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A few weekends ago I attended a jiu-jitsu seminar run by Shihan Gene Dunn of World Jiu-Jitsu United. Grappling is a part of my karate training I have always enjoyed, but it has always been an ancillary part. We are now going to be given the chance to actually enroll in a jiu-jitsu program, and I will literally be starting over at white belt in that system.
Jiu-jitsu has been popularized recently by the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). This, like anything, has had its pros and cons for the system.
In case you don't know, the UFC is a professional league for mixed martial arts (MMA) which, as apparent in the name, blends many different forms of martial arts into a competition. Athletes use skills from kickboxing, muay thai, jiu-jitsu, judo and many other forms to win their fight. Jiu-jitsu, a martial art that is made up of throws (taking your partner to the ground), ground work (what you may think of as wrestling) and submissions (getting your opponent to tap out before you break a limb/choke them), is associated a lot with the UFC, as many of the fights end up on the ground.
The Good
The UFC has evolved over time from a no-holds-barred brawl to a highly-organized, well-managed organization. There are of course rules for safety - no eye gouging or biting, for example - and the referees stay tight on the match to ensure everything is going properly. Some people say MMA is even safer than boxing because of the controls and pace of the sport.
From relative obscurity, the UFC has taken the sporting world by storm. It has surpassed boxing and the WWE in pay-per-view stats(either revenue or viewers or both - I can't remember). Each event may draw more than 1 million viewers from over 30 countries, not to mention the hundreds (or thousands) that watch it live. (Sidenote - MMA events are still banned in some states, including New York. Let's get with the times people - do you know the revenue you could bring in?).
Karate has always been that kind of weird "sport" that unless you are involved in it, you don't know what it's all about. This popularity has brought martial arts to the attention of many people who would otherwise associate it only with The Karate Kid. I don't have any stats on this, but I'm sure schools have seen a jump in enrollment, as people can see the physical and mental benefits - fitness, discipline, etc.
Most of the fighters in the UFC are at the peak of their physical and technical game. Having been in karate for over 12 years, I love to watch UFC events to watch the technical skills of the fighters - especially the jiu-jitsu aspect. I can relate. Not that I've ever been stuck in an octogon cage with a top-level athlete. But I can watch a fight and think, "Ooh! If he can just slip that arm out he'll have a perfect triangle choke!"
The Bad
When I was at the seminar, Shihan Dunn brought up several points that made me revisit some thoughts I had about the UFC in the past.
As with all sports, some of the athletes are ridiculously cocky. Before the fights they always have interviews with the fighters, during which at least one of them inevitably says something like, "My goal is to hurt him/kill him/make him bleed/break his arm." And while I understand that trash-talking is all part of the game, that's not what the martial arts are about. To me, the UFC should be about showcasing your martial arts skills - not about hurting your opponent.
While more people may now think they know about jiu-jitsu, they may be getting the wrong impression. The popular "Ground & Pound" technique - in which you get your opponent to the ground and pound on them until they either get away or you win - is not part of jiu-jitsu at all. In fact, jiu-jitsu doesn't really involve much striking. It's about positioning and submissions. Just like in boxing, some of these guys in the UFC really get rocked, and it can be scary to watch.
The Ugly
Two words. Cauliflower ear. This condition, common among wrestlers, mixed martial artists, and rugby players, is explained by Wikipedia as this: "If the external portion of the ear suffers a blow, a blood clot or other fluid may collect under the perichondrium. This separates the cartilage from the overlying perichondrium that is its source of nutrients, causing the cartilage to die. This leads to a formation of fibrous tissue in the overlying skin. When this happens, the outer ear becomes permanently swollen and deformed, resembling a cauliflower."
Remember those fun head straps the wrestlers in high school had to wear? It was for good reason. Once your ears start deforming, there isn't much you can do about it, and it can lead to serious problems. Plus it looks gross. Don't believe this shirt. It's just not true.
