Why should I teach
grappling or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in my school?
Here are a few reasons to include grappling or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as part of
your martial arts program:
1. To offer more value at your school and attract new students. Many students
are now seeking a school that offers some grappling and by providing organized
instruction, you can make these students your own.
2. To retain your existing students. People sometimes quit training because
they sense they are no longer improving, they feel they have gained enough
proficiency at the art, or they may just become bored with the repetition of
kata that is required to truly excel. A grappling program offers a whole new
dimension to their learning - a complete new world of techniques and skills to
keep the students interested and fascinated for years.
3. To serve as a curriculum for your advanced students or an incentive for
your Black Belt Club who are looking for an edge over everyone else. Many
students view their black belt as a sign that it is time to move away from their
school and branch out in new directions. Offering these students grappling helps
give them a new world of training right at you school.
4. To make your program a more "complete" program. Punches and kicks are a
big part of the self defense pie, but grappling and groundfighting is as well,
especially for women whose worst fear is often to be thrown to the ground by a
large assailant. Learning even standing joint locks with a compliant opponent is
not the same as actually learning to defeat a competitive opponent with chokes
and joint locks on the ground.
5. To offer a control-based self defense program for juniors who are dealing
with trouble in the schoolyard. Kicking and punching, even in self defense, can
lead to legal ramifications and even expulsion from school; whereas grappling
techniques can get the larger bully under control (and embarrass him) without
resorting to hitting. This is why many schools have wrestling programs in place
as opposed to boxing programs. A grappling program is an easy sell to schools
and parents.
6. As the ultimate confidence booster! The close quarters contact, and rough
and tumble of grappling dramatically improves self-confidence. It gives people a
taste of reality without the price of injury. By letting people have a taste of
close quarters fighting, we significantly reduce their fear of "getting in
close", which ultimately, even improves their abilities as 'stand-up' fighter
because they need not fear being taken to the ground.
7. It's Fun! Grappling is a load of fun, especially when the smaller student
realizes that he/she can actually learn to control a larger and stronger
opponent. People simply love the challenging aspect of grappling - it is tactile
and all about feel and sensitivity - very different from much of our stand-up
training. It can be practiced slow or fast, and always gives a great total body
workout. Students love it!
Why should I learn to grapple – I can
already fight well enough
When there are no rules, and no class or sparring etiquette is in play,
people very often end up in a clinch or in an unexpected grappling situation on
the floor. Sometimes this is due to the fact that a real-life aggressor, simply
doesn't know what sparring means and bulldozers his way into your face – at
other times, there is just not the room that we are used to in the martial arts
classroom and before we know it, we're grappling.
We are not saying that grappling should replace good strong 'stand-up' fighting
skills; we are saying that it should be a supplement to those skills, in case
the need arises. Also, there are simply times where it is just best to take the
opponent down and completely control him, without resorting to striking and
percussive techniques.
In this ever more litigious society, controlling an aggressor via grappling
techniques can be both a 'court' and 'media' friendly option. Being skilled in
grappling also allows us to bring a larger, stronger and more motivated
aggressor under control very, very quickly – a real confidence builder! Knowing
you have grappling skills to back up your 'stand up' skills, means that you are
much more complete – both as a martial artist and as a fighter.
When we spar no one ends up grappling
Many martial artists believe that because they have never been forced into a
grappling situation while sparring, that the choice of whether or not to grapple
is theirs to make. Nothing could be further from the truth. Many martial artists
mistakenly believe that no one could possibly close the distance and grapple
with them - well that's because they have probably never asked someone to try.
When sparring, both students are 'playing the sparring game', trying to set up
the proper distance for a strike. Neither is specifically trying to clinch and
grapple. Test this out - just get a few senior students, and direct them to try
their best to close the distance on you and take you to the floor (don't forget
to use adequate protective gear for all participants) - and you do your best to
stop them. You may be surprised at how easy it is for someone who is motivated
to cover those two yards and who is not even trained in grappling to tackle an
opponent to the floor. Now think about the street scenario - where the opponent
isn't sparring - where there is no 'gap' to cover - and you begin to realize
that grappling can be a naturally occurring part of the fight dynamic. But this
need not be a bad thing. It doesn't take a lot of work to make huge gains in
grappling skills - provided you are following a plan and a well-tested
methodology. This puts you in the drivers seat should circumstances bring you to
the ground.
How long does it take to become
proficient in grappling or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?
This is one of the biggest benefits of adding a grappling component to your
program. Unlike "stand-up" fighting skills, it doesn't take very long to know a
whole lot more than someone who hasn't been trained in grappling. In a matter of
a few months, students will have a huge edge over the average person who does
not have grappling skills. You see, even an untrained fighter knows to make a
fist and hit, but very few people know what to do when the fight goes to the
ground. Once there, we have a plan, the opponent has no idea. Within 12 months
of learning with our clear curriculum, the average person with little or no
athletic ability can learn to successfully deal with a larger and stronger
opponent.
Will some of my students be turned
off by grappling?
This is a possibility, but those students need not grapple, or certainly need
never grapple competitively. There are always those few who resist change, but
far, far more students will love the addition to their school's curriculum. A
part of martial arts training is to extend people's boundaries, to take them out
of the comfort zones, and to show them new horizons. This is just part of being
a true leader.
How does the Masterclass Curriculum
work?
The Masterclass Curriculum is designed to provide a concise step-by-step
methodology for those wanting to introduce a grappling program into their
school. We provide the very best foundation for the development of expert-level
grappling skills via our series of tapes and instructional manuals. Even just
the first level of this curriculum (level 1) will give you the ultimate
advantage over the non-grappler; as you will learn a series of positioning and
control drills that will put you into the dominant position once the fight has
gone to ground.
This is a very carefully designed system – and like any functional system, has
clearly defined procedures and skill-sets that build upon one another to achieve
a predictable result. It is NOT just a collections of locks and holds, that one
can only dream of applying against an aggressive, non-compliant opponent.
This curriculum is a nine level course, designed, tested and proven to give you
world-class results. It consists of nine tapes and two over-sized manuals that
may be used in conjunction with one another or separately if need be. The
techniques shown on the tapes are shot from three camera angles (including an
important overhead view) – and are explained in great detail.
The manuals include not only detailed instruction on each technique and
skill-set, but emphasize 'key points' and 'teaching tips'. The curriculum as
shown on the tapes, corresponds exactly to the content of the manuals, allowing
the instructor to carry the manual to and from class in his/her bag as a
portable reference/guide. There is space on each page of the manuals for taking
notes if the need arises.
Can I get support if I need it?
Both Mr. John Will and Mr. David Meyer are full-time, internationally
renowned martial artists, who have an ongoing commitment to assisting those who
are serious about bringing grappling into their current practice. Both men
regularly work with a wide variety of professional school owners and law
enforcement personnel to streamline this grappling methodology into current and
existing programs.
Ongoing support, via e-mail, one-on-one instruction or in-house seminars is
always available. Both John and David travel regularly, visiting schools and
organizations for the sole purpose of assisting instructors with the
implementation of this curriculum. Please feel free to contact them should you
have questions. E-mails are usually answered within 48 hours.
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