At Jiu Jitsu Times we welcome any opportunity to answer questions of the jiu jitsu community from our experience and understanding.
We recently received this question:
“What is the difference between rolling with MMA guys and rolling with jiu jitsu practitioners?”
I will do my best to answer this question based on my personal experience, hopefully helping to shed some light on the topic.
I am fortunate enough to train at Strong Style Mixed Martial Arts and Training Center (StrongStyle.) If you haven’t heard of this gym look it up. I joined Strong Style just over 2 years ago and in that time have had the opportunity to roll with a lot of MMA fighters, including some UFC fighters and UFC veterans. I am primarily a jiu jitsu guy, and until I joined Strong Style I very rarely rolled with MMA guys.
MMA is a cross disciplinary art, which means that unless an individual makes a concerted effort to become excellent at one skill set or aspect, chances are they won’t be a specialist. Lots of MMA fighters and MMA gyms focus more on striking and takedown defense; the submission game is difficult and can be tricky.
Being an MMA fighter, especially a professional, means that an individual is most likely a freak athlete. MMA fighters, even ones that aren’t “that good” tend to be extremely strong, and have phenomenal understanding of body mechanics. They are human, they can be submitted, but their physicality and understanding of how their body works and how your body works makes accomplishing this more difficult.
MMA fighters are always considering their positioning. I haven’t seen many who like to play guard because they don’t want to be in the practice of accepting a position that puts their opponent on top. For this reason I haven’t seen many MMA fighters play guard, and if they do get to the guard they are doing their best to either sweep or stand back up immediately.
Rolling with an MMA fighter who isn’t as good of a grappler as you can be like playing tag. They consider disengagement to be a viable defense, because in an MMA fight they have no obligation to stay on the ground with their opponent. For this reason, grappling with an MMA fighter can be a frustrating experience, similar to what Cyborg Abreu experienced when he competed against Brendan Schaub. This isn’t necessarily a criticism of MMA fighters, but simply an acknowledgment of a significant difference in style.
Most MMA fighters have experience outside of jiu jitsu, and their belt rank is not a great indicator of their actual skill set. Strong Style has some MMA fighters who are white and blue belts who have beaten high level opponents in competition. If you go into an MMA gym, be careful not to assume that a person’s belt is a good indicator, you may wind up being surprised and exposed to harsh reality.
Another key detail is that MMA fighters do not operate under the same rules of etiquette as BJJ guys. They will gladly neck crank or leg lock you. They are not interested in what’s “nice” or what is defined as “using strength” they are training for their next fight, they are sharpening their ability to hurt another person. Don’t be surprised if you get knocked around a bit, they don’t roll as gently as BJJ guys.
If you haven’t rolled with an MMA fighter yet, trust me try it out. It’ll teach you a lot about yourself, the efficacy of your jiu jitsu and it may expose some holes in your game. Ultimately if you can work your game against an MMA fighter you are moving in the right direction.
if you are a bjj guy it can also be a frustrating and boring roll. We had an mma group come to our class to train and in sparing they had little variation in their game, hardly tried passing guard and were defensive to the point that they made the roll uninteresting.
With one notable exception, every roll I have had MMA fighters, from world champions to one fight amateurs is that MMA fighters (if they have had decent coaching) relentlessly posture. It’s always up, up, up. There is generally nothing fancy, nothing new, and nothing exciting, just boring rudimentary fundamentals attempted over and over again…. and it’s effective.
What a naivete, unprofessional price of writing. I think you recommending people role with MMA practitioners is irresponsible, and dangerous! These aren’t respectful, considerate martial artists we’re talking about. They’re testosterone fueled killing machines! And if you think they have any regard for your personal safety you’re beyond delusional! I guess you kinda warn them, if by “exposed to harsh reality” you meant having your liver bruised and you appendages roughly removed from your body! But if this is you and jujitsu times idea of responsible journalism you’ve lost your already severely compromised mind! I usually ignore the stupidity and misinformation that you seem to enjoy inundating your articles with; but my conscience wouldn’t let me sleep at night if I stood by and let you lead innocent young jits enthusiasts to slaughter with out speaking up.
^What is happening up here?^
lol “these aren’t respectful martial artists” and you are?
talk that bullshit to gsp
if you think mma fighters are just killing machines that’s either because you are weak and cannot defend yourself or you’ve never met one in real life.They are human beings just like everyone else.Asides from rare exceptions like Caio Monstro, most mma fighters are not going to hurt you just because they want to.Accidents happen, but for the most part, they are just doing their job and if you want to roll with them, most of them will gladly accept.
It can be a harsh roll but everyone needs it -it’s called FIGHTING you know?JIU JITSU IS NOT A FUCKING SPORT FOR STUPID PEOPLE SIT ON THEIR BUT AND HAVE A GOOD TIME WHILE PRETEDING TO BE FIGTHERS.IT was created to help people defend themselves -getting beat up is part of the process of learning.ANd if you have the privilege (yes the privilege) to get beat up from a professional mma fighter, who probably worked harder in one day then you have ever worked in your entire life, then your jiu jitsu will get massively better.Just because you’re scared or are incompeten doesn’t mean the article is bad.It just means you want stay in your own personal bubble of safety.
Hey Desh, I understand you’re Emil’s little fanboy and feel obligated to stick up for his sorry attempt at an article. Lets be real though. Claiming that violence in mma is the exception as opposed to the rule, is just ridiculous! You know it, I know it and Christy Mack knows it! The pervasive violence in people that fight ufc is an incontestible part of their culture. If it’s not War Machine beating women half to death or Palhares permanently crippling his opponents post submission; it’s ufc fighter Harold Howard chasing his relatives down with a claw hammer! And those are the choir boys of the mma world. We won’t even bring up Joe Son and his gang raping and kidnapping escapades. Or the fact that after his incarceration he raped his cell mate to death. I could talk about the violence on a local level with fighters like John the Machine Gunther attempting to choke his opponents unconscious and deliberately reaping the leg in a jujitsu tournament! But I don’t think that’s necessary. I think your chest beating machismo and the fact that your getting aggressive with me over this issue is the only evidence i need to demonstrate the pent up aggression you ufc people carry.
#EmilyTheMachineFisher strikes again
I dunno, maybe edit your pieces before publishing.
K thx
Pretty decent article I thought. Very accurate.
Hey Desh, I understand you’re Emil’s little fanboy and feel obligated to stick up for his sorry attempt at an article. Lets be real though. Claiming that violence in mma is the exception as opposed to the rule, is just ridiculous! You know it, I know it and Christy Mack knows it! The pervasive violence in people that fight ufc is an incontestible part of their culture. If it’s not War Machine beating women half to death or Palhares permanently crippling his opponents post submission; it’s ufc fighter Harold Howard chasing his relatives down with a claw hammer! And those are the choir boys of the mma world. We won’t even bring up Joe Son and his gang raping and kidnapping escapades. Or the fact that after his incarceration he raped his cell mate to death. I could talk about the violence on a local level with fighters like John the Machine Gunther attempting to choke his opponents unconscious and deliberately reaping the leg in a jujitsu tournament! But I don’t think that’s necessary. I think your chest beating machismo and the fact that your getting aggressive with me over this issue is the only evidence i need to demonstrate the pent up aggression you ufc people carry.
We have an MMA fighter who trains regularly at our BJJ academy. He comes specifically for his BJJ to the academy. Rolling with him I find it ‘edgy’ … I am always ready to tap early and often because when he applies a sub it comes on really fast As the article says too, this guys knows about body mechanics and he has some moves that’s are quite smooth and applicable to Jiu Jitsu. Finally, this guy isn’t a wanker. He’s chilled out, polite, and not a ‘killer’ during class training rolls. He is in the cage … in fact, there are other guys who train at the academy who are much more aggressive and go flat out during a sparring session by comparison.
Very nice and accurate piece if I might so,@ Emily,everyone got into Jits for different reasons, emil’s advice isn’t for everyone, but for those who wish to and have the heart to test themselves to the limit,i roll with MMA and Sambo guys who happen to be some of the most decent people I ‘be met, i find it keeps my jijitsu honest and sharpens my strength,speed and endurance. Though not for everyone, I personally recommend it from time to time.