# Thoughts on BJJ So far



## Headhunter (Aug 19, 2017)

So I've been training for 4 months and gained 1 stripe so thought I'd share opinions on it. Now this is not looking to hate as I love the style and am 100% still carrying on training.

I think it's a lot of fun and you have to be good at it to progress and I like how you can't really fluke the technique or fake your way through in some styles. But I'll also say if I was looking for self defence I wouldn't want it as my only style I do believe for self defence you need to work on strikes and strike defence. Obviously bjj is better than nothing for self defence but I do believe just bjj on it's own isnt as effective as it could be. As the old saying goes. Punch a black belt he becomes a brown belt, punch a brown belt he becomes a purple belt etc.

Even my instructor today said. In a real situation don't just use Jiu Jitsu if your on top throw punches hard and fast and never put yourself on bottom position.

But saying that I'm loving the style and loving learning and to me that's all that matters. I mean I'm old I go to bed at 10 and I've never been in a street fight in my life I doubt I will anytime soon


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## Tony Dismukes (Aug 19, 2017)

In my opinion, BJJ training should include strikes and strike defense. If you don't have that, you're just training BJJ the sport, not BJJ the martial art. 

Nothing wrong with the sport - I'm a fan - but I hate to see the actual martial art falling by the wayside.


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## Kung Fu Wang (Aug 19, 2017)

Your training should follow the following order.

footwork -> kicking -> striking -> clinching -> throwing -> ground game (and follow on striking)

You don't want to end up as someone like this.


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## Charlemagne (Aug 20, 2017)

Tony Dismukes said:


> In my opinion, BJJ training should include strikes and strike defense. If you don't have that, you're just training BJJ the sport, not BJJ the martial art.
> 
> Nothing wrong with the sport - I'm a fan - but I hate to see the actual martial art falling by the wayside.



Exactly. 

My instructor gets accused of teaching MMA at times rather than Jiu-Jitsu, but the reality is that he is simply teaching Jiu-Jitsu as it existed prior to the sport gaining popularity.  We do standing strikes (limited, but they are there), standing strike defense, strikes on the ground, and defense against strikes on the ground (particularly controlling them and managing the distance).

In addition, the self-defense mindset and tactical understanding is important.  In the old days, everyone who was teaching GJJ had been in actual fights, and they knew that desiring to pull guard in a real fight was an invitation to getting your face pounded in.  Guard is important, as you can easily end up on the bottom unintentionally, but the place to be if you end up on the ground in a real fight is on top.  Today, the overwhelming majority of people teaching Jiu-Jitsu are those who have only used it in a grappling only situation.  Totally different lens to view the art through.


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## Gerry Seymour (Aug 20, 2017)

Kung Fu Wang said:


> Your training should follow the following order.
> 
> footwork -> kicking -> striking -> clinching -> throwing -> ground game (and follow on striking)
> 
> You don't want to end up as someone like this.


That depends what you're training for, and the approach to training. Many styles do not separate footwork out, and I don't train kicking early.


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