The Importance of Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Its Emphasis on Ground Grappling
It is worth remembering that a real fight or self -defense situation does not occur the way we see in the movies.
Rarely, if ever, are there fancy or flashy moves that are effective. Instead, we find almost instant close range fighting that leads to grabbing, pushing, pulling and eventually the ground. For a predator to inflict the most damage it is their instinct to knock or drag a victim to the ground. Once on the ground, they can then continue the attack with very little effective resistance from the victim. This is true for almost all predatorial attacks whether it is a bully in school or a more serious sexual assault type scenario. The reality is that for the majority of people, the majority of time, in the majority of self defense situations a working knowledge of ground grappling is essential for survival. As my friend Rorion Gracie (Creator of the UFC and eldest son of the late Grandmaster Helio Gracie) said " if you do not know how to fight on the ground you do not know how to fight." Said another way, if you are unprepared to defend yourself on the ground you are unprepared to defend yourself! This is true for everyone regardless of belt rank, certification, or martial arts experience.
