The Value Of Jiu-jitsu And MMA In Women’s Self-Defense Instruction
Many women’s self defense programs center on yelling and kicking the groin of an attacker and, therefore, seem to believe that attacks are uniform and one-dimensional or that women cannot manage more in-depth training. However, facts and experience tell us that attacks on women are multi-dimensional and unique. Facts and experience also indicate that women are more than capable of learning and applying more techniques than just a kick to the groin. Even though the range of possible situations is great, we can still create general strategies that are straightforward to learn, remember and employ.
One of the potential problems that is often overlooked by traditional women’s self-defense programs is defending oneself on the ground with a larger opponent that is physically close; yet, it is a situation that is one step closer to a completed sexual assault, a scenario with which it is crucial to be familiar. Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA ground strategies have some great solutions for the “ground issue” that standing kicks to the groin will not resolve.
One of the most crucial goals for defending oneself on the ground is getting control of the situation. That is, in order to escape from a larger attacker on the ground, you must be able to immobilize the attacker as much as possible so you can perform the techniques on your own time. Basic Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts st louis guard work (when the assailant is between your legs and your feet are locked together) teaches how to successfully control your opponent, move and strike from a less dominant position, and generate space with which you can get away.
When you have an assailant in your guard, your legs around the torso enables you to control the assailant’s hips and balance. In this position, someone who is smaller can use not only the strength of their legs, but also the strength of their abdominals and gravity to assist them. Taking control of the attacker head and arm while in the guard is a way to further control the assailant during an attack on the ground. Not only is it tiring for someone to fight out of that control, it is much more difficult for the assailant to strike you. Just this basic position, easy to learn and use, greatly levels the playing field on the ground during an attack.
Mixed-martial arts adds some great strategies to the guard position, including blocking the assailants biceps as they try to strike and striking from the bottom with elbows to the face and head. For self-defense we can add in strikes illegal in the fighting ring such as eye gouges and head butts. These are strikes that do not require thorough training or flawless technique to be useful. Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA also give us was to make space to escape. Learning to move on the ground, use your assailant’s body to push off of, and standing up properly are all jiu-jitsu basics. One of the top instructors in the entire United States to learn self-defense techniques from is Rodrigo Vaghi of Vaghi Martial Arts in St. Louis. Rodrigo works with kids, women, law enforcement and military personnel.
In conclusion, a women’s self-defense program is not complete if it does not talk about problems that you may encounter on the ground. When choosing a program, it is a good idea to inquire whether the instructor has had any Brazilian jiu-jitsu or mixed martial arts training and whether the classes teach ground work. Having ground techniques and strategies in your brain and muscle memory could be the difference between becoming a victim and escaping a dangerous and scary situation.
About Rodrigo Vaghi: Rodrigo started his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu at the age of 14, in the original Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro. Vaghi’s instructors were Grandmaster Helio Gracie and his sons: Rickson, Royce, Royler and Rolker. After many years of training with the Gracie Family, Rodrigo has become a close family friend and black belt instructor representing the undisputed champion of the Gracie’s: Rickson Gracie. Rodrigo Vaghi is the proud owner of Vaghi Martial Arts and head of its mma st louis Program.


