In truth, this Gracie statement reflects more about their art than fights in general. A Gracie practitioner's strength is groundfighting; it makes sense that he would try to take a fight to the ground, where his skills are most likely far greater than his opponents. It thus becomes a self-fulfilling statement; most of a Gracie practitioner's fights go to the ground simply because he actively tries to take them there.
"Our success in the UFC and other MMA matches shows our art's street effectiveness." In fact, the Gracies' proclivity for going to the ground makes it dangerous for use on the street, for many reasons.
- First, let's compare the environment. MMA matches take place on nice, clean padded mats, surrounded by a ring or a chain-link fence designed to give under pressure. Also, the ring is clear of any obstacles besides a referee. A real fight, however, takes place on hard concrete or asphalt, where even a casual bump of an elbow, knee or skull can lead to a break. And if you ever try to go to the guard position in a real fight, your opponent needs only to stand up and slam you to the ground to crack your spine. (In a mat fight, fighters shrug off this move with nary a wince.) And that's not even taking into account obstacles such as signs, fire hydrants, broken glass, etc. that can cause you serious injury while grappling.
- Secondly, let's look at techniques. While the UFC and other mixed-martial arts events like to claim that they are "no holds barred," the fact is, there are illegal techniques - eye gouges, throat strikes, fish-hooks, etc. As well, fighters, as a matter of courtesy, have an unspoken rule about attacks to the knee (and rightly so, since they can be so permanently debilitating). The fighters are also wearing protective cups, which makes groin strikes far less of an issue. And all NHB events bar the improvisational use of weapons, which obviously is not an issue in a fight. As a result, groundfighters get away with tactics in a match that would be disastrous in a real fight. Case in point: I know of a guy who was put in a triangle hold during a fight. The hold, for those unfamiliar with it, is a Gracie signature choke in which an attacker uses his legs and one of his opponent's arms to choke the neck. Well, on this occasion, the fighter escaped the hold (and ended the fight) simply by tucking his chin down, opening his mouth, and taking a big chomp at his opponent's groin. Yet, the triangle has been successfully used many times in competition.
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