TacticalBarbell.com

grouchyjarhead wrote:When I first got into law enforcement, I had a background in striking (boxing and Kyokushinkai primarily). I then began training in Judo. I have used Judo principles and techniques far more than strikes during my time. I have only had to punch two people and I can count on my hands how many times I have used a knee strike or a leg kick. With rare exception the Judo has served me well on every force incident I've been involved with. So out of those choices, BJJ would be the best bet - just make sure you don't fall into the trap of some BJJ gyms where takedowns get neglected. As one of my Judo instructors was fond of saying, "the biggest fist you can hit someone with is planet Earth." You can take a lot of wind out of someone's sail by taking them down hard onto the ground.

Grouchy, thanks for the advice. I'll look a little more and see if there is judo around, I never considered it.

i think ground-based fighting is the way to go, but i am slightly biased since i've been training BJJ for a long time.

i find the uptake on judo - meaning learning the moves - to be a bit difficult and take a fair bit of time to be proficient. i think wrestling is quicker to learn, but there aren't many adult options to pursue outside of it being blended into a well rounded BJJ or MMA program.

speaking of MMA, i've been very impressed lately with the caliber of MMA guys at local gyms i've trained at. they are not particularly great at any one aspect, at least at the amateur levels, but they are very very hard to deal with. i've had more difficult rolling sessions with MMA guys than a lot of BJJ guys.

so MMA is another option. but make sure it's a credible gym, and that usually means it has a solid BJJ/Judo/Wrestling/Boxing/Kickboxing program attached to it.

One thing I will say in defense of Judo is though there are something like 67 official throws, if you watch the high level players in the Olympics they typically only really master a handful of throws. Find the ones that work for you, and use them.

I used 2-3 common throws quite a bit (coincidentally a forward, backwards, and turning throw so one for each situation) which I could put in combination with each other pretty well so even against some bigger fellows I always ended up getting the takedown. I found some success with "morote gari" (the good ole double leg takedown) and got a good scare from a popular competition throw once (very aggressive individual who ended up having to go to the hospital due to it - multiple stitches and a concussion) so I avoid using that one for the most part now.

Uchikomi (practicing all steps of the throw except the throw itself) is also incredibly valuable in learning how to off balance folks and can be done with anyone so that's a big benefit too (my wife has had to be my training partner for practice many times so she can attest to that!)

Like anything though, YMMV. Toughest cop I ever met fought as an amateur in boxing and went to college for wrestling. He's a monster in an average sized package. He once got hit by a drug dealer's car, ended up denting the whole front of the car but he still chased the guy on foot and ran him down. He was in the gym the next day. He's a scary guy. I used to spar with him and he hits like a truck - not ashamed to say I was outclassed.

I think it's good to know both. I try and train muay thai and jits. On patrol or plainclothes duties I probably used bjj more. On the team I used muay thai more. Carrying an mp5 makes grappling awkard and dangerous upon initial contact, especially when taking the sling into account. Push kicks and knees come in very handy for softening up badgers if your hands are full. At the very least it bought me time and distance so I could properly sling across my back and move in hands-free or reassess. Of course I'm talking about assaultive/actively resistant guys here, not the immediately compliant.

spemma wrote: speaking of MMA, i've been very impressed lately with the caliber of MMA guys at local gyms i've trained at. they are not particularly great at any one aspect, at least at the amateur levels, but they are very very hard to deal with. i've had more difficult rolling sessions with MMA guys than a lot of BJJ guys..

x2!!!!!!