"Respect the punch!"
On Friday I had the opportunity to take part in my first Fight-Sim class. There were only about 6 of us, on a wet, windy, winters evening, but the lessons I learned were some of the most profound in my (short) jiu-jitsu experience.
As much as we train the Gracie Combatives for street readiness and learn further self-defence techniques in the advanced classes (Gracie Master Cycle), you never really get a feel for what it will be like defending yourself using Gracie Jiu-Jitsu against a “live” attacker. Fight-Sim however, takes you as close to this as is safely possible, with interesting and eye-opening results.
The most important thing I learned in that class was something that my instructors keep repeating over and over in our classes, “Respect the punch!” Suddenly you are facing off against an attacker who is not using “rolling” jiu-jitsu to attack your throat, arms and legs but an attacker who is swinging at your head and face, randomly so. You need to keep your eyes open, your hands up and your wits about you to defend these attacks, while at the same time working your positions and techniques to achieve the end result, a submission.
It brings a new aspect to the regular sparring sessions because now that I have a better idea where the punches are coming from I need to change the way I spar to properly anticipate my attackers aggression. In sparring sessions these attacks will not actually be exist, but at least I can learn to be aware of these things. It trains the mind, which in turn trains the body to react naturally in the proper manner.
It does also mean another (slight) mindset change for me. (taking a few steps back again……)
It never ends…. 
Tags: fight-sim, gracie combatives, Self defence