While BJJ is commonly practiced as a competitive sport, its principles and techniques can also be applied in real-life self-defense situations. Many people who join and participate in BJJ are seeking a way to defend themselves in dangerous situations that occur in real life. While there are many martial arts that one can pick from to learn techniques and strategies of self-defense, BJJ is one of the most effective and will teach someone the proper techniques to not only defend themselves but gain control over the situation and leave quickly.
Developing Your Awareness
During a BJJ match, it's essential to not only be hyper-aware of the situation that you are in – a fight – but also to be able to home in on your opponent and anticipate their next move. This is called situational awareness, one of the key skills BJJ students teach. It teaches students to be aware of their surroundings and potential threats. This skill translates well to real-life situations where it's important to be mindful of potential dangers and to stay one step ahead of a potential attacker.
Maintaining Control
One of the key things to master during a BJJ match is to win control over both your movements and your opponents. BJJ's emphasis on grappling and ground fighting makes it an effective tool for controlling an attacker. This means using techniques such as joint locks, chokes, and submissions to neutralize an attacker's ability to hurt you. These holding and submission techniques and strategies can be used to restrain and control an attacker until help arrives or to escape the situation entirely.
Learning Takedowns and Ground Fighting
Takedowns are an important part of BJJ. They are used to take your opponent to the ground and gain a dominant position. In a dangerous real-life situation with an attacker, a takedown can be used to control your attacker and avoid striking. Ground fighting is the hallmark of BJJ because it allows you the opportunity to not only submit your opponent to the ground but also gives you the advantage of exerting and maintaining control. In a real-life situation, ground fighting can be used to control an opponent and prevent them from getting up or using weapons.
Escapes and Defense
BJJ also teaches you how to defend yourself and escape from various positions. Whether it’s escaping from a headlock or a chokehold, BJJ techniques can be used to break free from an attacker's grasp. For example, if you are pinned down on the ground, BJJ teaches you how to bridge and roll to escape. If your opponent has you in a submission hold, BJJ teaches you how to defend against it and escape. BJJ students are also trained to remain calm under pressure and to use leverage and technique to escape
rather than relying on brute force. The ability to stay calm in an otherwise heightened and stressful situation will also equip you with the skills necessary to make better judgment calls without panic.
Building Confidence
Finally, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can help you develop confidence. Knowing that you have the skills and techniques to defend yourself in a real-life situation can give you the confidence you need to avoid dangerous situations altogether. You will have the skills and techniques necessary to remain calm in difficult situations, analyze your attacker before they make a move, thus allowing you to escape before anything escalates, and defend yourself if necessary with moves that focus on restraint as opposed to brute force.
If you are interested in what Crucible Jiu Jitsu has to offer, book a class below or contact us for more information!