90/100 Rule

90% of fights go to the ground but 100% start from the feet. Learn to strike!

With the explosion of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, starting in November 1993, after the first Ultimate Fighting Challenge, people could not get enough of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Everyone was training in ground fighting. Well, thirteen years later the same still holds true. BJJ is as popular as ever. It's good for self defense and for Mixed Martial Arts competition.

Back in the early '90s most of the Martial Arts community was ignorant to ground fighting. Now a new wave of ignorance is upon us.

I know there are thousands practicing some type of submission wrestling as their whole curriculum of self defense, thinking they don't need to strike.

I personally know a bunch of really good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ground fighters who can't punch and have bad takedowns. When I spar them with gloves it's like hitting an everlast bag with eyes. Then we spar with takedowns and their shots are so poor they can't get you to the ground. Afterwards you think they would start boxing or at least sharpen up their takedown ability, but they don't. So it's not just strikers that are an ignorant lot, I think ego makes us ignorant. Maybe some of us get so good at one thing that when we practice something new we feel awkward.

Self defense is not about feeling embarrassed because you can't do something, it's about survival.

I'm not insulting Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or any form of submission wrestling. This school is a proud member of the Royce Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Network. All I am saying is the grapplers should get off their knees, drill takedowns, and take off the gi every now and then to do some boxing or Muay Thai.

Win, lose or draw... train hard and get in the ring.