Can you think of facing an attacker who is noticeably bigger in size and more aggressive? In most cases, we will try to escape the scene and find help. But you should at least be able to defend yourself to some extent. What are the best techniques for that?
Jiu Jitsu self defense techniques are extremely helpful. Jiu Jitsu focuses on technique and leverage over pure power. So, it has become famous all over the world for personal safety as one of the most practical martial arts. It offers a toolbox full of powerful moves that are meant to help even smaller individuals easily defend themselves against larger attackers.
In this informative piece, we’ll share with you the principles and benefits of this remarkable art as well as 10 highly effective self-defense techniques of Jiu Jitsu. Keep up!
The Principles of Jiu Jitsu
Jiu Jitsu focuses on neutralizing the opponent rather than attacking. Jiu Jitsu believes in the following principles when it comes to defending yourself:
-
Leverage and Technique Over Strength
In the world of self-defense, size, and strength can often be intimidating factors. But in Jiu Jitsu, leverage and techniques are more important than raw strength. This means that you can still defend yourself well with accurate moves, even if you’re not as big or strong as your attacker.
In Jiu Jitsu, you use your opponent’s body to your benefit by controlling their moves with joint locks and chokes. If you know where the weak spots are in the human body and how to place yourself during a fight, you can control someone bigger than you without using brute force alone.
-
Position Before Submission
Another fundamental principle of Jiu Jitsu is prioritizing position before submission. Instead of rushing to put an opponent in a submission hold right away, practitioners focus on getting into situations of dominance first.
When you get your attacker in a better position, like mount or side control, before attacking, it’s much harder for them to get away or respond. This gives you more time to calmly assess the situation before jumping into submissions that could be dangerous.
Remember that patience is very important here. Building a strong foundation guarantees security before moving forward to success.
Top 10 Jiu Jitsu Self Defense Techniques
Jiu Jitsu is a powerful martial art form with a great deal of potential. All the techniques you can learn, and all the skills you can gain from Jiu Jitsu can help you better deal with tough situations. Here, we have compiled a list of 10 incredible Jiu Jitsu techniques for self-defense. Learn about those, and grow an interest in Jiu Jitsu today!
1. Punch Defense
Defending yourself against punches is really important because, in real-life situations, street fights often begin with strikes being thrown at you. If they connect, these punches can leave you on the ground.
You can keep yourself safe and in control with effective punch defense techniques rooted in Jiu Jitsu principles. As you utilize your arm and body blocks along with the right posture, you will be able to guard against incoming punches and, at the same time, maintain your balance.
2. Take Down Defense
In a street fight, it’s common for the brawl to end up on the ground rather quickly. That’s why having solid takedown defense skills is crucial in self-defense situations.
With Jiu Jitsu techniques, you can effectively defend against someone trying to take you down by using the right footwork, head and hand control, chokes, and sweeps.
One practical technique commonly used is called “the sprawl.” Adapted from wrestling into Jiu Jitsu training methods, this move helps keep your legs out of reach when an opponent tries to grab hold of them.
3. Guard Pulling
Guard pulling is a fundamental technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). And it’s very helpful in aggressive situations. By bringing your opponent to the ground and wrapping your legs around their waist, you can control their movements with ease.
Picture this: Your attacker comes charging at you with fierce strikes. But you don’t try to match their intensity; you use guard pulling to bring them down and neutralize the threat quickly.
This strategy keeps you safe from further harm and gives you control over the situation. You are putting your enemy in a vulnerable position on the ground. They can’t hit you anymore.
4. Escape From Mount
Imagine finding yourself on the ground with a violent person sitting firmly on top of you, ready to strike. It’s mounting, a dangerous position that calls for immediate action because the attacker can do anything to your face right this moment!
Escaping from the mount in Jiu Jitsu teaches you how to regain control. There are techniques like bridge and roll or hip bump and shrimp escape. With the right skills, you can create space between yourself and your attacker while transitioning into a more advantageous position.
5. The Street Guard
When you are under attack on the streets, one difficult situation is that you are on your back with an attacker looming over you. This is where Jiu Jitsu’s “Street Guard” technique comes into action.
This guard will allow you to see the person and protect yourself using your legs. Your action depends on how your legs are positioned- closed guard, open guard, or half guard.
- Closed guard is where your legs are wrapped tightly around your opponent’s back. This way, you’re keeping him controlled and stopping strikes.
- In open guard, your legs hook onto his body or limbs to create distance. At the same time, you are ready for effective counters.
- Lastly, half-guard involves trapping one of his legs between yours as a defensive measure.
6. Arm Locks, Chokes, And Submissions
In many situations that ask for self-defense, you will see ground fights with lots of grappling. In these scenarios, arm locks, chokes, and submissions become vital components of Jiu Jitsu techniques.
Armlocks involve manipulating your opponent’s joint to put pressure on it. This action can lead to hyperextension or even fractures – definitely not an ideal position for them!
Choke holds, on the other hand, stop the flow of oxygen by locking arms or legs around the neck and putting pressure on it. This method is a great way to defend yourself and subdue an opponent.
7. Side Control
When you find yourself in a side control position during a self-defense situation, it’s important to know how to control your opponent effectively. In Jiu Jitsu, side control is considered one of the dominant positions. It’s one of the six pillars of BJJ!
In this position, you face your opponent perpendicularly while hovering above their legs with chest-to-chest contact. From here, you have a few options. You can strike your opponent if needed or smoothly transition into a submission hold.
8. Kimura
The Kimura is a versatile and effective technique in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for controlling your opponent’s movements and putting them into submission. When in a street fight situation, attack your enemy’s shoulder joint by driving their arm behind their back, placing pressure on the joint.
So, when you put controlled pressure without being overly rigid, you can manipulate your opponent’s arm to the point where they have no choice but to submit or risk injury. The Kimura is extremely helpful, so make this tool a part of your arsenal.
9. Hip Bump Sweep
Imagine regaining your guard or ending up with the attacker in your closed guard after a scramble. Now, it’s time to turn things around and regain control.
One of the best ways to get from bottom guard to full mount against your attacker is to use the hip bump sweep. Attackers who aren’t skilled will often try to stand up while you’re on guard, which gives you the chance to use this powerful move and take control of the fight.
10. Getting Back To Your Feet
Being on the ground is always dangerous. Your ultimate goal should always be to get back on your feet and find safety. Jiu Jitsu mainly focuses on ground fighting. But there are techniques that help you stand up quickly when necessary.
Even if you end up on the ground during a street fight or altercation, Jiu Jitsu gives you the skills and athleticism to quickly get back onto your feet. With the right training in Jiu Jitsu, you can quickly retake control of the situation.
Why Jiu Jitsu Is Effective For Self Defense
Jiu Jitsu teaches you simple, useful, and effective techniques for any circumstance where you need to protect yourself from an attack. Jiu Jitsu is effective because of the training method and environment, learning adaptability, and how the art promotes neutrality.
-
Realistic Training And Live Sparring
Jiu Jitsu stands out for its emphasis on realistic training and live sparring, known as rolling. Think about a fight on the street or a conflict at the bar. It will probably end up like your normal roll on the mats.
By regularly engaging in live sparring sessions, practitioners of this martial art learn how to defend themselves when they’re under pressure. Through rolling, they learn how to stay calm and make quick choices when faced with various situations that may arise during an attack.
-
Adaptability To Various Situations
Self-defense methods in Jiu Jitsu are very flexible, so they can be utilized in a lot of different scenarios. Jiu Jitsu can help you whether you’re fighting an attacker standing up or struggling on the ground.
You can use these techniques to control your opponent, perform submission holds, and escape from them, no matter what the situation is. This adaptability gives practitioners faith that they can handle a range of events that may come up in real life.
-
Size And Gender Neutrality
What makes Jiu Jitsu even more remarkable is that as it’s all about leverage and technique, size or strength doesn’t matter! This means that it’s a martial art suitable for anyone, regardless of their size or gender. In fact, smaller individuals often have an advantage due to the techniques taught in Jiu Jitsu.
So whether you’re taller or shorter, male or female, young or old – JiuJitsu levels the playing field and can empower anyone with the skills they need to protect themselves in any situation.
Conclusion
Jiu Jitsu comes with many benefits. As an incredible form of martial art, it strengthens all practitioners with skill, confidence, and resilience. So, it’s no wonder that Jiu Jitsu can be very useful and effective when dealing with self-defense situations.
All the techniques we have discussed, from punch defense and guard pulling to arm locks, chokes, the Kimura, and more, will come in handy if you learn them right. In situations when there are no escapes from hostile attacks, all these Jiu Jitsu skills may save you from harm.
Here in beautiful California, the 10th Planet Poway appears as a leading learning institution of Jiu Jitsu. Beginners or professionals, we welcome everyone and help them achieve their goals to upgrade their physical and self-defense skills with Jiu Jitsu.
If you are thinking about learning Jiu Jitsu to improve your defense ability and boost confidence, we are just a call away! Visit our studio today and see for yourself how we can carefully create your path to empowerment and self-belief!
