Grappling over striking hands down. You'll get more full force sparring with less risk of injury and especially less brain injury risk that way. Every street fight ends up on the ground, better to get there on your terms and be at home there than be a pure striker who is lost the minute they fall down.
I think BJJ or Judo, I have done a little Judo but focus on BJJ by a wide margin.
The school I attend works towards an integrated "grappling" knowledge base. So no strikes physically dominate your opponent is grappling; BJJ, Judo, various sub forms of Wrestling.
Traditionally those are isolated in this way.
BJJ, ground dominance, submissions to win (I can break your arm here and you can't stop me so you say uncle), light on takedowns, most places start most rolls seated. Sometimes GI and sometimes no GI.
Judo, takedowns without grabbing the legs,vthrows, pins and submissions as winning conditions depending on the rule set. Always a gi. Mostly standing.
Wrestling, pin(shoulders flat on mat cannot get up) to win no submissions, grab the legs for a lot of takedowns, never in a GI. Rarely available as a class for adults. Mostly starting standing.
BJJ is probably the most complete sport because of the amount of time spent on ground submissions and controls. There is a lot of complexity there, BJJ has the slowest black belt because of all that extra complexity for submissions. My school is mostly BJJ but they teach both wrestling and judo takedowns and have rounds starting from standing in a lot of classes. It is not the only school moving towards a combined grappling curriculum and that is the future of the sport.
Hopefully that can help you ask good questions and pick between schools near you. Definitely hit me up if you have more questions.
