Every day I get more cynical and disillusioned by BJJ
I love BJJ. I am a white belt who’s been training for a year and a half and one of my most recurring thoughts is “I wish I started sooner”. This isn’t an attack piece on BJJ. It’s got to do with how it’s marketed by the fanboys. Or, at the very least, it has to do with how I perceived it before I got to know more about it. And it seems to me that others share or, at some point, shared my views.
Maybe I watched too many kung fu movies when I was younger, but I somehow got it stuck in my head that if I learnt BJJ I would gain access to this mystical system that would make me invincible, or at least un-defeatable. I literally thought I could handle myself against anyone. I know… You’ve got MMA and Sambo practitioners, Judo Olympians… Maybe they would dominate me. But everyone else? Piece of cake.
I honestly don’t know how I could have been so stupid. I admit, I am a bit of a fantasist, with limited martial arts experience, but still. But I’ve heard similar things from others online. I think this notion comes from people like Joe Rogan getting misinterpreted. People are often heard recommending BJJ for self-defence. We can argue as to whether that’s your best choice all day, but couple that with a biased view of the sport and you’ve got a recipe for misinformation.
One of the most cited pro-BJJ examples is UFC 1. Royce Gracie with his BJJ beating wrestling superstar Ken Shamrock. People to this day still say “BJJ beats wrestling”. Sure, in the early 90s, but I seriously doubt that’s the case now. If you have someone who is a 100% wrestling guy, he will more than likely lose to a 100% BJJ guy even today. But. They would have to be of equivalent skill and athleticism.
In case you’re anything like I used to be, you need to hear this. If you are a BJJ blue belt and your opponent is a high-level wrestler, he will mess you up. It wouldn’t even be fair. The fact is that it’s impossible for a wrestler not be aware of any of the BJJ tricks nowadays. It’s all over the TV and the internet. And if your opponent is an MMA, Sambo or Catch Wrestling guy, run.
I know what you’re thinking. Danaher Death Squad, B Team Jiu Jitsu. Those guys are pure BJJ and so are their coaches, right? Not even close. BJJ may form the foundation of their knowledge and training but the current grappling superstars train a wide range of skills borrowed from a variety of sports. Wrestling and Judo techniques for pins and takedowns, Catch Wrestling techniques for big-guy explosive grappling, and so many more. ADCC calls itself a submission grappling organisation. And that’s what it all is. Grappling. If you took a Judo guy and gave him a BJJ ruleset, he’d eventually fight like a BJJ guy. And if you gave a wrestler a Sambo ruleset, he’d eventually fight like a Sambo guy. We’re all doing versions of the same thing.
So what’s the best martial art for self-defense? Frankly, the answer will be somewhat different for everyone. For me, self-defense means that if I am attacked, or about to be, I find a way to run away and go back home to my family. Some people think differently, and it depends on where you live and what your circumstances are. But here is how I see the alternative to my approach. Someone punches me, and I punch back. I break their nose or they stagger backwards and hit their head. I don’t want to go to jail or pay medical compensation for hurting someone, I want to be safe. For that reason, the best martial art for self-defence, for me personally, is BJJ (in case someone grabs me or I find myself on the ground and need to stand up and run) with just enough MMA for me to know how to manage the distance and stay out of range of punches and kicks.
There’s one more aspect of BJJ I will address. The idea that ‘technique beats all’. BJJ is the art where the small guy learns how to beat the big guy. Strength isn’t everything. You can counter athleticism with skill. All that is true to an extent. I weigh over 25kg more than Mikey Musumeci but there’s absolutely no doubt that he could kill me in less than 25 seconds. But there’s a lot of grey zone here. Look at it this way. Sometimes the discrepancy in strength and/or weight is so extreme that it doesn’t matter how skillful the smaller person is. Even John Danaher doesn’t give Gordon Ryan a sliver of hope against a gorilla.
According to Helio Gracie, a BJJ blue belt is someone who can beat a larger, untrained, individual. And that makes all the difference. Combat sports have weight divisions for the safety of the athletes. What would happen, in general, if you put the winningest flyweights against the most average heavyweights? There would be some surprises, for sure, but in general? It would be inhumane.
I say all this, mostly to myself, because I got into BJJ with the mindset of using technique over strength, and I’ve mostly adhered to that point of view until now. But I’m beginning to change my mind somewhat after struggling with newcomers who weigh 30kg more than me. I’m a busy parent and I only make the time to train BJJ once or twice a week. I’ll never be like those wiry purple belts at my club who can beat everyone. The solution? Change my workout plan and bulk up. Sad as it makes me feel, it will make me better (I’ll win more and lose less) especially if I continue to place the emphasis of my game on technique, as one should. But I can’t help thinking, I would feel a hell of a lot safer if I was as big as Shaq.
