The active resistance and sparring is indeed what makes BJJ very successful. I feel I have to nitpick though, because Boxing, various forms of Wrestling (which I actually consider BJJ to be), Muay-Thai, Kyokushin Karate, and a few others are also "traditional martial arts" but are also successful fighting systems in their own right because they too have a tradition of aliveness and pressure testing. It's all in how you train. That said as brief former practitioner of boxing, and a fan of boxing and martial arts in general, I'm excited to see your post and can't wait to see more like it. I personally don't have a good eye for BJJ, so if you know some good videos that breakdown techniques, you should share them from time to time. I'd love to see what you think is worthwhile. Edit: I also have to ask as it seems every bjj practitioner seems to have a preference. Which do you like more? Gi or No Gi rolling?Brazilian jiu jitsu is a martial art, combat sport and self defence system focusing on grappling and ground fighting. Personally, I don't particularly like comparing it to other martial arts (other than perhaps judo), because unlike most traditional martial arts it is a lot more focused on active resistance and sparring.
Yes, of course, you're right - not sure why I forgot about those martial arts. Kyokushin gets some criticism for not doing strikes to the head, and I suppose you can argue that in boxing and muay thai you wear gloves and you do have to hold back in training. Still a lot better than throwing kicks into thin air though, and it gives you a huge advantage over untrained opponents. As for gi/no-gi, I prefer gi because it feels more technical, and it gives me an advantage over younger and more athletic training partners. I enjoy training both, though. I'm glad you liked it, I'll post more in the future.
Kyokushin Karate has kicks to the head, just not hand strikes. Still, it's a pretty hardcore form of Karate, which I believe it's part of the reason it has a huge appeal in Russia. As for the gloves, they're there to protect the hands of the fighters, not the ones getting hit. The 6 to 8 oz. gloves used in professional fights do little to save a man from getting hurt. I'm sure you already know this. I'm posting more for the benefit of onlookers. That makes some pretty good sense actually. Competitive martial arts is definitely a young man's game. I'm glad to hear you're still in it. I can't wait to see what you post down the road.As for gi/no-gi, I prefer gi because it feels more technical, and it gives me an advantage over younger and more athletic training partners. I enjoy training both, though.