Georges St Pierre and Gordon Ryan work on their standing grappling skills: Most of the work in Jiu jitsu is done on the floor. The highest scores and submissions are almost always attained on the mat. Nonetheless standing grappling is a truly vital part of the game, particularly when you explore the relationship between sport Jiu jitsu and fighting. Jiu jitsu has always historically had what I call a “bolt on” approach towards standing skills – they simply ask you to study wrestling (no gi) or judo (Gi) and bolt those skills on to your Jiu jitsu skills. That can definitely work, but understand that the unique rule set of Jiu jitsu offers many possibilities and opportunities to score and win that go outside of those sports. I believe that long term, Jiu jitsu must develop its own standing game appropriate for its own rule set, which allows the athletes to scrimmage for points and submissions that are quite unique and very interesting and develop a new set of skills in the fascinating grey zone between standing and ground where scramble and scrimmage for the points and positions of the unique Jiu jitsu rule set is the order of the day.
