 Getting into an actual fight with someone you don't know can be incredibly dangerous. De-escalation methods can be effective and sometimes lifesaving tools. However, despite best efforts, sometimes you find yourself unable to avoid the fight. At this point, all you can do is try to strategize and part of that strategy is to pick up on clues of what the other person might know to help you make better choices. Today, we're going to explore some possible signs the person you're facing may be experienced with Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Now we're gonna break this episode up into three parts. But before we do that, I need to post a disclaimer. In previous videos that talked about assessing opponents, I've had a few triggered viewers get highly aggressive and accused me of encouraging people to start fights. That is 100% not the objective. I want you all to be able to avoid 100% of all fights if possible. We're gonna look at three things. And as a bonus at the end, I'm gonna show you a clip from years ago where I got absolutely dominated in the grappling match by a much larger man and I'll open it up for critique. But first, let's look at one minor clues you could pick up on to help determine if the other person knows BJJ. Two, what strategies can you utilize if you're not a grappler yourself? And three, this one's for our BJJ friends out there. If you find yourself up against someone you believe is a sealed striker, what are some things to look out for? Also guys, this list is not absolute. If you have anything to add or feel I missed something, I encourage a productive discussion down below in the comments. So, trying to determine if someone you don't know is experiencing BJJ can be tricky because people don't usually wear a sign around their neck advertising, which aren't they know. Unless of course, the sporting tap out gear can display in the shocker. Now, if you're lucky, maybe you can pick up on some subtle clues before a confrontation happens while de-escalation may still be possible. One of the subtle clues is, look at their hands. Hands can be very telling. Large calluses or darkened skin on the two large knuckles can suggest this person may be conditioned for striking. Likewise, look at the fingers. Grapplers are often prone to finger injuries. Taped, swollen joints, knurled fingers, cuts, they could all be a sign of all sorts of things but might be an indicator of grappling experience. In any case, you're looking at a person who's probably not afraid to use their hands, period. The next most obvious sign would be cauliflower ear. This is one of the most tell-tale signs someone has done significant grappling as few activities with head friction could cause this kind of condition. Now, I joked about the tap out gear but quite honestly, that could be an indicator. It's a popular trend amongst grapplers to wear it. However, that along with the fingers and ears could also suggest someone with MMA training which is a whole different ball game altogether. You might be able to distinguish an exclusive grappler from an MMA practitioner once you're engaged, how they're holding their head, is it up and extended with the chin easily exposed. Someone with stand-up experience will likely keep their chin tucked in and guarded if they've got stand-up training. Also, are they jabbing? Are they swinging? Someone with boxing and striking skills often use that jab as an antenna to gauge the other person's defensive skills and test for openings. An exclusive grappler likely won't do this, possibly keeping hands open with swatting or grabbing attempts. Also, if you yourself are experienced in stand-up fighting, you can usually feel the difference between the swing of someone who knows how to throw a punch versus one who doesn't. Pay attention to how they manage distance. Are they trying to direct the situation towards an open floor area? Are they keeping you in a general medium range? You know, be wary of how close they keep themselves to you. A good grappler can drop a lunge in for a takedown extremely quickly. They're likely gonna try to keep you within a range for them to secure a grab or get close enough to disrupt your balance. Additionally, someone good with BJJ will generally keep their center of gravity low and away from you, making it hard for you to get close to them. They'll try to anticipate and react to your moves, looking for openings and leverage. And if they get it, you're in trouble. And if you're unable to pick up any definitive clues and you're already in an unavoidable struggle, assume that they know how to grapple. Always assume the other person knows more than you and be careful because once they get their hands on you, you're gonna know for sure. So, okay, so now say you're into thick of it and you realize this person has grabbed an experience and perhaps you don't. What do you do? Well, first and foremost, do whatever it takes to keep it from going to the ground. Easier said than done against a skilled BJJ practitioner. That center of gravity I mentioned, keep yours anchored and back away from them as much as possible. BJJ players are really good at picking off the legs and executing double leg takedowns. If your hips are too close or your stand is too upright, you'll make it easier for them to achieve that. Also, that being said, keep kicks low if you use them at all. Body or head level kicks can be devastating if you land them, but they're harder to use in a real situation and there's a trade-off in balance in order to execute them. If a grappler manages to catch your leg while it's in the air, you will be going to the ground. Also, learn how to sprawl and sprawl well because that may be your best defense if you don't have grappling experience. If they shoot it on you and you're able to sprawl, you might neutralize the attempt and hopefully earn a few seconds to get back up on your feet. If striking is your forte and you're getting a sense that it's not theirs, use it. It's harder to be the person at their own game instead utilize a weakness. I've seen plenty of BJJ and grapplers get knocked out while attempting to take the fight to the ground. That just comes from inexperience of stand-up fighting. If strikes are your strong point, use them. Overwhelm them with combos and vary up your attack angles. Just make sure to be cognizant of range and try to limit their ability to get their hands on you in a clinch. If kicking is your strong point, keep them low. If you do karate, Muay Thai, Taekwondo, Kyo Kishin, you'll likely have a powerful chopping leg kick. Use it. It's harder to catch on that downward angle and a leg kick to someone who has a condition against them can be devastating. Possibly fight any if they land right. Also, be very wary of their attempts to get you to lean back. Sometimes swings or motions to the face could prompt a person to lean away and that might be a tactic to get you to expose your hips and center of gravity. Instead, use footwork to constantly change and manage your distance. If you lean back, you're opening their front door for them to fly right through you. Most importantly, take this seriously. Don't be cocky or play around or assume you're better. I've sparred with plenty of BJJ guys. They are typically very good at what they do and they won't be playing with you. Hey guys, don't forget to pick up your own Colors of Combat t-shirt. We've got a brand new collection, 22 designs over multiple different martial arts. That way you guys can wear your art with pride. So get your own now. Check out the link in the description, artofwendouge.com, slash store. So now let's flip the script. You're the BJJ player and you're in a situation with someone you don't know, what can you capitalize on? Well, a lot of the same ideas apply. Watch how they manage your distance. If they're keeping you at arm length and they don't seem to be afraid to get in close, then they're likely experienced punchers. If you see them tucking their chin in, hands up, elbows down, eyes locked on you and you see a controlled head movement, then highlight that they have boxing experience. Do not dismiss this. If you are up against a boxer and you don't have striking experience, this is dangerous and expect some bombs to come in. Keep your chin tucked in and head guarded. I don't care how good you are at grappling, they could end the situation just as well as you can. If they're trying to keep you at a medium to long range and they're light on their feet, they may be kickers. So watch out for the body and head kicks. If they land, the fight could be over. But if you are able to anticipate them, you may find an opportunity for a take down. Try to stay out of that mid range. That's the prime attack distance. You'll probably want to get in close and a clinch or a grasp as fast as possible and drop them hard. You can't be tentative with a good striker. They are good at reading and covering, so you'll have to try to set them up for some surprise shootings, but keep that head protected. Now, regardless of any experience or fight training, real fighting is ugly. When the other person is really trying to hurt you, there is no room for error or ego. In my experience and training over the past 30 years, I've seen so many stand-up artists who scoff at BJJ get dropped hard, and I've seen grapplers who scoff at strikers get rocked and knocked out. Respect both stand-up and ground fighting. They really are two sides of the same coin and always, always assume that the other person knows more. Okay, so I'd like to pick the brains of all you grapplers out there. I myself have very limited BJJ training. I mean, we did have it at the school for a few years. My instructor, he did train MMA fighters, so we had BJJ as a side program. I dabbled in it, not enough to become proficient, but I gained a huge amount of respect for it. In 2013, I was testing for my fourth degree black belt, and we ended the day with sparring matches. I did just fine in the stand-up portion, but my last match was with a much bigger guy than me, and he had more grappling experience. Now, I did what I could to keep distance between us and keep standing, but he was determined to take it to the ground. I was able to successfully counter and avoid several attempts, but during one point, he was keeping his hips back, and so was I, but I kind of slipped and lost my balance, and he fell into a position that gave him complete control. I knew I screwed up the second my knees touched the floor, and all I could do was anything to prevent him from getting a choke, which he was very adamant on getting. Now, I successfully prevented him from getting a good hold, and I even managed to buck him off me a little bit, disrupting his weight, and allowed me a brief second of movement. I tried to turn for shrimp to get a better position, but he was on me quicker than expected. He had me on my side and was trying to get side control, and he was trying to get me into an arm submission. I tried wrapping my legs around him to compress his calf, but I had no real leverage to do it, and eventually he had me on my back going for submission. He was much larger than I was. I could not move. All I could do was fight him off and resist long enough for the clock to run out. He clearly won and manhandled me. He's a great guy, and I'm really glad it was with someone like him, but it was very humbling. I have no shame in sharing this because it could be a learning experience. It wasn't embarrassing as it was more of a helpless feeling. I know I made many mistakes, and I put this out there to ask BJJ players for some advice. What could I have done better? What are some counters I could have employed in these various positions with a guy this large? I welcome any constructive advice in the comments. And if you just want to point laugh at me, that's fine, just as long as it puts a smile on your face as big as the elbow mark I had on mine. So moral of the story is, never scoff at another person's experience. You never know what they know, and I feel it's great to understand both stand-up and ground fighting, especially since Jujitsu may be the most important art there is. Now I'll just light that little fire and let you all simmer on that.