Martial arts legend Steven Seagal recently opened up about his views on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu during a video. Seagal, who has mastered various martial arts styles over his decades-long career, had some frank comments about the grappling art’s emphasis on ground fighting.
“When people say all fights end up on the ground, they are incorrect. 90% of the fights that I know of stay standing up,” Seagal stated. He explained that in the battlefield samurai tradition he studied in Japan, going to the ground was essentially a death sentence against armed opponents.
“We don’t want to dive down on the ground. And just as much time as those guys spend trying to dive through your legs and get you there, we spend just as much time cutting your head off or knocking you out or ripping your eyes out or ripping your throat out or severing your brainstem when you’re down there because your head and your neck will be vulnerable.”
Seagal makes it clear that the martial arts style he practices prioritizes standing strikes and defenses designed to swiftly incapacitate opponents before they can initiate ground grappling. “In our style, we are completely offensive. Completely aggressive. We don’t wait and watch, try to get them tired. We don’t do any of that.”
While respectful of BJJ’s effectiveness in its realm, Seagal feels the art lacks the absoluteness needed for truly lethal self-defense situations. “The only takedowns that we will do are nasty stuff. We’ll take people down in ways like this,” he said, demonstrating a strike to vital targets.
Of course Seagal would say that considering that his infamous brush with BJJ ended in an embarassing fashion.
In case you missed it: UFC veteran Karo Parisyan shared a humorous story about Steven Seagal and Gene LeBell on a podcast, highlighting the clash of egos in the entertainment industry. Seagal, known for his arrogance, challenged LeBell, a renowned martial artist, on a movie set. Confident he could handle LeBell, Seagal was quickly humbled when LeBell choked him out, causing Seagal to lose consciousness and control of his bodily functions.
