BJJ is a bit… gay?

This is a very common response I get, along with “BJJ doesn’t work”. But I’m not the only one to hear these comments I’m sure!

The fact is Jiu JItsu works. Yes, you will end up in some compromising positions at times that at a glance may seem somewhat homoerotic but, believe me, when another man is trying to break your limbs or choke you unconscious, the last thing on your mind is your (or his!) sexual orientation!

I must admit when I first seen grappling I thought along the same lines. I had a background in Karate, Kickboxing and Kali/Arnis and never had an interest in grappling. Being a professional musician I have seen my share of ‘street fights’ in pubs over the years. Most of those fights ended up on the ground with some dude on top of another dude and swinging wildly, sometimes hitting his target and other times punching the floor. Rarely did a fight remain standing.

I would see these fights happening while singing some ‘Chisel’ and think “oh man, what would I do if I was on the bottom and that dude was swinging at me like that!?” I had no answers playing in my head! Nothing! Until I started training Jiu Jitsu… I no longer think like I used to! I am a hundred times more confident that given a similar situation I can control the outcome.

Once I put those initial thoughts aside and went to my first class the realism and effective nature of the art became apparent and all I could see on the mats was combat. Two people trying to dismember each other! See, you need to realise that when you ‘tap’ to a submission you are saying “ok, you got me.. I would be dead (or broken arm etc) if you kept going any further”. Jiu Jitsu is a combat sport and extremely effective self defense. Jiu jitsu is more than just ‘fighting off your back’.

I think what it all comes down to is this; If you think Jiu Jitsu doesn’t work, you obviously haven’t trained any grappling and are ignorant to the facts. If you think Jiu Jitsu is ‘gay’ let me put things into perspective:

Look at some other sports… Football, for example. League, Union, take your pick. How is it that sweaty men hugging each others hips as they stick their head between two guys legs to pack a scrum isn’t any less ‘gay’ than Jiu Jitsu? Boxing, when fighters clinch to tie up their opponent and break their momentum. Are they not ‘hugging’ each other?

Things that are gay:
Being attracted to some members of your sex.

Things that aren’t gay:
All other things.

Each to their own! But if we ever go head to head in a fight I’ll be the one whispering sweet nothings in your ear as I choke you unconscious 😛