[ghiotion]

I earned a black belt in Karate last year, have messed around with TKD, Judo, and Kali, and this year got reasonably serious about BJJ by starting in a belted program.

It's impossible to overestimate the role MMA/UFC has had on martial arts in the past 20 years. The internet has allowed that knowledge to spread far and wide, but UFC #1 dramatically changed the face of martial arts forever. Before that, you could argue about which one was the "best". After UFC #1, it was pretty clear how dominant Gracie jiu-jitsu was if you wanted to win a fight.

All the traditional martial arts have a place. Simply analyzing the phrase "martial art" should give you some indication of its intent: discipline and beauty. Most traditional martial arts schools are on the decline and, for those that aren't, the caliber of student they get is nowhere near as high as it was 25 years ago. Point sparring tournaments are a shell of their former selves.

MMA and, to a lesser extent, BJJ are more a fighting system than a martial art. There's no bowing, there's little formality, there aren't any forms, and it's ruthlessly focused on the practical.

Toward that end, if you want to learn how to fight, study american boxing for punching, muay thai to lean to kick, and BJJ to learn how to grapple.

If you want a "martial art", then you're probably looking for something more traditional. You can learn decent self defense in them, but there's a lot of non-practical stuff you learn as part of the package.

[o_____________o]

Is Gracie jiu-jitsu really best for winning a fight, or just for the controlled environments in MMA-style competitions? I frequently hear Krav Maga cited as the most effective for real world fighting. Grappling with parties unknown seems dangerous.

[uses]

The thing about Krav Maga, Kung fu, or similar stuff that uses "deadly techniques", is that their efficacy is (conveniently?) unprovable. Meanwhile, submission grappling (such as jiu jitsu) and striking techniques (such as boxing & muay thai) are tested constantly from the lowest levels of beginners via sparring, to the highest levels of champions via competition.

Another thing to consider, is take a look at the all-around grappling skills of a top wrestler, judoka, bjj practitioner, etc. Do we really believe that their all-around skills wouldn't enable them to effectively use forbidden techniques such as ball punches or eye gouges or whatever? A skilled grappler is going to win a grappling contest, and a skilled striker will win a striking contest, regardless of the finishing techniques they employ.

[ghiotion]

It's a really interesting question. Jiu-jitsu unquestionably works in "uncontrolled" environments. I'd wager large money that if more police officers trained in grappling and submission techniques there'd be far fewer shootings.

I don't have specific experience with Krav per se, but the self-defense I learned getting my Karate BB was kravesque. Krav is fine, but I think of it a little like crossfit; it's mostly a marketing thing. In my estimation, krav can be great for self-defense. But anything where you focus on one or two practical defense moves is great for self-defense. Get good at one or two things and drill it 10,000 times.

[rm_-rf_slash]

Not to derail, but the #1 reason cops reach for their weapons is because they fear a suspect has a weapon. Its a split-second, life-or-death choice. No amount of martial arts training will change that.

[Diamons]

Yes but BJJ instills confidence in you and your ability to handle a close range encounter.

[michaelt]

I once saw a video of some experienced fighters practising some technique on an instructor who had a training knife they don't know about.

With all the excitement and adrenaline, not only did every single student get 'stabbed' - many of them didn't notice until the exercise was over and the instructor pointed out the 'stab wounds'.

I'm not sure there's any amount of BJJ that would make me confident to grapple a guy who could have a concealed knife.

[ghiotion]

Yeah, I think that's exactly right. And it's hard to reach for a weapon when you can't move your arms.

[OneOneOneOne]

Not sure grappling is a great idea with a gun on your hip.

[gosukiwi]

If they have a weapon or it's more than one enemy, then going for ground fighting it's not a good idea. For a clean 1v1 it's by far the best IMO.

[_0ffh]

Possibly in a one-on-one fight. But even the best submission techniques will do you little good if the other guy brings his friend along...

[mathattack]

Toward that end, if you want to learn how to fight, study american boxing for punching, muay thai to lean to kick, and BJJ to learn how to grapple.

I would throw in wrestling for takedowns.

Traditional martial arts seem to be moving even more towards "Discipline and goals for kids" rather than "Teaching adults to fight."

In MMA, many fighters say "I started in TKD" but only a very small handful still train in them.

[gosukiwi]

Check out Sambo, those guys have been doing that for quite some time. You have several "levels" of Sambo. It includes striking, throws and ground-fight. They were really ahead of it's time, and Fedor shows that, he was undefeated in MMA but was not #1 in Russia's Sambo championships :-)

My MMA instructor did some Sambo before he did BJJ, and it's nice to know a little bit of Sambo, the throws are really simple but quite brutal.