UFC veteran and submission specialist Ryan Hall has never hidden his preference for fighting over competitive jiu-jitsu. During a recent appearance on Matt Serra’s podcast, Hall explained why he sees jiu-jitsu as a valuable part of martial arts rather than the ultimate objective.
Serra asked Hall why he decided to pursue MMA rather than dedicate himself to the jiu-jitsu competition scene. Hall said his goal was ultimately to become “a real martial artist.”
“I wanted to be a real martial artist,” Hall said. “I like jiu-jitsu very much, but unless it’s a means to an end, it’s not a fig ht. I like it. I love it. It’s great. It’s fighting without punches. It’s neat. I love it. But it’s meant to get you ready for the game. It’s not the game itself, in my opinion.”
Hall went on to describe how he ranks different forms of combat when considering their usefulness and relevance.
“If I could choose between being good in jiu-jitsu or good in MMA, I’d pick MMA,” he explained. “If I could pick between MMA and real life, I’d pick real life.”
The longtime UFC veteran also pointed to the importance of physical attributes when grappling moves beyond the controlled environment of sport competition. According to Hall, qualities such as toughness and athleticism become increasingly important as the circumstances become more realistic.
“A lot of jiu-jitsu guys don’t understand that athleticism, grit, toughness, durability, power, all of that matters so much when you make it more real,” Hall said. “It definitely matters a little bit on the mat, but the realer it gets, the more that type of stuff matters.”
Hall also rejected the notion that techniques developed or popularized in sport jiu-jitsu suddenly stop working once they are taken into MMA. Serra brought up Hall’s reputation for successfully using techniques that some people had dismissed as “sport only.”
“It’s not different gravity in the cage,” Serra said. “What’s going on in there? Nothing’s different. The only thing that’s different is in your head.”
Hall agreed with Serra’s assessment.
“Your mind makes it real, you know? It’s only different in your head. The physics aren’t different. People are like, ‘Oh, man. Could you do that in real life?’ Yeah, step outside right now.”
Despite his appreciation for jiu-jitsu, Hall argued that competitive grappling can sometimes become too focused on its own rules and scoring systems. He still described the sport as an important testing ground, but said the results do not always make it obvious who was actually controlling the action.
“No disrespect to jiu-jitsu,” Hall explained. “It’s an important proving ground and a pretty great laboratory, but it can become so much about its own self. A lot of times you watch matches and the scores don’t reflect the action. Usually you watch a wrestling match, you can tell who’s winning and why. Jiu-jitsu sometimes, yeah, sometimes no.”
When Serra asked whether Hall might return to pure jiu-jitsu competition after eventually finishing his MMA career, Hall did not sound particularly interested in the idea.
“Probably not,” he admitted. “Maybe I like figh ting better. It’s real.”
