In my article Self Defense and Jiu Jitsu 2.0, I discussed some of the misconceptions that exist about applying Jiu Jitsu to self defense and the ridiculous old-school martial artist philosophy of “my art is better than your art”. Not only is this an arrogant philosophy, but when you truly look into a complete fighting system or art and its specific evolution, it becomes clear that all fighting arts have adapted to the knowledge gained over the years and influence of other styles, systems, and arts. Very few pure systems exist today devoid of any outside influence, and those that do are typically not considered as the best combat systems available for real world defense, but more as areas of specific study that someone can spend a lifetime mastering because they enjoy it.
Yet, the blending of the arts is not, as commonly believed, primarily or purely a recent phenomenon. At this point, most who follow martial arts know that Bruce Lee’s philosophy of Jeet Kune Do was exactly that, and even the UFC’s Dana White has referred to him as the “godfather” of MMA. For many, the belief remains that it was cross-discipline prize fighting that furthered the blended art philosophy into a training way of life. We now consider the sport MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) as the lesson learned from these challenges of more complete fighting contests.
Do Not Pass Go! The Monopoly of Combat
Whether your own knowledge of this is the most recent US explosion that followed from the Gracie introduction of BJJ to the masses (UFC I – 1993), or a deeper understanding of the global impact that challenges such as catch-as-catch-can wrestling & Japanese professional wrestling (late 1800’s), Vale Tudo (1920’s), Shooto (1986) played in building more complete fighting systems, it is clear that no-holds-barred challenges (even in their controversy and various rule sets) opened the eyes of many. For others it may seem to be an evolution from events that had more stringent rule sets, but also allowed for different arts to influence each other (such as the Muay Thai vs American Kickboxing vs Dutch Kickboxing battles in the 1980’s), or the wrestler versus boxer contests of the late 19th century. All certainly played a part.
Going back much further we can find ancient systems that knew this all to well from the battlefield where they defended villages, people, and countries. The truth is that so long as a fighting style ends up fighting someone from another discipline, village, country, army, occupation, or government, it is going to adapt and take in outside influence. This fact was accentuated in true combat battles, the evolution and introduction of a wide variety of weaponry, and the adaptation to new terrain and environments (what works in an open field may not work in a jungle or mountainside). Look into the centuries of history of Japanese, Filipino, Chinese, Indian, and Burmese martial arts (to name a few) and the much longer understanding of blended martial arts becomes clear. I often reflect on the Burmese and Myanmar based art of Thaing Bando and its motto that dates much further back than Bruce Lee or MMA: “As no one Nation has a monopoly of Sunlight, no one System of thought can claim a monopoly of Truth…”
Options Instead of Consequences
Getting back on point, I would like to revisit techniques that work in real-world situations. In my article Self Defense Situations That Call for Restraint we touched on how different situations may call for different levels of restraint as a response. Proper self defense should be so thoroughly practiced that it allows for control of the situation at least as an equal option to completely destroying an attacker. Please take a look back at that article for some very real-world reasons why. If it is you or them, by all means, choose self preservation, but in many situations proper technique may preserve everyone involved, right and wrong-doers alike. We simply do not live in a society where the slightest aggression will justify the destruction of another’s quality of life, family, or existence. A true self defense expert can recognize these levels and employs the appropriate response to the situation.
This is one of the areas that fundamental Jiu Jitsu training lends itself well to. While many survival arts focus on the complete destruction of an attacker, Jiu Jitsu (or combining your overall fight studies with any solid grappling art) can often allow for the option to restrain or destroy. In the January 6th technique article we looked at a fundamental submission, the arm drag setup, and the application to real world self defense. In December’s article we also discussed the ongoing argument of real world fights going to the ground. Here are a couple different views on the topic:
You can probably guess my stance is most closely related to the third blog above. Written by a BJJ black belt there is an excellent example of how a well-trained martial artist can handle a real world situation, its uncertainties, and adapt with changes to the situation. Furthermore, it points out the other aspect of basic grappling fundamentals that become enormously effective in real world situations—takedown defense! As I like to point out, the expected is not what happens on the street. If you are showing a decent front in stand up, it is quite possible that out of either fight IQ or desperation, your opponent may try to change levels. Utilizing wrestling, grappling, and BJJ in reverse (think Jose Aldo, or Chuck Liddell) can be equally important to maintain control in a self defense situation, and for the purpose of not going to the ground (or at least not yet).
Today’s technique video will discuss the sprawl and is a great grappling fundamental that can be utilized to maintain safety and control of a situation, while offering multiple options for continued necessary follow up (restraint, striking, submission, assessment of surroundings or potential for multiple attackers). It is led by BJJ legend Renato Migliaccio.
Image credit: http://www.jevarics.com/2013_10_01_archive.html?m=1
Image credit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprawl_(grappling)
The post Grappling for Self Defense – Utilizing the Sprawl and Reverse Wrestling appeared first on Science Of Skill.