The number one question when people discuss Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) and self-defense is:
"Why on earth would I want to fight on the ground in a street fight?"
The short answer is: you don't. But in real life it ends up that way. In real life you trip, the attacker is bigger and knocks you over, or you both fall during the struggle. So given this, what are we going to do about it?
Here is the battle tested answer that the Gracie family came up with. BJJ is based on four major stages of the fight, outlined most clearly by John Danaher, one of the greatest martial arts teachers of our time. He outlined this simple strategy as follows:
1) Take your opponent to the ground.
2) Get passed the opponent's legs.
3) Establish a dominant pin.
4) Submit your opponent with your attack of choice (striking, strangle hold, joint lock).
John Danaher has since modified this into more nuanced steps, but the basic outline holds true. What I have done is take this idea and the ideas of many great instructors, and I reorganized it into what might be called offensive and defensive stages.
Offensive Stages (meaning you have no choice and must attack your opponent in order to survive the situation)
OS1 - Close the distance between you and your opponent without suffering debilitating injury.
OS2 - Take you opponent to the ground so that you lessen their physical advantages of strength and speed.
OS3 - Get passed the opponent's legs because the legs are the most powerful part of the human body, and can cause severe damage and keep large opponent's at bay.
OS4 - Establish a dominant pin, meaning that you are able to maximize the damage you can inflict while minimizing the damage your opponent can inflict on you.
OS5 - Submit your opponent by attacking their weak points and maintaining control.
That should look familiar, now let's look at the defensive stages.
Defensive Stages (meaning you are under attack and you must escape the situation in order to survive)
DS5 - Resist Strikes and Submissions, meaning your opponent has a dominant pin ON YOU, and is attacking. You must know how to block these devastating attacks.
DS4 - Escape the Pin, meaning you either get out from under your opponent OR you are able to get your legs in between you and your opponent's body.
DS3 - Sweep or submit, meaning you either are able to use your legs to knock your opponent over or you are able to use your legs to control and submit your opponent.
DS2 - Stand-up, meaning that once your opponent is swept or submitted, you get to your feet so you have the ability to get away or switch to the offensive stages.
DS1 - Create distance, meaning we safely disengage so that we are able to get away from the situation.
If you notice, the defensive stages mirror the offensive stages, they simply flow in reverse. This can help you conceptualize how grappling, specifically BJJ, can be vital to getting you out of a situation where you are completely caught off guard and under the control of an aggressive opponent. It is worth noting that at any time you can switch between offensive and defensive stages.
Remember that the only time that it is wise to engage in a street fight is when it is necessary: either you have to protect others or you have to escape.
The curriculum below is based on these offensive and defensive stages. It divides the critical techniques for each stage into 52 lessons: one lesson per week for a year. With this, you can expect to have a steady progression toward your first colored belt and be prepared you to defend yourself using BJJ in the most efficient manner possible.
RWL Curriculum
Beginner (White to Blue Belt)
ONE STRIPE WHITE BELT
Lesson 1: Intro to BJJ – The 5 Phases of Defense and the 5 Phases of Offense
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Defense Stage 5 (DS5) – Resist Strikes and Submissions
Lesson 2: Punch Block Series 1 -4
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Defense Stage 4 (DS4) – Escape Pin
Lesson 3: Escape Mount (Trap and Roll)
Lesson 4: Escape Mount (Elbow to Knee)
Lesson 5: Escape Back Mount (Shoulders to Mat)
Lesson 6: Escape Side Control (Elbow to Knee)
Lesson 7: Escape North/South (Elbow In)
Lesson 8: Escape Headlock (Cranial Push)
Lesson 9: Escape Half Guard (Re-guard)
Lesson 10: DS4 Review
TWO STRIPE WHITE BELT
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Defense Stage 3 (DS3) – Sweep or Submit Opponent
Lesson 11: Sweep (Tripod Sweep)
Lesson 12: Sweep (Double Ankle Sweep)
Lesson 13: Sweep (Bump Sweep)
Lesson 14: Sweep (Elevator Sweep)
Lesson 15: Submit (Guillotine Choke from Guard)
Lesson 16: Submit (Triangle Choke from Guard)
Lesson 17: DS3 Review
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Defense Stage 2 (DS2) – Stand Up
Lesson 18: Punch Block Series Stage 5
Lesson 19: Guard Retention / Stand in Base
Lesson 20: DS2 Review
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Defense Stage 1 (DS1)– Create Distance
Lesson 21: Escape (Standing Headlock)
Lesson 22: Escape (Standing Guillotine)
Lesson 23: Submit (Standing Guillotine Choke)
Lesson 24: Tactical Withdrawal
Lesson 25: DS1 Review
THREE STRIPE WHITE BELT
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Offense Stage 1 (OS1) – Close the Distance
Lesson 26: Haymaker Punch Defense
Lesson 27: Achieve the Clinch (Aggressive Opponent)
Lesson 28: Achieve the Clinch (Conservative Opponent)
Lesson 29: OS1 Review
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Offense Stage 2 (OS2) – Takedown
Lesson 30: Standing Arm Drag
Lesson 31: Rear Takedown
Lesson 32: Leg Hook Takedown
Lesson 33: OS2 Review
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Offense Stage 3 (OS3) – Pass the Opponent’s Legs
Lesson 34: Break Closed Guard
Lesson 35: Guard Pass (Torreando)
Lesson 36: Guard Pass (X-Pass)
Lesson 37: Guard Pass (Knee Cut)
Lesson 38: Guard Pass (Double Under)
Lesson 39: Half Guard Pass (Weave Pass)
Lesson 40: OS3 Review
FOUR STRIPE WHITE BELT
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Offense Stage 4 (OS4) – Establish Dominant Pin
Lesson 41: Establish Side Control
Lesson 42: Move to North/South
Lesson 43: Move to Full Mount
Lesson 44: Move to Back Mount
Lesson 45: OS4 Review
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Offense Stage 5 (OS5) – Submit
Lesson 46: Side Control Submission (Americana Lock)
Lesson 47: North/South Submission (Kimura Lock)
Lesson 48: Mount Submission (Americana Lock)
Lesson 49: Mount Submission (Arm Triangle)
Lesson 50: Back Submission (Rear Naked Choke)
Lesson 51: Back Submission (Straight Arm Bar)
Lesson 52: OS5 Review