If you train Jiu-Jitsu, it’s sometimes easy to forget that this is a real martial art, because many of us have so much fun sparring in class without considering the real street aspect applications. And that’s where the debate between sport Jiu-Jitsu and self defense Jiu-Jitsu happens. This debate is especially heated in some of the best BJJ Forums on the internet. However, regardless of the type of Jiu Jitsu that you practice, just knowing Jiu Jitsu can help you with any real life fight.
Watching real street fights is immensely useful in your Jiu Jitsu journey. It shows you that people who don’t practice Jiu Jitsu don’t react the same way your sparring partner in class reacts. And it reminds you that you should be developing your Jiu Jitsu game to be more street applicable – in case you need it. Hopefully, your attacker isn’t coming to you with a sword or dagger.
Also, in a street fight, you don’t have the luxury of putting on your nice clean gi, taking off your glasses or even have time to take off your piercings so you don’t get hurt or they don’t rip. In a street fight, anything goes including slams.
There are always lessons to be learned in watching fights. Of course, it’s a lot easier pointing this out when watching a fight, instead of being in one. We have chosen 5 videos of real street fights where one of the fighters is using BJJ.
WARNING. The videos below, do contain violence. If you can’t handle watching street fights, then don’t proceed. And we definitely don’t condone fighting on the streets.
1) BLUE COLLAR WORKERS FIGHT
This fight starts with the Jiu Jitsu guy on top, and is swept. We aren’t sure if the other guy knows any Jiu Jitsu, but it does seem he has some experience because he does have some good base and was able to defend a few attacks.
As the Jiu Jitsu guy gets swept, he starts to take some punches, but does an amazingly great job and protecting himself by hiding under his opponents thigh. Then he is able to recover guard and briefly throws his opponent off base.
While he’s in the guard, he maintains great hand control of his opponent, which avoids the punches. Eventually, you see the Jiu Jitsu guy go for a kimura and it’s broken up.
LESSONS LEARNED
The Jiu Jitsu guy did an incredible job of blocking punches and getting seriously hurt. However, one punch is all that would have been needed to knock the Jiu Jitsu guy out. Keep in mind just how difficult it is to maintain your base. Our Jiu Jitsu guy should have mounted his opponent, but it seems that becuase of an early scramble, our Jiu Jitsu guy was on the bottom.
2) TRIANGLE CHOKE ON THE STREET
In this fight, our Jiu Jitsu guy is taking a lot of hits. It’s hard to see the damage he’s taking though, because of the angle. However, he does a good job of breaking his opponent down and holding him.
Eventually, he ends up getting a triangle. However, he doesn’t quite have the angle in order to get the choke, and to make things worse, his opponent falls to the side. It’s here that you actually see the damage our Jiu Jitsu guy has been doing from the bottom.
Instead of finishing off the choke, the Jiu Jitsu guy decides to just keep punching. Unable to get the triangle choke, he stands up and soccer kicks his opponent.