Hardly a day goes by where I’m not involved in some discussion comparing the merits of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu vs. Muay Thai Kickboxing for self-defence. It’s to be expected; both are amazing combat sports, and I’ve taught each for decades. In a perfect world, I’d recommend mastering both. But when it comes to advising the average beginner, I point them towards Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) every time. Here’s why.
Effective self-defence aims to avoid physical confrontation whenever possible. But if that’s not an option, the key is to control the distance between you and the threat. In situations where you can’t run away and someone’s already got a hold of you, nothing works better than BJJ for managing space and keeping yourself safe.
Even more important is BJJ’s ability to offer a scalable response. They say that to a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. If our only response to a threat is to strike, we might unintentionally escalate a situation.
Here’s an example I often use to explain this. Imagine you’re at a picnic hosted by a neighbour, and their cousin, who’s had too much to drink, starts causing problems with you, your family, or another guest. Throwing a punch might solve things immediately, but it’s not likely to go over well socially or ensure you’ll be invited back. Jiu Jitsu, on the other hand, offers ways to safely restrain the person, preventing them from causing further harm to others or themselves. This flexibility is a huge advantage in self-defence and one of the main reasons I recommend BJJ for children facing bullying instead of arts that focus on kicking and punching.
Jiu Jitsu is a martial art that, as your skills grow, empowers you with true confidence. Even if you’re confronted by a larger, stronger aggressor, you know you can handle the situation without overreacting. This kind of confidence is like a superpower, but really, it’s just the baseline in Jiu Jitsu. Knowing you can face those ‘what if’ situations frees you to enjoy all the fun, learning, and friendships that make this journey so special.
Well said.