Why is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu so effective?
a) It works.
BJJ has proven highly effective in 1-on-1 competitions with remarkable results against other martial arts. BJJ is based on the simple notion that 90% of all confrontations end up on the ground. Yet, most people do not have any experience defending themselves on the ground. BJJ focuses most of its efforts on the ground with positions and techniques that force an adversary to quit. If you use the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) as a proxy for a no-rules situation, you will see that BJJ, Muay Thai, and Wrestling are at the top of the food chain.
b) It is based in reality.
90% of martial arts are based in myth. BJJ is based on reality. It developed (and continues to develop) from street fights and no-rules competitions in Brazil. It is undoubtedly one of the most reality-based, battle-tested martial arts in the world. In order for a technique to be even considered in BJJ, it must work against a live, resisting opponent at full power. 90% of martial arts are never practiced against a live, resisting opponent at full power. In a nutshell, BJJ works in real life.
c) It is constantly evolving.
BJJ is one of the few arts that constantly invents new techniques. BJJ today has many more techniques than it did 10 years ago. BJJ takes a Darwinian approach to its techniques. It throws away moves that do not work and constantly reinvents itself with new moves. Traditional martial arts do not evolve. Unfortunately, in traditional martial arts, the same moves that were taught centuries ago are still taught today.
d) It is practiced as it is performed.
At Evolve Mixed Martial Arts, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu techniques are taught in class exactly how they are performed in real life situations. In other words, they are practiced exactly as they are to be performed in a self-defense situation. 90% of martial arts are practiced very differently. If you go to a traditional martial arts studio, you will see students punching and kicking the air. If you go to a BJJ school, you will see students practicing moves with live opponents. As the saying goes, practice makes perfect. If you practice against live opponents, you will get good at using techniques with live opponents. If you practice in the air, you will get good at punching and kicking the air. It is quite telling that professional MMA fighters (who risk their lives every day in no-rules competitions) prefer to use BJJ, Muay Thai, and Wrestling as their main self-defense arts. In fact, all of the greatest UFC Champions come from BJJ and Muay Thai backgrounds. Why don't they use other arts? Because BJJ, Muay Thai, and Wrestling have proven to be the most effective in real situations.
WEAKNESSES
If BJJ is such an effective martial art, why doesn't every martial artist just practice Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu only? Isn't it enough? The reason is because there are some weaknesses to BJJ.
Here are the main weaknesses of BJJ:
a) BJJ only works in 1-on-1 situations.
If you are in a crowded nightclub, it would be very dangerous to engage in a fight on the ground. You could end up getting kicked and stepped on by your adversary's friends. BJJ is not designed for confrontations of 2 or more people.
b) You can be vulnerable to other attacks.
If you are rolling on the ground with your adversary, you are very vulnerable to a knife attack. It is not always wise to engage so closely with a stranger if you do not know what weapons they have on them. If you are on the ground, you will be unable to see what else is going on around you.
c) You need to know how to defend against strikes.
Without any knowledge of strikes, there is a higher likelihood of getting knocked senseless. As the legendary BJJ stylist Renzo Gracie says, "If you hit a BJJ Black belt once in the face, he becomes a Brown Belt. If you hit him twice, he becomes a Purple belt. If you hit him enough times, he becomes a white belt." While Renzo uses BJJ as his main art, he is well versed in Muay Thai, Wrestling, and Boxing. Renzo is the first Gracie to EVOLVE into a complete fighter. The best way to defend against strikes is to learn a striking art such as Muay Thai.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, BJJ is one of the most effective martial arts in the world. That being said, it is very important to EVOLVE and to learn other arts to become a well rounded martial artist. Whether it is for self-defense, fitness, fun, or competition, you will gain tremendous benefits by cross-training across Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and Wrestling.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts offers the most effective martial arts in the world such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, and MMA.
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts. Achieve Greatness Within.
