Following on from our article How dangerous is a BJJ blue belt? we thought it was only fair to use the same analysis when looking at the final belt in BJJ, the black belt. For many it is a belt that brings great status as well as a great responsibility. Using the same criteria as the blue belt piece, we shall be analyzing the effectiveness of a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt when it comes to a 1 vs 1 fight.
As you may expect, a black belt in any martial art should be able to beat an untrained attacker. Having said this, all martial arts are not equal and that means just because you have a black belt in Aikido, it doesn’t mean you’re exactly a tough fighter. Having said this, due to the prestige of being a BJJ black belt, you should have more than enough to be able to defend yourselves as we shall find out.
Table of Contents
Firstly, by black belt you should have good takedowns
Let’s face it, compared to other grappling arts – BJJ doesn’t have great takedown skills. That is, the likes of Sambo, Judo and Wrestling are all designed to put the opponent on the floor from standing. However, BJJ is unique in that although it starts from the feet, the majority of the action will take place on the ground. Whilst this can be a great skill, it can also be done in a bad way.
For example, in BJJ some people can get too comfortable pulling guard especially when training for a competition with certain rules. This is fine, but in a self defense situation, you will need to use takedowns. Whilst it may be ok for a blue belt to lack confidence at stand up, this should have vanished as a black belt. We’re not expecting a BJJ black belt to be a champion wrestler or Judoka, at the same time they should be able to easily take down an untrained opponent.
Due to years of sparring, this should be simple even with a size difference. In brief, there’s no excuse to lack poor takedowns at black belt level. Everyone should know a bit of Judo or Wrestling at that point and use it correctly. As good as you may be from your back, it is always much, much harder when strikes are involved from a bottom position.
Black Belt against bigger opponents
One of the selling points of BJJ is that it bridges the gap in size. If you’re smaller, you may be able to dominate bigger people due to technique, especially in the gym. Having said this, your advantage will diminish with strikes involved where size is an even bigger factor. However, you should still be able to use your BJJ correctly.
Even if the opponent outweighs you by 20KG and is stronger, you should have enough skills to defend yourself and win the fight. As stated previously, a good tactic would be to begin with a takedown. This is due to unskilled people naturally being clueless on the bottom whereas on top they can strike easier.
With this said, if you manage an early takedown then you should have enough balance and spatial awareness to dominate the opponent. Usually, this will involve wild movements from them which can be combated by strikes or submission threats from the top. In brief, a BJJ black belt should be incredibly comfortable on the ground and may it count.
How good is a BJJ black belt from their back?
So far we’ve acknowledged that a BJJ black belt should dominate from stand up and also from the top position on the ground. But what happens if they are put to the floor, either by a punch or by pulling guard? Well, unless the opponent is a giant, they should still possess enough tools to handle themselves on the bottom. You may still take a few punches and it may not be pretty, but you should be able to at least escape the bottom position and get to your feet. In an ideal world, it would end with you submitting the opponent or sweeping them.
Remember, with strikes things are very different. However, remember BJJ is about self defense so this should still be no excuse. By now, you’ve put roughly 10 years into training and should be great at working from your back. This means sweeps and submissions should get you into advantageous positions, whilst you should also be able to recover from bad positions such as side control and mount.
Having a BJJ black belt isn’t a silver bullet
It’s been established that having a black belt is a fantastic weapon when fighting. However, it isn’t a silver bullet either. With strikes involved, anything is possible and can’t be ruled out. That means you may lose by a sucker punch or wild blow. Even if there is a bit of bad luck, if your striking skills are awful then your life will be harder in a fight. With this said, if you are worried about fights as a BJJ black belt, at least a few months of training Boxing or Muay Thai should complement your game massively.
What we’re trying to say is that the average BJJ black belt should dominate fights and have the skills to back up their rank. However, ultimately it doesn’t mean you’re some kind of fighting god either. You may see this at times in MMA where a black belt has superior grappling skills but still gets knocked out. Because of this, you should never be overconfident and always expect the unexpected.
Summary
Overall a black belt should be very confident of beating most opponents in a fight. Unless their opponent has a huge physical advantage or is highly trained in grappling or striking themselves, the black belt should almost always win. As said, life isn’t always perfect and things can always go wrong, but at the same time if you think of the knowledge as a black belt compared to a day one white belt, the two are not comparable.
If you also factor into the equation the physical conditioning and strength a black belt will have from years of grappling, it’s a safe bet to argue that they are incredibly dangerous when fighting. This means qualities such as strong grips and great cardio will also only enhance your chances of winning a confrontation. Due to this, it’s a fair conclusion that BJJ black belts are dangerous and should be respected for their dedication to learning their craft.
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