Self Defense in BJJ

[Makalakumu]

What is the balance struck between the competitive BJJ and BJJ done for self defense? Do most studios train both or one or the other? How do the two differ or do they compliment each other?

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

What is the balance struck between the competitive BJJ and BJJ done for self defense? Do most studios train both or one or the other? How do the two differ or do they compliment each other?

My experience with recent training halls that I have visited is that they are not teaching as much as they used to. Still most good training halls will have it within what they teach just expect it to equate to somewhere around maybe 5% of the training time which is different to probably 15% to 20% back in the day. Competition BJJ is driving the current wave.

 

[arnisador]

I concur. Expect to be spending a lot of time on competition-style practice. This is helpful for self-defense, but a lot of the self-defense training is "you could do this..." more than practice. Of course, practicing much self-defense essentially makes it MMA rather than true BJJ, to my mind.

I'd still recommend BJJ as an essential component of your self-defense training, but don't expect to learn knife defenses, say.

 

[Ybot]

Many from my school had just competed in the BJJ World Championships, and in the months leading up we trained hard core sports BJJ. In the last week, now we have returned, my instructor has been working on self defense applications, sort of as a change of pace.

I would say we don't do self defense that often, but the truth is that once you are at a solid blue belt level you should know all the jiu-jitsu you should have to know for self defense. BJJ self defense is really just the basics. Bridge and roll from mount and hip escapes. Catching basic triangles and armbars on an opponent attacking you in guard. How to cover up and clinch with a striking opponent. Basic take downs from the clinch. Escapes from headlocks and guillotines. How to create distance and stand up if you are on the ground being attacked by a standing opponent. Etc.

The thing is all of these same techniques are practiced and drilled regularly in sports BJJ practice as well. It's just a matter of seeing how they are applied in a street situation.

 

[joemoplata]

Many from my school had just competed in the BJJ World Championships, and in the months leading up we trained hard core sports BJJ. In the last week, now we have returned, my instructor has been working on self defense applications, sort of as a change of pace.

I would say we don't do self defense that often, but the truth is that once you are at a solid blue belt level you should know all the jiu-jitsu you should have to know for self defense. BJJ self defense is really just the basics. Bridge and roll from mount and hip escapes. Catching basic triangles and armbars on an opponent attacking you in guard. How to cover up and clinch with a striking opponent. Basic take downs from the clinch. Escapes from headlocks and guillotines. How to create distance and stand up if you are on the ground being attacked by a standing opponent. Etc.

The thing is all of these same techniques are practiced and drilled regularly in sports BJJ practice as well. It's just a matter of seeing how they are applied in a street situation.

I agree, I haven't met a lot of BJJ guys past blue belt that have had any problems when put in a situation where they had to defend themselves.

Self defense application is important to discuss, but the real advantage BJJ offers in the way of self defense is that you are going to get a chance to practice every class against a resisting opponent. This aspect is why wrestling, BJJ, boxing, muay thai and other competition minded combat sports tend to provide better self defense application than a kata based system. It's that chance to hone your technique AND STRATEGY that make you react better when needed.

IMO at least.

 

[Bodhisattva]

What is the balance struck between the competitive BJJ and BJJ done for self defense? Do most studios train both or one or the other? How do the two differ or do they compliment each other?

They aren't entirely different. The skills learned in "competition" bjj are the underlying structure necessary to execute the slight modifications that make it "self defense."

For instance - if I can hand fight in the clinch, I don't need to train a "defense against a one handed grab"

I've got dozens, at that point.

So most of what we call "self defense" needn't exist in MMA. If you have the underlying structure tuned in then the slight modifications is a simple adjustment to your already existing game.

 

[eggg1994]

in my bjj class we would only practice self defence once a month only the rest of it is just ground work. but sometime's we practice throw's and self defence im an orange belt in bjj by the way and i have a year of expirence in bjj. i have learned alot in a year.