Jiu Jitsu is commonly thought of as a sport but such an impression really pigeonholes it. Imagine if a Jiu Jitsu practitioner was assaulted. Would not the art be helpful to address being attacked in such a scenario? The answer is yes….BUT….there needs to be an understanding that Jiu Jitsu self defense training must be employed because there are a few differences between the sportive approach to training and the self defense version.
What are some of the differences between the sport version and Jiu Jitsu self defense training? Among the differences are:
You are not training Jiu Jitsu vs. Jiu Jitsu or other martial arts. You are training against an aggressive and/or violent assailant.
You will look to end the confrontation right away. You are not looking to fight the opponent. You are looking to finish as soon as possible. Remember, you are dealing with a highly erratic and dangerous assailant in an uncontrolled environment. You do not want to drag things out longer than necessary.
You must adhere to applicable law. That means you can only use the amount of force what you would legally be allowed to apply or you cannot claim self-defense. In some instances, it would be more appropriate to get someone under control without hurting the person in any way. Jiu Jitsu can be among the best arts for getting someone under control without harming the individual in any way.
Environment plays a huge role in Jiu Jitsu self defense training. Unfortunately, you will not have access to a mat which is much more comfortable to deal with when you are rolling on the ground. You will have a lot of hazards – including other people — to deal with when addressing a difficult self-defense scenario.
Self Defense Versions
Of course, there are several other differences between the traditional sportive version of Jiu Jitsu and the self-defense version. A common error in thought many people make is they assume there is a “sport vs. street” mentality where any some practitioners become a bit dug into their own opinions on how well the sportive version of the art works in a self-defense situation. Avoid thinking of things in this nature. Rather, study the art in the same way others do – in the sportive mode. On top of this, you can also weave in Jiu Jitsu self defense style training. Just make the appropriate modifications as necessary. Once you take the steps to alter your training in such a way, you will discover it works well as a self-defense program.