How Perishable is all this stuff?

[45dotACP]

In the almost ten years I've been doing BJJ and martial arts...I've encountered more than a few guys who were once purple belts in BJJ who came to a new school but had a long layoff. I get it. Buying a house, having a kid, new jobs, moving etc...all that stuff tends to take a front seat to most of the self defense LARPing stuff that I do. Let's be real, a J-frame is probably exactly the amount of gun I need in the safe suburban life I live.

But these guys tend to really not be that good. To the point where I wonder if they actually were even purple belts at one point. Purple seems to be a special point in BJJ...one where you kind of have a game, know the fundamentals, and can put foot to ass on not only a brand new guy, but most lower belts. But I've put a whoopin on more than a few guys who were once purple and more than a few tough blue belts have put the whoopin on me after my recent move and subsequent backsliding in the BJJ world.

So my question is this: Is martial arts skill terribly perishable? Do we lose it as fast as say...a heavy back squat after a few months of inactivity...or is it something like shooting skills where just a few days of dedicated drilling will get you back to your previous mastery? Is it somewhere in between those things?

Thought it might be an interesting discussion, because I haven't seen a lot of unarmed combatives content lately, and I really really like this subforum.

[Totem Polar]

I’m pretty sure BJJ is quite perishable. I’ve seen purple belts take large chunks of time off and not even remember the warm up drills before class beyond shrimping and forward/backward rolls.

I’d use myself as another example, except that I had no real skills to perish. I did retain enough of the basic survival position drilling from several IAJJ seminars that the Gracie Barra black belts I rolled with a few weeks ago kept asking where I had trained before, but that’s super-fundamental stuff from typical month 1 BJJ that Cecil has figured out how to distill down and make stick (and work).

Now, boxing or Karate? I haven’t found that stuff to be anywhere near as perishable, beyond flexibility/endurance and the ragged edge of timing/distancing. Just one guy’s experience, OMMV of course.

I’d be curious what others have to say about BJJ; might be different after decades and higher ranking.

[Flamingo]

I think, if you compare a purple belt from today to a purple belt from 10 years ago the purple of today is going to be better. My coaches always say that the level of knowledge is much higher today. They also say that the training from the 10-15 years ago was harder on the body.

[JCN]

So my question is this: Is martial arts skill terribly perishable? Do we lose it as fast as say...a heavy back squat after a few months of inactivity...or is it something like shooting skills where just a few days of dedicated drilling will get you back to your previous mastery? Is it somewhere in between those things?

I have no BJJ context but I suspect your shooting context is more white or yellow belt level.

For example, I’m maybe purple belt equivalent shooting.

When I took off 6 months for long guns… it took (and is taking me) >4 months to get near previous pistol skill level. Definitely NOT just a few casual days.

[45dotACP]

I have no BJJ context but I suspect your shooting context is more white or yellow belt level.

For example, I’m maybe purple belt equivalent shooting.

When I took off 6 months for long guns… it took (and is taking me) >4 months to get near previous pistol skill level. Definitely NOT just a few casual days.

JCN: "We have to cancel these GM cards brather. Who give him this?"

https://youtube.com/shorts/08r0JtiKD...idEqhjSjry6MQ8

[MickAK]

What I've noticed in street fights is people who gained skill in an intense period of training when they were really into it and then stopped because they got into motorcycles or traveling or whatever tend to have more perishable skills than people that consistently went once a week for 10 years or whatever.

The former tend to try to do things they can't do anymore and get fucked up as a result. They would be better off just fighting like a normal guy. The latter don't try to do things outside of their skillset and that seems to be pretty effective. I think that translates to shooting and all kinds of skills.

I think the question is how do you tell which skills are going to be perishable and which ones you can rely on once you've burned them into muscle memory. It's probably different for every person but I think it's a good thing to know.

[Borderland]

With so many people carrying a concealed firearm how does any martial arts training transfer to SD in most situations where you need to stop an aggressor?

Just asking because I don't do martial arts but I carry. Basically because I'm too old to go one on one in a grapple with some guy half my age. I can barely get out of bed in the morning.

Too old to fight and too old to run. My training consists of live fire once a month with my J frame 38 or my 9mm compact.

Yes, I have insurance in the unlikely event I'm arrested. WA is a stand your ground state.

OK Boomer.

[Lost River]

With so many people carrying a concealed firearm how does any martial arts training transfer to SD in most situations where you need to stop an aggressor?

Just asking because I don't do martial arts but I carry. Basically because I'm too old to go one on one in a grapple with some guy half my age.

Too old to fight and too old to run. My training consists of live fire once a month with my J frame 38 or my 9mm compact.

OK Boomer.

Over the course of multiple decades of carrying a gun for a living, I disarmed more than a couple guys who absolutely thought they were in charge of the situation because they had pulled a handgun out. Before they could even understand what was happening, they did not have control of their handgun anymore, and their heads were (usually) bouncing very hard off the deck, as they became asphalt angels.

They would universally have a look of "what just happened?" on their faces. They were fortunate as their other option was getting shot. Thinking that "I have a gun, I don't need to know any defensive skills beyond shooting at paper once a month" is not a good plan. Don't be surprised if someone is not at all afraid of you and your gun and will take it from you before you can say "uhoh".

I am not the smartest guy when it comes to martial arts. I was however a weapons retention instructor, and when it came to dealing with people in the street I follow two simple rules:

Where the head goes, the body follows.
and
You can't fight if you can't breath.

Those two served me quite well.

YMMV.

[Flamingo]

With so many people carrying a concealed firearm how does any martial arts training transfer to SD in most situations where you need to stop an aggressor?

Just asking because I don't do martial arts but I carry. Basically because I'm too old to go one on one in a grapple with some guy half my age. I can barely get out of bed in the morning.

Too old to fight and too old to run. My training consists of live fire once a month with my J frame 38 or my 9mm compact.

Yes, I have insurance in the unlikely event I'm arrested. WA is a stand your ground state.

OK Boomer.

You should go to Cecil's class October. It is going to be in Lacy. He covers everythig you will need. Do it.

[Borderland]

Over the course of multiple decades of carrying a gun for a living, I disarmed more than a couple guys who absolutely thought they were in charge of the situation because they had pulled a handgun out. Before they could even understand what was happening, they did not have control of their handgun anymore, and their heads were (usually) bouncing very hard off the deck, as they became asphalt angels.

They would universally have a look of "what just happened?" on their faces. They were fortunate as their other option was getting shot. Thinking that "I have a gun, I don't need to know any defensive skills beyond shooting at paper once a month" is not a good plan. Don't be surprised if someone is not at all afraid of you and your gun and will take it from you before you can say "uhoh".

I am not the smartest guy when it comes to martial arts. I was however a weapons retention instructor, and when it came to dealing with people in the street I follow two simple rules:

Where the head goes, the body follows.
and
You can't fight if you can't breath.

Those two served me quite well.

YMMV.

You can't fight if you've been shot in the chest either. YMMV.