What Are The 3 Effective Martial Arts That Really Work?

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What are the 3 most effective martial arts that will actually save your behind? Well, they are more of fighting styles rather than martial arts but are by far the most effective ones to help you survive: Kickboxing, Wrestling, and Grappling.

The main reason why they can help save you? They work against trained opponents just as well as against non-trained ones.

What Can You Do To Effectively Defend Yourself?

What exactly is self-defense? Let’s define it like this: if you can get out of a potentially violent situation without any harm done to yourself, you’ve excelled at self-defense. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

So when a situation does get violent, which martial arts will actually help you defend with minimal damage and get to safety, rather than hoaxing you in a false sense of security?

These are the arts (or sports if you will) that help you easily dispose of people who have no martial arts experience at all. They are also the ones that help you deal with trained martial artists by using the same principles that you would against non-trained assailants.

The ability to deal with trained people is what makes the difference when we’re deciding whether or not a martial art is effective.

What you want is to get good at fighting quickly, rather than spend years trying to perfect “if this than that” responses to specific attacks.

Naturally, the martial arts that use chaos training (live, unscripted sparring) like kickboxing, wrestling, and grappling are the best choices.

Fighting Styles vs. Martial Arts

There is an argument to be made that the following three are more fighting styles than martial arts. They are, however, sports, that is for certain, with one of them (wrestling) being an established Olympic sport.

So, let’s take a look at the three martial arts you can bet will get you out of a tight spot:

Kickboxing

Most violent encounters begin with striking. Being comfortable in a situation where somebody is throwing punches at the very least, or, more realistically, kicks, elbows, knees, etc as well, is a big advantage in a street fight.

Once you understand that a punch won’t kill you (like in the movies) and you are at ease to trade and control the exchanges (which you do every time you spar), you’ll never panic if you have to use your skills in a real-life situation.

The downside is that you can easily injure your wrists and hands when you punch, particularly without wraps and gloves.

Wrestling

A very, very good option for self-defense is knowing how to wrestle. This involves not just ways to slam somebody on the ground, which most people think of when wrestling is mentioned. In fact, it is more about controlling the distance, and being able to manhandle anyone from a standing clinching position.

Also, knowing how to land safely on the ground makes the world of difference if you’re ever caught off guard. Once again, sparring instincts kick in when you’ve been trained in martial arts that use chaos training.

Grappling

Grappling is the ability to control somebody on the ground, and execute joint locks and/or chokes. BJJ is the best example, as it will prepare you for combat involving any type of attire (Gi/No-Gi).

It doesn’t get more chaotic in training than during grappling, where every round of sparring brings something else. The pressure of being crushed under people and tangled up in weird positions will give you a calm of mind that will help you stay cool in a real-life situation and easily deal even with opponents that are trained in the same art, or other martial arts.

What Makes These The Best Martial Arts?

A great example of what makes an effective martial art is looking at MMA. When you see people pull off flying spinning kicks or flying submissions, you should take a step back and not reach the conclusion as to whether or not a move worked in a specific fight is the same as an entire martial art is effective.

There have been a few capoeira knockouts in MMA, sure, but those do not make capoeira an effective martial art for self-defense. Simply put if at least 80% of the fighters cannot execute the same moves with the same outcome, then it is not an effective move from an effective martial art, but rather a wild card move for a very specific fighter with very sophisticated skills.

What works is not the same as what you can pull off under certain circumstances, so when you’re wondering what are the best martial arts to train for self-defense, don’t look further than Kickboxing, Wrestling, or Grappling.

Conclusion

The ideal scenario here would be that you train in all three equally, which would translate to you doing MMA. However, striking is not for some people, while grappling or wrestling might not be for others. Getting sufficient training (more than3-4 months) in any of these and doing regular sparring will keep you safe regardless of who comes at you in the streets. As long as it is a one-on-one situation. And there are no weapons. And…. well, you get the point.

Don’t Train To Tap People Out says Frank Mir

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Filip Zanki

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UFC Hall OF Famer Frank Mir shares his take on submission hunting and what you should focus on when training. His main advice is not to train to tap people out, and it has nothing to do with being gentle or considerate.

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A post shared by Frank Mir (@thefrankmir)

Submission Hunting In A Fight

Frank Mir has a simple strategy when it comes to submission – do not look for the taps. The tap is the responsibility of the person being caught in a submission. So, Frank’s take on things is to keep going, assuming that if there is no tap, there is no submission.

INa a fight or a match, this means pushing even if it leads to a break. The concept is that even if the person does not tap, and you break their limb, for example, you keep going. Now they’re in a match with one less limb to work.

As Frank mir very brutally puts it, you break them down limb by limb until you get to switch the brain off via a choke.

Training For Submissions

In the training, room, on the other hand, going all the way is not really an option. However, training to tap people out does not give you a real feel for the submission, says Frank Mir, and he is correct.

I’ve seen this in competitions over and over again, with people falling into the comfort of guaranteed taps from training and not really understanding the proper finishing mechanics of submissions against full-on resistance.

So, the tap should be the responsibility of the person being caught in submission as it represents pain compliance and as such should not be the end aim of training. Go for the breaking mechanics instead, o crouse, giving training partners time to tap, but not looking for the tap, but rather the break/choke.

Apparently, this is a code Frank Mir lives by, and teaches to his students, and even his kids.

And we all know how good he was at submitting people.

The Ricardo Pires BJJ Black belt had quite the career in the UFC, and is responsible for plenty of submissions wins, with knee-baring Brock Lesnar and breaking Minotauro’s arm with a Kimura only a couple of the most notable ones.

Islam Makhachev Viciously Chokes Out Training Partner

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Filip Zanki

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Islam mahkachev intentionally chokes out training partner

UFC’s rising star Islam Makhachev is one of the toughest people to face in the octagon, and it seems that he is just as vicious and brutal on the mats. In preparation for his upcoming UFC 280 bout with Charles Olveira, Makhachev put his training partner to sleep with an Anaconda choke in what seemed to be a very intentional way.

Islam Makhachev Brutal Anaconda Choke in Training

The -74 kg Sambo World Champion and UFC lightweight contender is just days away from one of the most anticipated matches in recent lightweight UFC history – his bout with Charles Oliveira.

While most bets in terms of submissions are probably on the Brazilian, the Russian is definitely showing off some very aggressive and efficient finishing skills himself.

Namely, in a video that follows Islam Makhachev during his preparations for next weekend’s UFC 280 headliner, did not pull any chokes back in training and brutally put his training partner to sleep.

While the camera angle is not exactly the best, it is absolutely clear that he has an Anaconda choke tightly set up around his training partner’s neck.

As the camera zooms in, there is a motion that suggests the training partner is tapping out, and pretty frantically at that, and Islam just keeps calm and carries on until his partner stops moving.

To be fair, he let’s go immediately when he sees that his training partner is out, and lies there on the spot, his choking arm still under the training partner’s neck, waiting for his partner to wake up. This suggests that he intentionally and deliberately ignored the tap and kept on choking.

His training partner wakes up in the usual post-choke fidgety manner, and the pair start laughing and joking about him falling asleep before they immediately go on with sparring.

We know Russian training camps are tough, but taking chokes all the way can’t be good for the training partners, can it?

Check out the video and judge for yourself!

Who Dominates The Stacked No-Gi Pans 2022 This Weekend?

By

Filip Zanki

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The IBJJF 2022 No-Gi Pans are taking place this upcoming weekend, and they promise to be a highly entertaining affair! Apart from almost 40 black belts registering for the event, we will see some names we’ve missed on the competition mats this year, like Keenan Cornelius, Michel Langhi, Nathiely de Jesus, and Bruno Frazatto!

The Usual No-GI Pans Suspects

The 2022 IBJJF No-Gi Pans are always an exciting affair, far more than their Gi counterpart, if I may say. The event is set for October 14-16 at the Curtis Culwell Center in Garland, Texas.

So far, there have been a large number of high-profile names registering for the event, which promises yet another no-gi spectacle only a couple of weeks after the ADCC broke all previous grappling event records.

While I don’t expect that the No-Gi Pans will come close to the ADCC, the black belt roster is still very very impressive.

The men’s lightweight division certainly seems like fireworks. The always entertaining (read: controversial) AJ Agazarm is there, along with fellow No-Gi Pans champions Johnny Tama and Marcio Andre. Rodrigo Francioni, a protege of Cyborg is also in the division, as is Rodrigo Freitas and Alexandre Molinaro.

Another division to keep an eye on are the medium heavyweights. In an 18 men’s division, the likes of Oliver Taza, Gabriel Arges, Manuel Ribamar, Rodrigo Lopes, and Jaime Canuto will welcome an impressive number of prospects and new black belts in what promises to be a very exciting division of Jiu-Jitsu!

Among the ladies, the light featherweight division features some crazy potential matchups, with Alex Nguyen and Mayssa Bastosthe favorites.

Elisabeth Clay enters the middleweight division, with rising stars like Betina Pereira and Jessica Buchman looking to prove themselves at the black belt level. Returning two-time champion Vannessa Griffin will be looking to take them all for a test drive.

A Few Almost Forgotten Superstars

There are also those that have decided to graze the mats with their presence at the No-Gi Pans after a substantial hiatus.

Bruno Frazatto comes back into the featherweight division, in his first competitive outing since 2019 when he faced Tye Ruotolo at the 2019 ADCC. He has been busy with his new academy Atos Atlanta. It seems the academy is thriving which allows Bruno to return to the adult featherweight division this year.

Nathiely de Jesus will return to the women’s super heavyweight division, after a substantial time off due to the birth of her daughter.

Michael Langhi is another name we haven’t seen in the competition brackets for a while. The lightweight three-time world champion is coming back out of retirement, having taken time off since 2019. Primarily a Gi player, it will be fun to see how he fares in one of the most stacked No-Gi Pans divisions.

Keenan Cornelius is arguably the most notable name out of the returning champions. Missing in action since the 202 Euros, Keenan returns to the super heavyweight division after a very difficult couple of years dealing with a back injury and “super pinkeye”. I, for one, can’t wait to see him coming to No-Gi once again.

The Brown Belts

Apart from a hefty roster of almost 40 black belts, there are also some really solid brown belts that are looking to catch the spotlight at the 2022 IBJJF No-Gi Pans.

Jacob Couch of Pedigo Submission Fighting will try to replicate his purple belt efforts from 2020 when he won the title.

New Wave’s Luke Griffith is one that may scupper Couch’s plans, in what we certainly hope will happen as a match-up in this year’s No-Gi Pans.

Rene Sousa, the buggy choke maestro is also on the roster, looking to impress in the medium heavyweight division.

Among the ladies, Sophia Cassella, The EBI queen will keep everyone on the edge of their seats in the area now that she is free to use her intricate heel hook game as a brown belt.

ADCC veteran Giovanna Jara enters the heavyweight division, and at only 19 years of age is looking to prove she is going to be the next big thing in her division.

Another Grappling Weekend

After a successful 2022 ADCC, the No-GI pans provide yet another exciting weekend of grappling. I expect them to shed a light on who we can expect to see battling for places at the next ADCC which is set for 2024 in Las Vegas.

DDS Breakup Due To Family Drama Reveals Danaher

By

Filip Zanki

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John Danaher finally revealed the truth about the much speculated DDS breakup which happened last year, and pinpointed family tensions between Gordon Ryan and Nicky Ryan as the catalyst for the break up that gave birth to two high-level grappling teams: New Wave Jiu-Jitsu and the B-Team.

Danaher Reveals The Truth On The DDS Breakup

John Danaher’s podcasts are always fun, but whenever he is on Lex Freidman, he drops bombs. In the latest Friedman-Danaher conversation, which lasted four and a half hours, Lex managed to pry out of Danaher the truth about the DDS breakup, with lots of previously unknown details.

While the BJJ world speculated that there was a falling out between team members, nobody really thought the Ryan brothers were the main reason behind the split.

The Puerto Rico Feud

The DDS famously abandoned New York City and the legendary blue basement at Renzo Gracie’s during the pandemic for the warm and Covid restriction-free environment of Puerto Rico. ADCC’s Mo Jassim set them up with a gym and a house to live in.

Back then the team featured the who-is-who of the best No-Gi grapplers in existence. Gordon and Nicky Ryan, Nicky Rodriguez, Ethan Crelnistein, Craig Jones, etc.

The Team didn’t manage to stay together long, and Danaher pinpoints the main drama to be a family feud between Nicky and Gordon Ryan.

As he put it, the tension turned into a tragedy, given that it was not just a training room feud but rather a family one.

The moment Ryans’s drama started to affect training and started spreading to the other members of the DDS, John decided to take action.

Danaher’s Peacemaking Attempts

John’s attempt at keeping the peace was to try and get the brother to bury the hatchet until after the ADCC, with the idea of them all performing under the DDS banner.

However, tensions seemed to boil over way before that, eventually making it unbearable for the team to live and train in Puerto Rico, which prompted the move to Austin, which only seemed to drive a bigger rift between the two teams that emerged from the DDS breakup.

Homeless in Austin

As per Danaher, the New Wave portion of the squad, which was essentially John and Gordon, with a few of the junior members, were supposed to train at the gym that the B-team now has upon their move to Austin, Texas.

The two teams moved to the same city, but it was B-team that managed to overthrow Danaher and Gordon Ryan in the race to get to the best gym space in town which, most likely, only raised tensions even more between the two camps.

The Silver Lining

With the move to Austin, Texas, we got two ultra-high-level American grappling teams: New Wave Jiu-Jitsu and the B-Team.

The B-team obviously had a bunch of “killers” already, with their impressive roster expanded further with up-and-compers like Jay Rodriguez and Robert Degele.

Danaher, meanwhile, did not waste any time himself adding to the newly formed New Wave Jiu-Jitsu squad, as we saw at the 2022 ADCC, with the likes of Giancarlo Bodoni and Nicolas Meragali strengthening the squad.

The head-to-head meetings at the ADCC went both ways, with Craig beating Meragali, and Gordon easily submitting Nicky Rodriguez.

While we are bound to witness many more battles between the two, the question still remains of what would have a super squad been able to achieve had the DDS breakup never taken place.

Watch Buggy Choke Being Executed in MMA

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BJJ World

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Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a limitless sport and there are always new techniques coming out. And here is the proof that grappling martial arts evolving will never stop. This one called Buggy Choke is developed by white belt Austin Hardt.

Austin Hardt is now a blue belt and he’s still winning with Buggy Choke. Tony Pacenski from Soulfight.net said:

“A choke you never saw before will be the next big thing, and best of all it was developed by a white belt. Spread the word. The choke is called the Buggy Choke; there are 3 variations. It was developed by a white belt named Austin Hart from Ralph Gracie’s Team in Northern CA. He came out to Florida to do Rose Gracie’s, Grappling Martial Arts event; however, it was canceled due to the Hurricane.

Rose called me to take care of him. He is a nice guy and caught a couple of blue belts with his buggy choke and one brown belt visiting from LA. The choke may not be for everyone, but it is very tricky.”

What we can find out is that Austin Hardt won 40 matches in a row with this choke in a white and blue belt. And that’s something worthy of huge respect.

Recently the Buggy Choke was executed in MMA by Gabriel Manuca at RFX 31. Even commentators were confused about what kind of choke is it. And people around the world now call it “the Manuca choke”.

https://twitter.com/Grabaka_Hitman/status/1046831918636052480

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CRAZY NEWS: ADCC Reality Show And NEW Event Format!

By

Filip Zanki

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Gordon Ryan vs. Andre Galvao… but not a Superfight, we already saw that. Instead, imagine them as opposing coaches for teams in an ADCC reality show, put together by ADCC head organizer Mo Jassim. It is like the Ultimate Fighter, but with less needless drama and more grappling, set in beautiful Puerto Rico.

Ready to tune in? We certainly are!

CRAZY Upcoming ADCC Reality Show!

Yesterday Mo Jassim, the Dana White of ADCC, shared his upcoming project for the next year in a live YouTube video and it is nothing short of CRAZY!

Here’s Mo’s concept for the ADCC Reality Show:

Team 1 features Gordon Ryan and John Danaher as the main coaches. They can bring about anyone they like to help with the coaching. knowing them is going to be a blend of extremely famous and some extremely dangerous upcoming grapplers.

Team 2 is supposed to be Andre Galvao’s crew. which means a bunch of standout coaches and competitors from the Atos team, handpicked by Andre.

But that’s not all!

With wrestling becoming more and more prevalent in grappling, Mo Jassim will add experienced wrestlers of Olympic caliber like Henry Cejudo and Jordan Burroughs (both of which he already talked to about the show) to each team.

The format will include 8 grapplers from the -77 kg division and 8 from the -66 kg division. They won’t just be any grapplers, though, but some of the most popular ADCC competitors from the past few events. In other words, expect names like Thommy Langaker, Roberto Jimenez, Oliver Taza, Lachlan, Diogo Reis, Kenedy Maciel, and the like to battle for a direct invite to the ADCC 2024 event.

The ADCC reality show is going to take place in Puerto Rico (where Mo Jassim lives) and he already has a fancy beachside property with glass walls and a training area overlooking the ocean ready to go!

Mo would like for the show to be different and avoid the usual “drunk guys in a house” stereotype of combat sports reality shows.

As of now, Jassim is still searching for the network to produce the show, with Flo Grappling in the running, as expected, but facing stiff competition from some of the major networks in the US!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hki5qKw49Vo&ab_channel=BJJWIZARDS

A New ADCC Main Event Format?

There are also whispers from the ADCC camp about a restructuring of the main event format. According to a source, there could be more weight divisions, but at the same time, fewer grapplers per bracket (8 instead of 16) which would significantly shorten the time per category.

The main reason behind this type of restructuring is to make the ADCC more viewer-friendly.

Mo also mentioned cooking up something “special” and “never before done in combat sports” for the finals and Superfight of the 20204 edition. According to him, it is “extensive and mind-blowing”.

He also expects to include video action replays for those, not in the crowd, and he promised tickets for veterans as well.

ADCC 2024 is set for Las Vegas again, with Mo in charge for the third year running and it seems like it is going to be bigger and bolder than ever and supported by an ADCC reality show in addition to the trials!

It is a great time to be a grappler!

The Threat Is Real: Megadeath’s Dave Mustaine Gets Brown Belt

By

Filip Zanki

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61 Year Old Megadeath Frontman Dave Mustiane Earns BJJ Brown Belt

Legendary guitarist Dave Mustaine from Megadeath earned his brown belt at the age of 61!

The Threat Is Real!

If you know what good music is, you know about megadeath. If you know about Megadeth, you know who Dave Mustaine is. The co-founder of one of the best heavy metal bands ever, and the original Metallica guitarist is also an avid Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner and a good one at that!

He was promoted two days ago at Gracie Barra Spring Hill by professor Ricardo Almeida. Dave was quick to share yet another milestone accomplishment via his social media, much to the excitement and satisfaction of his fans, and Almeida was not far behind in sharing the news as well.

Mutsin’es caption was a true martial artist Mousashi-like statement: “Behind every mountain is more mountains”.

His professor, Ricardo Almeida stated:”Congratulations @davemustaine, All of us know how hard is to stay focus and work towards our goals. But with small and steady paces we will get there ! One step closer ! #brownbelt #backstagebjj #ontheroad #bjj #graciebarra #iamgbsh #iamgbctn #megadeth #metal #guitar #music”.

David Mustaine got his blue and purple belts from Almeida as well, the latter of which came in January of 2021.

Mustain is a black belt in Uodkan karate, and Songhai Taekwondo, and one of the most vocal representatives of martial arts among celebrities.

What really makes this David Mustaine accomplishment stand out is that his BJ Jbrown belt comes in the same week as the first Megadeath release, the brand new, sixteenth so far, studio album dubbed “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!”

But get this! The six-year absence was down to Mustain battling throat cancer. HIm getting a purple belt two years ago, and now earning his brown and releasing a new album just proves that he has a never say die mentality, and is a true fighter!!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu remains a go-to method of training for a huge number of celebrities:

58 Famous Celebrities who Train Jiu-Jitsu

BJJ Brown Belt Demoted to Purple Belt by His NEW/OLD Coach: An Unusual Event

By

BJJ World

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BJJ Brown Belt Demoted To Purple Belt By Jiu Jitsu Coach

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a martial art that emphasizes ground fighting and submission, is well-known for its strict and rigorous ranking system. From white belt to black belt, each rank signifies a level of mastery in technique, strategy, and commitment to the sport. But what happens when a BJJ practitioner switches academies and their new coach decides to demote them to a lower rank? This article delves into a recent incident where a BJJ Brown Belt was demoted to Purple Belt, the reactions it stirred, and the questions it raises.

An Uncommon Occurrence

Demotion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a rare event, typically reserved for serious breaches of discipline or conduct. However, lately, there have been cases of demotions making headlines within the BJJ community. One recent example is the video that surfaced on the internet, showing a coach demoting a practitioner from brown to purple belt.

The Story Behind the Demotion

The individual in question earned his brown belt from a different academy but later decided to return to his first academy. Upon returning, his coach chose to demote him to purple belt, a decision that the practitioner accepted.

The video of this event is in Portuguese, and though the reasons behind the demotion are not entirely clear, it has led to heated discussions within the BJJ community.

Coaches Proving a Point?

Some believe that making a video of such an event and posting it online is in bad taste. Others feel that coaches are attempting to prove a point or establish authority. What exactly they are trying to prove remains a matter of speculation, but it opens up a debate about the integrity of the ranking system, the power dynamics between coaches and students, and the underlying values of the BJJ community.

Public Reaction and Ethical Considerations

The public reaction to this incident has been mixed. While some see the demotion as a justified action that aligns with a coach’s prerogative to assess a student’s skill level, others see it as an act of humiliation.

The ethical considerations here are complex. Should a coach have the authority to demote a student who has earned a rank from another academy? How should the BJJ community address these incidents, and what does it say about respect, loyalty, and tradition within the sport?

Conclusion

The incident of the BJJ Brown Belt being demoted to Purple Belt by his new coach has brought up many questions and ignited intense discussions within the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community. While it may be an isolated event, it underscores larger issues concerning the ranking system, coaching authority, and the values that guide the practice of this beloved martial art.

Would you accept such a demotion? And what do you think of this kind of event? Share your thoughts, and let’s continue the conversation about this unique and complex aspect of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Whether or not one agrees with the demotion, it serves as a poignant reminder of the intricate dynamics that shape the journey of a BJJ practitioner.

https://youtu.be/D-4F5z6koCU

BJJ White Belt defeats BJJ Black Belt by Submission

By

BJJ World

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BJJ White Belt defeats BJJ Black Belt by Submission

Everything is possible in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Although this is not something we can see every day but it’s possible. This happened in the NAGA tournament in Germany in 2015.

We’re not sure if the white belt is training in some other grappling sport but he showed up a very good performance against a Black Belt and managed to submit him. Check out the video below how he did it.

Watch Buggy Choke Being Executed in MMA

https://bjj-world.com/female-bjj-white-belt-defeats-male-bjj-black-belt/