Greetings, Grapplers,

Recently, I chimed in on a discussion on a friend's Facebook thread about Takedowns vs. Guard Pulling in BJJ.

Someone made the statement that “most injuries come from takedowns.”

I strongly disagree with this.

Instead, I say that Ignorance and Recklessness are the primary causes of injury in BJJ, whether on the ground or with takedowns.

This is not meant to be inflammatory or insulting.

In my 40-plus years of martial arts experience, it’s just something I’ve seen over and over again.

Personally, I have been injured far more while on the ground than I have ever been with the delivering or receiving of takedowns.

When we're ignorant about proper technique or the importance of precision, we're more likely to get injured.

It's that simple.

Whether we're executing a ground technique or going for a takedown, ignorance can be our worst enemy. But fear not, because knowledge is power.

Drilling techniques with precision and practicing live flow rolling arm us with the knowledge and skill needed to stay safe.

The same principles apply when it comes to takedowns.

Learning a variety of techniques and perfecting our timing through dynamic drills can make all the difference.

When we're reckless in our training, we put ourselves and our training partners at risk.

There is a difference between an “accident” and “recklessness.”

When we practice, we are bodies in motion, and occasional accidents are likely to happen.

Recklessness, on the other hand, is a disregard for the safety of yourself or your training partner.

This almost always leads to someone getting injured.

Ignorance of proper execution and/or recklessness leads to the “forcing” of techniques.

Whether in the standup or on the ground, forcing techniques inevitably leads to injury.

In the next issue, I will discuss how educating ourselves with more options helps us avoid “forcing” techniques and, therefore, reduce the risk of injuries.

And remember, when you learn one technique you know one technique.
When you learn a concept you know a thousand techniques.

See you on the flipside. - Larry Keith