Boxing vs Bjj

So I have a friend that teaches Bjj and he feels that it is the best style for a street fight. I also know a boxing teacher who Im sure feels the same way. So, I was curious as to which style would you all feel is the superior style in a street fight situation? Meaning if you had to only chose one which would you chose and why?'

They both seem to have advantages and disadvantages. For instance, a boxer could throw a punch bare knuckle on the street and break his hand. A Bjj guy could take someone to the ground and get beat down by the guy's friends who are standing around.

But, on the plus side a boxer can strike and move so he is always very mobile. And a Bjj guy does not have to worry about breaking a hand while punching.

Then there is the topic of longevity in study. Meaning, which of the 2 styles can a person truly study and continue to use effectively as they get into old age?

I find these types of questions, and their answers, very interesting.

 

I'm not sure what the question is? Are you asking what's better one on one or one vs more than one.


The only correct answer is "Don't get in fights, if you do get in a fight, make sure you're better at fighting." Fighting is all ranges. Weapons all the way to the ground.

 

The short and answer is if we've learned anything from the past 35 years of MMA it's that you need a well rounded skillset.

Firstly yes you risk injuring your hands but sometimes a punch is the right tool for the right job, like for a preemptive strike. Not to mention breaking your hand is far less likely than you think. Being able to hit people hard is good. Being able to stay on your feet and get back to your feet is good. And if you're smart you should be able to know when putting someone on the floor is a viable option and when it is not.

At the end of the day unless you're acting stupid or working in a high-risk occupation your chances of ever engaging in physical violence are low so training in the one you enjoy is better.

Also "street fight" is a bit of a vague term which shows a lack of specificity in the scenario for which you're imagining having to use force. Educating yourself on the types of scenarios and types of violence likely to be encountered will give you a better idea which tool is most suited for which job.

 

Ok so I will give a scenario. You come out of a bar and you standing on the street. A guy starts giving you a hard time. He has friends with him but they are mostly just laughing at him being a jerk. You tell him you don't want any trouble but it gets physical. Neither you or him are drunk. He nor you are armed.

Boxing or Bjj (if you had to only chose one)?

 

Street fights are stupid.
I guarantee most are alcohol related. Most.

 

I would have walked away/de-escalated the situation a long time ago. I can't imagine getting in a bar fight.

 

Taekwondo.

 

Humor me lol!

The question is which of the 2 styles would be most effective if you had no choice but to fight and you could only chose one style between the 2?

 

Both are good but both, if done competitively, can cause wear and tear on your body. A recent academic study found that BJJ practitioners who trained more than 5 hours a week have a significantly higher chance of developing chronic, long term back problems. If you google Keenan Cornelius's hands, you will see a young man of 22 who has the hands of a 60 year old.

There is a lot of strong evidence that TBI caused by boxing can and do cause neurological damage, which can lead to severe mental health problems.

Like any sport, there are trade offs. I would never suggest martial arts as a primary system for exercise and health though. Sure if it's better than doing nothing, but not they are not optimal for health and well being IMO.

 

Scary thing is ya just dont know which drunk/psycho etc actually trains in mma these days.
Just don't mess with anyone on the street.

 

But that isn't a choice that we have is it? There is no limit on styles and there are very few situations that cannot walked away from

My answer would be go out with a bigger group of mates than he has

 

But there is no "most effective". That's what I'm saying. The scenario you just gave us will 100% end badly. I do BJJ, I take him own , mount him, his friends get very offended, jump me.

I knock him out, his friends retaliate, I get the crap kicked out of me.


Even assuming nobody jumps in, I take him down, choke him out, police arrest me.

I knock him out, hits his head and dies. Happened more than once.

I walk away/de-escalate, nobody gets hurt, guy gets an ego boost and looks hard in front of his mates. The only win.

 

Situations like you outline should be handled by keeping your ego in check, de-escalating, and extracting yourself from the situation, even if that means running away (in which case, having better cardio is king.) That all being second to just paying attention to your surroundings and not being there.

 

I just read about Keenans hands. That's pretty brutal. I never realized BJJ was so rough on the hands. I can't imagine boxing would be worse by any means on a person's hands and wrists.

Also, what is TBI?

 

Judo is brutal too. Gripping the key puts a lot of wear and tear on the joints.

 

LOL.

I'll go on the record saying that, if someone were to purely use boxing or BJJ techniques (which is stupid, why would you do that), they both have unique advantages; BJJ offers a greater range of force, from sitting on a dude's head to crackin' his bones, boxing offers greater mobility. Which is best is purely situational.

 

It was said that breaking one's hand when punching with boxing is less likely than one may think. Yet when I have talked with BJJ guys about striking arts that's the first thing they always bring up. Just wanted to know if that is a common argument against striking arts from most grapplers?

 

Honestly, I doubt you'd find many grapplers who are dead set against striking arts, most of the guys I know either cross train or acknowledge the utility of striking. I think the risk is higher in boxing, but honestly, I boxed for quite some time and never had hand injuries, I just didn't like getting punched in the face.

I've also known some dudes who have gotten really gnarly injuries in BJJ. They're contact sports, stuff happens.

 

I broke four ribs on one of my students with a spiral ride....grappling injuries are no joke!!

 

Saw a guy go in for a single leg, and I don't know how he wound up doing it, but his knee went like… the wrong way. Just awful man.

I was laid out for a month by a cranked kimura. :[