bjjasia

I think BJJ is just a fad. A fashion so-to-speak.

Looking back, aren't martial arts like Karate, Muay Thai and Wing Chun used to be popular back in the 70s, 80s and 90s? Karate was made popular with the movie Karate Kid, Muay Thai had Ong Bak to thank for, and Wing Chun was popularised by the legendary Bruce Lee. However, look at these martial arts now...there are still people practising but their popularity has dropped. They have become "just another martial art".

BJJ was made popular due to MMA fights such as UFC in recent times. It may seen "cool" to be seen doing BJJ now, but I believe in another few years, it will be "just be another martial art" so-to-speak. There will be schools everywhere and it will lose the "exclusiveness" it currently enjoys where one can only do BJJ at a few selected schools that charge ridiculously high training fees.

Give it a few more years, i believe one can learn BJJ from community centres in Singapore or maybe as an extra curricular activity (ECA) in schools. Some schools in Singapore offer JUDO, TKD or Karate as ECA and i see no reasons why BJJ should not be offered in schools.

Just my personal opinion...what do you think?

I don't think it will. Karate and kung fu were made famous by films/actors. As was muay thai. However muay thai has been proven to hold its own in mma. As you said the ufc made bjj famous. But what people liked was that it worked in a pressure enviroment against other trained fighters not just some drunk yob. Certain people will want to do tradional arts and be in a safe enviroment and have nice gradings for there belts. Fighters want what works boxing,muay thai,wrestling and bjj. Have all been proven in mma and thats while they will stay popular. Because mma will continue to grow. Just my opinion.

You are right about bjj schools popping up everywhere though, low standard instructor's showing poor techniques, charging for belt tests?? and there own belts were given by a brazilian that no one has ever heard of. And they wont roll with students because of insurance reasons, therefore never showing how bad they are. All this will happen and that is a shame.

peace.