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Ravenman · 10-27-2000, 08:33 AM

What the heck....

First of all, wrestling and judo are not ground-fighting systems. They involve ground grappling, but primarily the are all about two things: Being able to take or throw an opponent to the ground, and more importantly for self-defense situations, to AVOID HAVING OTHERS take or throw you to the ground.

Alright, suppose three guys attack you. What do they want to do? Usually it's throw you on the ground so they can kick and stomp you. There are very few striking styles that will train you to AVOID going to the ground, arguably the most important skill to have in a street situation. But wrestling and judo will prepare you for that. Against one attacker, he'll have a very difficult time taking you down, and more than likely you'll be able to throw him down while you remain standing, free to kick him or run away. Against multiple attackers, your odds are greatly diminished, but wrestling and judo are still excellent skills to have in that situation to stay on your feet. After all, you can't use any of your striking skills if you can't stay standing.

Now, about bjj. It's a fact that some fights end up with both guys on the ground, as often as not because they lose their balance and fall over, fight on uneven terrain, or are just plain drunk. The question is, what will you do when you get there? That's what bjj is for-- if, in the unfortunate situation that you end up on the ground in a fight, you'll be able to quickly finish or escape from a single attacker, or hopefully protect yourself as best you can from multiple attackers (again, odds greatly diminished with each additional attacker).

So I think you get the point: It is not the goal of most wrestlers, judokas, or jiu-jitsu fighters to go to the ground; it is their goal to use their grappling skills avoid going to the ground, and if they screw up and go there anyway, have at least some tools to protect themselves.

Striking arts are great, but you have to be on your feet, and at a certain distance, to use them. Without any grappling skills, you are likely to be tackled, grabbed too close to effectively strike, or fall over and not be able to get up. I take it you are new to the forum, since what I just typed is the view of most grapplers. So take the opportunity to at least add some grappling to supplement your striking skills. Just a couple of months practice can do wonders, as the early learning curve in grappling is quite sharp.

Final word: Not all grapplers train for self-defense situations. Many, like myself, are more interested in MMA or sport grappling events, and for these, bjj-like skills are an absolute must. So to say that grappling has little value is wrong-- it's absolutely necessary in these competitions, which are intended as an end in themselves rather than merely a "close as you can get to a streetfight."

[Edited by Ravenman on 10-27-2000 at 03:44 AM]

10-27-2000, 08:33 AM	#7 (permalink)
Ravenman Novice Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: New Orleans Posts: 77 Groans: 0 Groaned at 0 Times in 0 Posts	What the heck.... First of all, wrestling and judo are not ground-fighting systems. They involve ground grappling, but primarily the are all about two things: Being able to take or throw an opponent to the ground, and more importantly for self-defense situations, to AVOID HAVING OTHERS take or throw you to the ground. Alright, suppose three guys attack you. What do they want to do? Usually it's throw you on the ground so they can kick and stomp you. There are very few striking styles that will train you to AVOID going to the ground, arguably the most important skill to have in a street situation. But wrestling and judo will prepare you for that. Against one attacker, he'll have a very difficult time taking you down, and more than likely you'll be able to throw him down while you remain standing, free to kick him or run away. Against multiple attackers, your odds are greatly diminished, but wrestling and judo are still excellent skills to have in that situation to stay on your feet. After all, you can't use any of your striking skills if you can't stay standing. Now, about bjj. It's a fact that some fights end up with both guys on the ground, as often as not because they lose their balance and fall over, fight on uneven terrain, or are just plain drunk. The question is, what will you do when you get there? That's what bjj is for-- if, in the unfortunate situation that you end up on the ground in a fight, you'll be able to quickly finish or escape from a single attacker, or hopefully protect yourself as best you can from multiple attackers (again, odds greatly diminished with each additional attacker). So I think you get the point: It is not the goal of most wrestlers, judokas, or jiu-jitsu fighters to go to the ground; it is their goal to use their grappling skills avoid going to the ground, and if they screw up and go there anyway, have at least some tools to protect themselves. Striking arts are great, but you have to be on your feet, and at a certain distance, to use them. Without any grappling skills, you are likely to be tackled, grabbed too close to effectively strike, or fall over and not be able to get up. I take it you are new to the forum, since what I just typed is the view of most grapplers. So take the opportunity to at least add some grappling to supplement your striking skills. Just a couple of months practice can do wonders, as the early learning curve in grappling is quite sharp. Final word: Not all grapplers train for self-defense situations. Many, like myself, are more interested in MMA or sport grappling events, and for these, bjj-like skills are an absolute must. So to say that grappling has little value is wrong-- it's absolutely necessary in these competitions, which are intended as an end in themselves rather than merely a "close as you can get to a streetfight." [Edited by Ravenman on 10-27-2000 at 03:44 AM] __________________ To have more, you must first become more.