As Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Mutates, What's Best For Fans?
As Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Mutates, What's Best For Fans?
By Andre BorgesWith jiu jitsu being a broad sport in terms of rules (i.e. IBJJF, ADCC, NAGA, SRO, submission only, etc) it is hard to ascertain which is bes
By Andre Borges
With jiu jitsu being a broad sport in terms of rules (i.e. IBJJF, ADCC, NAGA, SRO, submission only, etc) it is hard to ascertain which is best. When thinking strictly from a combat/self defense point of view, having a point system makes sense, positioning is key in any life-threatening situation and (like it or not) this was the sole purpose of the gentle art when it was created. But as Brazilian jiu jitsu mutates into a sport oriented combat style with an ever growing fan base, what is best for the spectator?
Professional events are not unfamiliar to jiu jitsu, with the sport having paid contests for at least 15 years, the difference today lies in the frequency of these tournaments and superfight type cards. Earlier this year we saw the birth of Polaris, a promotion which spawned from the brilliant minds of a handful of British entrepreneurs, having made an immediate impact jiu jitsu's community, becoming one of the most mediatic grappling proving grounds in the sport.
With a fresh, cool image and eye opening match-ups, Polaris brings out a new found love for the submission only movement, one that started being revamped in 2008 by Rose Gracie with her “Gracie Tournaments” promotion. Though Gracie Tournaments remained as a local competition, Rose’s brothers saw bigger potential in the ruleset for a superfight type event, releasing Metamoris with great success in 2012, a success that has transcended MM and is now alive and breathing healthily in venues throughout the world.
BJJ rules are too complicated for the average layman, and PPV buys are hard to find. If the plan is to branch out to the general public, having a submission only event makes sense; everyone understands a submission, but try to explain the difference between a sweep and a reversal to your run of the mill spectator and you will most certainly run into a brick wall.
But does the submission only format make the game more interesting? The data seems to convincingly suggest otherwise, with competitions such as the IBJJF World Championship (biggest gi tournament in the world) and the ADCC (biggest no gi competition in the world) scoring higher submission rates, when comparing to Metamoris’ submission only:
Although the point system has somewhat of an upper hand over the submission only philosophy in terms of stats and general thought process, there is also the reverse side of the coin, where some fighters opt to fight for the initial points, or worst - advantages, and grind (or outright stall) for the duration of the match. This is often stated as one of the main reasons why the “Keep It Playful” BJJ movement, created by Ryron Gracie, has found a home in the submission only format.
The superfight style match-ups chosen by the two most successful sub only promotions on the planet, provide the most sound presentation for this rule set, making the quality of the match making absolutely crucial to the spectator experience. This is where Polaris excelled.
Polaris created a solid card on January 2015, based on a few mismatches that helped keep the submission hungry crowd happy, while dishing out some high level matches in the mix. For Polaris 2 the recipe seems to have followed these same ingredients (if it ain't broke, don't fix it).
Analyzing the card we have old school classics such as Robson Moura vs Baret Yoshida, modern jiu jitsu battles such as Tom Barlow vs Gianni Grippo or even the old school UK based black belt Pedro Bessa vs the new breed of European grappler in Luca Anacorleta. Polaris also managed to put together two of the best and most exciting female athletes in the business, in what promises to be the barn burner of the night: Michele Nicolini vs Gezary Matuda.
But if (God forbid) any of these aforementioned contests falls through in excitement, we also have some classic mismatches that promise to provide entertainment and submissions to the fans. Matches such as Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro vs Daisuke Nakamura, Garry Tonon vs Imanari or AJ Agazarm vs Daniel Strauss.
All around, the Polaris fight card promises to deliver an entertaining night of grappling to the avid fan with the plus of not boring the socks off its partner, with its mix of old school, new school and fast paced match-ups...
With jiu jitsu being a broad sport in terms of rules (i.e. IBJJF, ADCC, NAGA, SRO, submission only, etc) it is hard to ascertain which is best. When thinking strictly from a combat/self defense point of view, having a point system makes sense, positioning is key in any life-threatening situation and (like it or not) this was the sole purpose of the gentle art when it was created. But as Brazilian jiu jitsu mutates into a sport oriented combat style with an ever growing fan base, what is best for the spectator?
Professional events are not unfamiliar to jiu jitsu, with the sport having paid contests for at least 15 years, the difference today lies in the frequency of these tournaments and superfight type cards. Earlier this year we saw the birth of Polaris, a promotion which spawned from the brilliant minds of a handful of British entrepreneurs, having made an immediate impact jiu jitsu's community, becoming one of the most mediatic grappling proving grounds in the sport.
With a fresh, cool image and eye opening match-ups, Polaris brings out a new found love for the submission only movement, one that started being revamped in 2008 by Rose Gracie with her “Gracie Tournaments” promotion. Though Gracie Tournaments remained as a local competition, Rose’s brothers saw bigger potential in the ruleset for a superfight type event, releasing Metamoris with great success in 2012, a success that has transcended MM and is now alive and breathing healthily in venues throughout the world.
BJJ rules are too complicated for the average layman, and PPV buys are hard to find. If the plan is to branch out to the general public, having a submission only event makes sense; everyone understands a submission, but try to explain the difference between a sweep and a reversal to your run of the mill spectator and you will most certainly run into a brick wall.
But does the submission only format make the game more interesting? The data seems to convincingly suggest otherwise, with competitions such as the IBJJF World Championship (biggest gi tournament in the world) and the ADCC (biggest no gi competition in the world) scoring higher submission rates, when comparing to Metamoris’ submission only:
- 2015 IBJJF World Championship black belt men’s division: 42% submission rate
- 2013 ADCC men's finals: 44%
- Metamoris (all superfight events): 26%
Although the point system has somewhat of an upper hand over the submission only philosophy in terms of stats and general thought process, there is also the reverse side of the coin, where some fighters opt to fight for the initial points, or worst - advantages, and grind (or outright stall) for the duration of the match. This is often stated as one of the main reasons why the “Keep It Playful” BJJ movement, created by Ryron Gracie, has found a home in the submission only format.
The superfight style match-ups chosen by the two most successful sub only promotions on the planet, provide the most sound presentation for this rule set, making the quality of the match making absolutely crucial to the spectator experience. This is where Polaris excelled.
Polaris created a solid card on January 2015, based on a few mismatches that helped keep the submission hungry crowd happy, while dishing out some high level matches in the mix. For Polaris 2 the recipe seems to have followed these same ingredients (if it ain't broke, don't fix it).
Analyzing the card we have old school classics such as Robson Moura vs Baret Yoshida, modern jiu jitsu battles such as Tom Barlow vs Gianni Grippo or even the old school UK based black belt Pedro Bessa vs the new breed of European grappler in Luca Anacorleta. Polaris also managed to put together two of the best and most exciting female athletes in the business, in what promises to be the barn burner of the night: Michele Nicolini vs Gezary Matuda.
But if (God forbid) any of these aforementioned contests falls through in excitement, we also have some classic mismatches that promise to provide entertainment and submissions to the fans. Matches such as Vitor “Shaolin” Ribeiro vs Daisuke Nakamura, Garry Tonon vs Imanari or AJ Agazarm vs Daniel Strauss.
All around, the Polaris fight card promises to deliver an entertaining night of grappling to the avid fan with the plus of not boring the socks off its partner, with its mix of old school, new school and fast paced match-ups...