I understand your sentiments and it’s for similar reasons I was only able to stomach two days of Goju Ryu. However, my motivation for practicing the self defense is more for learning Jiu Jitsu as a whole and paying respects to its origins.

I think you can absolutely practice self defense aspect and jiu jitsu as a whole without doing choreographed dance routines for style points.

Rickson Gracie is an original.

His presentation of his father's katas with his own interpretation

Is, like real life, a series of seeming contradictions.

I suggest you buy the ticket, and take the ride,

when your schedule allows.

Give yourself leisure to think.

Man is an animal that walks on four legs, then two, then three, then dies.

Coins have two obvious sides, and an often overlooked third side.

And all things in motion are also defined by a form of counting,

a series of beats,

which we clumsily call time,

and only easily perceive in one direction,

but is nonetheless relentless.

It’d be a lot less sexy though. Maybe it’s because I grew up in a small town of 200 people in which we’d spend the entire summer preparing for the August Old Settler’s talent show, but I enjoy the self defense demos.

https://youtu.be/Aeg926nPCGQ

https://youtu.be/e0jEBkKQ2-s

One must consider where this kata based learning came from - martial arts were nationalised and institutionalised in Japan. They needed to teach in universities for masses. And then they transferred the already rather perverse Eastern method where blind obedience and copying of the master was the culturally appropriate form of learning in EVERYTHING posh be it art, theatre etc. Also keep in mind the arms-race and secrecy between schools, styles and masters.

So it was taken to masses to teach in Universities. And that's how most katas we know today were created. For judo, karate etc. Same thing in China with "forms".

If we consider pedagogical science and sport and exercise science for motor learning this all is SUPER inefficient.

Even Japan the only things still taught this way are (kabuki and no) theatre, classical ikebana and ... martial arts.

Doing these self-defence "sequences" and "techniques" like "Classic Gracie Jiu Jitsu" is far from best way to learn to fight / self-defence.

I teach the majority of the self defense at my school. Some of the techniques cannot be verified to a totally work, not substantiated through fight footage. I do believe BJJ needs self defense.

CJJ will hopefully become a mainstream class taught in all schools for those who do not want to practice mma. It will at least bring awareness to possible damaging positions for students and the correct amount of time to spend in them

CJJ stands for Combat Jiu Jitsu? Would that be like normal jiu jitsu with punches and kicks? (Kicks maybe when starting standing.)

I've definitely seen someone bear hug someone in a movie once....maybe
If survival is the primary goal, teaching situational awareness and how to sprint 400m in 1 minute would be extremely beneficial. Nowadays, if you find yourself in a fight (after elementary school), you're getting swarmed, stabbed or shot.

Still believe in the importance of the stand up self defense curriculum just don't know about 118 moves though

yes it allows ground strikes and up kicks when over the guard