Many people would argue that Jiu-Jitsu is the best martial art for self defense and that’s a big reason why certain members of the Gracie family have become so popular, but it’s not immediately obvious if this is actually true or not. There isn’t any real data on the success rates of trained martial artists having to defend themselves, although there are plenty of individual anecdotes of talented grapplers using their skills to defeat attackers. Plenty of people well-versed in other martial arts have been able to win in those scenarios as well of course, and those trained in BJJ haven’t always been successful either.
3 Reasons Why Jiu-Jitsu Is The Best Martial Art For Self Defense
There’s a solid argument to be made that Jiu-Jitsu is the best martial art for self defense and it really boils down to 3 key advantages that it has over most other martial arts. Although these aren’t the only benefits of training Jiu-Jitsu when it comes to defending yourself, the other key benefits like increased fitness and situational awareness are more general elements that will actually apply to any martial art that involves a significant amount of sparring. That’s the beginning point of determining which martial arts are most effective in a real-life scenario too, as more experience in live situations will always be the easiest way to improve your ability to defend yourself.
The Majority Of Fights End Up On The Ground
This is one of the oldest statements in the history of Jiu-Jitsu when it comes to self defense, but it’s one that has always held true. Most fights between two untrained opponents do end up on the ground either through sloppy takedowns, drunken stumbles, or from one of them being knocked down. Because top position is always preferable when strikes are involved, it’s absolutely vital to know what to do when any one of those happens to you and you end up on the bottom. Just simply knowing how to sweep an untrained opponent can be enough to win a fight, but the ability to do both that and control an untrained opponent once you get on top dramatically increases your chances of success.
There’s No Such Thing As A Puncher’s Chance In Grappling
When two skilled grapplers meet in a match, the best man doesn’t always win. People can and do make mistakes, or the less talented person might be able to employ better tactics in order to win within a specific ruleset. The same is true of any striking sport as well and although skill plays a gigantic role in both, a skill advantage alone does not guarantee victory. There’s a huge difference between the two when using them against untrained opponents though, and that’s the element of luck. Everyone in a striking altercation has a ‘puncher’s chance’, or the ability to knock the opponent out if a single good shot connects. There is no version of this in grappling, where a lucky sweep or takedown doesn’t mean anything if you don’t know what to do from there.
The Average Level Of Grappling Knowledge Is Basically Zero
One of the biggest benefits to using Jiu-Jitsu for self defense is that the skill difference will almost always be huge. Not only are striking sports much more widely practiced than grappling sports, but even without proper instruction many people have messed around with heavy bags or gotten into striking altercations in the past. The end result is that the average attacker probably has some idea of how to throw hands. They’re not going to be a skilled striker by any means, but they at least know what they want to do. Conversely, they probably don’t even want to grapple with you in the first place and wouldn’t have a clue of where to start if they get to the ground other than simply throwing strikes wildly.
3 Reasons Why Jiu-Jitsu Isn’t The Best Martial Art For Self Defense
Many people from other martial arts backgrounds will often claim that Jiu-Jitsu is not the best martial art for self defense and most of their arguments can be condensed into 3 main points as well. Alongside this specific criticism of Jiu-Jitsu, there’s also the more generalized criticism of attempting to use martial arts to defend yourself as whole. That is that some attackers may be using a bladed weapon or firearm when attempting to win the altercation and no amount of physical training can really guarantee a victory in that scenario. Instead, the best course of action here will always be to give over whatever it is they want and escape from the situation as soon as possible.
There’s No Striking Involved At All
This is probably the most frequent criticism of Jiu-Jitsu in terms of it’s applicability in self defense scenarios, and it’s also a fair point. All martial arts have their strengths and weaknesses, usually going in opposite directions, and Jiu-Jitsu is no exception to this rule. The only reason that Jiu-Jitsu competitors are able to have such incredible grappling is because they focus on that instead of spending any time on striking. Combat Jiu-Jitsu is a clear demonstration of the fact that striking changes the game on the ground and MMA proves how much standing striking matters too. Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t become completely ineffective just because striking is involved, but anyone who focuses exclusively on grappling obviously isn’t going to be used to getting hit and dealing with it.
There Isn’t Much Focus On Standing Grappling
Even though Jiu-Jitsu is a grappling sport, it focuses far more on what happens on the ground as opposed to how to get there. Pulling guard is an important part of Jiu-Jitsu that shouldn’t go anywhere, but it’s also a very bad idea in a self defense scenario. Instead, the best course of action for any grappling is to take the fight to the ground on their own terms with them being on top. Both wrestling and Judo do a far better job of teaching people this, as the entire focus of those sports is on taking the opponent down and keeping them there. While some Jiu-Jitsu competitors do fight for the takedown in their matches, a huge number would prefer to pull guard instead and that is particularly prolific in the lighter weight classes.
The Ground Is The Worst Place To Be Against Multiple Attackers
It’s a bit of a cliche to bring up the topic of multiple attackers as a criticism against Jiu-Jitsu, but it is a very real possibility when it comes to a self defense scenario. People do get attacked by a single opponent, but sadly a lot of the time they will be set upon by a group of attackers instead. Being on the ground, regardless of whether you’re on top, is a terrible idea if you find yourself in this situation. While you’re occupied with one person, the others can attack you at a time when you’re unable to defend yourself. In this situation, it’s undoubtedly better to stay standing and keep the maximum amount of distance and mobility that you possibly can instead.
Conclusion – Don’t Just Rely On Jiu-Jitsu For Self Defense
The issues with relying on using Jiu-Jitsu in self defense scenarios are all fixed by adding in other martial arts to complement it. Adding striking arts like Boxing or Muay Thai to your training regime will mean that you will quickly gain the same level of comfort striking as you might already have on the ground. Adding in other grappling sports like wrestling and Judo will give you the skills necessary to take the fight to the ground, or a similar effect can be achieved by simply focusing on that element of grappling in BJJ classes. The reverse is true too though; that Jiu-Jitsu training is a vital skill when it comes to defending yourself and it’s something that anyone experienced in other martial arts will benefit from.
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