Jiu-jitsu honed its reputation in martial arts for 30 years thanks to what it can do for self defense. BJJ’s claim to fame is enabling a smaller, less athletic individual to handle a much bigger opponent in an unregulated setting.
This is exactly why Gracie Family chose Royce Gracie to represent them at UFC 1 over more experienced and athletic men in the family.
That being said, BJJ does have some downsides when used in unregulated scenarios.
In any Multiple Attackers scenario, BJJ can put you in even more danger.
BJJ techniques nowadays are primarily curated for use on a mat, where both participants are wearing a gi (uniform). Everyday life may not include any such uniform, making it harder to apply what you’ve learned.
There’s also the issue of a common practice in BJJ – tapping. BJJ training relies on trust between training partners that’s based on the culture of letting go of a submission once the opponent surrenders.
This can create all kinds of complications in an unregulated scenario because if you let them go you can create ample opportunity for them to strike back and get on top. And there’s also a legal liability in case you end up maiming them.
Therefore, while BJJ can be a useful martial art for self-defense, it is important to recognize its limitation and to be prepared to use other techniques as well.
The fan community was in unison on the outcome of this particular clip saying
“Put them to sleep, never know what they have on them/lengths someone will go when there ego gets bruised.”
“Nope if it’s that serious you’re going to sleep, if you’re already to the physical point then obviously you have 0 trust in the person so why trust them to stop once you let go just because they tapped? Seen it happen more than once the person let’s go and then gets decked.”
“No tapping. You want to be a big boy, you want to throw down, roger that. Nap or snap, no tap.”
Additionally, it is important to avoid getting into everyday disputes whenever possible and to prioritize de-escalation and avoidance tactics.
Since 2014, Benny A. King has been fully immersed in the world of combat sports. Starting with a blog about Greco Roman wrestling, Benny’s passion for combat sports has led him to explore various disciplines.