Jiu-JItsu Based Self-Defense might sound like something unreal nowadays. The trouble with sports JIu-JItsu is that it is a sport, and it doesn’t really prepare people for violent altercations. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu of old, the stuff the Gracie’s though, was actually much more self-defense originated. It was developed mainly for Vale Tudo needs back when this style of fighting was very popular in BVrazil. However, Jiu-Jitsu, still to this day, remains a viable self-defense tool. In fact, some would argue it is the most reliable one available to use. Now, there’s a brand new, and a bit unusual BJJ DVD out, tackling this exact subject. The man behind it, Eli Knight Is equally as intriguing as his 8-part instructional.
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Eli Knight – Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions
We’re used by now to different formats of BJJ DVD instructionals. Anything from your usual DVD full fo techniques, Through 4 part instructionals containing entire systems to 8 or more part ones that pretty much cover entire grappling philosophies. Eli Knight brings us one of these latter type instructional in his “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” DVD. It is long, it is practical and it is entirely Jiu-Jitsu based. Will it work though? After all, we can train all the stuff Knight demonstrates, but can we ever really test them outside of MMA or real self-defense scenarios? As far as I can tell, everything on this DVD seems more than legitimate. Check out the full review!
BJJ And Realistic Self-Defense
As we know, BJJ wasn’t always a game of butt scooting to advantage victories. At a certain point in time, it was actually the most efficient defensive martial art in existence. Outside of military-style combat arts, of course. Back in the days of the first few UFCs, Royce Gracie demonstrated exactly how effective JIu-JItsu can be. He beat everyone that stood opposite him, regardless of martial arts experience, or size, for that matter. Moreover, he did not go through everything unscathed. He got punched, thrown, bitten, you name it. That just shows that even in situations where everything is a go, BJJ can prevail.
The only problem nowadays is not that BJJ has gone soft. It is only a rare few that focus on practicing these important aspects of the Gentle Art. Rickson, and pretty much every one of the Gracie family still carries on the tradition of practicing real self-defense. Gracie Barra has some stuff in their program, but it doesn’t make much sense. IN fact, I doubt anyone rally practices proper JIu-Jitsu based self-defense training, apart from perhaps those preparing for Combat Jiu-Jitsu. I’m not going to try and make the case to return Jiu-JItsu self-defense to every school out there. However, there should be a “branch” within the sport that covers this aspect. It would be a real waste to let the true spirit of JIu-Jitsu fade away, Particular when it is so effective as a self-defense system under a multitude of conditions. Just as Eli knight.
Eli Knight – A Self Defense Specialist
I did not mention Royce Gracie earlier in this article by accident. Royce is the man that awarder Eli Knight his black belt in BJJ. You can see how Knight’s pedigree is airtight right form the get-go. He is not only a very legitimate Jiu-Jitsu black belt but also truly experienced in the real self-defense aspects of it. Training with Royce for years would do that to you.
Eli Knight is another one of those people who spent their entire life in martial arts. And, just like many of them, he only found JIu-Jitsu to fulfill his requirements. He is a highly technical grappler, one who really enjoys training and teaching JIu-Jitsu based self-defense. Eli’s take si that proper movement is key to victory, whether it is on the mats, in the cage or on the streets. He is a highly knowledgeable and passionate BJJ instructor that also happens to teach an aspect of BJJ most of us have forgotten about.
Review: “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” DVD Instructional
So, what can you expect from the “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” DVD? To tell you the truth, I probably would have ignored it, if it wasn’t for the fact that this is an 8-part instructional. The length caught my eye, and I ha to go through it, I can safely say, that there are not many martial arts DVDs like this one out there. Having seen a whole lot of both BJJ and Krav Maga DVDs, I can definitely make this claim. This Eli Knight instructional is the real deal. It won’t teach you Jiu-Jitsu, but it will teach you how to use Ji-Jitsu to stay safe in any situation.
The organization of the instructional is done in accordance with the Brazilian Jiu-JItsu positions. To that extent, the DVD set starts with mount and side control solutions in the very first volume. Part two goes on to cover headlocks and ways to utilize guard passing in a street fight. Knee on belly and top positions, like side control and mount, follow in parts three and four of the instructional. There’s even an entire volume dedicated to a highly controversial subject – th closed guar’ ds effectiveness in real-life self-defense scenarios. Furthermore, Eli Knight covers open guards as well, before switching to standing and key grab defenses. The very final volume of the “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” instructional is all about the clinch, with lots of attention dedicated to this particular subject.
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Part 1 – Safe On Bottom
Kicking this Eli Knight DVD off is a portion on what to do when you find yourself on your back. Even in sport Jiu-Jitsu, being on the bottom of mount or side control is a difficult problem to solve. If you introduce striking and a total lack of rules the issue only gets more complicated. Now, imagine that you’re actually fighting someone who also knows grappling. Well, “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” assumes just that, and offers all the best answers.
First up, you get to learn three key ways of quickly getting out of the mount. Those include some basic movements like the Trap & Roll, Shrimp, and an easy but efficient elbow escape. They all work, both in sports and self-defense settings. Plus, they’re quick enough to keep you from receiving too much damage.
The final portion of this volume covers the side control bottom and different ways to stay safe and get out. Push escape options are first, followed by head wrap control and reversals. A few movement drills wrap it all up
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Part 2 – Headlocks And Passing
The headlock is arguably the most common street-fighting position there is. Just as the statistics state that most fights hit the ground at some point, you can bet that a headlock will pop up as well. There’s a really cool concept of escaping that Eli Knight shows her, called the uphill escape. It is not just perfect for self-defense, but grappling in general. Thre’s also a different way to escape – by punching yourself out of a headlock. It is all highly technical though and rounded off with a trapped arm escape to give you even more options
IN terms of guard passing, this is an innovative concept, to say the least. However, getting past an opponent’s legs is even more important when there are upkicks involved. Well, Eli offers great ideas on how to utilize the knee cut and leg drag passes to get past any guard and in dominant top position.
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Part 3 – Knee On Belly And Top Side Control
As you can see, the “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” progresses gradually, starting from the worst spots and going towards the best ones. That means that now that we got past the legs, it is time to take a look at to position strategies. While you might think this comes naturally, you’d be surprised how hard it can be to attain and stay in top position in a street-fight scenario. Knee on belly is up first, and the options are not unknown to grapplers. Eli Knight offers real effective self-defense tips, so no elbows or dumb stuff from knee on belly. Instead, you get armbar options on the near and far side, as well as a Kimura. The goal is total control, with the option of causing quick and debilitating injuries if needed. Plus, there’s a neat little movement drill that’ll ensure you stay in position.
AS opposed to sport BJJ, Eli goes to knee on belly before he covers top side control. Understandable, as he is not after points, but rather safety and quick resolutions. Options here range from Americanas, trough arm crushing toa submission-based scarf hold system that’s unbeatable.
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Part 4 – Attacking From Mount
The reason the mount brings the most points in Jiu-Jitsu is that it is the most dominant position to attack from. And by attacks, that means strikes in addition to submissions. Staying true to his style so far, Eli Knight keeps things technical and extremely JIu-JItsu based. Instead of trying to knock someone out from the mount, you get to learn control and some neat submissions. Ther are arm triangle and armlock attacks that are based on transitions, meaning you have a huge element of surprise. There’s also a great chapter on the S-mount that I ’ve actually found very useful for regular BJJ training.
Finally, marking the halfway point of the “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” DVD is a two-chapter section nn the gift wrap. This is one of Rickson’s favorite mount variations, and Knight demonstrates exactly why this is. Plus, the position connects the mount an back positions perfectly.
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Part 5 – Solving The Closed Guard
This volume really intrigued me very much. Using the closed guard in a self- defense scenario is often a very polarizing subject in BJJ. yes it was extremely effective in MMA, but a real fight is a bit different. Particularly with multiple opponents. Well, Eli Knight certainly offers solutions in his instructional.
The volume begins with general closed guard concepts in terms of self-defense. The focus here is on what is effective and will get you to safety fast. And the best route to safety are sweeps. Elevation, pendulum, hip bump, and scissor are the quartet that will ensure your success. Of course, there’s an armbar in there, along with a smooth Kimura setup. A guillotine finish is the cherry on top but not before addressing some more controversy. People often say arm triangles form the closed guard don’t work. Well, the one Knight demonstrates in “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” does, and it does os in both sport and self-defense settings.
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Part 6 – Open Guards In Self-Defense
Another thing I’d really be wary of is using an open guard in a street fight. Or I was until I saw Knight’s take on it. He really does offer things that make sense. Of course, the same primary goal remains – get on top, and get there quick. How? By using an innovative modified guard method by Eli Knight – the Pyramid guard. Options include triangles, Omoplatas and a bunch of sweeps, all from a position of great safety.
The best part about this concept is that it is really geared towards effective sweeps, like the tripod and technical stand-ups rather than retaining guard. This is different to what we’re used in BJJ, but it is also the main reason these concepts actually might work in a self-defense situation.
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Part 7 – Grab Defense From Standing
Every martial art, from Aikido to Karate has grab defenses as part of their curriculums. Most of them, if not almost all are complete nonsense. People do not grab and stand still. People grab and pull, push and/or strike. Luckily, Jiu-JItsu has ways of preparing you for this.
Bear hugs from the front and rear are first up. However, unlike the Gracie self-defense stuff that’s funny, Eli’s take on getting out is much more reality-based. The ways out include grip breaking and some key movement based on instincts. Moreover, there are guillotine and rear-naked choke defenses here that we do not use in sport grappling. Wrapping up area couple more headlock defenses, although this time from a broken posture situation.
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Part 8 – Clinch Work Masterclass
The very last volume of the “Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions” Eli Knight DVD is also the largest one in terms of content. Here, Eli covers clinching, which is a very underrated discipline in just about every martial art.
This is actually the most important part of self-defense training. A clinch is a way to shorten the distance and reduce threats while standing. At the same tie, you’re establishing dominance form the get-go. In fact, the opening concepts here cover sucker punches and various different types of clinches you can use. Moreover, he covers the safest ways of getting to the ground when there are no mats around. His preferred methods are body lock takedowns, small trips as well as hip throws.
What I really loved is the fact that he also offers a different path: 2-on-1 takedowns and arm drags. Moreover, the so-called clinch crackdown Is a real masterpiece that might just work in tournaments too. Lots of pummeling work marks the end of this awesome instructional, but not before a neat standing guillotine option to put people to sleep in an instant.
Summary
Picking up a Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense DVD might not be high on most modern grapplers’ priority lists. However, this one should be in everyone’s collection. Eli Knight will teach you how to take your Jiu-Jitsu knowledge and use it to protect yourself and your loved ones. And yeah, you will get punched and hurt in the process, there’s no way around that. But that’s exactly what makes this instructional so realistic and ultimately, effective.
ON SALE HERE:
Eli Knight – Jiu-Jitsu Based Self-Defense Solutions
