Learning MMA in Fairfax - BJJ or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Of all the mixed martial arts available in Fairfax, BJJ (or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu) is one of the more vital disciplines that you need to learn. Even the most powerful striker with speedy footwork, lightning-fast punches and devastating kicks can easily be disabled if that striker does not know how to deal with grapples, joint-locks and chokeholds.

The Roots of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

The original Japanese Jiu Jitsu was developed by the samurai for unarmed combat rather than sporting purposes. It was meant as a backup for a disarmed samurai, wherein he would lunge in after an opponent's weapon strike, grab hold of a vital joint and disjoint - aka tear the joint - and then strangle the opponent with a chokehold.

Jiu Jitsu evolved out of the battlefield and into the sports arena, with two styles gaining prominence. These two are currently known as Judo and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The simplest way of differentiating the two is that judo focuses more on throws while BJJ focuses more on grapples and chokeholds.

Use in Mixed Martial Arts

If you go to any MMA school in Fairfax, BJJ will be one of the most prominent styles for dealing with ground combat. This is because MMA is more like a street fight than most other martial arts. It allows a wider range of attacks than most other forms and encourages you to force your opponent to lose his or her balance in the arena. Once you force your opponent to the floor, you then need to grab this opportunity to disable your opponent or force him or her to tap out - and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu does that extremely well with its repertoire of chokes and joint locks.

Conversely, you also need to learn how to defend yourself if ever you find yourself down on the ground - something that you will experience frequently while learning from MMA schools in Fairfax. BJJ will not only help you recover from getting grounded but will also potentially allow the tables to turn on your attacker. All it takes is to apply the right joint lock and you can force an overly aggressive opponent to tap out in mere seconds.

Bulk and Power vs. Speed and Technique

One of the best things about Brazilian jujitsu is that it relies less on power output and more on the correct application of force. This is the reason smaller and lighter mixed martial artists (like Georges St. Pierre) can be so brutally effective against larger, heavier opponents.

Remember that the windpipe and many joints of the body are not protected by muscle mass. All the bodybuilding in the world will not be able to save you if a skilled practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu wraps his feet around your waist, grabs you from behind and strangles you with the aptly-named Lion Killer choke lock.

Having some bulk and building up your strength will no doubt be an important regimen in many mixed martial arts schools in Fairfax. BJJ, however, is a discipline that will help level the field against larger opponents and will help you defend against other practitioners in a bout. Learn it, master it, and keep drilling it to turn apparent defeat into a surprise victory.

If you’re looking to learn Martial Arts, Pat Tray is chief instructor at the Trident Academy of Mixed Martial Arts, the premier training and instruction centre in the region. In Fairfax, BJJ, Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, Combat Submission Wrestling and Karate, can all be studied under the best martial arts instructors from across the NOVA and DC area.

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