McLeod's Mat Therapy: The usefulness of adding strikes to your BJJ

McLeod's Mat Therapy: The usefulness of adding strikes to your BJJ: WHY should I train my striking/ take downs if I am a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter? You may ask your self this if you have ever attende...

The usefulness of adding strikes to your BJJ

WHY should I train my striking/ take downs if I am a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighter?

You may ask your self this if you have ever attended one of my classes. 
Now, this is going to be my first attempt at a Blog, as someone suggested I may be somewhat good at it.  Now, it'd be a REAL STRETCH for me to run off at the mouth and babble for a while, so although hearing my own thoughts may be difficult for me, I'll give it a real shot for the betterment of everyone involved.
Now, back to the subject at hand.
I'll try the shock approach first.  Because, when it comes to fighting, there is a very large chance your BJJ sucks.
I have about 16 years in the sport at this point, and was honored to have earned MY black belt from black belts Jamel McCurry and Carlos Machado this past summer.  I have, as a result of this, become very opinionated and sort of a pain in the ass.  I think in Karate, when you attain black belt, you are obligated to gain a lot of weight and have a pouch that sticks out over said belt.  In BJJ, you become far too opinionated on the subject of everything grappling related.  For example, did you know that *ahem* Judo sucks, catch wrestling is fake, Pro MMA fighters have no real ground skill unless they're a BJJ black belt, wrestlers use nothing but strength, and Rickson Gracie has the ability to launch angels out of his butt? 
Anyhow, back to the subject.  I was serious when I said your BJJ is probably WAY better in your head than it is when tested 100%. 
I am also a 2nd degree black belt in Kenpo Karate.  I trained it for many many years from youth into adulthood.  A black belt in karate (or often other traditional styles) always has a small area in the back of their head (hidden by the absolute knowledge they can stop any takedown by a simple well placed knee or punch) where they truly wonder if what they've trained in could REALLY be used if attacked by a large, athletic man who wants to do nothing more than to tie you up in his Afflliction shirt and beat you senseless.
BJJ is heading down that road.  Early UFC showed how effective BJJ can be when used against other skilled practitioners of fighting arts, or street fighters, especially if they thought have no idea what a Triangle choke is.  In fact, regardless of many people's opinions, current Pro MMA fighters still must train BJJ at great lengths if they hope to be successful. 
HOWEVER, as a result of OTHER people's success, Many BJJ students and instructors have become much like the karate practitioners of old.  Unable to check their ego at the door and realize that they have to open their minds and train the way people trained back in decades past if they wish to be as successful as they want to be. 
Now, that said, by nature of the art, how it is trained (via rolling) and the lack of knowledge of the average person, BJJ is still in many people's opinions (mine included) the single most useful art out there.  A karate fighter, a Kung Fu artist, a Tae Kwon Do practitioner, an Akido man, and obviously your average hillbilly in a bar, etc...  they ALL likely lack the necessary training to stop even the most average of upper BJJ belt from taking the fight to the ground and finishing them. 
But now we take that SAME BJJ fighter and place them against another BJJ fighter, a wrestler who has boxed a long time, a karate fighter who has trained grappling witrh or without a gi for a while, etc etc etc...  we will see that BJJ fail miserably.  And Now a days, NOT THAT MANY BJJ schools want to address this.  They would rather focus on starting from the knees, and using a gi to do many newer Jiu Jitsu movements that will get them killed if tried in an MMA fight.  But they simply don't want to face that.  It would mean they aren't the same as the early BJJ fighters they loved so much.  It would mean they would be going through the same thing the karate students and instructors went through in 1994.  They would have to admit they need to change the way they train to be as effective as possible.
Let me ask you this:  How often do you attempt your BJJ movements with a partner who is trying to punch you?  Hard.  A lot.  While complimenting themselves on their technique (wait....that'd be me.) If you only do this every 2-3 months, you might want to rethink. 
Have you EVER attempted to pull off a berimbolo while someone has 16 ounce gloves on and is again, punching or dropping knees on your new 260$ gi?

Here is what you need to realize.  You have an unspoken agreement with your partner.  You WILL stay on the ground while grappling.  Your opponent has NO agreement with you in a fight.  I used to train with numerous upper belted BJJ fighters who I simply could stand up and walk out of their guard and make them stand up.  It would annoy the Hell out of them.
Along those same lines:  What good is your weapon/shotgun (BJJ) if it has no ammo (take downs)??????
If you can't get a fight to the mat, what good is it to you?
Let's ignore the "you can't fight multiple attackers on the ground" argument that many karate practitioners throw out at you, because let's be honest, they simply use this as another excuse.  If they can't successfully fight ONE guy who wants to tackle them, what makes them think they can stop 3 guys from doing the same and then kicking/curb stomping them?  They can't. Plus, they like the ninja turtles too much.  You get attacked by 3 or 4 guys?  You're losing.  Sorry. 

So add the striking folks.  If you don't try to get takedowns against people who want to hit you (hard, wear headgear), and then try to KEEP them their while they attempt to stand back up, how do you think you'll do it when they are trying to be nasty while doing the same thing? 
If you don't attempt to learn how much time you have to try to scissor sweep or armbar an opponent while they punch you with the free hand, how will you AVOID forming the bad habits associated with that??
I can go on.  But let us look forward 50 years.  What will stop BJJ from becoming a mcdojo? 
How you train now.
I leave you with the following idea.  Royce Gracie fought in the early UFC's and obviously dealt with strikes.
He became famous for "fighting off his back."  However, when did he end up there?
UFC 1: Shot for the takedown on EVERY one of his opponents to get the top position.
UFC2: Shot for the takedown on EVERYONE of his opponents and got it.
UFC 3: Shot for the takedown on Kimo and fought for it endlessly against someone 90 pounds heavier.
UFC4: FINALLY decided to pull guard on Keith Hackney after attempting the takedown, and was then shot on by Severn.
Take downs and striking is at the CORE of BJJ.  NOT simply going to a deep half guard for 4 years without ever seeing if your opponent can hammerfist you 33 times (There is my free mason homage) in the head.
Keep BJJ pure.  Keep it real.
This will NOT be checked for punctuation or spelling.  And yes, in the future these will be MUCH MUCH shorter. :)