08/19/2026
After close to 25 years of training jiu-jitsu, this is what I believe its true purpose is.
Jiu-jitsu is about SURVIVAL.
The sport side is awesome. Competition is awesome. Takedowns are important. Striking is important. Every martial art has something valuable to offer.
But at its core, jiu-jitsu prepares you for a very specific worst-case scenario:
Someone grabs you unexpectedly.
Someone attacks you from behind.
Someone bear hugs you.
Someone tries to punch you.
Someone knocks or throws you to the ground.
You end up flat on your back with another person on top of you trying to hurt you.
What do you do now?
If you don't have a weapon and the attacker doesn't have a weapon, and you are forced into a physical confrontation—especially one that ends up on the ground—you need the ability to protect yourself, stay composed, improve your position, escape, get back to your feet, and survive.
That's why I love the name of my good friends' academy in St. Augustine, Florida: Fighting Chance.
Because that's exactly what good jiu-jitsu gives you.
It doesn't guarantee you'll win a fight. Nothing does. Size, strength, numbers, surprise, weapons, environment, and countless other factors can completely change a real-life confrontation.
But proper training can give you a better fighting chance when something has gone terribly wrong.
We train from underneath people. We train escapes. We train when we're uncomfortable. We learn how to control another person. We learn how to remain calm when someone is putting pressure on us. We learn how to protect ourselves and work our way out of terrible positions.
And whenever escape and avoiding the confrontation are possible, that's the goal.
Because real self-defense isn't about proving you're tougher than somebody else.
It's about making it home.
That's the true essence of jiu-jitsu to me.
Not winning. SURVIVING.
