When Can Knowing Self-Defense Techniques Come in Handy?
When BJJ was originally developed more than 100 years ago, it was to teach smaller individuals how to defend themselves against larger ones. Today, BJJ is taught all around the world, both as a sport as well as for self-defense. But when exactly can knowing self-defense techniques come in handy?
Have The Advantage in a Street Fight
By knowing Jiu-Jitsu, you’ll almost always have the advantage in a street fight. Assuming that you’re only up against a single fighter, you shouldn’t have any issues taking the fight to the ground and finishing your opponent. While the chances aren’t exceptionally huge that you’ll get into a fight anytime soon, it’s still a good skillset to have.
Defend Yourself Against Larger Opponents With Virtually No Risk
BJJ is considered a very “low risk” form of self-defense. What do we mean by this? Basically, this means that the moves you’re performing aren’t really going to put you in a bad situation if you mess them up (you aren’t going to end up in a bad position if the arm bar fails). However, this can’t be said for sports like boxing, where a single mistake can quickly lead to a knockout. It’s this ability to fight “under the radar” so to speak that allows BJJ experts to have a huge advantage in virtually any street fight.
You Don’t Need to Be That Experienced For the Self-Defense Techniques to Work
Finally, you’ll come to realize that BJJ self-defense moves work very well – even if you aren’t that experienced. Other self-defense martial arts may require that you practice many years before you’re able to successfully defend against an attacker. With BJJ, you’ll learn how to defend against attackers within a few weeks. And not only will you learn the moves, but you’ll also learn how to perform them effectively (things like taking an opponent down and taking their back will become a normal thing).
It isn’t uncommon for white belts to dominate bigger and stronger opponents simply because they’re familiar with a few fundamental BJJ moves. To answer the original question, knowing BJJ provides you with mental security. People learn it for the same reason others buy a gun – they want to be able to protect themselves in public. As you progress throughout your Jiu-Jitsu career, you’ll also develop a great deal of confidence to accompany your BJJ skills.