grappling is mandatory to a serious fighter. BJJ just happens to be a very efficient and economical form of grappling. BJJ, along with shooto, are some of the best grappling and submission arts out there that don't rely on a shitload of really foul tactics (esoteric arts like dumog, and some filipino arts).
But having just a BJJ background, especially gi-only training, is limited in its scope. It's better to train in a plethora of arts that focus on different ranges of combat to become an overall better fighter.
Then there are the anomolies, great artists who only come once in a great while who can dessimate their opponents with just a few strikes. But even Ali got beat by...I think it was Inoki...
Bruce Lee and Mas Oyama probably never had the chance to fight master submission artists...but both of them were progressive enough in their thinking that I assure you they would cross train an art like BJJ.
If only Oyama, Bruce, and Helio had hooked up... (and maybe some of the hardest guys in all of MA, the FMA grandmasters)
An Art is a toolbox...and sometimes the tools you have can't fix a problem...so it's best to expand your set...right?!
Alot of it does also, as you implied, rely on the individual...but these days...the caliber of fighter is a whole different gauge....you need something to use as an equalizer, and the ability to apply it under pressure, and most importantly, to adapt to whatever is in front of you.
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homo homini lupus
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