Would what you're training right now help you in a real self-defense situation, or only in competition?
These days we see a lot of practitioners of the gentle art focusing only on competition and leaving self-defense aside. In this article I talk about why self-defense training matters and how we run that training at my school.
The importance of self-defense
Have you ever pictured a situation where an athlete really needs to defend themselves and doesn't know how? Or worse, imagine the athlete pulling X guard or lapel guard?
Irony aside, all of today's guards and movements are very effective, but they are built for competition, and if the athlete actually needs movements to get free from an attack, they might not be enough.
Of course a Jiu-Jitsu athlete has far more resources than a layperson. However, without training specifically aimed at real self-defense, what the athlete knows may not be what they actually need in an attack.
So far I've only talked about the need based on a possible assault, but self-defense is the foundation of everything we have in Jiu-Jitsu. Many basic movements and leverage principles come from self-defense techniques, so besides having a better chance of walking away unharmed from an attack, you'll also improve your Jiu-Jitsu fundamentals.
Self-defense curriculum
At my school we have a self-defense curriculum built on the techniques that are most effective for our reality, the same ones that were used for many years to spread Jiu-Jitsu and prove how effective it is.
In the promotion exams for every belt, I require my students to demonstrate the self-defense techniques, and they are part of the criteria I assess during the process.
In the following video you can see some of the techniques from our curriculum:
How we run self-defense training
Of course, nowadays we have many competitors, and in a way that takes some of the focus away from self-defense. Still, I end up combining sport Jiu-Jitsu training with some self-defense techniques.
One drill that is really exhausting and demands a lot physically and mentally from the student is to form a circle of several students who already know the attacks we train, with one student in the middle. One at a time, in random order, the students attack and the student in the middle tries to defend. Obviously it's harder at first, but over time the movements become more natural and, as a result, more effective.
It doesn't take up much class time and it keeps the students' self-defense techniques sharp.
Women's self-defense
Today almost everywhere in Brazil gives us that feeling of insecurity, and unfortunately there are many cases of assault and abuse against women.
Of course, knowing Jiu-Jitsu or any other martial art doesn't guarantee anything, but it's better to know it and not need it than to need it and not know it, right?
When I was still living in Pelotas-RS (if you didn't know I moved, watch the video where I talk about it: Why did I move to Floripa?), I ran a few free women's seminars to demonstrate and teach some self-defense techniques. Obviously one class isn't enough, but it helped promote the sport among women, and some of them even became students at our school and kept training.
Benefits of self-defense for women
On top of all the benefits that physical activity and Jiu-Jitsu bring, a series of self-defense classes gives women benefits that go beyond the physical. After a few classes and some command of the movements, women become more confident, secure and calm, able to deal with and react to any possible attack.
It's worth making very clear that I always tell all my students not to react, and to always assess whether the risk is really necessary and whether there is a safer way out.
Where do I study self-defense?
Of course, the main place where I study and refine both sport Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense techniques is the academy, whether at my own school or at the headquarters, Top Brother Rio de Janeiro. But those who have known me for a while know I've always been passionate about learning, and for that I really enjoy reading.
A few years ago I bought a book in which Master Hélio Gracie demonstrates many Jiu-Jitsu self-defense techniques. Besides being required reading for every athlete and instructor, it is a true relic that lets us drink straight from the source.
Questions
Now it's my turn to ask. How is your self-defense training going?
Does your instructor focus on this kind of training at your school, or is it only competition Jiu-Jitsu?
Leave your comment below, and if you have any questions just ask, I'm happy to help.
OSSSS
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