What is BJJ exactly?

[-Metablade-]

By the way, not to disrespect BJJ at all, but can someone tell me what is the difference between BJJ technique and backyard wrestling with the mates?
(I say this because I've done my fair share of the latter, and that's what it looks like to me.)


Again, no disrespect intended, but BJJ appears to be just a free form of wrestling.
How is this a Martial Art? Or is there a difference between what is taught for competition and for survival?

Please, I ask that anyone with knowledge in this area educate me on the subject...

[Stryke]

Man BJJ is a hugely technical and skilled art , my advice to understand it would be roll with someone whos done it .

It espouse`s positional dominance and submission

what is the difference between BJJ technique and backyard wrestling with the mates?

It`s the difference between windmilling and swinging and boxing .....

most people when they first look at ground fighting have trouble understanding it , but theres a lot involved and it`s very practical/usefull and IMHO necessary (some from of groundwork anyhow)

to be sarcastic (excuse me) Is kendo like playing sword fighting with sticks like when I was a kid ?

my answer would be yes , but in a totally new league ....

[-Metablade-]

Hmmm...
I see what you mean.

http://bjj.org/techniques/


BTW, I'm not saying that it is not effective, it just that I have no experience with BJJ. It appears very different from what I was used to with respect to JJ.
in the videos I've seen, it really looks like stuff I've been doing with the bros when we roughhouse.
But as with many things in life,
looks can often be deceiving.
Personally, I like the real time training methods.
However, what about multiple opponents?

[Stryke]

It`s not an answer to everything

But If I`m on my back and a guys on top beating the tar out of me , then I`d rather have some BJJ to deal with him and get up again so I might have a chance with multiples .

Last place in the world I want to be is the ground , having said that , If I`m down there I want to dominate .

the positions can look similar to many things , the real difference being the amount of control a good BJJ practitioner has , it`s hard to describe .

It`s a very fun way to work out too , incredibly physical .

I personally beleive for multiples you need to be considering weapon arts .

[Stryke]

Dont think many back yard guys can move like this

http://www.joelauzon.com/hl/jlau_002d.wmv

more MMA than BJJ of course , but great ground game

[-Metablade-]

I personally believe for multiples you need to be considering weapon arts .

Meta: While I'm "all about der veaponage",
I've always found that the ones you really need in a fight for your life are either illegal, impractical, or too big to carry around with you at all times.
Unless we are talking firearms.

What weapon would you consider as preferable in a multiple enemy situation?

[Stryke]

Impact

then bladed

then firearm

depending on the situation and force continuim

I`m a tradesmen and often have tools handy

I carry tools of some description most of the time , blunt or bladed .

where I come from tools are legal where as some weapons are not .

it`s about intent .

[TSDguy]

When two equally good fighters in any style go at it, it usually doesn't look so pretty, and is harder to pick out what exactly they're trying to do. Here's one of my favorite MMA fighters taking some people to school using BJJ. Because he dominates the fights so thoroughly, you might get a better look at the techniques in action.

http://www.sherdog.net/forums/showthread.php?t=323119

[wes tasker]

Try this history for a synopsis of BJJ

http://www.shenwu.com/bjjHistory.html

-wes tasker

[Bill Glasheen]

Meta

You really should come to camp and work out with Joe Pomfret. Joe's done the full contact MMA stuff. I believe his record was 10-2, and his losses were by decision.

Joe is both a black belt in Uechi Ryu and an instructor in BJJ. Consequently he could speak the language of a striker. He'll let someone like me get in the ring with him (who knows aikido but doesn't know jack about BJJ) and let me play around before he chokes or bars me. It's a great, Walter-Mitty-like experience.

As for watching it, well... It's a bit like watching a hockey or soccer game. Everyone knows the goal is to get the puck or ball into the net, which is a pretty simple concept. But it's getting the thing there that's the art, and a novice wouldn't understand. The same pretty much is true for BJJ. The goal is to get a joint in a lock that could lead to joint destruction, or to choke the person out. Pinning isn't even part of it. In fact a good BJJ practitioner will lie there on his back for an extended period of time letting someone wear themselves out on them.

The BJJ game is a narrow part of the whole empty-hand fighting game. It's pretty much about what you can do when on the ground. Everyone should spend some time learning the basics if they want to have all their bases covered. If you're ever going to be in a MMA tournament, you're dead if you don't at least know the basics. You'll feel like a fish out of water when the grappler gets you on the ground, and it'll be all over pretty quickly. That's the mistake the strikers made in the early MMA tournaments. They believed their own legends, and ended up defeated by their own arrogance.

These days everyone in the MMA ring learns a little striking and a little grappling.

- Bill

[Stryke]

Lauzon vs. Blouin
Bout number two was truly David vs. Goliath. MASS MMA’s February 2004 fighter of the month, Joe Lauzon weighs about 150 sopping wet. I talked to him briefly, just after he won the advanced division earlier in the day, and asked him how he thought he would do in the absolute division.



He said something about being the smallest guy in the absolute, and talked about how much bigger everyone else in the division was. Well, he drew the biggest guy in the division for his first match, and not only was he a big man, he was a great big man, Dana Blouin. He gave me one of those “I’m going to give it 100%, and see what happens” types of answers. He didn’t seem nervous, but he was not nearly as confident as I figured him to be.

Dana trains with Mat Santos, and is very experienced, and he happens to weigh in the ballpark of 260. I don’t mean a butterbean 260 either. He’s over six feet tall and pretty put together. Joe kept Dana off him for a few moments, but it wasn’t long before all 260 pounds of Dana Blouin were lying on top of Lauzon. It didn’t look too good for Joe at this point. It seemed like Dana was going to try to pass the guard, and before he knew what happened, he was tapping out from what looked to be a very tightly wrapped arm triangle choke… the crowd went crazy! The 150 pound Joe Lauzon wins by triangle choke.

[-Metablade-]

Excellent stuff!
Definately looks likes it is worth investigating futher.

I thank you all.

m(_)m

[AAAhmed46]

Shoot wrestling is great as well. Has some stand up too.

[Jake Steinmann]

BJJ is an incredibly technical and demanding art. The guys who are good at it are no joke.

It's Judo filtered through a Brazillian cultural context, which is why it doesn't resemble more traditional Koryu.

Like many arts, it's best experienced, rather than discussed. Feeling is believing.

[-Metablade-]

From the videos I have watched, almost all of the participants appear to be young and highly athletic.

I wonder if the techniques are such that the art can be practiced with effectiveness in one's old age?

My Sensei once told me, (Who is quite formidable at 83,) "If an art requires mainly physical strength and power to be effective, then it is will serve a person well when they are young, however the art will gradually loosen it's effectiveness as one becomes aged."

I am not attempting to say that this is the case with BJJ at all, simply I am looking for some understanding.