Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is the most effective martial art. It was already proven decades ago when Royce Gracie presented BJJ to the world in the early days of UFC, choking and submitting opponents twice his size. But a complete athlete must know way more than just submissions. So does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu have striking?
A legit Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy has basic striking lessons. Despite the main goal of Jiu-Jitsu as a martial art is using leverage and pressure to submit opponents using their own weight, knowing how to throw and defend from punches is fundamental for self-defense, one of the pillars of BJJ.
You cannot punch or kick an adversary in a BJJ fight or sparring (roll) in a training session. It’s not allowed. But learning how to throw an effective punch, distance management, how to position yourself (stance) and how to defend and counter-attack from striking on feet are essential principles of a legit Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy. It’s a crucial ability to learn, especially for beginners.
Self-Defense Is The Essence Of BJJ
Self-defense is the essence of Jiu-Jitsu, and there’s no self-defense without striking lessons. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a fighting style that aims to dominate the opponent and, consequently, make him give up through technical development of the strategy, applying valid and loyal finishing moves that aim to neutralize attacks, throw the opponent to the ground through takedowns and immobilize and strangle using pressure and twisting joints. This is the part of the martial art that is best known, mainly for the popularization of the competitive Jiu-Jitsu.
But a legit BJJ athlete must know way more than that. At least according to the grandmasters of the art, such as its creator, Helio Gracie. Looking back in time, you’ll see clearly that proving Jiu Jitsu’s hegemony as the most efficient self-defense was one of the great goals of the Gracie Family. And that was not only for marketing but to really empower weak individuals with techniques to beat stronger and bigger opponents, not only in competition but also in life. So the effectiveness of BJJ is not complete without the self-defense pillar, which surely involves striking.
If you take some minutes to study the history of Jiu-Jitsu you’ll understand why self-defense is very important and cannot be neglected. Since Conde Koma with the Japanese Jiu-Jitsu and its evolution to BJJ, you’ll notice that this martial art has deep roots in self-defense. It was created and then adapted with a clear purpose: give the condition for a weak individual beat and an individual way stronger. Competitive BJJ is amazing, I love it, but it’s just a part of this beautiful martial art, a real athlete must respect and understand the philosophy of the art. BJJ is a lifestyle.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Has Striking Lessons
Can you imagine a professional BJJ athlete not knowing how to defend himself from an unarmed aggressor on the street? Not knowing how to throw a punch to manage the distance or defending from a frontal kick? Those are just some examples of how important it is to a legit Brazilian Jiu Jitsu academy and its students not to neglect the self-defense classes that are an important part of martial art.
A good example of that is the Gracie Barra schools. They not sponsoring me for this, but I have no problem in enlightening brands that are doing a great job. In the Gracie Barra curriculum for beginners (called GB1), one-third of the classes are dedicated to self-defense techniques. Among chokes, takedowns, and immobilizations, some techniques involve striking. Throwing, defending, and counter-attacking punches and kicks are an elementary part of BJJ fundamentals.
I’m not saying that all BJJ schools must dedicate 1/3 of the beginner’s classes for self-defense techniques, but it’s important that newcomers receive at least some lessons on this matter. Real Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will always teach striking. You’ll not become a high-level striker training BJJ, it’s not the purpose, but you’ll develop a great range of techniques and principles that can be used to submit and neutralize all kinds of opponents.
Best Martial Arts For Striking
As I said before, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu does teach striking, but at a basic level for self-defense purposes. To become a high-level striker, there are great options of martial arts, some that involve more kicking and others that is all about punching. Let’s check some great options in the following list:
1) Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a striking martial art that uses fists, elbows, shins, knees, and feet. It’s excellent for weight loss, flexibility, strength, and conditioning of the whole body. Muay Thai is intense, a single 1-hour session of training can burn between 600 and 1000 calories. This martial art involves great physical preparation and classes include running, crunches, sit-ups, and stretches to increase elasticity, in addition to the striking techniques. It is one of the best martial arts for high-level strikers.
2) Boxing
One of the oldest fighting techniques, Boxing was described in sculptures from ancient Egypt around 1350 BC. Despite being practiced by all social classes, it gained the title of “noble art” when the European elite started to practice it in the past. Boxing is the professional fighting modality with the highest payments for its athletes. This fight is exceptional for punching and increases physical conditioning in general, despite focusing on punching and hip mobility.
3) Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a martial art that provides several benefits for the body, such as self-control, concentration, knowledge of the body, and improves self-defense. It’s a fight that mostly uses the legs, giving a lot of agility and strength to the body. Those who practice Taekwondo have a good usually have strong legs and powerful kicks, as the fight consists of applying blows and kicks above the waist and on the opponent’s head, in order to score points.
4) Karate
Another classic striking fight is Karate. Popular in the movies and an Olympic sport, Karate is a complete martial art in which you encounter traumatic blows (punches, kicks, knees, and elbows), falls, and immobilizations. For a long time, the fight was undervalued by the population, and its efficiency was put in check-in MMA. The result was extremely positive for the art, which has as its biggest representatives in the octagon UFC champions like Lyoto Machida and George St. Pierre.
Related Questions
Does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Teach Striking? Traditional Brazilian Jiu Jitsu schools teach basic striking in their self-defense curriculum. Even though punches and kicks are not allowed in a Jiu-Jitsu fight or sparring, knowing how to strike and defend from strikes is essential for any BJJ athlete.
Does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Involve Punching? Punching is not allowed in BJJ, as it’s a fighting style that aims to dominate the opponent using takedowns, immobilizations, and chokes. As BJJ has a pillar in self-defense, students learn basic punching in their first months of training.
Does Jiu Jitsu Teach You How Do You Punch? Jiu Jitsu self-defense classes teach students how to punch and how to defend themselves from punches. Despite not being the focus of BJJ, striking lessons are very important to improve the self-defense and confidence levels of the practitioners.
