For BJJ blackbelts and higher ranking BJJ'ers?

2. If there is a benefit to practicing it solo, (I hear practice makes perfect) so if there is a benefit, how does that differ from a form? If I do my kicks against the air, that is considered dancing by BJJ'ers.

people that make these claims have little understanding of martial arts as someone has just proved about himself yet again.

how foolish is a person who refuse to acknowledge the truth of kata, and makes up there silly excuses and explanations as to why it doesn't work. rather then admitting it is practical.

kata is more advance then drills, the drills are taken from kata just like your techniques. everything in kata has a purpose and most of multiple purposes

callsign has a great write up, there just to elaborate on his comment

"Kicking the air by itself is not "dancing". Going through a pre-arranged pattern without ever giving it any context is something I would consider "dancing""

kata with out purpose or meaning behind it is useless. it is meant to be broken apart into drills and used in different in order. its like learning the alphabet. when you write a word do you use the all in the same order, of course not. just like we dont use the words in a sentence in alphabetical order, it would make no sense to do this and neither does it when practicing kata with a partner. kata is meant to be taken apart and dissected. but some people on hear like to remain ignorant and refuse to accept this.

edit:>

kw i doubt we will find the link because most of your answers were deleted with all your accounts.

bbj blue belts were never a high source of knowledge that is just a fallacy, and one of your many.

You write: "I am thinking of taking BJJ because I keep hearing about how evolved it is compared to classic arts like Kajukenbo."

Do you practice Kajukenbo? What do you know about it?

You write: "I really like the fact that the foundation of BJJ is built and learned with a resisting opponent."

Uhhh...I'd be surprised if it wasn't. You do that with all MAs. The only time you don't resist is if you're going to break something as in on the verge of breaking a wrist.

You write: "it is safe since there is no striking"

I don't know if Royce took any other art but I saw in those videos he gloriously posted of himself beating up indivduals not nearly at his skill level where he was striking his opponents. Where'd he learn that...I wonder?

You write: (shrimping solo) "how does that differ from a form?"

You don't seem to understand what forms are and how they're used if you're going to ask that.

You write: "If I do my kicks against the air, that is considered dancing by BJJ'ers"

And you're offended by that? What do you care what they think? I sure as hell don't.

You write: "if I wiggle across the floor as though in an epileptic fit, I am properly training my muscles to remember how to wiggle"

That's a low blow...and it doesn't earn you any respect from anyone on here...what would your sifu think?

You write: "I tried shrimping on my driveway cause I spar out there some, and kind of tore up my back, is there a safer way to do it? In street clothes certainly isn't the best attire for it."

Part of Martial Arts is being aware of the environment. I tell this to people all the time: Weather and Terrain partly set the parameters by which you'll be executing techniques. Really now, while I myself am a TKD-in, I like others, know that kicking (let alone fighting) on ice isn't a good idea. Being on my back on concrete isn't the best place to be either (regardless of terrain actually). So, pointing this out is rather moot.

You write: "Does solo shrimping help when the time comes to applying it with the partner? Please explain the benefit of solo practice and with a partner?"

Well, it's not different than what we do when we practice our techniques solo. Of course, you need a partner at some point.

i won't answer the questions as I'm not into BJJ. But I will say that you've done a wonderful job making yourself look like an ***.

EDIT: You're right, there are a lot of things I don't know about BJJ. But I'm not the one picking a fight online about it.

I think everyone on the list pretty much gave you an accurate answer already. I will just add that training with a partner vs solo is huge... HUGE! In fighting as in all things of life, the drilled steps will never look that pretty or be that clean when you fight. The reason why we don't all just solo shrimp and sweep air all day is because you have to get used to moving different bodies and body types. Timing and angles change based on the height/weight/skill of the opponent. Honestly I don't think you can learn BJJ by yourself and be able to use it when the time comes whether in real life or just in competition.

Timing for sweeps, subs, transitions, etc. are all muscle memory skills. You can drill them, but you need different body types and live rolling against those body types in order to really prepare yourself. Also, the mental aspect of martial arts comes into question if you feel like you can just Tae Bo your way to knowledge. This is a skill that must be drilled in classes with different people and with an instructor present.

Just so you know, shrimping means different things to different people.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=shr...

Doing it solo evokes some very interesting thoughts. I suppose you can wiggle with epileptic fervor, that would be interesting to spectators/voyeurs.

Tool sharpening? More thoughts I can't get out of my head.

And your comment, "seems like it would be an odd thing to get good at with the partner just laying there" I might agree with that.

So I'm guessing you mean a completely different thing than... that.

Then again, I'm no BJJ'er, and so I'm not entirely qualified to answer your question. But I did want to point out that tiny little detail.

I think, though, purple belts and above can instruct.

Edit, LOL yes, I must admit that my life has not been significantly enriched by such knowledge either. And I suppose I have some explaining to do, as to how I came across such knowledge. I don't like being on the defensive on this...

EDIT: LMAO

I have seen so many traditional karate stylists lose to BJJ stylists, that I would say in most one-on-one encounters a BJJ blackbelt would beat a shotokan black belt. If you watch the hundreds of fights on youtube between BJJ stylists and shotokan stylists, you will see the shotokan fighters lose almost every time. A shotokan stylist would stand a better chance against multiple attackers than someone who is only skilled in BJJ. BJJ is better to learn if you ever have to defend yourself from a mixed martial artist.

You know what, i never come on here and disrespect any martial art and i see it happen all the time, i am a bjj blackbelt as well as studied numerous other styles and i find it rather offensive that it is basically having a personal attack on me.

The reason why this section is ruined is clearly fools like you who are 15 -20 year old people hiding at home on a computer who pretend like they know something... This is lame and pathetic and all it does is create disrespect for a martial art and i was raised and taught no matter who you are or what you study, you should always respect other styles and other people and this is the way all "true" martial artists should behave..

Maybe you should roll with a BJJ blackbelt sometime and see if its all pathetic.

I wasn't going to respond to this question as it is very easy to see the intent. But I just had to say how well Callsign responded to this question. He did a very good job of taking down this straw man argument that is often an attack on traditional martial arts/classical martial arts. He was very articulate in dissecting every argument even though he is well aware this was intended for another person that often attacks anything not bjj/mma.

No matter how this is done it is ridiculous arguments that don't make much sense to continue. It does matter if tma is attacking or those that don;t practice tma are attacking. It is nonsense IMO.

Personally if I were a a yahoo moderator I would delete every antagonizing questions that are similar in nature to these types of debates. f they continue to post them I would suspend IP addresses of those that do this. It is not productive.

I wouldn't call it "evolved" overall. It has a very specific focus, though, and you'd be hard-pressed to find another system that trains ground grappling and submissions so thoroughly.

The partner "just laying there" really only exists in the drill phase. Even then, among competent, trusting training partners (practically everyone above white belt), progressive resistance is added. Or at any rate, resistance that is appropriate for the drill at hand.

Also, I have to wonder who "the forum BJJ expert" is around here. To my knowledge, aside from the very brief time MMA fighter and BJJ black belt Jeff Joslin appeared to have an account here, you have a few guys who practice BJJ, but none, as far as I know, who stand out as an "expert".

On to the questions:

1) It helps,yes. It teaches you how to move on the ground. Moreover, since beginners seem to have trouble picking up the concept that it's easier to move yourself rather than try to move the opponent, if they've spent round after round moving themselves in the same manner that they'd move for an escape, they will be less inclined to try the "bench press" style of escape that's not only inefficient, but leaves one open for submissions.

2) I hope you realize you're using antagonistic language here. "As though in an epileptic fit"... I've got friends with epilepsy, and on the rare occasions I've seen them seize, I've never mistaken it for shrimping. Also, the absolutest wording excludes a number of folks who practice BJJ (myself, probably the aforementioned Mr. Joslin, among others) who find value, however limited, in solo forms.

Kicking the air by itself is not "dancing". Going through a pre-arranged pattern without ever giving it any context is something I would consider "dancing". Context is a big thing. The shrimping I do solo is the shrimping I'll do when I need to escape a pin. On the other hand, I've never fought someone by moving the way this guy does:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai6AVxtXJg0

(Not picking on Hung Gar, it was just the first video that came up in my search).

Optimally, shrimping for rounds should probably be done on a soft surface. Frankly, if you need to consistently shrimp for several seconds on end in an uncontrolled environment, you're probably up against a guy who's skilled enough to keep you right where he wants you, anyway. Also, shrimping shouldn't tear up your back. You're probably doing it wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGFBmVw8KGM

You'll notice how his back really isn't being ground along the mat. Before you begin to actually move, you should be on your side. The side of your hip might drag a bit, though for speed, I tend to elevate mine. Bottom line: your feet (toes/balls) and shoulder should really be the only parts of you that are on the ground, and they're there to stabilize you, and don't get dragged.

It's not uncommon to see brown belts teaching at their own schools, and purple belts are enough for a beginner program. I even know a boxing gym that has a blue belt teaching their grappling program. While obviously I'd expect more quality from a black belt, if it's just a beginner program, there really shouldn't be much of a reason why a blue belt couldn't teach that. I can't imagine they'd be allowed to promote anyone, however. I learned BJJ at a pretty traditional place, and if I recall, before our instructor got his black belt, all belt promotions had to be done by a visiting black belt. I wouldn't consider a blue belt teacher a "McDojo" necessarily, but they wouldn't be able to teach you past a certain skill level. As long as they weren't handing out black belts, there's really no issue with it.

Edit-"...only you seem to be missing the posts from the dude that is the martial arts know-it-all, and represents the art as a teacher of it."

Maybe it's because I don't jump to conclusions. There are a few proponents of BJJ on here, myself included, but nobody who "represents the art as a teacher of it" that I have seen. Why don't you simply speak plainly? This isn't a "Real Housewives" show here. If you've got something to say, you should man up and say it.

"I asked if there was a benefit to a form found in BJJ"

Shrimping is not a form. It is a movement exercise. Literally everyone who trains BJJ does it because a) it's a good warm up b) it teaches you important body movements and c) you're going to be using the exact same movement under the stress of a live situation.

" I asked how the practice of a technique, devoid of resistance, was different from its counterpart in TMA...That didn't answer the question."

Except that I actually did. I said it was about context. Go back and read my initial post.

"You seem to be indicating you are a blackbelt"

Um, where? I said no such thing and wouldn't represent myself as such. Not in BJJ, anyway.

"You stated a visiting blackbelt had to promote, at what you call a fairly traditional place. Sorry, but you should know the answer to that, easily"

The answer to what? There was no question there. The place I trained BJJ started with a brown belt instructor, and black belts had to come in in order for anyone to be advanced in rank. There's no mystery there.

"It seems in your estimation, a BJJ blue belt is of advanced knowledge and ability"

If you'll go back and read what I wrote, I actually said the opposite. I said I know of one place that has a blue belt teaching, and it's primarily a boxing gym. I said it wouldn't be a problem if it's a beginner program. I honestly don't know much about the program, I just know what the owner told me when I called him up to ask about boxing classes.

You seem to be reading into a lot of things and jumping to conclusions. If you want a straight answer, ask straight questions, and don't expect that 99% of the answer is unwritten subtext.

BJJ is great thing for mind and soul peace. It's also fun. You can do some drills by yourself , but most drills requiers partners(yea, it sucks). First you do heating up which is very specified for BJJ and stregthens specific muscle groups. Then you do tehnique with partner and in the end you do sparring. In sparring you give your best and see where you are. After training you drink shake and go home happier than you come there.

BJJ is no better or worse than any other grappling art. Many a BJJ black belt have been beaten down by a solid Wrestler or Judoka. I would imagine someone who is trying to mimmick Bruce Lee would take it upon himself to try it, Instead of following popular opinion.

P.S. You obviously do not understand the term "Classical Mess".