Tim,

Who did/do you train BJJ with? Are you ranked in BJJ?

I started practicing BJJ about six years ago. I've trained with several teachers, and for the last three years with Cleber Luciano. I got a purple belt about two years ago.

Tim, I suspect you advocate BJJ as a secondary art for people to train for clinches, what do you think of that chinese "fast wrestling"? Do you feel grappling as ground-fighting is necessary or do you think some of the other systems are ok (such as aiki-jitsu, farmer Brown, etc.) I mean this strictly from the stand-point of techniques practicality ( I realize the important thing is the practitioner himself).

I think Fast Wrestling is a first rate throwing art. The majority of the throws in the Ba Gua Zhang systems I teach are from the Kuai Jiao (most practical stand up martial arts teach people to fight in clinches, even the arts without ground fighting).

I think there are many systems of ground fighting that are useful and practical (BJJ, Judo, Catch wrestling, Sambo...). I also think it is important to be clear on the situations you are training for. For example, although many of the skills are transferable from various grappling sports to real fighting situations, there is a big difference in strategy (perhaps less in technique) between BJJ (or any other combat grappling art) for sport and how you would apply the art in a real fight. I do feel that ground fighting is necessary to be prepared for real fights. I also believe that there needs to be alot of time spent on non-cooperative sparring. Ignoring the extremes ("all fights go to the ground" at one end and "no one can ever take me down" at the other), the fact remains that some fights do go to the ground.

Thanks, Tim, I think I unwittingly posted that question again in different words elsewhere on this site. I briefly trained with a BJJ practitioner once some years back and it reminded me of Ninpo Jutaijutsu in its ease, simplicity and practicality. Yes, my kung fu has a simplistic grappling element (I like its practicality) and am in the process of learning an advanced form that requires a lot of rolling and protecting one's head, but am not into it enough to know if this reads "ground fighting" just yet. I thought someone here said their WC had a traditional ground-fighting element, but such seems hard to find in chinese boxing arts. Thanks again, I will search keeping your points in mind.