tprT:
I sigh, because I deal with this a lot. I've dealt with this unwillingness to try something new from A LOT of martial artists and non-martial artists.
If I could count with my fingers the number of Tae Kwon Do practitioners, Karateka, boxers, etc. etc. who say that grappling techniques are not effective or necessary for self-defense and continue to bury their heads in sand, I'd have a lot of fingers, indeed (certainly enough to be a lab subject)!
If my frustration shows through, it's not really meant for you and, for that, I apologize. You are really the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.
It's one thing if people gain some modicum of experience in a grappling system and then critically analyze it (strengths and weaknesses), but often the critiques or dismissals are based on non-existent or superficial understanding of a grappling-based martial art. Too many folks require DIRECT and PERSONAL experience to finally "see" it. I guess I get frustrated by that, because I follow Prinz von Bismarck's motto that "Fools learn from their own mistakes. I prefer to learn from those of others."
BTW, I want to make it clear that I don't hold BJJ as the be-all, end-all of martial arts. As I emphasized before, a lot depends on the context of what techniques are used in what situations. I don't even practice BJJ much anymore (I practice more Shooto, aka Shoot wrestling, now a days). I also train in Muay Thai and Arnis (mostly knife combatives) on top of firearms training (AND PT based on Pavel Tsatsouline's methods - he is a former PT coach for Soviet Spetznaz).
Anyway, good luck to you and hopefully I haven't turned you away from checking out some grappling (BJJ, non-Olympic Judo, Sambo, Catch wrestling etc.) in the future. I haven't forgotten that you are one of the good guys (LEO).
Ah, as for my occupation, I work in an investigative capacity in the defense industry and let's just leave it at that.
Skorzeny
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For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the supreme excellence. Sun Tzu
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