Strikers, particularly boxers, are often characterized as coming from one of three distinct style types: the boxer, the swarmer and the slugger.
The classic boxer was, obviously enough, Muhammad Ali. The swarmer? Smokin' Joe Frazier. And the slugger? The trio wouldn't be complete without George Foreman.
The boxer is the master technician. The swarmer is all action. The slugger is strong, relentless and heavy-handed.
The theory goes that boxers tend to be able to pick apart typically slower sluggers (think Ali versus Foreman). But the patience of boxers makes them vulnerable to the constant onslaught of a swarmer (think of the trouble Frazier gave Ali in all three of their fights - to say nothing of the won Frazier won). And tendency of the swarmer to think offense first and defense second often costs them against sluggers, who only need one good shot to end the fight (think Foreman's lopsided beatdown of Frazier).
I've always thought that there were analogues in jiu jitsu. I consider a fighter like Roger Gracie to be the quintessential "boxer" type: master technician, rarely if ever relying on athleticism to pull out a win or to overwhelm an opponent. And while it might be controversial to say so, I consider Marcelo Garcia to be the best "swarmer" in jiu jitsu. While Garcia is obviously a very technical fighter, what distinguishes him is really the relentlessness of his attack. My favorite quote from Marcelo Garcia really sums up what is unique about his approach: "The more you attack, the more your opponent will make mistakes. The more you attack, the more he will have to defend. You shouldn't be defending all the time. Anytime you defend you are losing the fight. Losing time to attack."
As far as sluggers are concerned, I'm inclined to put Jacare in that category - though Jacare is probably closer to what boxers call a boxer-puncher hybrid (think Joe Louis). The best examples of real jiu jitsu "sluggers" are really guys like Margarida and Pe de Pano, fighters who are known for their smash and pressure games, rather than their speed or technical complexity - not that they can't be very technical fighters.
But what you remember from fighting a Margarida or Pe de Pano fight is the sensation of constant pressure. If the technician makes you feel as if you are being slashed with a sword and a swarmer type makes you feel as if you are being clubbed with bowling pins, the slugger type of jiu jitsu fighter makes you feel as if you are being crushed or buried alive.
I've come to realize that I'm pretty much a slugger when it comes to jiu jitsu. I'm not especially slow. But my game is all about position and pressure. Most of my submissions don't come as a surprise, but from the inevitability of finally reducing my opponent's options to the point where giving me the angle for the arm or the neck are the only options. I have a few things. And I focus on trying to do them with, to steal Helio's line about Rickson, "impeccable timing." And if I catch one of those few things, the rest tends to go my way.
What kind of jiu jitsu are you?
