Thousands of people worldwide consider Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to be the safest and most effective system of self-defense available. Why? Is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu really a better martial art than karate? Or Aikido?
There’s no definitive answer as to which style of martial arts is ‘the best’. Ask a student from every discipline and they’ll each tell you their style is better. It is however commonly known that different fighting styles work best in different situations. So, that gives us four distinct areas which separate Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the others.
First, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is designed for surprise situations. As a grappling art (rather than a striking art), it relies on close contact and wrestling-like holds to control your opponent, in case you’re attacked by surprise, or from behind. Allotting for a wide range of instant reactions to an attack, you have an arsenal of potential responses to any situation.
Second, size and strength are irrelevant. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was developed by men of smaller stature, so it had to take into account ways of defeating larger opponents. Unlike a striking art where size and strength typically determine an outcome, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu focuses more on controlling the situation, making use of an arm lock, or some other type of submission hold.
Third, it allows for realistic preparation. Most striking arts don’t allow you to practice as you would in a real-life situation, since you or your partner would likely injure each other if you kicked or punched as you would if your life depended on it. A grappling art like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, on the other hand, can be practiced at precisely the same intensity you’d use for real. ‘Muscle memory’ is often underrated, but when you condition yourself to react in a certain way, it becomes second nature for you when you’re forced to respond to a situation in which you don’t have time to think.
Lastly, it allows you to control the severity of a situation. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can either allow you to safely subdue someone without injury, or go as far as permanent injury, if necessary. Many professions that require safe suppression of an individual (e.g. police, night club staff) favor this martial art due to its flexibility of control.
It’s ultimately up to you to decide which martial arts style works best, for your needs, but at least now it’s easier to understand what makes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu so unique.