aggression.

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

@@inside_fighting You should do a video on Suffian Bela Diri silat or practical method chen tai chi.

[@icanaja8192]

​@@inside_fightingso I saw these two✌very old vids of khabib, first one when he fought in amateur sambo with gi and head gear, guess wutt, he did head butt and its completely legal, and the other one when he was in his very early pro career in some small local organization, completely MMA attire, no gi, no head gear, guess wutt, he did head butt again, repetitively until he won, so you're praising sambo and judo so much, so do u thing we need more sambo schools is that your solution? Coz u think its the one martial arts thats still relatively closest to the real street scenario even in its sport form?

[@yobebill1234]

@@huwhitecavebeast1972 is Silat the knife defense martial art? That one seems awesome would love to learn more about it.

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

@@yobebill1234 There is knife stuff in silat, yes, but the most comprehensive knife arts are Filipino, Kali etc.

[@fredking9131]

I’ve been training since I was 10 starting in judo, then wrestled as Div 1 wrestler and continued in numerous martial arts especially with Kajukenbo. I’m still trying at 75 and u r 100% spot on and thank u for saying what many of us think. And u did it respectfully. Good for u!!!😊

[@mauort6870]

This is the most sober and rational video I've seen in such a long time

[@Mike-m5q9t]

Thank you for admitting this. Bjj practitioners are becoming more and more arrogant as if bjj has no flaws. It is easier for those with several martial arts backgrounds to see those flaws, but the one who practices bjj only wouldn't necessarily see that bjj has its flaws and that's understandable, since he/she is one dimensional. That is why a true martial artist Must always stay humble and seek knowledge! Peace brothers.

[@inside_fighting]

I still love it but don’t love the direction it has gone in.

[@jimhendericks]

@@inside_fighting What's the problem with BJJ? Everyone in the UFC is at least a blue belt tournament level. It's fundamental to know, Bryce Mitchell would've been tapped for sure if he wasn't brown/black at least. It's just your not going to get to the top of the UFC pulling guard all the time, when there are other people who train BJJ, wrestling, kickboxing, and boxing.

[@Rome4787]

I honestly feel like most bjj people are actually very self deprecating and they worship wrestling and sambo and catch wrestling and maybe judo ;) But the reason to stay in bjj is because it’s fun, challenging and there is a lot of fraternity. Maybe some people never lose Gracie aura.

[@Maxmarvelus]

Bro, there's an epidemic of BJJ guys getting knocked out by street performers in Vegas

[@Product_Of_Culture]

@@jimhendericks when you're at the bus, stop or waiting for a taxi cab and a group of thugs decides to jump you, where is your Jiu-Jitsu going to get you? Next thing you know, instead of pulling jello guard you get four boots to the face at the same time.

[@mjp-bi3re]

100% agreed that judo and takedowns are more important than floor work. At my Gracie school, we spar from a standing position and if it progresses to the ground then so be it. And just how do we go from standing to the ground? Takedowns. We learn that being on our feet is a better alternative than being on the ground where many vulnerabilities exist. We learn to gain a dominant position, end the fight ASAP and get on our feet and away from danger. Your video here is a priceless gem.

[@1individeo]

Does your school teach 1vs multiple opponents or train on concrete or rocks instead of mat? If not then you are still delusional about being able to fight. You might be a an amazing martial artist but you are not a figher yet

[@Fatelvis2]

man not only have I been to school where we started on our knees but the school I go to now if we spend too much time standing we get told to take it to the ground

[@Fatelvis2]

@@ddwfw so having a class or a portion of the glass dedicated to take down and a separate one or portion which addresses being on the ground ok makes sense to me

[@professionalpookie]

Your school sucks

[@iHateGenZweebs]

Same here. I used to go to a Gracie school a long time ago, but I just started again and our coach has us start in standing position and says not to pull guard.

[@guitarhack42]

I agree! 58 year old Black belt here still training (ex kick boxer). Right from the beginning of my Jiujitsu training I realized that take downs were almost non existent in training or very poor. And I agree wholeheartedly that the inverted game and constant pulling guard (or deep half) was going to be useless for self defense. So for me I decided to focus on the realistic techniques for self defense (wrestling, greco, standing guillotines, knee on belly, heavy top pressure, RNC etc) along with light slapping to make it more realistic. I taught the self defense class at my academy. Years ago I had a couple scraps, one a standing choke and the other a arm drag to the standing RNC. I agree that how you train is how you will react. I'm too old for any scraps nowadays, I'll just pull my gun lol jk. Great Video coach.

[@inside_fighting]

Glad to hear you agree. Everything you said sounds exactly how people should train. I like guns so no complaints here lol

[@monicoach9547]

Great video! I’m. 63 year old purple belt. I love the “sport” and plan on doing it as long as my body permits but the truth is I started it and continue to do it with self defense in mind. That being said every time we start “playing” spider guard or any such things that obviously will not translate to the street I somewhat zone out. I definitely tend to focus more on basics that I know will translate well to self defense situations. My biggest problem is that at my age drilling takedowns may cause injury and take me out of the game sooner than I want. I still drill takedowns but no where near at the volume I wish my body could handle. Anyways I don’t want to whine about anything. Just wanted to give you kudos for pointing something out that should be obvious to anyone who trains BJJ. If I had to do it all over again I would have started trading martial arts two or three decades ago at least. And I would have trained Judo first the Muay Thai and then BJJ. OSS

[@mercercraft7224]

Ha, near same age. I agree about the takedowns and tosses. I trained on Sunday, lots of throws. I did resort the the thick crash mats so I didn't destroy anything 😀

[@evperry]

Totally agree. I'm 50 and just started. I wish I would have started in my thirties. I also tend to zone out when they start doing specific guards and even submissions that are useless on the street. I think the combination of Muay Thai with a strong low kick having a blue belt in BJJ add some decent wrestling is the best way and the most useful way to defend yourself.

[@wojciechpatalas6660]

53 here. I am doing grappling for over 20 years and yes, every age has its rights. Times of dynamic take downs are over for me but we can always do it slow and carefully. Remember than in time of need we have to do it only once. 😁

[@christianmanganelli6059]

Thank you for this video. As long as I have been training, though I am a bit embarrassed to admit it, I hadn't noticed this trend. You are absolutely right. Simplicity over complexity is a key factor to consider. 💯

[@streetwiseguitar5113]

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt here (Valente Brothers). Pedro Valente has discussed this at length. This video is great and bang on!

[@skarhead7597]

The Valente Bros are one if the few that have approached this properly...& their system is the most well organized & faithful implementation of what Jiu Jitsu was actually intended for (not pajama wrestling for points).

[@mikegoodwin5951]

You guys are all assuming your hypothetical self defence situation is going to be against an untrained person. But what if the guy you’re defending against has training in bjj/mma also ? You’re going to wish you had more advanced bjj skills. You might not be able to pin this guy with your limited “self defence” focused skill level in bjj and grappling.

[@nickelmanful]

​@mikegoodwin5951 a guy trained in mma won't need any do call advance bjj skills.

[@andrewtruebody2791]

Changes for this is 1%​@@mikegoodwin5951

[@davidcrawford8583]

@@mikegoodwin5951 erm no. The attacker who is BJJ savvy isn't going to be stupid enough to roll about on the asphalt either, unless he has a death wish.

[@ivanhannel]

Age 53 now. Trained no-gi and MMA for 10-12 years (and muay thai before that) but not many injury free years. Moved to San Francisco in 2022 with wife and kid and the move wasn't great for my already compromised neck/back. Went to hospital for CT w/contrast for what I thought was a second hernia but was really a lower back thing (I think). Next day, go to try to play tennis with a stranger and get attacked by a crazed meth dude who literally stormed the court and threw down a black bag of drug gear; only the City gives out those risible black bags. Fight was all jabs and low kicks. Couldn't take him down because (1) my jitsu injuries plus the move left me at like 5% of myself and (2) I didn't want to learn the guy had a knife. Moved north of SF to get away from the overall insanity of that city. But what you say about BJJ is entirely correct. I say get to blue belt, train boxing and kickboxing, do functional work and weights and yoga, and enjoy your life. You'll also be better off when the fight comes to you.

[@ranting.russian]

My God. It had been my longtime dream to see San Francisco ever since that car chase scene in 'The Rock.' What they've allowed to happen to that city (and LA, and all the other ones) is such a shame ((

[@christophervillarreal8565]

Nailed it I trained Bjj up until a blue belt level and realized quickly every beyond that was unrealistic af and extremely dishonorable in terms of training… ankle locks, toe locks, all kinds of fuckery that could easily permanently injure your training partners especially with all the spastic kids with inflated egos.

[@ivanhannel]

@@ranting.russian It will get better over time and for visitors, it still can be nice (don't leave any belongings in cars or out of sight/reach). But the civil services and crime are still too crazy and the same dumb people that encouraged them are very much part of the city. They didn't move away. They identify with the criminals or are cowards.

[@123jawillia]

This is some of the very best martial arts/self-defense related advice anyone could receive. How many martial artists spend most of their time too injured, sore, fatigued, stiff, or otherwise compromised to make the most of their training when it may be most needed?

[@ivanhannel]

@@123jawillia I hope others learn from my and others' mistakes. We'll see! Thanks for your comment.

[@angelolauro59]

I watched an interview with royce gracie who admitted bjj isnt what you want to learn for self defence. What a great guy

[@jamesjohnston1132]

royce teaches self defense jiu jitsu

[@theonewhoknocks2809]

@@jamesjohnston1132you’re wildly taking what he said out of context lol

[@jamesjohnston1132]

@@theonewhoknocks2809 how? I stated a fact

[@jamesjohnston1132]

@@theonewhoknocks2809 royce tied a blue belt around my waist 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@tonytomahawk5160]

That's because his family was already rejected by the Brazilian military. The Brazilian military doesn't use BJJ and never would. That's not debatable and that's the end of the conversation. People are gullible. That's what we said when the UFC started. They actually believed that the style that was teaching rape prevention because they were laughed at everywhere else is some sort of super art.

[@nabi5864]

Best self defense I know of is called ”Bang Bang Bing Bing” (Bas Systema)

[@mightandlightvfx7157]

The "Basurutendo" "場守天道" 😂

[@s0methingrarer]

😂

[@LiiBaanTa443]

Sorry you're not sigma

[@knifezoid]

Wow! This was so well explained. Brilliant really. Very well spoken and concise. I'd also add that if self defense truly is your focus you should also know fundamentals of striking, knife and striking weapons, and firearms.

[@towardstar]

I felt this same way about leglocks in sport BJJ. Nobody took them seriously so the teams that did started wrecking everybody due to the widespread unfamiliarity.

[@towardstar]

Now were getting a tad bit carried away with them. Roger Gracie said in an interview on why he doesn't train a lot of leglocks, its because you would never grab for a foot in a street fight unless you had absolutely nothing else.

[@TheGodfather101]

​@@towardstar the finish i understand. but Leg Entanglements (Like Knee reaping) are one of the most effective ways to put someone down off your back and are easy to chain with arm bar attempts (even crappy ones).

[@ZettontheGOAT]

Correct me, Leg Locks was mainly used by Luta Livre guys before its widespread right?

[@frankstallon7679]

"Why neglect 50% of the body"? Dean Lister. Many years ago.

[@MrCmon113]

@@towardstar Why? There's literally videos of leglocks naturally happening in real fights on youtube.

[@joeoleary9010]

I agree with John Danaher that the primary BJJ self-defense skill should be mastering escape from the bottom. After that, takedowns. After takedowns, controlling someone from the top. All this other stuff that most BJJ spend thousands of hours on, such as advanced skills in passing the guard, attacking from the guard, defending the guard are super unlikely to come up in a self-defense situation. I do feel though that there's a certain amount of grit and mental and physical conditioning that comes from BJJ competition. I certainly felt more self defence confidence from my time training BJJ than I did from getting a black belt in sports Tae Kwon Do. I'm also reminded of that Bruce Lee quote that I heard so many years ago: "No amount of intellectual land swimming will prepare one for the ocean."

[@ghaneman]

Agreed, which is what makes Folksyle Wrestling such an important addition to BJJ.

[@Rome4787]

When I teach bjj, I teach escapes so much. That’s how I trained and before I became a black belt…. Escaping to my feet was my black belt neutralizer. I think the best thing about learning “ground fighting” is having a range or positional expertise. And that means not being on the ground if you don’t want to be.

[@Rome4787]

I felt my most self defense ready from late blue belt to brown belt. I think purple belt sets you up to wreck regular people. After purple you are learning to fight other bjj people. And I think there are things you need to do to beat a black belt at bjj that could get you hurt by a big crazy guy with no training. Most bjj black belts are tough guys and are somewhat battle tested and have some grit so you are going to have that advantage of course.

[@mikegoodwin5951]

You guys are all assuming your hypothetical self defence situation is going to be against an untrained person. But what if the guy you’re defending against has training in bjj/mma also ? You’re going to wish you had more advanced bjj skills. You might not be able to pin this guy with your limited “self defence” focused skill level in bjj and grappling.

[@Rome4787]

@ it’s a matter of probability then. But I could find myself in a self defense situation against Jon Jones too and then it really wouldn’t matter what I know.

[@bspi624]

100% agree with you in regard to judo in the street over bjj. I practice both (only a blue belt), but I'm 52 and trained on another art for greater than 25 years. I also agree that the last place I want to be is on the ground. I'm also a retired officer. The ground is dangerous for multiple reasons.

[@kommisar.]

Sorry, the guy in the video is respectable enough but he put forth a very flawed argument that you are not seeing. Judo doesn't look anymore like a real self-defense or "street" fight than BJJ. Both involve mats and complex techniques that are not practical in real fighting. Plus, the guy said learning to take someone down, keep them there and mount them is a good thing to learn, yet you are saying the ground is something you want to stay far away from. Even better, you are saying this as a cop, when that is the first thing they do when they struggle to cuff someone.

[@mythcritic]

Very good points. The old adage "What you train in the adrenal state is how you will fight in the adrenal state" still holds true

[@therealfinancipation]

As a guy who’s competed and done Muay Thai, Boxed and done MMA for over 20 years all over the world (Singapore, Amsterdam, Los Angeles, Philly, New York, Miami and South America ) I’ve been saying this for years now. JiuJitsu Flat out isn’t effective in the real world and once you get a blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu you should pretty much focus on sparring and training Muay Thai and Boxing regularly if you want to have the best chance of defending yourself in a potentially violent street encounter Lastly the myth of JiuJitsu and wrestling being the ultimate martial art literally dies once Elite Top of the food chain strikers left Glory (Alex Periera and Izzy Adesanya) trained Jiu Jitsu for 2 years and started beating the breaks off UFC fighters and win in multiple world championships . An elite, world class kickboxer with two years of Wrestling and Jiujitsu can become a UFC champion (Maurice Smith, Adesanya, Perriera) , but an elite wrestler or Jiujitsu player with 2 years of boxing would never get anywhere close to Terrance Crawford, Canelo, Rico Verhoeven or Alexander Usyk

[@philcastle396]

pretty much sure izzy is a purple belt and Alex is a black belt..nothing definitely not blue belt level , as for elite strikers in MMA its has been dominated for years by wrestlers who just added basic low level striking, jones, khabib, DC, stipe , lslam, cain, usman, tyrone, matt Hughes, hendo, Randy, mighty mouse, liddell, edgar, tito, weidman, merab, belal, cejudo, volk, apart from izzy, Alex, silva ,conner pure striker based fighters have been well and truly surpassed by elite level grapplers in MMA..even the goat of MMA gsp used wrestling to win most of his fights, the best heavyweight ever fedor was a grappler, and that's just wrestlers, not to mention Frank mir, werdum, penn, josh barnett, Charles , and pretty sure even the elite level strikers, silva, conner, jose, wand silva, are all black belts..l agree sports BJJ is no good but l believe a submission wrestling style is the best pure skill to have for MMA

[@Yenjrish]

Boxing is just as much a sport as BJJ is

[@Louskii5]

As far as wrestling what about khabib his wrestling was unstoppable

[@mostlypeacefulguntraining]

as someone who trained a lot of muay thai but only used it in self defense encounters, i agree and ive been saying the same thing for years. if a guy tried to pull all of these moves id have his teeth knocked out before he could get to guard. BJJ people seem to think people will just let them do their moves without just elbowing them in the teeth with no mouthguard or poking their eyes because that not allowed. if some guy tries to pull some move and break my arm or tear my acl, guaranteed im blinding him for life

[@mostlypeacefulguntraining]

@@Louskii5 sometimes wrestling will work, but what if the dude has 75 lbs on you? all the technique in the world aint gonna stop you from being smothered, its why weight classes exist

[@Rome4787]

When you are at peak training at a decent gym the conditioning from jiu jitsu will be almost as big as an advantage as technique against an untrained opponent even if they are conventionally fit and not fight fit. If you can roll hard for 5 minutes + that is a huge advantage.

[@richardgallagher4880]

People seem to miss the cardio and spending nearly all your class trying not to be taken down or stay on bottom.

[@kommisar.]

@@richardgallagher4880 It has far less to do with "cardio" and just being able to use proper technique so as to use your energy efficiently and not get hit, and breathing.

[@richardgallagher4880]

@@kommisar. 😂😂😂😂 Great. You'll win the ufc this weekend.

[@kommisar.]

@@richardgallagher4880 Is that your best rebuttal?

[@kommisar.]

@@richardgallagher4880 How does that rebut what I said?

[@ziggydog5091]

When I was forty I looked seriously at my training, my BJJ instructor was in his mid thirties, as was my Muay Thai teacher, they both had injuries and were slowing down like me. My FMA instructor was an older Filippino gentleman in his late sixties, a retired cop (in Manila) living in the US now. He could still defend himself, free fight and beat younger men, and teach his art. I stopped the other classes and concentrated on FMA. Now I am in my sixties, I stick fight and teach my art, thank you Guru Joe.

[@paleo704]

😂😂

[@ziggydog5091]

I quit doing BJJ after two guys at my school were beaten up in fights on the street after going to the guard, then I accidentally knocked a friend out during training by stacking him in the guard. Judo,and wrestling are complete arts and everything is easier with the right tool (weapon). BJJ is a nice sport.

[@kikimonstera3368]

I think I have instinctually recently adjusted my training. I am how about 2 years into my blue belt solely nogi. And I train 3 times a week. One day striking one day wrestling and one day Jiu Jitsu. Jiu Jitsu is my favorite but I feel like I get more out of the other two at the moment

[@ziggydog5091]

Elon is right, BJJ is a fine sport, but it is not self defense, and it is not for everyone. Enjoy it, but try to remain well rounded in your approach to martial arts and think about what you will be able to do in your old age when you are most vulnerable. I guarantee you Elon has.

[@whatever_it_takes6691]

What FMA mean

[@buckgs1465]

Well said brother,,,I’m a old school Japanese kodokan ju jitsu guy and retired LAPD officer who used my throws, arm bars and takedowns,strikes almost every day on violent gang bangers,and other bad guys. In the dojo We trained to do a knee drop on the Uki\bad guys on their upper body after every throw to cause damage to their nervous system and break some bones. Also we sparred to learn how to takes punches and kicks and then get in for something that would work. It was ugly and bloody at times. But it was hard core ju jitsu. So like you after I saw how BJJ was changing in the late 90s and 2000s I would tell my rookies who were all about BJJ that they also needed to learn stand up fighting as well to be able to handle violent aggressive combative suspects.

[@thevillageyid]

Is Japanese jiu jitsu even taught in America anymore?

[@biggavelle662]

​@@thevillageyid yes and no , but it's the modern ones .. bjj has took over .. Jujitsu I train under guy from Australia NSJJ.. when I hear Japanese jujitsu I get confused, Ju Jitsu is Japanese, so the style of Ju Jitsu should not be referred to as Japanese Ju Jitsu, because that’s what it is. There can only be one style of Ju Jitsu. So don’t be confused about Jiu Jitsu that uses the terminology BJJ. Calling it Ju jitsu needs to be clarified. There is Ju Jitsu that is real Ju Jitsu that originated in Japan and there is a hybrid form called Jiu Jitsu that originated in Brazil and which is more akin to Judo

[@thevillageyid]

@@biggavelle662 Hmm, interesting. I always assumed that Japanese JJ had more judo throws and sweeps. One of my coworkers does BJJ and has trained in Japanese JJ and said the Japanese "version" tends to stay upright more rather than on the ground.

[@biggavelle662]

@@thevillageyid judo came from Jujitsu.. and bjj came from judo

[@thelastgeneration1926]

@@thevillageyid u can find it in the form of krav maga

[@adrianplaythroughs3514]

Great video. I love it how you state it felt like a superpower back in the 2000s. I felt the same way after I got my Shodan in Judo in 2004. But it was like a superpower back then. I could take on a lot of different folks, both standing and on the ground. Today, I can still hold my own, but it isn’t as easy as it used to be due to the popularity of everything. Ground work used to be a foreign thing, not anymore. I’m still a big believer in classic Kodokan Judo for self defense. Limited to no grip fighting, focus on grabbing, kuzushi, and throwing immediately. Then a quick finish.

[@mickbrentar784]

Great analysis. Also… the very best opening music in all of KZbin.

[@chendaforest]

Great video, especially about avoiding injuries which is not discussed enough. I have heard of 20-something bjj people saying its already permanently damaged their bodies. If you are training for self-defence you want to train as lightly as possible without compromising technique.

[@TheMatrixofMeaning]

Every time I roll on BJJ I get a cracked or broken floating rib or some other hip, back, or neck injury. Wrestling never leads to these types of injuries. I'm small and the bigger guys use their weight and strength due to ego and always seem to accidentally knee my ribs when they get a side control drill

[@chendaforest]

@@TheMatrixofMeaning Judo seems to be easier to avoid a lot of these injuries too, maybe because there are strict rules and a big focus on etiquette.

[@TheMatrixofMeaning]

@@MrCmon113 I'm telling you my experience. I've never been injured seriously in wrestling practice yet in BJJ it's almost every day. In wrestling we're always resisting and learning from each other as well as the coach. In BJJ it's this underlying ego that leads to everyone trying to win or prove themselves superior. I'm still learning yet when I successfully defend their technique they go into competition mode and do something I've never been taught just to show me they're better at BJJ than me. And when they can't do that without using their full strength and weight in explosive movements I get injured because I'm only 145 lbs at my heaviest.

[@TheMatrixofMeaning]

@@MrCmon113 all I've learned from BJJ is that I never want to be on the bottom position in a ground fight against a much larger opponent because they can simply use their weight to cut off my breathing from my diaphragm and break ribs. I'll take my chances on my feet

[@kommisar.]

@@TheMatrixofMeaning What the hell are you talking about? Injuries in wrestling are FAR more common. It's obvious why too. Sorry you train at a bad school that doesn't teach students how to not hurt one another.

[@ChillyFishFL]

Thank you for this video. I've been a Kenpo-Jujitsu student and teacher for over 40 years and also train in self-defense grappling (with striking) and Judo for the critical ground-components you cited. I routinely work the basics you commented on for myself and with students. You are 1000% spot on, and I am so glad you had the courage to say what you clearly articulated. It so often seems like anytime anyone mentions anything 'negative' about the self-defense aspects of BJJ people lose their minds and refuse to acknowledge the obvious. Well said sir.

[@MarkMoore-s2j]

This was the most honest discussion on real world fighting and how You should actually train for self defense.

[@darkphantom454]

100% agree with this video. Black belt in judo and bjj. MMA experience as well. The stupidest thing to learn for a martial art is worm guard. Learn to beat up a bad guy, not your training partner that's wearing a gi.

[@kommisar.]

Do you really think those worm guard instructionals are there for people learning to defend themselves in a street fight? They are there to help you win a medal.

[@cvs768]

As a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and and black belt in karate I can tell you right now the only time that I ever Felt like I made a mistake in a self defense situation was when I chose to grapple.

[@Maxmarvelus]

You sound exactly like my brother who coincidentally is a brown belt jiu-jitsu and a black belt in karate

[@DavidGarcia-kl9ck]

Probably he hit the floor. The floor always wins.

[@mikegoodwin5951]

@@DavidGarcia-kl9ckif you’re the guy hitting the takedown it’s gonna be the other guy hitting the floor

[@mikegoodwin5951]

Did tall forget how quickly Diaz choked out Logan Paul lookalike on the street with grappling/bjj? Snap down into standing guillotine . Deadly stiff

[@1individeo]

​@@joeoleary9010so many things could have happened: a hidden knife, a hard floor, a really strong or stoned opponent or a fighter. Cuz there is a big difference between being a martial artist and being a fighter. Its not about the size of the dog in a fight (the style) , its more about the size of the fight in the dog (mentality)

[@shiva1x]

Thanks for doing this video. I've been training bjj for over 25 years, and I've been screaming the same thing, but no one listens😢

[@shmk1]

I’m an old small purple belt and I only work from bottom to learn how the f to get out, with my good training partners I will tell them to give me a slap in the head to build more awareness of what positions really suck. I have no interest in any of the inverting shit and stuff like that. Basic old school fundamentals. Helps that our professor is a super old school gorilla that really focuses on fundamentals. Great video! Got a new subscriber.

[@Studentoflife811]

I love your honesty man you got my sub without a doubt

[@rogersingh6189]

I completely agree 100% as a BJJ practitioner. Always seek to be well-rounded in martial arts. Arrogance will lead someone to become a one trick pony. As Musashi stated, “Become acquainted with every art…Know the Ways of all professions.”

[@yossarian_lives]

What an excellent breakdown. Your observations on old-school UFC and how it is "more realistic" are really well made. Food for thought.

[@BradYaeger]

My approach to grappling is focused on getting outside the arms and legs as fast as possible . The same "fight half the man" concept you've spoken on many times . Seeing people going out of their way to pull guard is baffling . To me guard was something you used to hit pause during a losing situation . I'd say at least half the street fights I've seen (used to live on a street with 10 bars in 3 blocks) turned into brawls and when 2 guys started grappling somebody else started kicking one of them. The reason I like FMA and Silat takedowns is because they emphasis you staying on your feet and "unstuck" from your opponent .

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

Silat properly trained is absolutely brutal. If you haven't yet, check our Suffian Bela Diri style with Maul Mornie. That is the most effective silat that I know of.

[@JohnLoogleman]

​@@huwhitecavebeast1972never seen it pressure tested. I know guys who have trained with him and yes it looks brutal but never seen it against full contact opposition. We can't use the old 'its too dangerous ' saying either. There's always a way to pressure test.

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

@@JohnLoogleman Dude, it's clearly effective under pressure. You can tell just by watching if you are experienced enough and have a good understanding of the human body and how the forces effect said body. If other forms of silat have been pressure tested by me in fights, and it works, Maul's stuff def works it's not hard to extrapolate. There's a lot of internal stuff too that you don't see unless you already have done that kind of training. If he can go through a 1.5 inch thick wooden pole just by walking into it, what the hell do you think is going to happen to your leg when he goes full force? It's a effective style, but anyone can get knocked out no matter what their style is. What GSP said in relation to who is best fighter applies here.

[@MrCmon113]

All of the "street fights" I have ever seen were two people. Most of the "street fights" on video are two people. Fighting multiple people is mostly a power fantasy people engage with as an excuse not to learn any grappling.

[@francoiswilliams]

​@@MrCmon113Uh, ever been to Asia, lol?

[@curiouscomplex290]

That drop kick @4:53 took you off script for a second. "That was sick!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@a.ihistory5879]

"This is Sparta!"

[@giovannito858]

Great video. Folks need to hear this stuff. I do BJJ also. My gym owner highly encourages starting on the feet always, instead of seated. I've done Hapkido, Aikido and Judo over the years. You're right. Takedowns and basic techniques are what one needs on the street.

[@Marcianito100PorCientoReal]

I’ve been thinking for months wether I should train bjj or judo, considering that I’m already skilled in boxing, I watched many videos explaining both but this just nailed it. I’m taking judo while I continue boxing also, thanks.

[@DerineShorts]

Judo is great..

[@TheMountainBeyondTheWoods]

I thik this is the best combo, boxing and judo are fantastic.

[@patbateman69420]

I'm so glad you said this about Judo. I've always felt that way, but I've never seen anyone say it. TBF, though there is an issue in the way that Judo is trained because of all the Gi grips. Perhaps it is not the most realistic for self defense. Maybe if someone can find a Judo dojo that also incorporates wreslting or no-gi, it would be great.

[@mikegoodwin5951]

Wrestling is the best takedown art for self defence ofcourse. Not judo

[@nickelmanful]

All the throws done in Judo can be done with out a gi.

[@nickelmanful]

​@@mikegoodwin5951 😂😂😂😂 that's funniest joke I've heard

[@mikegoodwin5951]

@@nickelmanful Why react like that? Tell me why its so terrible as a takedown art for self defence then?

[@inpugnaveritaas]

@@mikegoodwin5951no, it’s definitely judo.

[@WolframtheBlessed3499]

Very good insight Eli, basically bjj imploded and became about beating itself 🤔.

[@marksanchez7323]

The average purple belt at IBJJF worlds this weekend would destroy the self defense nerds in a fight. It wouldn't even be competitive

[@MrCmon113]

@@marksanchez7323 The average white belt, who never competed at anything, would beat nearly all self-defense nerds.

[@honigdachs.]

Some real talk. Much appreaciated. It is fascinating how quickly BJJ fell into the same traps it used to ridicule other martial arts for. Ignorance and arrogance go hand in hand.

[@bombast9866]

I’ve used my very rudimentary BJJ to good effect in street encounters. Maybe precisely because I have more fighting than purely BJJ instincts that it works for me. Fight outcomes reflect habits and expectations. The streets aren’t the mats but the physics is the same. Energetics is v different

[@itllkeal]

I tell everyone one of those boys I work with that BJJ is the last thing you want to use in a street fight because whenever you go to the ground their friends are going to kick the shit out of you. My dojo taught hit and run but I was too stupid to run so I've caught a few charges. Thanks Eli for being real with it all. I've been attacked by a man who wasn't half my strength and 100lbs lighter and whenever you're against your back truly fighting fir survival is a totally different feeling than sparing. STOP GOING TO THE GROUND in a world where everyone has POCKETS.

[@awesomereviews1561]

BJJ is great for competition. For self defense Catch wrestling is much better. It’s more aggressive, has an emphasis on you staying on top, has better submissions, and you learn about vicious things ( eye gouge, ear tearing, breaking fingers etc etc).

[@martynraab]

Great analysis. And you said out loud what a lot of BJJ practitioners are secretly thinking.

[@chatpilot]

I have been making these same points for years! Thanks for putting it together in this vid.

[@badxradxandy]

10:00 judo seems to be more aggressive ending the fight, they have a limited time to be on the ground so they are not stalling, that's something I like about Judo vs BJJ. Judo isn't "better" and i don't like it better but that's something that it is better at.

[@inside_fighting]

I think the ruleset and focus is more conducive to self defense

[@markytnshyt]

@@inside_fighting Exactly! Especially if your opponent in the street doesn't know how to fall. If you slam someone on the pavement that's over 200 pounds, they aren't getting up, the fight's over... no need for ANY groundwork.

[@badxradxandy]

@@inside_fighting I agree but I do not like the emphasis on the jacket and grips you won't commonly have on someone wearing a t-shirt and the lack of directly attacking the legs in the modern/current judo ruleset. If there was more of a no-gi judo that would be the shit. Something that isn't wrestling or SAMBO.

[@MrCmon113]

@@inside_fighting Because in "self defense" you're gonna be attacked someone wearing a bathrobe and your solution is a risky, high altitude throw that lands yourself in a vulnerable position? That's what judokas do. Only takedowns. But none of the most important takedowns nor defense against the most important takedowns. That judo is close to bjj in terms of practicality for fighting in general is simply wrong. There isn't even really any no-gi judo places.

[@MrCmon113]

@@markytnshyt Most people do get up after being thrown onto concrete. Most people get up even when falling out of a window that's pretty high up. That a single slam certainly ends a fight is wrong. Nor should you rely on getting a perfect throw. A boxer or submission grappler doesn't need to rely on hitting one perfect move nor do they need the attacker to wear special atire. Judo is cool and Judokas are awesome, but judo isn't as applicable as a lot of other fighting sports. It's not on the same level as all of the popular striking and grappling sports.

[@maxhensley1685]

BJJ isn't the only martial art where practitioners claim they'll apply some completely different strategy and techniques than they actually practice. The problem is that most martial arts where practitioners regularly claim that are ones which rarely practice anything resembling actual fighting. Karate or kung fu schools which devote all their training to forms and/or point sparring where a single technique resets all the action, where people get stood up any time they fall down, where the forms and exercises are full of techniques where the actual applications are basically folklore, etc. This is the sort of thing which jiu jitsu used to contrast itself against. There were decades of justification built up about how if you train these methods, you'll be able to apply the real self defense tactics intrinsic to the style when you need to, and jiu jitsu's answer to that was "you won't, actually." This is what's known as Goodheart's Law. When you set a specific goal, people will optimize for that goal regardless of the consequences. If people practice karate to win karate tournaments, they'll have a karate skillset that's more functional for winning karate tournaments than fighting. And if they practice BJJ to win BJJ tournaments, they'll bave a BJJ skillset more functional for winning BJJ tournaments than fighting.

[@inside_fighting]

100 percent agree.

[@energyfitness5116]

Real combat systems are gonna tend to be generic and favor mobility. And have dirty techniques. They will always assume the opponent is armed and have a focus on firearm use.

[@robertmallory1877]

Tournament fighting today in ANY style is not the same as Self Defense/Streetfighting. Back in the days of old China people were killed or crippled in a lot of their tournaments so that was the only exception I know of.

[@cmart020]

A very important point is missed here. The real reason why BJJ is ground fight is because it is "defense", not "attack". If you look at your own cuts of the old school MMA, you will see that the other guys trained attacking the opponent to finish them off as quickly as possible. The question comes: what if I am attacked and end up on the ground? What do I do then? This was the whole point. It was meant to teach you to recover from a bad situation and improve upon it, not the opposite. Self-defense is about "damage control", as it presupposes you were attacked. In this sense, BJJ indeed lost its way along the way. This is what BJJ was all about: damage control and reverse the situation.

[@kommisar.]

It was also based on the idea that you are more focused on not losing than "winning". Many times the Gracies fought someone bigger or more athletic than them, and they would just basically wait until the other guy got tired before finishing him. It was based on defending against strikes and bad positions, not getting a submission in a limited amount of time. Obviously all high-level BJJ competitions not nothing like that now.

[@cmart020]

@@kommisar. Self-defence is about surviving. Surviving an attack is "winning". Whether you get out of it by yourself or you "survive" long enough to be help, it does not matter. You need to be able to hang in the in fight, as there are no rules, just punishment of the victim.

[@WalterCena-rj2hm]

You are missing the entire point of the video, that's your problem. Your ego doesn't let you see the true like strikers 30 years ago we're blinded by their egos and had to cope a lot to not accept BJJ kick their butts.

[@DoctorLogic-gt1qu]

@@WalterCena-rj2hm Actually what he said makes sense. Instead of insulting him maybe you could explain exactly what you are talking about??

[@alexandersmith3425]

That was hands down the best intro I’ve ever seen

[@DocUltimate]

Finally! Thank you Sir for this video 💯

[@geneharrogate6911]

I've noticed a lot more Judo- esque techniques showing up where I train when it comes time to focus on a little 'self defence', and rightly so. Cant see many attackers wanting to carry on after getting Ushiro-goshi'd onto concrete. Those Judoka are scary..

[@joeoleary9010]

As Lex Fridman said when interviewing Travis: "You can murder someone with a Judo throw."

[@MrCmon113]

That's a really stupid way of looking at things. No one's going to keep fighting after having a 300kg boulder dropped on their head. That doesn't mean a 300kg boulder is a good weapon. What fantasy based fighting (ie "self defense" courses, etc) overlooks is that the intention of doing something is different from the ability to do it. A single leg takedown or a trip has less of a chance of totally stopping an opponent from fighting, but it has a much better chance of actually happening than any high altitude throw.

[@geneharrogate6911]

@@MrCmon113 I don't know about a 300kg boulder, but you certainly appear to have taken more than your fair share of blows to the head.

[@Urmomma5f4t]

@@MrCmon113that’s if your throws suck. The reason wrestling is favored by many is because technique wise is easier to learn. I guaranteed many would launch you to concrete with ease if they’re even half good at throws

[@Stryqwills]

​@@MrCmon113People always forget judo has trips and footsweeps. My go to initiation is tsuri komi ashi.

[@StaleBearFarts]

Excellent points. This is why I appreciate Gracie Jiu-Jitsu...White Belt to Blue Belt is all self defense based Jiu Jitsu. The whole curriculum involves takedowns and punch awareness and defense.

[@monkeyboy275bobo8]

Well Kron just knocked himself out by pulling guard.

[@draperw86]

@@monkeyboy275bobo8😂😂😂😂😂 Gracie bjj is a bunch of crap to make money

[@kunedoman]

I think the point is that one needs more than just punch "awareness" but trained striking capabilities to go along with one's BJJ. Alone most BBJ training lacks in this area. BJJ is still awesome, I grappled (hobby level) 10 years thru the 90's, stuck with stand up arts since due to injuries on the mat (2 shoulder surgeries, snapped finger, 3 broken toes, 3 harsh neck strains), and I was just a hobbyist! BUT BJJ was so fun & wouldn't reverse time that's for sure!

[@MrCmon113]

That's all fine as long as you still spar and compete.

[@danilecashin4126]

Yes 👍🏻

[@Tony-k2v1l]

Another BJJ black belt here and he is 1000% correct. - all the comments saying that BJJ guys are sensible enough not to try worm guard in real life, I think are missing the point. Like the video mentioned, you fight like your train, if your spending 100s of hours learning berimbolos and other useless techniques, are you saying that you are going to automatically become a self defense guru when attacked on the street? I dont think so. Those 100s of hours lost could have been better spent learning striking, takedowns, etc. which would have made you better suited to deal with real life scenarios. In reality its better to have boxing, a few takedowns/TD defence and positional awareness on the ground trying to stay on top.

[@inside_fighting]

You nailed it far more concisely than i did in the video tbh. It’s about diminishing returns. Those 100s of hours beyond fundamentals are not the ideal place to spend your time

[@Tony-k2v1l]

@@inside_fighting Thanks, as a long time martial artist I really enjoy your videos.

[@marksanchez7323]

Why wouldn't a berimbolo work?

[@Tony-k2v1l]

If you have to ask that question, I can’t help you.

[@sweetcell8767]

Holy shit dude, you move like a true predator. Flowing, sleek, powerful, explosive movement through space. Love it 🤙🥋

[@ahmediftikhar3728]

Man forget competitions gym wars made u a gladiator. Amazing man! I hope u keep recovering and keep coming back

[@aloripowell8746]

I havnt gotten pass the intro. I needed this. Thanks bro for no excuses and vulnerability ❤

[@PRACTICALCIVILIANOFFICIAL]

As someone who has 52+ years Martial Artist/Combatives experience, and trained and taught in 9 different M.A.s, taught thousands of students, worked as a Nightclub Doorman, Personal Protection Bodyguard, and Instructor, I can tell you BJJ has never been a street fight art. IDGAF what has been propagated in magazines, online, in the media, etc.. In a real-world confrontation, you NEVER want to go to the ground in a street fight...PERIOD! This has been shown time and time again. You want to remain on your feet, because you never know when a threat is going to have 1, 2, 3, or more people with him. If you go to the ground you risk being injured, maimed or k*lled. You want to neutralize the threat, quickly, and expediently...PERIOD! When a threat confronts you, you neutralize, and walk away...PERIOD! I am not going to stand and go toe-to-toe with an unknown adversary, and the possibility of others laying in wait to join in.

[@joeoleary9010]

I think it was Rorion Gracie who told the story of using BJJ to beat someone in a street fight, only to have the guy's buddy kick him in the head.

[@JEETKUNEDOBOUNCER]

I agree 100% in the beginning when I was bouncing I tried some jiu jitsu I learned quickly it’s the last martial arts I would ever use in a nightclub. I was lucky a bartender helped me people kicking me in the head trying to apply a triangle chock. My suggestion if you wanna know what works bounce for a few years you’ll learn quickly.

[@MrMZaccone]

"Neutralized and walk away" - Yeah ... cuz that's easy, right?

[@TheMatrixofMeaning]

​@@MrMZaccone it is if you learn striking, clinch, and footwork

[@PRACTICALCIVILIANOFFICIAL]

it is if you’re trained to do so. What do you think Personal Protection Services like The Secret Service , U.S. Marshals Service, etc. does, stand around and go toe-to-toe when confronted? No! They neutralize the threat and move on. Too many people are brainwashed into believing that street confrontations are somehow ‘fair fights’ or that you stand around with sharp-tongued banter trying to out insult your opponent. Again, NO! A confrontation with someone trying to assault, rob, r*ape, etc., is to neutralize and get the hell outta Dodge A.S.A.P….PERIOD! Bottomline is: IT’S EITHER YOU OR HIM/THEM. I only have one precious gift of life and I’ll be DAMNED if I’m going to risk losing it for some scumbag, thug trying to do me harm. I will remove the threat and move on…PERIOD!

[@mjp-bi3re]

The. Gracie University instructors constantly remind us that jiujitsu ground skills are only good for 1 on 1 encounters that go to the ground. They also teach that distance management and deescalation are important to avoid fights. The most important thing that I believe Gracie University teaches is to use jiujitsu as quickly as possible and to get back to your feet where you are much safer.

[@1individeo]

You should not go to the ground in a street fight in first place. Cuz if you need to run you cannot. And if the bad guy has a knife hidden is his pocket the last thing you want is to grapple him. BJJ is the best martial art but only in 1 v 1 fights or in controlled situations when you know no one else is joining the fight, or when you know that if you had enough you'd just have to tap out and it would be all over.

[@draperw86]

@@1individeothe Gracies are a buch of con artists

[@marcelodiaz5006]

​@@1individeolmao the "hiding a knife" wouldn't be so effective if someone is controlling both of your arms in mount

[@k9m42]

@@1individeoAnd when you are taken to the ground and getting pummeled, you will wish you had trained in BJJ. There is no such thing as take down defense unless you train with experts in taking you down. Cobra Kai doesn’t cover that…

[@lazarobabich6696]

​@@k9m42 If they took you to the ground it's because your standing fight sucks. first learn to fight standing then learn to fight on the ground

[@rickybyrd660]

In Brazail back in the day gyms had rivals and Vale Tudo *(luta livre) the guys that couldnt afford gi's fought guys with gi's mainly gracie gyms. It was pretty brutal back then. Open palm strikes and that shit was 💯 applicable in a street fight.

[@BenjaminMoriniereSensei]

This is by far one of the best videos about the current state of BJJ perioddddd

[@alexanderren1097]

Yup, same thing happened to karate. It was turned into a sport, various rules were introduced for the sake of competition and safety (rightly so), and the majority of practitioners began focusing on hyper specializing the style for the sake of competing within that rule set. Karate was originally designed for self defense but modern point sparring karate is absolutely useless for self defense. Thankfully there’s a small but growing movement of folks practicing “practical” karate and rediscovering/reconstructing the real fighting techniques encoded into the kata. BJJ can become effective again, it’s even starting because there’s a small but growing group of BJJ practitioners cross training in Judo and/or other wrestling styles

[@inside_fighting]

Absolutely ADCC is pushing for that

[@MrCmon113]

"Self defense" karate was always bullshit. The only reason karate isn't ALL bullshit is that they have competitions. The only reason bjj works is competitions. All martial arts that don't have competitions are nonsense. Judo has a lot of downsides because of HOW they compete (no leg attacks, gi, etc), but if they didn't compete, then Judo would be make-belief nonsense. Think of all martial arts: all of the practitioners of styles with competitions are badasses I wouldn't mess with. All of the practitioners of styles without competitions are nerds, I wouldn't be afraid of under any circumstances.

[@alexanderren1097]

@ Yeah nah. Competition doesn’t guarantee anything besides ability to compete within THAT specific ruleset. Self defense efficacy requires competition rules intentionally designed to simulate a “real” fight as closely as possible. Also, live drills with progressively increasing levels of resistance as well as pressure testing/stress testing of those drills, as well as some form of “free play” or “free sparring” is also necessary. Case in point, most karate competition is based on point sparring. I did it for 10 years and can tell you that point sparring does NOT prepare you for self defense and, if anything, teaches a lot of BAD habits that you’d need to overcome if you ever transition to a more realistic type of self defense or other combat training. Some types of competition do transfer to self defense skills, MMA for example although there are still certain things from MMA you probably shouldn’t do in a real fight. Ground & pound for example is NOT appropriate for the majority of self defense cases. I can’t say NEVER but in all likelihood, ground & pound will land you in jail for aggravated assault at the very least.

[@christianmanganelli6059]

I totally agree with you. Point karate helps develop accuracy and speed, but it also lends itself to bad habits.

[@alantinoalantonio]

Great video, Ilan. I think BJJ is fantastic but very few schools focus on self defense aspect. It's all a game of human chess match. That's fine and good but the martial aspect (in its totality) gets lost. It happens I guess. Ive seen some FMAs do the same unfortunately. Meanwhile, I prefer catch as catch can or sambo (Combat Sambo or Kudo is more of a priority) for subs. Anyhoo, thank you brother! Osu!

[@Raiden4019]

To build off of a point you touched on in passing during this video, another "saving grace" of BJJ I find is in it's adaptability and, to paraphrase Eli Knight, modifiability. Jiu Jitsu gives you both the permission and the template for learning and adding new techniques and variables into your grappling system in an open format. Most other closed sports and systems won't allow you to mix and match other stuff (i.e. no stick work at a boxing gym, no knees and kicks at a wrestling gym, what have you), but at most gyms that I've seen there is at least the opportunity to try this kind of stuff during the open mat. My gym is also fairly popular with our municipal police, so sometimes we have the cops come in with their vests and plastic training guns and we get to help them practice weapon retention. And as always, there's the option of training mixed martial arts principles and concepts, even if we're not TECHNICALLY an MMA gym, per se. I'm afraid of this aspect of the art being in danger as it becomes more focused on the game of jiu jitsu rather than the idea of jiu jitsu as a method of fighting other arts, but I encourage everyone to take advantage of it while you have it.

[@inside_fighting]

I think the openness and willing to play in bjj is an amazing aspect of the art that allowed it to grow tremendously

[@draperw86]

@@inside_fightingbjj rips off other systems and techniques and then says it’s still bjj and doesn’t even know how to execute the technique properly and goes on to injure other people in the name of the new technique. Bjj isn’t adapting anything at all if you want to learn other stuff go learn another style and challenge yourself in that environment

[@MrCmon113]

@@draperw86 That's nonsense and you'd get murdered by the average teen girl in bjj. A martial art is simply what people under that name do. BJJ is what happens in gyms with "BJJ" at the door. Muay Thai is what happens in gyms with "Muay Thai" at the door.

[@kw7796]

You are a humble guy..which shows greatness ( imho)

[@yaopaul1590]

Excellent commentary on grappling for self defense. The most educational chapter on grappling and self defense, this is a must watch!!

[@Liam1991]

I really enjoy watching these sorts of videos. I definitely agree that Judo is one of the top grappling styles. Although, Judo's heavy reliance on gi grips is a disadvantage for self defense. I will also say for people whose main goal is self defense, they should be training in a self defence system as their main martial art. Then do sport/traditional martial arts as supplement training

[@markdaniels4178]

Very well said!

[@kommisar.]

Can't stand these dumb arguments that judo is somehow better for self-defense just because they focus more on throws. Look how many judo matches involve a failed hip toss where the guy goes to his knees and turtles there until the ref returns them to the neutral position.

[@JohnnyGuitarRocks]

Thank you very much for this video. I've been training BJJ for the last year but have come to the realization that I am learning sport Jiu-Jitsu as opposed to Jiu-Jitsu for self-defense. I plan to change gyms and go to a certified Gracie Training Center to learn the Gracie Combatives which I believe will leave me better prepared to defend myself should I ever have to.

[@conradsutton1456]

Question. Where I live there is a Gracie school that offers a basic combative course. Would you recommend this as a basic addition to existing skill sets ( Boxing. Karate)?

[@JohnnyGuitarRocks]

@@conradsutton1456 if you go to the Gracie University website then you can find a list of their certified training centers by location. 😉👍

[@JohnnyGuitarRocks]

@@conradsutton1456 Yes, absolutely!

[@draperw86]

Gracie combatives is a bunch of crap !

[@marksanchez7323]

The "sport" guys would crush the self defense guys in a fight. It wouldn't even be close

[@Product_Of_Culture]

My original crew from The early 2000s kick me out because I was saying the exact same thing you are now. So many people got sold on the idea that BJJ was going to save them in a street fight.

[@akerumiyamoto]

It can work with one person in the street but multiple people it would be a problem.

[@richardgallagher4880]

​@akerumiyamoto You'll need to train to break grips and not get taken down, get up if you do. Like jitz!!

[@MrCmon113]

Any combat sport will save you in case you're attacked. I don't know what those mythical "street fights" are. If it's a competition, then you need to be able to grapple. If it's some drunk idiot attacking you, then it certainly doesn't hurt to be able to grapple.

[@MrCmon113]

@@akerumiyamoto The power fantasy of fighting multiple people is something those, who are too lazy to learn grappling, flee into. There's teen girls and old out of shape men, who would absolutely murder you if they were in a room with you and you're worrying about multiple people.

[@MrCmon113]

@@richardgallagher4880 In their fantasy world, they're fighting a crowd of people like Madara Uchiha. And that's why they don't need grappling.

[@johnmurray3834]

Well said. All seemed a bit obvious to me but good to see people admitting it now.

[@josuesolis1382]

I’m so happy I heard this ! Thank you

[@trondundermuff3564]

I love this guy already. Im glad i found his channel today.

[@VTdarkangel]

Very well stated. BJJ can be good for self-defense if you understand that you are building a skill set. That skill set can be applied more widely to self-defense IF you practice self-defense and not just beating other BJJ practitioners. However, the skill set still has to be realistic. Worm guard into a back take against a standing opponent who could stomp you to death isn't going to be very useful.

[@dorukgolcu9191]

I have a joke I occasionally bring out about the bit on injuries: aikido is one of the best self-defense arts out there, because statistically which is more likely for the average person? Needing to win a street fight or take a break fall when you slip or trip? 🤪

[@JustTrain3.6.9]

I remember asking a team mate - would you like to practice some Bjj for self defence - his reply was I’m not really a self defence guy - as if it was optional

[@restoredaccess]

You earned yourself a subscriber sir. I got really into the reality based self defence scene in the mid 90s after parking lot fist fights and other goonery. Seeing guys like yourself who would have been kids or not even born in those early days develop into fighting machines that would destroy me not just now, but any version of me, is awesome.

[@Tamales21]

Been saying this for a while. I love BJJ and it's great for so many things but just not self defense.

[@inside_fighting]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@stmartinhk]

The basic problem is that no one has approached the subject like an engineering problem. To solve a complex problem - and self defense (SD) is a very complex social problem - the first thing us to define the problem. But have you ever met a guru who can plainly describe for you the basic attributes of an SD situation or fight? Have you ever met a guru who designed his approach and teaching around the abundant video evidence that we now have of what REALLY happens in SD situations and SD fights? No.

[@MrCmon113]

Take a competitor, whose game is maximally removed from applicability to fighting in general. My money is on that person over any "self defense" specialist or seminar holder. When it comes to military tactics, war games are king. When it comes to fighting, competitons are king.

[@MrCmon113]

@@stmartinhk Amen. In my opinion most people, who get roped into "self defense" really want to learn fighting. What is self defense even? It seems to me that if you're actually worried about your personal security, you'd make an individualized threat model and then respond to the specific threats you're facing.

[@blankbandits]

Excellent analysis and commentary. I'm a purple belt, and I'm beginning to dislike bjj the more I train because 80% of the techniques are simply to beat other jiu-jitsu within a sports environment, which is not why I signed up nor am I interested in that kind of stuff (e.g., worm guard, spider guard, etc.). I don't want to ruin my body training things not applicable to a real fight. I've stopped pulling guard, and I focus a lot more on judo and takedowns. I don't focus on inverting, deep half, or anything else that would lead to me being elbowed in the face.

[@marksanchez7323]

How many street fights have you been involved in since you started training?

[@FernandoPetryBASS]

Bjj works against someone who knows nothing about fighting...and probably any art does, except for Aikido = )

[@ConspiracyTheoris7]

Greatest educational video on bjj I even seen !

[@georgevancil7032]

Recently came across your channel. Love it Brother. Excellent message and spot on. Recently there's been a lot of garbage on social media about what a Jiu Jitsu/BJJ "McDojo" looks like. Common theme, if the instructor and/or majority of students don't compete then it's a McDojo. You crushed that argument. Thx for the work.

[@smiley19881999]

Man whilst I agree with your points in the video, I think it’s a totally clickbait/misleading title to umbrella BJJ in its totality as useless for self defence… just look at the ruotolo brothers the way they use the full repertoire of what BJJ is (judo+wrestling+submissions)….iv e competed in boxing and BJJ and in a hypothetical one on one self defence scenario, I would always feel more confident in using just BJJ instead of just boxing if I needed to. If sport BJJ was brought back to its roots and emphasised less sport specific then I think there would be a lot less criticism…

[@corybrown416]

100%

[@RollinBoy]

I've always felt the more adaptable you are on 'Tha Streetz' the better your chances of survival. You need to be a 'jack of all trades' because you never know what's gonna happen. Some may say you might be spreading your fight skills to thin, however, if you train these disciplines for years, you will be quite formidable. If I was to create the ULTIMATE street self defense Human, he would be a Wrestler with good Boxing, with some Kali/BJJ/Muay Thai/Street tactics thrown in, that person would be terrifying.

[@inside_fighting]

I think being able to deal with multiple variables is the best way to survive as you said that’s what a self defense situation actually is

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

Lol that's me, but I think that practical method chen style tai chi is the best real self defense style I have ever seen. I know I know, tai chi.....but this stuff works. I remember first encountering Chen style I was wrestler for 8 years, did Muay Thai and boxing, some kali and silat, and had been in a lot of fights as a young guy and hadn't lost a single one. Then when encountering a real internal martial artist I was rag dolled and had no idea wtf was going. If you haven't experienced it, it is not possible to understand how devastating it is.

[@jimmy-iw3sb]

phuq bjj

[@thunderkatz4219]

I was thinking about doing bjj but ima keep doing jjj and transition to judo

[@raymondaloni2309]

Lol JJJ is useless

[@raymondaloni2309]

Hear me about . I train BJJ. When in class I put a heavy emphasis on staying on top and working takedowns. My strategy from bottom is usually to get to my feet or getting on top. It allll depends on how you choose to make your style. I never pull guard and I try and get good at passing the guard so that I can at least get to a dominant position when someone does pull guard on me. I could go wrestle or do Judo where we'll do very little ground work but what's the point when I can go to a BJJ school and learn all aspects of grappling.

[@inside_fighting]

@@raymondaloni2309i don’t disagree but the encounters you have and training do not represent real fighting. Even if you play top position you are spending a ton of time passing the guard etc which is a world in itself and one you will never encounter in the street.

[@raymondaloni2309]

@@inside_fighting Not true. There are guard passes that have been used in the cage and are effective even in a ground and pound situation.

[@raymondaloni2309]

@@inside_fighting אבל שלום אח שלי. רק אהבה.

[@SLC41071]

You know you have a way of pointing out something that was there all the time. I was a western style boxer for my teens all the way into my late 20s. People would ask me about BJJ and I would say I think it’s unbeatable against 1 other guy. In a street fight as soon as you take the guy down and get mount you’re gonna get kicked in the back of the head or face and it’s over. Of course I’m biased about boxing but we’re all biased about something. What a great video man. Truly enjoyed it. And that is the best intro song in history

[@timothymarshall2365]

I have watched your stuff, over the years, but this video made me subscribe. With that, thank you.

[@mattjack3983]

Judo blackbelt here. Im so glad that you made this video. You are 100% correct! Ive been saying this for many years now. At least 10 years. Im 44, will be 45 next year, and am a dedicated lifelong martial artist, and been training since i was about 6 years old. So damn 40 years. Judo (blackbelt), Kyokushin Karate (blackbelt), Wrestling (gradeschool & highschoo) Muay Thai, FMA/Eskrima. And the last 4 years my focus has been almost entirely on HEMA - Longsword & Military Saber Fencing & Buhurt. (Because im a nerd who likes swords and medieval sword fighting - with and without steel armor) But you are 100% correct about the "superpower" that BJJ and submissions grappling once was. It truly was like having a superpower if you knew just a little but of BJJ. Just a few basic positions and techniques, and you could easily dominate guys with years and years of experience in other things like boxing and kickboxing and traditional martial arts if you could get close with them and tie up or clinch. Then it almost became too easy once you had them down. Like literally fighting a child. It didn't matter how good of a fighter they were. Once you got hands in them and tied up, they were done for. My first MMA fight was in 1999. LOL It wasnt even called "MMA" back then, although the term did exist, but was used in a much different, more literal context, than its used now. Instead of it being a name of sport, it was used to describe someone who had a "mixed" martial arts background..meaning he had training in more than one style of fighting. A literal "mixed" marrial artist. The term that was most used to describe the sport was No-Holds-Barred fighting. Or sometimes people would call it Shootfighting. I was 19, and at that time i had blackbelts in both Judo & Kyokushin Karate, and had a fair amount of competition experience in both. I also had alot of wrestling experience since i wrestled all thru gradeschool and highschool. I had been training at a kickboxing gym, and there was a guy there who was a BJJ blackbelt who taught submissions. BJJ was still relatively unknown, but those of us who had alot of Judo experience were already fairly familiar with many of the submissions. Where i trained Judo at, we spent aloy more time on Ne Waza (ground fighting/rolling) and Shime Waza (chokes) and Kansetsu Waza (joint locks). The actual style of Judo i trained was Kosen Judo, which places equal or greater emphasis on the ground fighting aspect. Whereas traditional Kodokan Judo places more emphasis on the throws and takedown aspect of the sport. Kosen Judo is much more similar to BJJ. I had been training almost 8 months at this particular gym, at this point, so aside from grappling, which i was already pretty well versed in, i had about 8 months Muay Thai training in. So anyway, it was 1999, it was my very first "MMA" fight, and it was at pur county's local fairgrounds. The only rules: No biting..No fishing..No eye gouging..no groin attacks. That was it. It was one 10 minute round. No gloves, no taped hands, or any other protective gear, except mouthpiece and cup. I remember i wore a pair of basketball short and Chucks. My opponent was a bouncer at a bar, who wore a grey T-shirt and black sweatpants, and some kind of slip on shoes. If i remember correctly he had a balckbelt in Aikido and some boxing training, and experience in Tuff Man boxing experience. Although they announced him as a "Pit Fighter". LOL im dead ass serious, they announced in as a "Pit Fighter". It was maybe 5 minutes before we got in the ring (it was a standard boxing ring) that learned he was an Aikido blackbelt and Tuff Man competitor. I was 6'3" 200lbs, and he was about 6'3" as well, and about 260 or maybe even 275 lbs. The fight lasted maybe 90 seconds. We quickly closed into a clinch, and immediately hit a very basic Tsuri Goshi hip throw onto his back. Went straight to the mount, and just held him there while bucked and kicked up his legs and hips, trying his best to throw me off. I was calm and just rode it out for about 60 seconds, making sure to secuce a good solid and stable mount, high up on his chest. I let him blow thru his energy and gas himself out trying to buck me off and try to throw very ineffective, awkaward, and ultimately useless punches at me from the bottom under my mount. Then i started dropping elbows on him. After about the 3rd good one landed, and began to try to roll over the protect his face. His lifted myself off his chest on my knees, giving him just enough space to roll to his stomach, then got my leg hooks in, and kept dropping the ground and pound on his head for a bit before pulling his head all the way back with his hair, completely exposing his neck & throat with his chin high in the air, and then slipped the rear naked choke in and choked him out. He refused to tap, and i swueezed harder, he went limp, and that was it. He was asleep, and i had won. Things were so much different back then. But knowing how to grapple really truly was kike a super power back then. Hardly anyone, unless you were fighting an actual wrestler, really knew anything at all about it, or had any idea of what to do on the ground. Most of the guys i fought between '99 and 2002 (i fought a total of 7 times, only lost once) when i enlisted in the Army, were just like him. Just local tough guy streetfighters..bouncer types..who had very little if any actual training in how to actually fight. Things were alot different then.

[@wooptiedoo3538]

Cool story bro.

[@derekketcher9154]

Every guy is a nerd when it comes to wanting to learn sword fighting haha

[@carabinapacifista5627]

That's really cool. It's funny to see how "informal" MMA was back then

[@usmcdevildog6935]

My accountant said he's a j€₩-jitsu black belt. I asked, "What does that even mean?" He said I'll never fight, I'll hire someone who is good at fighting and take credit for the victory. 😅

[@LetitGolazziter-uk9xi]

I think learning how to prevent take downs are more important than learning Jujitsu for self defense.

[@GtFqt]

Absolutely, going to the ground in a real fight is a potential death sentence.

[@iHateGenZweebs]

But if you do get taken down, what are you going to do?

[@GtFqt]

@@iHateGenZweebs I’m not saying you shouldn’t be practicing escapes, I’m just saying you shouldn’t be counting on winning on the ground in real life.

[@OldJudoGuy]

Great points. It’s something I speak regularly about with my training partner. At 54, I’ve had a lot of exposure to older mentalities of training and fighting. I purposely stayed away from sport jiu-jitsu, and focused on self-defense curriculum from a well-known Brazilian family. But it’s by no means the only thing I would depend on or have depended on. A legitimate life threatening episode may require aspects of “defense” not considered in a martial art.

[@nzxtMonster]

Great analysis, thank you! The gym i attended i quite liked because they emphasized the takedowns and the wrestling. One of the owners used to say all the time, "i know you guys want to use your bjj and learn new techniques, but how do you get to the place where you can use them functionally? Take downs and wrestling!" Also, while you put words to it that i could not, i always got a weird feeling when people i knew would watch high level bjj and be bored or think it was stupid. Id always try and explain, "well thats bjj against someone who knows it. If you went in and rolled with them, youd see none of that. Theyd style on you with really basic stuff bec you dont understand whats happening and itd be easy for them." But your point about the bjj meta rising out of bjj becoming inwardly focused is brilliant. Lastly, i always disliked when instructors would pick some fancy, gi related guard. It seemed like they felt almost forced to teach fancier things. As if they didnt want their students to get bored trying to develop a really solid mount or side control, for ex. Thanks again.

[@BillyTheKidsGhost]

Well... how often do you need to self defense someone... I can usually talk my way out of a confrontation.. Judo is King and only a sport but thats all I need.

[@inside_fighting]

I’ve unfortunately been in more than one confrontation in my life so it happens. I guess it depends on the person.

[@marky5493]

if someone is intent on causing sh%t with you or your bird for that matter ,no amount of sweet talking is going to solve your problem, sure talking is a good start and i wouldn't rely on it

[@flobro5000]

Bjj was cutting edge in the year 1993. Now your in the age of wrestlers killing everyone. If you cannot get a takedown and you have pillow hands your doomed.

[@MrCmon113]

That's wrong. When strikers get into mma, they invariably have to pick up bjj (unless their place has something equivalent like luta livre, catch or sambo). Wrestling alone doesn't cut it, if you only wrestled, you're gonna end up getting guillotined or your back taken all the time. Wrestlers, too, have to learn submission grappling.

[@Urmomma5f4t]

@@MrCmon113I would always put my money on a wrestler outside of a mat. The wrestler is typically better conditioneed more athletic stronger more aggressive better base and now can actually take down the Bjj guy while also throwing strikes. You’re not invincible in the guard and after a takedown lots of people have already partially passed the guard. If the guard was so unbeatable why are we seeing Vegas guys beat Bjj guys ? BJJ is a lot less effective when you can strike . MMA fighters often don’t even bother “passing guard”

[@moneymike7982]

100%. Always thought this about BJJ. Good to hear someone with knowledge explain it.