Training Options

Krav Maga is very hit or miss. If you find a school that is ICCS (Israeli Contact Combat System) certified, then you know you are getting top quality training. Outside of that, who knows. One of the other things I like most about training BJJ is that I can do it 6 days a week and be pretty much ok. Definitely tired, maybe sore hands, etc., but you're not getting the shit beat out of you like if you train striking or judo throws all the time. Injuries still happen of course, but BJJ is more sustainable IMHO.

Love your input - is there a way of vetting ICCS certifications as a customer?
 
I have no problem carrying pepper spray on my key chain just in-case my girlfriend borrows my car...

Kidding; but on a more serious note some of you are a little lost in the discussion. We already know that exiting a situation safely is optimal, as is a grenade in a crowded room of evil-doers. The idea here is to get advice on the training disciplines that best provide a foundation of confidence, effectiveness, and reliability during the application of physical & unarmed violence.

Based on the responses, BJJ reads to be a winner here - one gym owner I spoke with over the weekend hosts a pretty popular location with my unit and includes a fancy discount & unlimited classes. Additionally, all of his classes begin or end with about 15 minutes of Judo disciplines (mostly throws) as I was unaware that BJJ was actually born from a Judo.

I take Gracie combatives. The first 15 minutes of every class is a takedown. We then spend the last 45 minutes of class on ground work.
 
I used to get in my share of trouble back in the day because A. I didn't like getting fucked with and B. most of the bars I frequented had the bathroom mirrors removed to prevent them from being used as weapons. Juke box, pool tables, slutty bartender...I'm there.

So, I've formed some theories about civilian attackers based on certain nefarious experiences. Drunks, road-ragers and punks in a group. Those are the types most likely to take a poke. And since most people are right-handed, most of the time it's a right hook. So I was always prepared for a big right hook, unless the guy set up lefty.

Bottom line is, I never took martial arts but I learned to come inside that big right hook with my forehead into his face or a palm strike under the chin or even an arm wrap takedown followed by a knee drop.

Can't do it anymore so I carry a 1911. I'd carry a shotgun if I could fit it in my pants. 8-)
 
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Love your input - is there a way of vetting ICCS certifications as a customer?

I was looking into a Krav Maga gym when I was living in Oklahoma City, and they had the ICCS certification claimed on their website. Outside of that, the ICCS website maintains the official list of ICCS instructors worldwide.

Link: iccs
 
I was looking into a Krav Maga gym when I was living in Oklahoma City, and they had the ICCS certification claimed on their website. Outside of that, the ICCS website maintains the official list of ICCS instructors worldwide.

Link: iccs

Are you doing Gracie Combatives or straight BJJ?
 
So, oddly enough, one of the students asked myself and our other combatives instructor, "So I have never fought or anything- if I was just starting out what would you guys advise I do?"

Both our answers were "BJJ". Body control, adrenaline control and heart rate management, self protection etc, all great things you get out of training BJJ, for the other reasons mentioned.

The other combatives instructor that day is a freaking world famous fight coach, so his opinion matters (not so much mine) but I am throwing my lot in with BJJ for a base as well.
 
I recently found a gym in my area that offers a wide variety of self-defense disciplines, with a subscription-based payment plan and a buffet-style schedule of courses every month. For instance, any given month might be

week 1: M- Krav Maga 6-8 pm /
T- Kickboxing 6-8 pm /
W- Krav Maga 5-7 pm and Grappling 7-8 PM /
Th- Kickboxing 6-8 pm or Facing Armed Attackers 5-8 PM /
F- Advanced Krav Maga 5-8 pm or Krav Maga 6-8 pm

I'm not sure if this 'stew' of techniques (Krav Maga is the main focus with about 70% of all time being devoted to it, but kickboxing, Muay Thai, MMA, grappling/Judo and Boxing are all featured) is an intelligent way to learn self defense, or if it would be more prudent to find a gym that focuses on one combative technique, i.e. BJJ, Muay Thai, Krav Maga.... and stick to that. Any input from you gents more experienced in this?
 
So, oddly enough, one of the students asked myself and our other combatives instructor, "So I have never fought or anything- if I was just starting out what would you guys advise I do?"

Both our answers were "BJJ". Body control, adrenaline control and heart rate management, self protection etc, all great things you get out of training BJJ, for the other reasons mentioned.

The other combatives instructor that day is a freaking world famous fight coach, so his opinion matters (not so much mine) but I am throwing my lot in with BJJ for a base as well.
100% agree.

Thread revival / update:

I've since made the jump to the SoCal life. My apartment complex is only a block or two from a notable Gracie gym - noteworthy enough where one of the instructors has been in BJJ in America for almost 30 years now. For those of you in the know, this is when Rorian Gracie was just coming out like that dude from MyPillow introducing his father's discipline to Martial Artists and armchair badasses.

It has been a genuine pleasure to learn from a man, who self admittedly, was buying a pair of nun-chucks at a pawn shop when Rorian made his street pitch to him and a group of hippies.

"If you signed up for his classes you got a free T-Shirt, so I figured I'd give it a go" he said laughing.

We sat for about an hour before class started while he walked me through his times with all the Gracie family, all the people he's met (big john mcarthy, joe rogan, all those hip people) to include but certainly not least, getting choked out while in the mount by master helio himself. Really humble guy, top notch instructor and every student is willing to stab one another to snag up one of his classes.

The other instructors are great with plenty of accolades in various tournaments/competitions.

Current status is that I'm a white belt who goes to class once or twice a day, every weekday with a morning roll on Saturday. Muay Thai and "MMA" striking is offered by jump-in instructors but frankly, I'd rather just roll. I do Gi and No-Gi - my game has definitely taken off.

I'm not so interested in being so "street ready" as I am just genuinely enjoying the discipline and good people to hang with. I figure there were probably a lot of situations where I could have grabbed my girl and exited a bad scenario so that's on me. I could train for the 1 out of 10 likelihood of evil dooers in a Walmart parkinglot looking like an asshole at class... OR train to the 10 out of 10 likelihood of just enjoying myself alongside very talented people.

I really have found my outlet here and its so fortunate that socal is literally riddled with awesome gyms all over.
 
100% agree.

Thread revival / update:

That's cool, man, it's all about what you get out of it. And I think the 1 out of 10 is more like 1 out of 500. The reason I say that is because I've rarely found trouble unless I've actively looked for it...with a few notable exceptions.
 
I've been studying/teaching martial arts for 41 years now. If it wasn't for my job over the last 30 years that put me in *fighting* situations, I would say the 1 in 500 is fairly accurate.

I am glad to hear you are enjoying your training. I wish you the very best of success with it. It's always good to have a physical release that is as *fun* as it is healthy.
 
I've been studying/teaching martial arts for 41 years now. If it wasn't for my job over the last 30 years that put me in *fighting* situations, I would say the 1 in 500 is fairly accurate.

I am glad to hear you are enjoying your training. I wish you the very best of success with it. It's always good to have a physical release that is as *fun* as it is healthy.
The more I train (mil SOCP/Krav Maga instructor/BJJ competitor), the more I am willing to de-escalate.

Can't lose a fight/get hurt/killed if you talk softly and walk away.
 
The more I train (mil SOCP/Krav Maga instructor/BJJ competitor), the more I am willing to de-escalate.

Can't lose a fight/get hurt/killed if you talk softly and walk away.

I have had 'some' krav maga, some old MC LINE training, and of course Semper Fu; all of it, years ago. I know enough to look funny when I do it. That said, in my youth (I will be 50 next week) I had my fair share of fights, some I won, some I didn't. I learned early on the best fight is the one not fought. That is a sign of maturity that a man who can kick ass and kill you, won't.
 
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