Is grappling effective in self defense?

I've often heard people talk about grappling's use in self defense. Some say it's a bad idea and others say it's a good idea. Is grappling effective in self defense? I will give my stance on the subject.

It all depends on many factors. I can't give you a resounding "yes! It's effective!" or a "no you should never grapple in self defense.." It's what you make of it as a practitioner that determines whether or not it's effective for self defense. What i can say is that much of what is taught in grappling arts such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Combat Sambo, etc. will most likely not work in self defense.

You've probably seen or underwent some training involving stand up grappling as shown in this video. You take your opponent down and apply grappling maneuvers in order to apply a firm grappling hold. In addition, you will probably be given rules that forbid you from striking or be expected to primarily focus on grappling. The problem with this is that 1) There's no soft mat in the street to break your fall. There might be solid concrete or glass that could cause injury or knock you out if your head makes full contact with it. 2) Your training with grapplers, not strikers. Your attacker is probably not going to move around trying to "feel you out" (at least not in America.) Most likely, your attacker will either attack by striking or with a deadly weapon. If your attacker does use grappling and goes for a takedown, it's probably going to be so he or she can continue striking you!    

Will that type of training prepare you for self defense? Most likely not. This does not mean that grappling is completely useless in self defense. Sure you might be able to apply an armbar every now and then but not against every attacker. The effectiveness of grappling depends on several things and more

1) The purpose of grappling
2) How you use it to end the threat quickly
3) Controlling the range between you and your attacker
4) Controlling your attacker.

For example, if someone tries to apply a rear naked chokehold then i'd use a Jiu Jitsu throw. It'd take too much time to figure out how to escape using some fancy grappling techniques then apply a chokehold of my own to make my opponent pass out until a few seconds. It's alot more effective for me at least to throw my attacker to the ground and go into my kicking or striking range (ex. stomp kick to the head.) If you want to learn more, read my post "grappling for self defense vs. grappling for UFC" ( http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/01/grappling-for-self-defense-vs-grappling.html)

In conclusion, grappling's effectiveness depends on how you use it. There's no martial art style that is guaranteed to make grappling 100% effective for you in self defense. Once you understand the basic principles of grappling and combat, you can understand how to make grappling work for you.

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Can you learn martial arts from movies?

While many martial arts films are choreographed, a question that lingers in curious minds - can you learn martial arts for self defense from movies? My answer is it all depends on how you learn and how well you can distinguish fact from fiction. While many martial arts use choreographed moves, actors are still using real martial arts. That being said, not everything you see is complete fantasy. In fact, some of it is very practical in real life.     

In Bruce Lee's "fist of fury" during the fight scene with the Russian, Chen Zhen gets put in an armbar but bites hard on his leg to escape. This can be an effective means of escaping an armbar if you ever get in one. There's also other films such as the IP Man where Donnie Yen uses proper Wing Chun form and principles despite being exaggerated. If you are inspired by a certain martial art, body structure, a technique, or method of fighting in a martial art film then you can surely use it in self defense as long as it's realistic. While you obviously won't be doing these high flying flashy kicks, you can still glean useful insights in combat from watching martial arts films. One of the most important aspects of martial arts is creativity.  

In conclusion, you should ask yourself "how good am i distinguishing fact from fiction? How practical is this technique in real life?"

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Self defense against martial artists

As i've discussed in my older blog posts, you may come across martial artists who intend on hurting you. It's important that you learn how to defend yourself against martial art bullies. This self defense guide will give you some essential tips on evading or defeating a martial artist in a street fight. It's important to note that you should have some basic hand-to-hand combat skills. Otherwise, it will be much more difficult to take down a martial artist. With that in mind, here are several tips on defense against martial artists.

* Fight with uttermost aggression - If you come across having to defend yourself by fighting a martial artist, you need to be as aggressive as possible. Attack at full force and speed. Chances are, most martial artists do not know how to deal with an aggressive and outright violent attacker. This is because they typically train in a calm and controlled environment against other compliant martial artists. If you can attack a martial artist with overwhelming force, you will eventually land a few hits and probably stress him or her out.

* Fight dirty - Many martial artists train with rules such as point systems or forbidden moves during sparring. Nine times out of ten, they won't know how to defend against dirty fighting tactics. In fact, they might even be taught to avoid them and that's their weakness. Be as brutal and as ruthless as you can be. Headbutt, eye gouge, bite, use improvised weapons, the environment, etc. If a martial artist puts you in an armbar, bite down on the calf muscles as hard as you can. Use dirt, sand, glass, and other means of blinding the martial artist as you attack. Do as much damage as you can.

* Learn how to deal with high kicks - One of the key factors in determining whether or not you survive an attack by a martial artist is taking advantage of high kicks. Kicking high takes alot of time and compromises an attacker's balance. When a martial artist kicks high, close the gap between you and your attacker then knock him or her balance. You could trap the leg and land a stomp kick to the rear leg. You could also evade the kick and counter-attack with a kick to the rear leg. There's several ways of dealing with high kicks. This video gives insights on dealing with high kicks.

* Take the martial artist off balance - The key in defeating a martial artist or any fighter is taking away balance. When faced with a Wing Chun fighter for example, he or she is vulnerable to takedowns and grappling. Once the martial artist is on the ground, his or her striking power is almost useless.

Practice these principles with a sparring partner. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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Grappling for self defense vs. grappling for UFC

Earlier, i made a post on whether or not you should groundfight in self defense (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2017/01/should-you-groundfight-in-self-defense.html). In this post, i will address how to make grappling work in self defense. In order for you to understand how to make it work for self defense, you must understand the differences between grappling in sports and grappling in self defense. I will outline the differences here. Before i go further, i will note that some critics of grappling argue that you should never take it to the ground in self defense. This is true but it's easier said than done especially when your opponent is trying to take you off balance or grapple you. It's not as simple as not going to the ground and getting up. If you try to get up, your opponent will seize that opportunity to close the distance and attack you. I won't tell you "you should never ground-fight or grapple". I simply ask you "can you make it work in self defense?" Without further notice, i present the differences between grappling for self defense and grappling in sport.

* Ground-fighting in UFC is for subduing opponents or K.O, ground-fighting for self defense is to recover your original position - The aim of grappling in MMA especially in the sports world is an offensive measure taken to make your opponent submit or knock him or her out. In order to use ground-fighting for self defense, you must only use it as a defensive measure to gain a more dominant position. You don't want to throw a few punches and immediately go for a flying armbar. That makes no sense as grappling is unnecessary not to mention dangerous in that case. You'll want to end the fight in a standing position but if you get taken to the ground, you will want to create an opportunity to get back on your feet. For example, if your attacker is trying to ground and pound you - block and buck. From there, you can get in a position where you can get back to striking your opponent. This video illustrates my point.

* Ground-fighting in UFC has rules, ground-fighting in self defense doesn't - One objection critics bring is "ground-fighting is dangerous for you because your attacker could use a weapon." Well you could use a weapon too. Whether you train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Judo, you need to free yourself from point systems and the sports mindset. There's nothing stopping you from gouging your attacker's eyes out, biting his/her ears off or throat, biting the calf to escape an armbar, striking the groin, stabbing or shooting him/her from the ground, breaking limbs, bashing his/her head on the concrete, etc. To top if off, you could reposition yourself to control your opponent from reaching for a weapon.

* Ground-fighting in UFC is complex, ground-fighting in self defense is simple and efficient - Because UFC limits many attacks, people who use grappling have to work their way around that in order to make grappling effective. This results in complicated movements that don't do well in self defense. In order to make grappling work in self defense, you must free yourself from the way typical people train in grappling. I find many of Master Wong's teachings on ground-fighting to be efficient and simple. Rather than the standard double leg takedown used in sports grappling that exposes your body and compromises balance, you could use more of a single leg sweep takedown method.

* Ground-fighting in UFC is for engagement, ground-fighting in self defense is for disengagement - As i mentioned in my 1st point, UFC's aim of grappling is to submit your opponent or cause a knock out. The strategy is to "go all in" so to speak and in gain a dominant position on the ground. Grappling namely ground-fighting in self defense should be used to disengage your opponent and create an opportunity to get back on your feet. If for example you get knocked down, you still could keep your opponent at bay with kicks or knock him/her over which gives you the chance to get up quickly. Alternatively, you could carry your opponent with his/her momentum to the ground. If you are attacked by a wrestler or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter, your goal should be to escape the lying position rather than outgrapple him or her on the ground.

As you can see, it all boils down to the training and how skilled you are in using grappling for self defense. If you don't want to go to the ground, what measures will you take to prevent that from happening? Anti-grappling? Sprawls? When using grappling or ground-fighting in self defense, you have to ask yourself "what's the strategy behind your usage of those areas of combat? How will you apply them to self defense as opposed to sport?" If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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Should you groundfight in self defense?

Since the rise of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA, groundfighting has become increasingly popular especially in the area of self defense. A very important question that people have asked is "should you take a fight to the ground?" Many self defense instructors bring up legitimate reasons why this is a bad idea such as the possibility of weapons, limited vision, vulnerability to attack, and multiple attackers. I can't give you a solid answer. All i can tell you is generally, you should not groundfight in self defense but that does not mean there are no exceptions. Here's some considerations you ought to take into account before you end up groundfighting:

1. Are there weapons involved? If so, don't go to the ground.

2. Are there multiple attackers? If so, don't go to the ground.

3. Are you running out of options in defeating a difficult opponent? Ground fighting may be a measure of last resort.

This does not mean that you can use any techniques or strategies found in BJJ or other grappling arts. Groundfighting in UFC and groundfighting in self defense should have two completely different objectives. If your going to make groundfighting in self defense then you must have certain objectives. For one you should not go for a takedown against an intensely difficult opponent as it exposes your head, neck, and back to attack. Instead wait until your opponent takes you down. Second, your objective should be to immediately seize the opportunity to immobilize your attacker primarily through a chokehold or using armbars for armbreaks. Remember the goal is not to make your opponent submit. It's a desperate measure to cut off the flow of oxygen so he/she can stop attacking you. You don't want to apply an armbar or a leglock for a submission to make your attacker tap out only to risk getting hit after you release the locks. You'll want to break limbs and move into a better position for attack. Forget about point systems and treating groundfighting like a sport. Focus on ending the fight as quickly as possible on the ground with a self defense mindset and then get up.

This is just my opinion. If you've tried striking and kicking with no success then groundfighting may be a measure of last resort but i don't recommend it as your first priority. What do you think? Should groundfighting be apart of self defense? Why or why not? Let me know in the comments below.If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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How to beat an MMA fighter in Wing Chun

Unfortunately there are some MMA fighters who go around bullying those weaker than them out of self-centered entitlement. If you find yourself with an MMA fighter who is a bully, handle the situation without provoking him to fight. Report him to the police if need be and defend those around you. If things spiral out of control and you have no choice but to fight him, here are several tips on beating an MMA fighter.

There's no telling which styles an MMA fighter uses but generally, they train to be pro-efficient in these set of skills 1) Striking 2) Grappling 3) Ground-fighting. By being familiar with each one, you can devise the proper strategy to counter them all.

* Counter-attack the takedown - The takedown is one of the most crucial moves in ending the fight. If you get caught in the takedown, it's over. The MMA fighter can do what he/she wants once you are on the ground. To avoid it, simply widen your stance, lean your body forward, and stop the fighter with an attack to their upper body. You could palm strike the fighter in the neck as you hold it in place and grab the arm or elbow strike to the back of the head. From there, you could do all sorts of strikes. Ideally, you'd want to push the fighter to the ground and control his movements. If the fighter tries to grab your legs, you could trap his/her arms by bending your legs and lowering your stance. Once trapped, the MMA fighter is completely defenseless.

* Control the distance - The MMA fighter will usually have grappling skills in their arsenal of moves. Be cautious not to get grappled as he/she could easily go for an armbar or other submission hold. Use long ranged attacks and anti-grappling as you keep the distance.

* Counter-attack the Muay Thai clinch - Another attack that the MMA fighter may use is the Muay Thai clinch which would also be crucial in ending the fight. One knee to the ribs and it will result in a broken bone possibly organ damage. You could counter by chain punches to the centerline or preferably, sweep the fighter off balance as you attack him/her down to the ground then make your escape.

* Counter-attack high kicks - Another crucial attack in ending the fight are high kicks. If your opponent delivers a head kick, you could block or use tan sao to catch the leg as you kick the other leg (side of the knee) to get your opponent off balance. If the fighter's leg breaks, the fight is over.

* Counter-attack the running knee kick - Yet another attack that could potentially knock you off balance and end the fight is the running knee kick. When you see your opponent running towards you, it's likely he/she is setting up the kick. Move to the side and take advantage of the situation by kicking your opponent off balance or waiting until he/she lands before closing the gap to attack.

* Use your elbows - If you've read my other post "how to beat a boxer in Wing Chun" (http://everythingselfdefense.blogspot.com/2016/12/how-to-beat-boxer-in-wing-chun.html) then you know the use of your elbows to block and counter-attack would come in handy when facing an MMA fighter. If the MMA fighter uses elbow strikes on you, that's an ideal opportunity to quickly take control of fighter's elbows and end the fight by disrupting his/her balance.

* Counter-attack ground-fighting - Whatever you do, NEVER end up on the ground. Once you end up on the ground, you are put in a very dangerous position. If you ever find yourself on the ground due to a mistake, DO NOT let your guard down. Some Wing Chun teachers instruct that if your on the ground, you should simply get up quickly. This is bad advice especially when facing an MMA fighter. Soon as you try to get up, the MMA fighter will seize that opportunity and attack. Often overlooked, Wing Chun ground-fighting would increase your chances of recovering after being knocked down. You should learn some ground-fighting and how to counter-attack certain holds. What makes Wing Chun ground-fighting different from say Brazilian Jiu Jitsu? There's little to no grappling. You essentially apply the same principles and techniques as if you were standing up. If someone were to ground and pound you for instance, you still could simultaneously attack + defend. You also could knock your opponent off balance as well before quickly getting up and ending the fight.

* Fight dirty - The MMA fighter will likely see a street fight from a ring fighting sport mentality. In the UFC, there are several moves that are illegal in the Octagon but legal outside of it. This gives you an advantage. You could break his/her limbs, bite, hit the groin, use weapons, etc.

I hope this guide was helpful. Be sure to practice these techniques with a partner. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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How to effectively train for self defense

How to effectively train for self defense:

Self defense is the science of taking measures to protect one's own health and life. The problem with many self defense instructors is that they are too accustomed to teaching techniques and drills that are useless in the streets. You can practice techniques but if you fail to condition yourself to survive and adapt when they fail, you will get seriously hurt or killed. Effective self defense relies on fundamental principles more than techniques. That being said, i hope that my tips will help you in creating effective training.

* Learn unarmed combat - Whether it's martial arts or other unarmed combat systems, you will want to learn the fighting art that you are most comfortable with. To gain a better understanding of how armed combat works, it's helpful to understand how to defend yourself unarmed. There is no "one size fits all" to self defense. If you managed to throw a punch that your self defense instructor taught you and you ward off your attacker then good but what if you miss? By learning hand-to-hand combat, you will know how to deal with those situations.

* Work out with purpose - Don't just get muscular or physically fit, have a purpose for why you want to get physically fit and build muscles. Muscles may actually hinder your self defense training. Instead, focus on learning which muscles and physical abilities are useful in self defense. Learn which muscles are responsible for improving punching and kicking power then work those out. Work on balance, speed, agility, strength, stamina, and other essentials to self defense using various exercises.

* Choose quality practice over quantity - When i was a boy, i used to practice Karate high kicks but could never do them right because i didn't understand them. Don't just practice a technique without understanding. Understand what your practicing and why. Focus on using proper form and techniques as you incorporate it in your muscle memory rather than winning a sparring session. Push hard but not too hard. Train smarter not harder.

* Absorb what is useful and discard what isn't - As Bruce Lee said "absorb what is useful and discard what is useless. Add what is uniquely your own." There are many self defense "how to" guides teaching you how to defend yourself of a particular situation such as a gun disarm. While there are great techniques, there are also ones that are completely ineffective. There are many martial art techniques used in sports such as MMA which work well in those situations but when applied in self defense, they are useless. For example, using a Brazilian Jiu Jutsu armbar would work well in a competition but wouldn't work well in the street because you leave your whole body exposed to attack. As a student of self defense, you must have discernment. What techniques are best suited for self defense vs sport or training? You can pay a self defense instructor to teach you techniques but the questions you ought to be asking are - Is it simple? How simple? Are these techniques effective? How effective? Are they practical? How practical? Are they efficient? How efficient? Are they realistic? How realistic? Question the authority. Credentials won't mean much if you end up killed for using impractical techniques in a lethal circumstances. Therefore it is best to figure out for yourself as a fighter which techniques are practical and which aren't.

* Adapt to various situations - While you can learn techniques and practice sparring drills for many hours, you won't be able to apply them in self defense if you do not adapt. There are many variables that could alter the outcome of an attack on the street thus it's important to train in various situations without rehearsals. For example, if you've learned to disarm a gunman at close range then how would you respond to a gunman who pulled out his gun and fired from a longer distance? Adapting to every situation is crucial in self defense and you must be conditioned to it in training. If you practiced sparring with one partner then practice sparring with multiple attackers. Train sparring opponents with practice guns, knives, bats, etc. Spar with boxers and other types of fighters. Practice mock scenarios where you are forced to expect the unexpected and remember to keep certain principles in mind.


* Learn how to avoid conflict - Many self defense instructors teach the physical aspects of self defense but self defense can also be verbal, psychological, emotional, and mental. People will insult you and provoke you to attack so you must practice self control while not allowing your enemy to harm you with words. There are also cues and signs indicating a potential threat. Learning to diffuse a situation before it gets violent is more skilled than fighting itself.

I sure hope that these tips will greatly aid you in your training for self defense. If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to my blog for updates, more advice, and exclusive content in the near future. I'm proud and excited to offer a FREE sample chapter of my E-book "Jeet Kune Do: How to build your own fighting system for self defense!" It's essentially a step-by-step guide on how to make your own self defense system suited to fit your own needs using Jeet Kune Do. If you would love to receive your FREE chapter of my e-book, click on the link below and share a post via. social media then it's yours for FREE! Be sure to also fill out the survey on the right and provide feedback on my blog. Leave questions, comments, and suggestions below.

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