- Joined
- Feb 13, 2011
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When I started in Martial Arts, Kung-fu was still the thing. A local Kung-fu instructor who always dressed up as a Budhist Monk was the biggest game in town. He had a Prophet like following and led a cult who believed in Chi and death touch which they always taught after doing a criminal background check on you etc.
Then UFC started and people found out what real fighting was all about. Right after the first few UFCs, everyone wanted to learn BJJ but there were not enough instructors. Weekend Karate instructors would fly to BJJ seminars and then return with "certificates" (not belts but certificates of participation) and would still attract students. Then MMA evolved some more and fighters became more well rounded. While BJJ remains a part of the game, it no longer has the same "all out domination" aspect to it that it once had.
As I see martial arts culture today, a lot of BJJ schools in my area have a bigger "Muay Thai" and "Cross Fit" class than BJJ. Also visited a Taekwondo school where the instructor is not as accomplished in TKD as some of the instructors in BJJ in my area. Yet his school has more students. This makes me wonder where BJJ is headed in the next 10 years.
Aesthetically BJJ is not a spectator sport. It is not as much fun to watch and Kick boxing and TKD. It is also not dominating MMAs the way it did once. You cant look at a modern MMA fight and say "This is an advertisement of BJJ." Self-defense value of modern BJJ is often debated as there is a large group out there that remains convinced that it is not the optimum art for self defense. In the recent years, BJJ community is geared more towards tournaments and not much is done to address the perception that BJJ is not for the streets.
Question is what do you perceive to be the future of BJJ? Three scenarios come to mind.
1. Combat Jiu-jitsu will be born: All this will take is ONE business minded, high level BJJ big shot who will admit that modern BJJ, with its blind emphasis on tournaments and fancy guards is losing its connection with a real fight. He will come up with "DIRTY GRAPPLING" style with all the moves that are illegal and you may have a new FAD in self defense.
2. BJJ will continue as a sport only: The idea that BJJ is not for self defense will move from minority rhetoric to mass acceptance. None of this will bother the BJJ community just like boxers or collegiate wrestlers do not mind being strictly "athletes."
3. MMA gyms will be the places where remnants of what was once BJJ, will be found: Not all BJJ is applicable in MMA or even a street fight. Those elements of BJJ will survive that have proven themselves in Octagon and dirty, sweaty MMA gyms will be the places where they will be taught integrated with all of MMA.
Most BJJ blackbelts who have their gyms are now working full time jobs elsewhere. This was not the case when UFC initially started. How valuable do you think a BJJ blackbelt will be 10 - 15 years from now and it what capacity exactly?
Thanks.
Then UFC started and people found out what real fighting was all about. Right after the first few UFCs, everyone wanted to learn BJJ but there were not enough instructors. Weekend Karate instructors would fly to BJJ seminars and then return with "certificates" (not belts but certificates of participation) and would still attract students. Then MMA evolved some more and fighters became more well rounded. While BJJ remains a part of the game, it no longer has the same "all out domination" aspect to it that it once had.
As I see martial arts culture today, a lot of BJJ schools in my area have a bigger "Muay Thai" and "Cross Fit" class than BJJ. Also visited a Taekwondo school where the instructor is not as accomplished in TKD as some of the instructors in BJJ in my area. Yet his school has more students. This makes me wonder where BJJ is headed in the next 10 years.
Aesthetically BJJ is not a spectator sport. It is not as much fun to watch and Kick boxing and TKD. It is also not dominating MMAs the way it did once. You cant look at a modern MMA fight and say "This is an advertisement of BJJ." Self-defense value of modern BJJ is often debated as there is a large group out there that remains convinced that it is not the optimum art for self defense. In the recent years, BJJ community is geared more towards tournaments and not much is done to address the perception that BJJ is not for the streets.
Question is what do you perceive to be the future of BJJ? Three scenarios come to mind.
1. Combat Jiu-jitsu will be born: All this will take is ONE business minded, high level BJJ big shot who will admit that modern BJJ, with its blind emphasis on tournaments and fancy guards is losing its connection with a real fight. He will come up with "DIRTY GRAPPLING" style with all the moves that are illegal and you may have a new FAD in self defense.
2. BJJ will continue as a sport only: The idea that BJJ is not for self defense will move from minority rhetoric to mass acceptance. None of this will bother the BJJ community just like boxers or collegiate wrestlers do not mind being strictly "athletes."
3. MMA gyms will be the places where remnants of what was once BJJ, will be found: Not all BJJ is applicable in MMA or even a street fight. Those elements of BJJ will survive that have proven themselves in Octagon and dirty, sweaty MMA gyms will be the places where they will be taught integrated with all of MMA.
Most BJJ blackbelts who have their gyms are now working full time jobs elsewhere. This was not the case when UFC initially started. How valuable do you think a BJJ blackbelt will be 10 - 15 years from now and it what capacity exactly?
Thanks.
