
Originally Posted by
Nathan Wallner
I'm sorry you're confused.. Jiu jitsu has been established as an essential art to master for fighting for a while but only recently are average civilian, non martial artists, non fighters, recognizing the benefits of training under a specific martial arts style like jiu jitsu. Nogi is being dominated all over the country by 10th Planet and we're at the front of this evolution. Not only are we at the front but we're driving the progress and spreading our style like wildfire around the country and the world.
The heel hook itself is still "frowned upon" in some jiu jitsu circles, which is hilarious. Seeing it on a very popular show is great for jiujitsu, great for nogi, and heel hooks are great for us because we are crushing the leg game as a system, united. Ryan Hall is helping us, and helping jiu jitsu.
Hopefully that cleared things up a little bit.
It does help clear things up a bit. I guess I was confused at the notion that Ryan Hall is doing well with heel hooks because he is "in the right place at the right time", which I thought suggested that if it were another few years down the road that he wouldn't have as much success. I wasn't confused about the 10th Planet part, which I agree with.
My point is that Ryan Hall has done more heel hooks than most people that are obsessed with heel hooks. There's not ever going to be a time when most people are training them as much as he has already done. I just get a little annoyed when people try to write of the success of really hard working and skilled fighters as it being a product of their environment.
I mean to some degree I do understand what you're saying. I don't think the heel hook is as frowned upon is most circles as it's thought to be. I think among gyms that have a focus on competing and turning out good grapplers that it's very important. I think hobbyists still make up the majority of people doing jiu-jitsu and it's always going to be a fringe move among people with full time jobs that don't focus on no-gi. So I do agree with that.
Hall is definitely helping. I've trained with him a lot and he's a good guy. He's working hard and training on another level to be great at MMA and I totally agree that he;s doing a lot to represent jiu-jitsu right now with the platform he's been given.