I can hear it now, “…but I just grapple”. Here it is again, my issue with most Jiu-Jitsu schools.

If someone walks into a school/gym learn to Jiu-Jitsu, a primary reason is to learn to defend themselves. TEACH THEM THIS BEFORE YOU INDOCTRINATE THEM IN A SPORT!

You cannot separate self-defense from the reality of being hit and reacting to those hits, so stop trying to do this. If you are, then advertise “Sport Jiu-Jitsu” so everyone knows.

We have all seen the videos of people doing dumb shit like pulling guard in a fight. We have also seen the videos of them getting punched out while holding their closed guard for dear life (Kron Gracie???). How did we get here?

We got there because someone was taught a sport and never realized striking is as fundamental as a takedown or pin in Jiu-Jitsu – you cannot have one without the other if you are going to prepare your students to defend themselves, and this is the heart of what we (should) do.

(Yes, there are times when people succeed pulling guard, but exceptions don’t invalidate the rule that pulling an inferior position is generally bad in a fight).

If you own a Jiu-Jitsu school, I hope you immediately incorporate striking into your classes – especially with white belts – so that you know your students, who represent you and your teachings, can handle themselves. It’s so unfortunate that most schools will offer Jiu-Jitsu and a striking class but only see them as completely separate disciplines. Then you will get students that can throw hands but don’t know what to do on the ground and the reverse. They are not fundamentally well-rounded and they are not prepared, likely because they see the arts as a sport while they get their money taken. Shame, really.

If you want to go take a Muay Thai class, go do it. If you are there for the sport, go get it. However, you cannot see self-defense as only in one distance in a confrontation, such as striking, and believe you are prepared without some understanding of the others.

So, I’ll say it again, if you don’t know how to strike or react to strikes, take off your colored belt and put a white belt on. Unless you know how to survive strikes and respond, implementing your gameplan – you are likely a paper dragon with that belt, and I hope you fix this hole fast for your safety. You need to put some gloves on.

Recommendation

Do not completelty separate striking from grappling, especially at fundamental level. Save your intermediate and advanced training for more specific focuses, but ensure you know how to use striking for your grappling and vice versa. 

Mathematical Jiu-Jitsu sees striking as a part of the art and includes striking in all fundamental’s classes. Classes on specific circumstances, such as boxing, are encouraged, but seen as an extension of our Jiu-Jitsu, not apart from it.