By Prof. Carlos ¡§Caique¡¨ Elias
The number of jiu-jitsu practitioners is growing fast. After the world discovered the jiu-jitsu we were practicing only in Brazil for years, a big revolution changed martial arts all over the world. The most important reason I see for this is the fact that jiu-jitsu is very effective as a self-defense.
I am happy to be the one of those who sticks with jiu-jitsu, as it is easy to learn and anyone can practice. It just takes dedication, patience and, also, the right school. When I teach, I always focus on keeping jiu-jitsu in the form of self-defense alive. After all, jiu-jitsu was made for the normal person¡Xfor those who need and want to be more confident. It is amazing how jiu-jitsu can help.
Studying the martial art gives a person self-confidence not only in self-defense, but also in daily life, whether it be in business relations, family life or even in helping another person. For me, this is the best part of teaching jiu-jitsu. I am very proud of my students¡Xand I have all kinds of them; those who fight MMA, compete in grappling events or just use jiu-jitsu as a workout. Regardless of their intent, I teach all of them with the same base because I have seen many MMA fighters and jiu-jitsu competitors lacking basic jiu-jitsu.
Basic jiu-jitsu can have different aspects and amplitudes, depending on the teacher, but one thing is for sure: If you have a solid base, you will be a better fighter or competitor.
Often, I see people who do not know how to escape from the mount because they never practice that, as they believe no one will mount them. Big mistake! There is always someone out there who will take advantage of your timing.
Jiu-jitsu has changed a lot, with many new techniques¡Xmost of them easy to avoid and some are effective, but most of them are just for competition. If you train for self-defense in a real-life situations, basic techniques do not change too much. You can confuse your opponent, but the end will be always the same. You cannot be confused when someone who does not know jiu-jitsu holds you in a different position¡XI¡¦ve seen that happen with many ¡§tough guys.¡¨ They wish they knew more. So, my advice to you, the jiu-jitsu practitioner, is to learn the basics well, and after that, think about strategies. Always think about learning and applying the right techniques¡Xchokes over the face and neck SQUEZEES only work when size matters and on the mat where people do not want to get hurt.
So, go practice NHB or compete, but remember to not forget the basics.
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Ahhhh, I see you have learned your Eagle Claw well from sifu Som Yon Guy. But the Claw is no match for my Lethalo - Hiiiaaahhh!!
I would love to practice BBJ, seems to be pretty cool.
So, for all those years, there was no JJ in Japan?