The Olympics and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Part II

In our last installment we discussed the bureaucratic barriers to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s inclusion in the Olympic Games. Today, we’ll be looking at a few of the loopholes around those barriers.

In 2002, the IOC, passed a resolution limiting the number of sports in the Summer Olympic program to 28. Of those 28 spots, 25 are reserved for core sports. The remaining three spots are non-core sports and are changeable. The three current non-core sports are; Wrestling, Golf, and Rugby. Regardless of the year, it seems unlikely that the IOC would vote in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu over one of these other sports.

If you are familiar or active in the worldwide grappling community you may remember the uproar when Wrestling was dropped from the Olympic program. Wrestling probably won’t be dropped for several Olympics, and certainly not for another grappling sport with less niche-appeal.

It is further unlikely that Golf or Rugby would be dropped in favor of BJJ. Like Wrestling, Golf and Rugby have broader appeal. And while the IOC seems to have enjoy having a plethora of racket sports: Tennis, Table Tennis, and Badminton, there is no evidence to suggest that they would want another grappling sport.

However, there is a loophole. The Olympics allow multiple disciplines for a sport, if all those sports fall under the jurisdiction of the same international federation. Aquatics, run by FINA, is composed of Swimming, Diving, Synchronized Swimming, and Water Polo; Gymnastics, run by FIG, is composed of Artistic, Rhythmic, and Trampoline; Wrestling, run by FILA, is composed of Freestyle and Greco-Roman. This loophole affords us several unlikely options.

The best option, from a Jiu-Jiteiro’s position is the creation of an international federation for racket sports. The formation of a new IF for racket sports would fold Badminton, Table Tennis, and Tennis under its wings. It would also create two new core sport slots. However, this is also the least likely option to take place. Each of these sports has taken decades to reach the level of Olympic sport and would undoubtedly be against the combining of their three federations.

Another option is for the IOC and FILA to add Submission Wrestling to Wrestling. Of course, the governance of Submission Wrestling by FILA creates its own set of problems. We have no idea what FILA-sanctioned Submission Wrestling would look like. It probably would not resemble IBJJF Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Neither Freestyle or Greco-Roman Wrestling use the gi. It may not even resemble No-Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is much more likely that FILA Submission Wrestling would be akin to Catch Wrestling. Freestyle Wrestling has Catch roots. While this would undoubtedly thrill the Catch Wrestling aficionados, it would not satisfy the Jiu-Jiteiros.

Catch Wrestling, like nearly all other forms of grappling, places an emphasis on the top game. Like Freestyle and Greco-Roman, Catch matches can be won with a pin. Catch matches can also be won via submission. Joint locks are allowed in Catch, but strangleholds are not.

Another possible option, and one that could save the gi, is for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to join forces with Judo. But this would require the IBJJF and the IJF to reach an amicable settlement. Much like the aforementioned racket sports IF, the governing federations of both Judo and BJJ would have to decide to create a gi grappling federation. More importantly, and less likely, the Presidents and officers of each federation would have to be willing to step down and undergo a new election process. Again this forces Jiu-Jitsu players to confront the manipulation of their beloved sport.

Like FILA Submission Wrestling, we have no clue what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu run, at least partly, by Judokas would look like. Nearly annually, the IJF changes the rules of Judo. First, it was banning pick-ups and leg-grabs (techniques similar to Single- and Double-Legs in Wrestling). Then it was placing time limits on particularly dominant grips (belt grips or over the shoulder grips may only be held for three seconds) or outlawing them outright (Judo practitioners are now only allowed to grab their opponents pants to counter a throw). Now, Judokas are no longer permitted to use a two-on-one grip break (that is to say that they can’t use two hands to break a grip). Personally, I would rather have Jiu-Jitsu stay out of the Olympics than be bastardized in the way that Judo has been by the IJF, but this is solely my opinion.

As in our previous post about Olympic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, it becomes clear that BJJ’s addition to the Olympic program is a long way off. More importantly, if Jiu-Jitsu does become an Olympic sport, it may not be the sport we want it to be.

The Olympics and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Fans of submission grappling have been clamoring for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to be included in the Olympic program for years. With the 2016 Olympics taking place in Rio de Janeiro, the noise has reached ear-shattering levels. But should BJJ be included in the Olympics? Possibly. Will BJJ be included in the Olympics? No. At least not any time soon.

The list of requirements just to qualify for Olympic consideration are extensive and exhaustive. It’s easy to underestimate how difficult it is for a sport to be selected for the Olympic program because Badminton, Table Tennis, and Trampoline are currently Olympic sports. But it took those sports decades to reach Olympic eligibility.

An Olympic sport must be contested in 75 countries, for men, and 50 countries, for women, across four continents. A cursory search on Google and YouTube suggests that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu meets the 75 country requirement, and the IBJJF already holds tournaments in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

However, it is not enough for sporting events to be held in 75 countries. A sport must be “widely practiced.” This means that a sport must have a national federation. These national federations must also have an international governing body. The International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) was formed in 2002, and though they are making great strides towards creating national federations (Brazil, France, Portugal, and the USA among others), there are nowhere near 75 national Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu federations. Luckily for fans of Jiu-Jitsu this seems like a problem that will naturally solve itself over time as BJJ continues to grow in worldwide popularity. However, as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expands and becomes more inclusive, the Olympics are contracting and becoming more exclusive.

In 2002, the International Olympic Committee passed a resolution limiting the sports in the Summer Olympics to a maximum of 28. Twenty-five of the 28 spots are reserved for “core sports” and the remaining three slots are subject to vote. The current “non-core sports” included are: Wrestling, Golf, and Rugby Sevens.

The Olympic Charter requires a sport to be voted in at least seven years prior to the Olympic Games that is to be contested. Golf and Rugby were voted into the 2016 Olympics in 2009. Wrestling was dropped from the 2020 Olympic Program in 2012, and restored to it in 2013. The earliest Olympics that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu could be included is in 2024. However, that relies on one of the previous three sports being dropped in 2017.

Given the furor over Wrestling being dropped in 2012, it’s unlikely the IOC would consider dropping the sport again in 2024. Golf and Rugby, just voted in, are probably not going to be dropped for 2024 (since 2013 is almost over they can’t be dropped for the 2020 Olympics). That pushes Olympic Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to 2028 or later.

The possibility of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu being considered for the Olympics is awesome. The probability of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu being considered for the Olympics is awful. There are simply too many barriers in its way. Next week, we will look at possible loopholes around said barriers. In the meantime, what are your thoughts on the likelihood of Jiu-Jitsu being at the Olympics?

This Day

By Kalidasa

Look to this day:
For it is Life, the very Life of Life
Within its brief span
Lie all the verities and realities of our existence:
The Bliss of Growth,
The Glory of Action,
The Splendor of Beauty.

For Yesterday is but a dream
And Tomorrow is but a vision.
But Today well lived makes
Every Yesterday a dream of Happiness
And every Tomorrow a vision of Hope.
Look well, therefore
To this day.

You may not be able to make it to practice, or do what you want, everyday. But you can make every day count towards your ultimate goal, whatever that may be.

On Adaptation

“You will adapt to Jiu-Jitsu, and Jiu-Jitsu will adapt to you.”

- Unknown

I have heard this quote spoken in gyms and academies across the country, but I have been unable to find the source. It is so prevalent that I think it must be from the first generation of Jiu-Jiteiros. Or it was stolen from another art. The beauty of this thought is that it can apply to nearly any activity.

There is a physiological adaptation to everything that we do. The human body has been designed by something -- whether it is evolution, God, or something else is irrelevant to this discussion -- to be a compensation machine. When you sit at your desk and type away at your computer, your body is learning ways to do it better. When you stand at a prep table and dice vegetables, your body is learning to do it better. When you play video games for hours at a time, you body is learning to do it better. Your body will round your spine to rely on solid, bony structures instead of pliable muscle. Or your body will adjust to standing eight hours a day, and your knife hand will become faster. Or your body will learn where all the buttons are so you’re not constantly looking at the controller.

What are the physiological changes that occur when you grapple? You will begin to lose body fat. You will begin to develop lean muscle mass. Your heart and your lungs will become physically larger. Your resting heart rate will decrease. Your bones will increase in density. You will become more flexible. But the mental and emotional adaptations that you will undergo are even greater. Confidence will be built in knowing that you are capable of physically subduing another human being. Mental strength will be developed through determination to drill and compete. Compassion will be established in helping others learn. And self-acceptance will be found in creating a style for yourself.

In his famous interview with Pierre Barton, Bruce Lee said that “all types of knowledge ultimately mean self knowledge.” Taken a step further, all types of expression ultimately are self expression. In Jiu-Jitsu, as in other sports, a style or game is developed based on one’s strengths and weaknesses. One’s style is typically composed of moves that resonate with the individual. It could be something discovered by accident: the first move that worked when sparring; or deliberately chosen to solve a problem: dealing with a taller or stronger opponent.

Regardless of how it comes about, the moment when your style becomes a reflection of you is beautiful and reaffirming. We are all different. Humans come in all sorts of different sizes, shapes, and lever lengths. Because of these differences we have a tendency to place value or pass judgment on ourselves and others based on size or shape. I have found grappling and Jiu-Jitsu to be a panacea for this sort of thinking.

Everybody and every body type has the potential to be great at Jiu-Jitsu. I am tall, lanky, and underweight for my height. But I can get ankle and knee picks from just about anywhere. I have hit Triangles on men more than twice my bodyweight. My skinny arms can fit into nearly any crevice, and have Rear Naked Choked everybody at my gym except for Professor. It sounds silly to say out loud, but Jiu-Jitsu has taught me how to express myself, love myself and love my body. And for that reason I will always love Jiu-Jitsu.

Gabi the Goliath, and Men vs. Women

Many of you are aware that the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championships took place earlier this month, on October 19th and 20th. It is the most prestigious no-gi submission competition in the world. You may not know that Gabi Garcia, 8x World Champion and 2x ADCC Champion was invited to compete in the Men’s Absolute or Open Weight Category. Obviously, Gabi turned the offer down, but the news of the ADCC’s proposal and Gabi’s decision have spread almost as quickly as the bootleg videos of the competition itself.

I first saw the news on BJJ Heroes' Facebook page. They posted the same article from Tatame that I linked to above, and declared that allowing Gabi to compete against men would be a freak show and unprofessional. BJJ Heroes followed that up with an article asking several black belts, both male and female, their opinion about the possibility of women grappling with men. The overwhelming consensus was: no; men should fight men; women should fight women. Although I found the article to be self-serving, I agree. At such a high level of technique, skill, and athleticism, competing against one’s own gender is better than contending against the other.

Many respondents to BJJ Heroes’ post pointed out that at the children’s level and even at lower level adult competition (white, blue, and even purple belt) girls compete against boys. As far as girls versus boys, girls physically mature faster than boys due to biological imperative. Things become more difficult when both sexes hit puberty. In girls, hard lines become soft curves. In boys, testosterone levels reach a height that is beyond girls’ levels. Muscle mass is quickly developed. Strength and Conditioning research suggests that on average, women have ⅔ the strength levels of men in their lower bodies, and ½ the strength of a man’s upper body.

However, this does not preclude women from competing against men. It happens at local grappling tournaments and is a routine occurrence in gyms and academies across the country. Yet, it must be stated that these fights are occurring at a significantly lower level of skill than that displayed at ADCC.

Nearly every participant at ADCC is a high-level black belt, or the equivalent, in their chosen grappling discipline. Moreover, many of them are world champions or medalists. They have Strength and Conditioning coaches. They have nutritionists. They are the closest thing to professional athletes that exists in the world of submission grappling. And as technique begins to equalize amongst competitors, physical components, such as size, strength, speed, power, and endurance become more important.

The IBJJF World Jiu-Jitsu Championships have been contested annually since 1996. In addition to nine weight classes, the Mundials have featured an Open Weight tournament every year. Of the 18 Absolute Champions, four have been from weight classes not classified as Heavyweight or higher. Amaury Bitteti and Ronaldo “Jacaré” Souza, both Medium-Heavyweights (194 lbs. or 88 kg.), have each won the event twice.

Even the most technical grapplers are at a disadvantage going against larger opponents who are almost as technical. Rafa Mendes and Rubens “Cobrinha” Charles, Featherweights (154 lbs. or 70 kg), and two of the greatest guard players of all-time, have lost to Rodolfo Vieira, a Heavyweight (207 lbs, or 94 kg). Even Marcelo Garcia, the King of the Giant Killers has failed to win Open Weight gold at the Mundials or ADCC. Looking at the past results of these two events I’m reminded of a favored quote from one of my earlier instructors, “in jiu-jitsu, as in life size does not matter; but, it helps.”

While I think it was a fantastic gesture from the ADCC to Gabi, and a legitimization of her skills to the doubters, I believe she made the right decision. Will we ever see Gabi or any other woman compete against men in a major event? I don’t know. I do know that I would love to see her in an Exhibition Super Fight against selected opponents. But I don’t think that having her compete against the best grapplers in the world in a tournament format is going to have the kind of result that any competitor wants: to stand atop the podium as champion.

Why I Started a Blog

I started this blog for several reasons. Primarily, it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while now. I even put it on my To-Do list for this year. With luck, writing about grappling will help me understand it better. I hope it helps me improve my writing, too. But, like anyone else, the main reason is ego.

I have something to say about grappling. I hope you’ll be kind enough to read it. This blog will be more than YouTube techniques and witty, social commentary--though that will certainly be included as well. I plan on discussing the concepts and principles at play in grappling disciplines like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Wrestling, and SAMBO. There will even be a few history lessons: examinations of the people, times, and cultures that produced and promulgated these fantastic arts that we all love and study.

Like I tell everyone who trains and learns with me: “Constructive criticism is always welcome.”

Let’s have some fun.

First Post

First posting. Phew! Glad that's over. It was stressful trying to figure out what to say.