mattpower
thanks for your reply mcmagnus, as it doesnt reli help wen ppl go " dont get into a fight" etc lol.
whats bjj like ??? wud you say the moves are effective, like would your entire ground game be covered with it ?
Yeah I know what you mean, people always say don't get into a fight but sometimes thats easier said than done; though if ever possible always run away!!
In terms of BJJ, I love it, its VERY tough, but we spend at least half of all classes sparring and this is a good way to test if the techniques you've learnt will actually work against a resisting opponent.
But will doing just BJJ be good for streetfighting? Probably not. Though I believe it can help.
Personally the last place I would want to be in any fight(even a one on one fight) is on the ground. You might roll over broken glass, end up hitting your head on concrete, etc, etc. Or the worst case senario is if the guy your fighting has many friends who come over and start to kick you in the head. (I've been in this situation with being knocked to the floor and then having about 4 guys all kicking me in the head, its not nice!)
However, the techniques in BJJ would come in useful depending on the situation; probably most useful in a one on one fight(If you ever find yourself fighting a guy brave enough and with the honour to fight alone!?!? which seems to be a rare thing as most people who start fights are such cowards they only do it with their mates to back them up). e.g. a few techniques such as standing guillotine choke, standing kimura would all work if they were open to you. Takedown defence would be good and having a good centre of gravity as alot of fights tend to end up in a clinch. Also the ability to take the guy down if you want to, though generally a trip or throw would be better than a 'pick up and slam' style double leg takedown IMO - e.g. you could get the guy off-balance and throw the guy on the concrete floor, then just run away.
I just personally couldnt really see an armbar or triangle working well in a realistic self defence situation. knowledge of positions and sweeps would be useful to a certain degree though I think.
Always remember though if you train BJJ you are training it for competion, be it MMA or grappling, and not for street fighting(unless its BJJ tailored for self defence which I've never come across). So you are not training for an environment which could be different every time, like it would be on the street. This is the case for most martial arts aswell I believe.
This is where I like Krav Maga as you train specifically for self defence/survival, not to learn fancy moves that work well in a matted dojo, but don't work relistically on the street.
I wish there was somewhere local to me where I could train Krav Maga, but unfortunately there isnt. The only Krav Maga i've done was a 2day/16hour 'bootcamp' tailored to self defence and street crime. For me this was the best self defence skills I've ever learnt. For Krav Maga though, check the credentials of an instructor as Ive heard its getting quite 'McDojo-ish' with people trying to cash in on the name.
Even with a knowledge of grappling if I were unlucky enough to find myself on the floor I would do EVERYTHING to get back to my feet and run away.