The Best BJJ Positions for the Streets

I'm a great fan of Stephan Kesting and his training videos, and I thought I would share his video on BJJ for self defense. https://youtu.be/CfijjTwI5l0 A couple of points about the techniques and tactics presented in this video. Train your vision and your peripheral vision. When I train law enforcement and security officers in ground fighting, I always tell them "when on the ground, look around". So when you get into a favorable position, take a micro second to see what's going on around you. You never know if this bad guy has friends. And the last thing you need is a football punt to your head. Also train your peripheral vision. You want to see when someone is sneaking up on you, on the side of your vision. When we practice Muay Thai, Boxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA, we really focus on our training partner. We develop a form of tunnel vision. Our adrenaline and the physiological changes in our body also makes us get tunnel vision. What we want to develop is funnel vision. We want to see what goes on around us. So this is a very simple drill that I use from Modern Warrior, one of the premier Law Enforcement Training facilities in North America. When you are practicing your marital art with a partner, try to be aware of other people and their location in your class room. What are they doing? How close are they to you? Do this while you are still "fighting" with your partner in front of you. Technical Mount Variation. I agree with Kesting on the Knee Mount and the Technical Mount position (TMP). I think they are very strong positions to control someone. In this short video below, I show one simple basic but very effective way to get into the TMP, and I show another version of the TMP that was taught to me when I studied the Filipino Martial Arts. https://youtu.be/HJSUQD5bzsc Umo Plata. Personally I don't agree with Kesting on the Umo Plata position. Here are my reasons: 1. I don't think it's a position that allows you to safely disengage from the attacker; especially if there are other attackers. 2. Field of vision is greatly compromised. When you are on the ground your field of vision is compromised. But I feel that with this position, it will be even more limited. 3. You have to commit to your attack and live with the consequences. This is my issue with using subs in the street. If the guy "taps" on the street, what does that mean? Do you let him go? If he doesn't tap, because of adrenaline, drugs, alcohol or impeccable pain tolerance, do you break the limb? Can you do that? So before you use a sub in the streets, be ready to commit to actually doing it. And also realize that it may not be the end of the fight. Hope you enjoyed this breakdown of Kesting's video. If you want to try Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, sign up for a FREE 2 WEEK TRIAL TODAY