Does BJJ actually work for self-defense? I analyzed FBI crime statistics, 300+ street fights, and 30 years of UFC data—and what the research shows about Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and real violence will challenge everything the martial arts industry has told you.
The conventional wisdom says BJJ is the ultimate self-defense system because Royce Gracie dominated early UFC events using ground fighting. Six million people now train in it globally. But when you examine actual violent encounters, the data reveals a massive gap between sport fighting and real-world violence.
This breakdown examines: why ground fighting worked in 1993 but declined to only 11.4% of modern UFC finishes, what FBI statistics reveal about who actually attacks you (77% are people you know, not strangers), why 59% of people who go to the ground first lose in street violence, and what self-defense programs with proven 50% assault reduction rates actually teach.
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📌 RELATED TOPICS: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu effectiveness, self-defense training research, martial arts statistics, UFC evolution, street fighting analysis, violence prevention data
#bjj #brazilianjiujitsu #selfdefense #martialarts #UFC #selfdefensetraining #martialartsmythbusting
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Garbage clickbait.
Throughout history, the best self-defense has always been controlling your tribe's territory. Our problem isn't a lack of martial-art training — it's a lack of the will to band together and drive the barbarians out. We outnumber them 1000 to 1 — they are only a problem because we LET them be.
Avoidance is king.
Thank goodness i now know I can beat a bjj purple belt or a boxer with two years training or a mma fighter? And I have no experience with fighting! Just need to get these people on the street and grab myself a weapon of some kind hopefully have some mates with me and I’m golden!!? 👍👍👍👊
just kick the nuts
6 million?! Try 200,000,
It might be beneficial to distinguish between today's BJJ (submission grappling) which is focused on competitions, with their ever expanding sets of rules and restrictions; and the Gracie style of Jiu-Jitsu (showcased in the original UFC's), which is based on self-defense.
BJJ is a joke and i have always knew it was the worst martial art, i'm glad people finally see the truth now, BJJ is a cult for weak men
Before anyone (if anyone really can, I dunno) take on multiple, armed attackers, they first have to learn how to handle one, unarmed attacker at a time.
The only videos I've found of actual "street" fights where someone successfully defended themselves against multiple attackers have been someone using good, fundamental boxing skills.
And I train primarily GJJ, so not biased for boxing, that's just the facts as I know them right now.
Edit: yes, self defense is primarily awareness, avoidance, attitude, de-escelation, and always stomp the groin twice…/jk The rest is learning how to fight, which should only be necessary for someone failing awareness, etc…
Bjj save me not just for the sports aspects of it it save me when i was attack what most people get wrong or do not want to see about bjj is that you not necesarelly will go to the ground to apply your bjj in self defense you can arm drag and take the back for example this martial art tech you now just how to fight but it also will teach to became a fighter in your mentality you get use to get smash in the floor you get use tu pull and push you lear how to deal with presasure and that is it so when you are under attack you do not need boxing or bjj you need to know you have your tools know how to fight it all about that
I couldnt care less about self defense or violence, i Just train because it's fun
There's another thing about martial arts and real violence: privilege. A huge percentage of martial artists, especially in BJJ, come from privileged backgrounds. Martial arts cost time and money, so they've always been a past time for people who have both to spare. Most of the people training BJJ for self defense, cosplay as some version of John Wick in their head. In reality they live in more or less peaceful neighborhoods, have a steady job, don't owe money to shady people, get enough food and sleep and, statistically, have a peer group with a similar life style. They don't need fighting skills to defend themselves! Sure, there are fringe chances of home invasions, creepy encounters in a subway or drunk dudes at parties, but all of these can be avoided without knowing martial arts. If you can afford BJJ, you can afford a home security system instead, you can afford to travel by car or at least commute in groups (or get a dog) and going to parties or clubs is a deliberate choice.
There's another side of that coin though. I work with kids and young adults who live in a poor neighborhood and I've also trained MMA and boxing with them. They actually train for real life violence, not self defense, but violence. Getting into fights is way more likely if you or your family/friends owe money to the wrong people, if you only get by financially if you're sometimes forced to dip your toes into the criminal world (i. E. stealing or dealing) and if you live around people who are tired, depressed, stressed, often intoxicated and/or desperate. People from these backgrounds need to know how to fight or they get crushed by life. Lots of them take up martial arts for that reason and, sometimes, use it as a way out. Every third professional fighter has a comparable background story (Alex Pereira, Tyron Woodley, Charles Oliveira, Mike Tyson etc). But some of them also turn into dangerous people. A desperate young man with no perspectives in life and who knows how to fight, is a danger for himself and others. So there are people who actually get "self defenseish" benefits from martial arts, but there's a non zero chance that martial arts benefit them to become people the rest of society needs to defend themselves from 😅
In short, if you're well off, you don't need martial arts for self defense and if you're poor, you might need it to survive and it's a possible career path, but it might aid you to become a danger to yourself and others.
There's another thing about martial arts and real violence: privilege. A huge percentage of martial artists, especially in BJJ, come from privileged backgrounds. Martial arts cost time and money, so they've always been a past time for people who have both to spare. Most of the people training BJJ for self defense, cosplay as some version of John Wick in their head. In reality they live in more or less peaceful neighborhoods, have a steady job, don't owe money to shady people, get enough food and sleep and, statistically, have a peer group with a similar life style. They don't need fighting skills to defend themselves! Sure, there are fringe chances of home invasions, creepy encounters in a subway or drunk dudes at parties, but all of these can be avoided without knowing martial arts. If you can afford BJJ, you can afford a home security system instead, you can afford to travel by car or at least commute in groups (or get a dog) and going to parties or clubs is a deliberate choice.
There's another side of that coin though. I work with kids and young adults who live in a poor neighborhood and I've also trained MMA and boxing with them. They actually train for real life violence, not self defense, but violence. Getting into fights is way more likely if you or your family/friends owe money to the wrong people, if you only get by financially if you're sometimes forced to dip your toes into the criminal world (i. E. stealing or dealing) and if you live around people who are tired, depressed, stressed, often intoxicated and/or desperate. People from these backgrounds need to know how to fight or they get crushed by life. Lots of them take up martial arts for that reason and, sometimes, use it as a way out. Every third professional fighter has a comparable background story (Alex Pereira, Tyron Woodley, Charles Oliveira, Mike Tyson etc). But some of them also turn into dangerous people. A desperate young man with no perspectives in life and who knows how to fight, is a danger for himself and others. So there are people who actually get "self defenseish" benefits from martial arts, but there's a non zero chance that martial arts benefit them to become people the rest of society needs to defend themselves from 😅
In short, if you're well off, you don't need martial arts for self defense and if you're poor, you might need it to survive and it's a possible career path, but it might aid you to become a danger to yourself and others.
I'm blackbelt 3 degrees in Taekwondo. I always know this. We learn to solve the violence as much as we could. The good self defense to avoid the violence before the start, The worst self defense is to fight
There's no need to pick and choose.
It's like asking: if you want to make money, should you get a high-paying job, save and invest a percentage of your income, or quit your expensive habits?
Or: if you don't want to drown, should you avoid hurricane zones in hurricane season, stay within view of lifeguards, or learn to swim?
If you want to avoid violence, should you avoid bad situations and bad company, run away, or have some basic grappling skills?
How about: yes, yes, and yes.
lol,… the MA I was in WAS with people I knew, with weapons and often multiple attackers (Steel and wood medieval weapons). But seriously Full contact MA of any kind can give you an advantage over others with none.
This is a good wake up call to reality.
This video is completely pointless.
Everything you said is an argument for training BJJ, albeit not alone.
40-45% of fights having BOTH people on the ground isn't compelling enough to convince you of that?
And 70-75% of fights with 1 person on the ground, and 59% of people going down first losing the fight, is not compelling enough to tell you that you need to train to make sure that person who goes down first is not you (aka training stand up, whether as part of BJJ, Wrestling, Judo etc)?
Your statement about taking the fight to the ground being good for BJJ, but a disadvantage in a street fight, is obviously false going by the statistic which you just gave… taking the other person down will massively increase your chances.
And if you do end up being on the losing side of that 75% statistic on the ground – is BJJ not one of the best things to train to have the best chance of getting back up off the ground?
So basically this seems to come down to… don't pull guard in a street fight, lol.
Keep up the great work 💪
Here's the sad reality that bjj dorks refuse to admit: bjj DOES NOT WORK … whenever a bjj clown says that bjj works, they always refer to 1 of the following 7 types of examples, all of which can effortlessly be debunked with little more than basic common sense and stone cold facts/clear and undeniable pieces of evidence supporting the opposite of said wilfully ignorant and delusional statements:
1) "Royce Gracie beat everyone during the early UFCs …":
As Tank Abbott explained loud and clear on the JRE podcast … "Royce Gracie wasn't tough because he learned jiu jitsu, Royce Gracie is a tough man."
Furthermore, all Gracie fights were staged for bjj to "win" …
Whenever bjj works in mma matches, it's not because bjj works, it's because those tough guys (mma fighters are tough guys) MADE bjj work …
People keep saying nowadays that "karate works" because Lyoto Machida is a UFC Fighter and he used karate and won … karate in itself doesn't work … Lyoto Machida MADE karate work … why … because Lyoto Machida is a tough customer, like all MMA Fighters are (well, MOST OF THEM, looking at you Ronda Rousey …).
2) "The Gracies beat every challenger during the Gracie Challenges/Gracie in Action matches …":
They cherrypicked opponents with ZERO wrestling or grappling ability, in fact, their invitation specifically stated "NO WRESTLERS" … they simply submitted a bunch of people who were pretty much untrained … or trained in other styles that also do not work … being the most effective style that doesn't work is not exactly setting the bar very high …
3) "Gordon Ryan and Mikey Musumeci are multiple world champions …":
Gordon Ryan is on so much JUICE it would make Prime Arnold Schwarzenegger blush (JUICED Jitsu) and as for autistic subhuman turds like that entitled snowflake Mikey Musumeci … all he does is compete with other, similarly autistic subhuman turds in the same lame arse game that puts you to sleep just from watching … being the better bjj competitor, beating a lesser bjj competitor doesn't mean bjj works … the same way beating a lesser aikidoka at aikido doesn't mean aikido works lol …
Being a multiple world champion in bjj is basically the equivalent of telling Elon Musk you're the richest millionnaire on the planet (in response, he'll simply smirk and say "that's cute …").
It's like telling dr Sheldon Cooper you're the brightest engineer, geologist or expert on liberal arts (he will simply tell you that engineers are the oompa loompa's of science, that geology isn't a real science and that liberal arts are a complete waste of time, money and resources, he'll tell you that you're obviously good at what you do, but what you do, simply isn't worth doing …)
It's the equivalent of saying you're the best artist in Kindergarten … except for your parents and your teacher, nobody will care …
It's like being world champion of Spelling Bees … nobody cares and everyone thinks you're just a freak with no social life …
Also, whenever a bjj dork is triggered whenever you tell them that bjj doesn't work, they always reply with the same old predictable "COME VISIT A BJJ SCHOOL AND CHALLENGE ONE OF OUR X BELTS …"
Yeah, no shit Sherlock, if you force people to play your autistic little game at your own turf under your very own favored rules, of course you're gonna have the clear advantage … Even if you win, they'll simply swarm you out of spite since you're alone and bjj only "works" 1 on 1 …
TRY THAT TRASH while walking down the street and you get caught off guard, outside of your matrat fairytale fantasy, in an environment entirely alien to you where none of your biased bullsh** rules apply and where your comfort zone is literally miles away from where you are right there and then …THAT is how REALITY works …
I swear, not even exaggerating here, if I received even a penny every time a triggered bjj clown challenged me to come down to his gym and then go complete radio silence soon after, the moment I replied him or her to come find me instead, making it more interesting/unpredictable/REALISTIC, I would've been one helluva well funded old SOB by now … yet here we are …
4) "You see criminals, thieves, thugs, robbers etc. being submitted all the time …":
Yes, … you do … why … because they clearly have ZERO combat or grappling training and therefore rely on numbers, the element of surprise, physical superiority or a weapon for a reason …
"BJJ doesn't work because if you go to the ground, you are likely to lose"
Show's a guy getting wrecked by Ura Nage
Bjj is not a self defense anymore it used to be many years ago a good japanese jujutsu school judo and boxing will get you through no probs
Not mentioning that there are many incentives for striking vs ground fighting… knockouts get you paid more, that’s also part of the story… fans prefer striking
Bro i just train to be healthy man. what fake fights?
if it comes to it I have my tactical equipment ready, like in cod back in the days, claymore and stun grenade XD, no gun battle lmao
5:44 I can't continue watching. No more BJJ for this guy. Just knife fights and shooting.
NOT clickbait, just truth that hurts peoples ego's. If you go to the ground in a crowd, you have no clue what risk you are in, your trusting that no one will touch you but the person you're fighting, good luck not getting kicked in the face by someone who just wanted to!!
So… this shows that people who do train avoid violence even if they don’t use bjj but just the confidence they gained? BJJ would for sure help in a known attacker situation. It can help someone escape as escape is a top tier option. People should carry mace and maybe consider firearms training and concealed carry as the ultimate form of “self defense.”
The problem in the modern world is that with all your years of training is nullified because thugs use knifes. And it sks but knife } martial art. Dont listen to boomers who tell you "just punch the biggest thug of the group". 90% of time i was in trouble with thugs it were groups and they just soccer kick your head if you try going to the ground with one of them. That said, bjj can be very good in 1 vs 1
Having Training is better than not having training either way. However this is why you should stay strapped or get clapped.
Brown belt here. The gracie family kicked asses long way before vale tudo and ufc, thats why bjj is what it is as effective. Any martial artist was welcomed to walk in in those days and prove himself and everytime they were defeated. Then in vale tudo then un UFC. Period. Now besides the martial aspect bjj is no more about proving anything to other martial arts, its about enjoying it as a healthy life way of being. MMA exist and that was the GOAL to incorporate bjj into other martial arts. The art of taking the fight to the ground and end it in a few seconds or getting a mounted superior position is all about bjj. Once you bring a larger opponent to the ground he cannot use momentum against you like he does standing.
I tried bjj before but didn't continue seeing as every time I've been attacked, it's always multiple people and when I'm alone so it would be useless in that situation
Great analysis
Personally, I've found through the years that there are hardly any fights I can't run away from. So, it seems like a losing investment to spend thousands of hours developing a skill that I'll probably never actually need. Plus, after a few decades, I won't have the strength & speed to use those skills anyhow. Personally, if I have to go somewhere sketchy, I just carry… easy-peasy.
You are wrong. I worked as a bouncer for 8 years. Of course I trained mma, but jiu jitsu was a big part of that. Real world situations that were handled “gently “ by using submissions and grappling the majority of the time. You obviously have limited experience with real world violence.
We train for fun, and when street beef happens, we have skills.
Also 70% of the population in any country are really stupid and want to belong more than they want to be correct on any given topic. This explains trends and more than you would think. See "Asch Conformity Experiment/Study" truly eye opening! Few people have been in real street fights let alone a lot of street fights, bar fights, unsanctioned fights and this is why they fall for anything!
BJJ worked early on in UFC because of it's novelty. Most strikers had not scene it or trained it. Advanced wrestlers also did well in UFC. Few combat sports allowed strikers and grapplers in modern time.
Just avoid drunk people and you probably won't get in a fight. Plus, you won't be annoyed by drunk people.
Finally!!! Someone is telling the truth about BJJ NOT being a street effective martial art!!!
Good video, well done. Nothing and nobody is perfect with such complex problems.
A lot of smart people judging what style of fighting is good or what is bullshido, in their “expert” opinion. But I hear most of them making statements they assume to be so but are not so. Arm chair critics are bad but so are many of the “experts”. You never know what you might face, even when doing your very best to avoid trouble of all kinds, which is highly recommended. It’s nearly impossible to pre judge what type of fight is erupting or what it might turn into. They could be “gentlemen” or could have weapons and intend to kill you. You don’t know how many are in the fight either. Friends or even strangers can jump into what you think is one-on-one and make it into quite the mess. I’ve seen and defended against the entire range over my long life. I’m glad I trained the majority of years of my life and in different styles and systems. Looking back, I’m so glad to have a range of skills enabling me to deal with a wide range of attacks, but especially for the worst type. Though deadly attacks may be more rare, it’s more costly to lose. The timing of style training also served me well. I was well served by grappling skills when I was younger where fights were unlikely to be life and death and usually were one-on-one. But in my twenties I began to see more killers out there, more use of weapons including improvised, and more multiple attacker scenarios. In my sixties I was jumped by a gang armed with blades. It seemed this gang wanted the ego, glory, and adrenaline rush of killing an old man in cold blood for the fun of it. I defended myself “empty handed” and alone. It all happened extremely quickly. I know of only one system that properly prepared me for my defense of this type of attack. I had been training for just this kind of attack, surprise, multiple attackers, armed with knives, with full intent to kill. I used skills of: timing, very deceptive movement, bull fighting like deception, “moving with”, yielding to forces, “less is more”, maintaining my own calm, homeostasis, and balance, to name a few skills it requires. A lesson I learned is that I never had time to pull my weapon out. It was all too fast. I just had to blend and move right then, immediately with no breaks in the action. In summary, I found over my long life that most any and all skills might be helpful, depending upon your skill level, and depending upon scenario. But the most dangerous scenarios are more likely to be life-taking, that’s what I now prioritize. I’m glad I’ve trained and still training for that. That’s why I’m still around. I leave you with a few quotes I love, “some training is better than none, and more is better than that.” “You can have the very best fighting skills but a true professional will take you out without you even knowing what happened to you.” My training from youth helped me prevent abuse of all kinds and even death itself. Just train, you’ll do better than those not training. But also, if you can, find a place that does more realistic street attacks by many on one and with weapons. And a place that teaches you how to remain calm in the storm. Otherwise you’ll likely gas out or worse. Respectfully submitted, George
Yep. Human beings are tool users and social creatures, and that's how we increase our power. Even the best at MMA can't do nearly the damage a group can do and of course some of our most horrible weapons are capable of ending life on the planet as we know it.
Ignoring tools and cooperation, and looking at just what we can do purely physically to survive even multiple attackers, the best martial art is probably running. Helps you temporarily outrun the grim reaper too along with a good diet.
As a 45 year old blue belt, Jiu Jitsu is a great alternative to just going to the gym and lifting weights.. it keeps you in shape and by competing in tournaments, it let's you test yourself in a standard " self defense situation ".. I love BJJ and will continue to train until I cant physically do it anymore
6 million train Brazilian Jew Jitsu
Boxing techniques , judo throwings, hiting with elbows and knees like karate would work or not. Never against a kniife or a gun.
Here is the thing about fighting. You need to have practiced a set of skills enough times to recall them quicker than your opponent. In addition, sport martial arts teaches the 2 most important skills: dostance and timing. That recal and management of distance and timingl needs to be better depending on factors like the opponents size and athleticism. This is why non-competitive "self defense" martial arts like Krav Maga don't work. I am no great fighter. Every UFC fighter would kill me. But I am a multiple time Taekwondo national champ with hundreds of competitions, AAU All-American wrestler, purple belt in BJJ, and a few kickboxing matches. When I teach self-defense, I teach my students to stick with the basics: we work basic combinations with jab cross, elbows, low kicks, etc. NO SPINNING STUFF! I was attacked by a drunk guy in a very rare bar experience (I don't drink and hate crowds.) As he stepped into my range my 100,000 hours of Taekwondo kicked in (pun?) and I instinctively threw a backkick. To my surprise (even more than anyone else) the guy (who was easily 70+ lbs bigger than me) collapsed before shrinking away bent over. I mention this not as a cool war story. I would have never trained someone else to do that. The point is that simple techniques are best because they work with the least reconditioning of neural pathways. However, ALL moves work with sufficient retraining. It's why I will always bet on tje trained sport fighter.
Juice Jones is best fighter in world, main tactics
1. Èye pokes
2. Oblique kick to knee
3. Steroids 😂😂😂😂
in my 40's I owned a nightclub, where I was also the main bouncer. had 25 years of various martial arts from aikido to jujitsu to Kung fu, etc. Judo and Jujitsu were a great help for bouncing people. Knowing how to or instinctively understanding how to manuever them. Once I got them outside my outside security took over, but getting a large unwilling angry person out the martial arts helped me handle myself. Bouncing isn't fighting. The guy is just mad, drunk, or both, he's not a serious threat, 99% of the time. I've only been in a small handful of actual real fights and I NEVER wanted to go to the ground, but my familiarity with BJJ and Judo gave me the moves and legs to stay up no matter what. I think that's why I didn't get injured any worse than I did (broken tooth on one, various sprains on another). I always carry, and showing the cops my CHL and letting them know that the gun was inside my waistband, on my hip, but never got pulled immediately changed their attitude from suspicious to friendly. I think having my CHL but not drawing my gun helped me avoid in potential charges in those few fights.
Self defense instructor who primary teaches grappling here. Lets be realistic. 99% of people on the planet dont get into fights and dont get stabbed or murdered. The most realistic scenario for a white male in western country, aged 30-45, is – someone pushed him because he did something dumb on the road, or noisy teenagers got mad when he said them to be more respectful. When you actually look at what happens in most cases, its always some sort of grabbing, pushing, a headlock and thats it. Same for women. Most women dont get brutally raped. Most women DO get dragged by their arm once or twice in their lives. What im saying is… unless the violence is through the roof, knowing BJJ solves 99% of possible self defence problems for most civilized countries in "middle class" locations. Im from Europe, and i have studies 100s of cases of attacks. MOST self defense situation are NOT life and death situations. They are domestic bullcrap or some sort of peacocking. Some big drunk dude grabs you in a headlock – is more realistic for average man, than being stabbed or shot in the face by 3 attackers. If violence gets bad, nothing can help. Even not a gun, hence – people die in shootings while holding AKs just the same as the ones who are unarmed. But you dont train for a movie scenario. You train for realistic situations. A female who can hold a closed guard and tie up a drunk date while someone calls cops is a good skill. She shouldnt ignore BJJ just because "what if he has a chainsaw and a full set of armor?".
If you don't know about THE Fight in Floor,when you did catch and get down in THE Floor you certainly Will be lose and have yours bones broken ou choke ,and no chance to punch ir get UP against someone WITH skills in Fight in Floor