I got tackled from behind a while back, I had been training BJJ for about 3 months at the time. I won't go into details WHY I got tackled, but the gist of the action was, I was knocked to the ground, the guy was trying to grab ahold of me from behind and hit me - because of my (very little) training in BJJ I was able to get him off my back, roll him onto his back, secure him from hitting me more or doing any other damage to me, and then get up safely - this was on asphalt.
I got a roughed up knee (akin to rugburn), my hand got scraped a bit, but that's it.
I can say I'm glad of my BJJ training, I feel more confident that if something does happen and I do go to the ground, I'll have a much better chance of getting up without damage than if I had no training in it at all.
The arguments about multiple attackers, glass on the ground, etc all mean you are in even MORE trouble if you don't know what to do on the ground. Avoid it like the plague, but if you do go down, hope you know what you're doing so you can minimize the damage to your body and maximize your escape, that's my opinion about BJJ and the "street".
I totally agree. Guys who say that grappling is useless, say it either because of ignorance, or because their ego does not allow them to go to train it and be a beginner again
I assume based on your past posts that you mean it's not practicle for the street.
While BJJ on the mat is indeed a chess match, it's a very realistic type of sparring. You use your full force and go with "all you got". You learn how to move on the ground, how another person resists you, etc... this all DIRECTLY applies to the street.
If you end up on the ground, in the street, with a bjj practitioner - you'll be the one ruined by the asphalt, glass, etc ... not him. He'll know how to maneuver you into the danger, and himself out. If you have not participated in BJJ or "rolled" with a high level BJJ guy, then you have no idea what you're talking about. These guys can put you inside out on the ground in mere seconds. Simply regurgitating "It's a chess match" does not present a logical argument against these points. Would you like to form one based on your experiences?
*Note: While I am an advocet of training for the ground, I much prefer to stay on my feet in a street fight if at all possible. Even Bruce Lee admitted he'd be defeated on the ground, but then quickly added "But there isn't anyone who is going to take me to the ground!" - I train with the mentality that I will not be taken to the ground, but also train FOR the ground in case that does happen.
Look, I'm not debating the usefulness of ground training. BJJ structurally takes a while. I've spoken to those that have been in there for a good while noting that BJJ is mainly for sport, and a smaller person. I train BJJ right now and from what I've gathered, it's a good sporting art, good training in terms of experience and conditioning, but from a structural standpoint it's pretty impractical. From a structural standpoint, I'd find the most direct and efficient way of getting back to my feet (i.e. just escapiing the mount [not going into the guard < there's no such thing as a guard in the street>]) or training takedown defense, or even better, training a good lead punch that will whack the shooter senseless. IT's not a matter of grappling being useful or not but I'm talking from a structural standpoint as to what grappling is more practical, direct, efficient for the street.
It all depends on who you are fighting against. If youre fighting a good guy, escaping the mount is not that easy. And he has a good chance to finish you from there. I would prefer sweeps from the guard(butterfly guard)
