Every so often I rant about the weaknesses of various martial arts. I don't spare my own, Shotokan Karate.
I guess it's time to hit Gracie Jiu-Jitsu.
Lots of strengths. Great for a small person, and better for a big one. It wastes no effort on flashy techniques. There is also a lovely, programmed training system.
Weaknesses? Of course.
We practise on mats. This is great for training, but doesn't reflect the real world at all. We don't even use the lovely wooden floor under the mats ever, even briefly to see how incredibly different it feels.
The entire art is also predicated on the idea of a single attacker. None of it will work if the bad guy has a buddy kicking away as you wrestle his buddy on the ground.
There is also nothing like free-sparring, or randori. One of the best ways to make things natural is to have to use them against a determined opponent who doesn't want to let you.
These are minor problems. I find Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to be the perfect accompaniment to what I already do, and the training style is perfect for a slightly ancient guy like me.
I am a 68 year old retired teacher living on the west coast of Canada. I spent over 30 years as a student of Karate until my knees stopped liking it. My current passionate activity is Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, which I've been at for about 13 years.
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