Does MMA help or hinder your BJJ?

This blog is based on my experience and methodology.

I started BJJ before MMA and got caught up in the all round skills needed to be effective in BJJ. This made me work my guard, develop my top game and get attacks from both positions. Then I started training in MMA and found that certain positions meant a lot of pain and not much fun - AKA being on my back. Without knowing it from then I started working top control and attacks a lot more than working off my back. Going forward to today, and I may be wrong here, but my game is all about top control and keeping the other guy on his back. I use my wrestling skills to get people on their back and then use BJJ to keep them there and then attack their arms or go for a brabo – that is my game in a nutshell.

So has training in MMA made my BJJ better? Here is the positive spin - as I avoid going to my back in MMA, as that is where I get punched, I have developed a good base which makes me hard to sweep and then if I do get swept I try to roll away so that they can’t control me after the sweep. This has given my BJJ focus and intent as I have an absolute goal. In fact recently I have noticed that even when I try to work my guard and someone stands and  gives me a leg to grab I immediately grab it  and go for a takedown and get top position. This methodology is so ingrained in to my brain it seems to be in entrenched in my BJJ game as well. 

On the flip side, when rolling and I feel like playing guard (this is the usual situation against a mid level guy) I usually get them in my guard and attack, they defend and pass (due to the lack of my pure guard skills) and once they pass I use a little sweep combo to try and get them on their back. If that does not work the I go wrestling on it and go belly down and try and grab a leg. This developed as I have a hell of a time getting back to guard from side control. I would love to be able to blame my size for this but sadly it is not the case. With this current mind set I have found myself using guard as a stall position, just like MMA, then I attack to get the sub or sweep. If that fails (more likely when that fails) then they usually pass and I then switch to wrestling mode to get off my back. The down side is that I will give up positions in the process, as I back my wrestling to deal with the head to head or someone attacking my back when I am on all fours. This works most of the time but the when I am on my back against a good guy the only option for me is to get out and I have to have my defence going at 100% to get back to a place that I am happy.

So has BJJ hindered or helped my BJJ? I believe that all depends on how you look at my skills. In rolling I know how to keep to my strengths and avoid my weakness. Therein lies the problem - your biggest strength is your biggest weakness, which means if I am up against someone who is squirmy twisty guy that is like trying to control a piece of soap my plan B doesn’t get the practice it should to be effective.

In short MMA has helped focus and give my BJJ intent but has also given me tunnel vision and has left skills, that I would’ve worked without MMA, underdeveloped.

From what I have seen, for people with BJJ skill if they get some wrestling technique it seems to help them a lot. This is based on the theory that most people in BJJ learn the same things, with a slight twist on it. But at the end of the day an armbar is an armbar. When you add some wrestling in there it gives them a slightly bigger skill set with moves that BJJ guys haven’t had to deal with, which makes them effective. In New Zealand having any wrestling experience is going to put you ahead of the curve and give your BJJ game a boost, but also leaves holes. Therefore MMA has both helped and hindered my BJJ, it is helped as I am hungry to get and keep top position this is made me harder to sweep. The downside is my submission game is not as good and when I am on my back my BJJ is not as good as I rely on some wrestling to get me out. In short if you roll with me get me on my back and you will be sweet.

Gareth Lewis

Head MMA Instructor