Interview - BlogChat #5: Georgette Oden on Rape Culture & Journalism

Following on from last week, Georgette moves into some more serious topics, related to the increasing role her blog has taken in addressing important social issues.

CAN: Has the online aspect of jiu jitsu been important as a support network, especially the large community of female BJJ bloggers?

GEORGETTE: I don’t really attribute a whole lot of extra support from people based on their gender. I think there are some women out there who are blithering idiots, just like there are men out there who are blithering idiots too. Fortunately there are also some really sharp, astute people as well, of all genders.

I’ve never really felt that being a woman in jiu jitsu makes me feel picked on or in need of any additional, special support. I tend to look at it more like that there are some jiu jitsu people who are more aware of social issues and how they affect the community, then there are people who just don’t care about social issues, they only want to put their head down and train. I gravitate more towards the socially aware group, the socially conscious and interested group.

CAN: The other big thing with your blog is that it’s shifted in content and tone over the years. It used to be a diary, then you added reviewing, but more recently that’s changed. It’s become more about broader social issues. When did that start happening?

GEORGETTE: I would say that really took off after the Team Lloyd Irvin scandal, when two of his students were accused of gang raping a third. I’ve always considered myself to be a journalist. Before I went to law school and during my studies, I worked as a photojournalist. As cheesy as it sounds, I do think that my blog is a form of media akin to journalism.

So, there was a time when I understood I couldn’t continue writing really personal feelings about training, competition, partners and educators, because I finally realised that there were a lot of people at my academy that did in fact read my blog. If I wrote something in a moment of frustration or sadness, it could strike somebody the wrong way and create a lot of friction in relationships that I didn’t feel was worth it.

So, I guess I started seeing my blog as a vehicle to potentially positively impact the community without hurting people’s feelings unnecessarily. A way of reaching a broader span of people, I guess.

CAN: Does that mean your blog has essentially become a news outlet?

GEORGETTE: Yeah, for me anyway. Especially when it’s Presidential election season. When Sarah Palin was out and about, she gave me so much material!

CAN: That’s true, you do often have non-jiu-jitsu material on your blog.

GEORGETTE: I just haven’t had as much time to blog, lately. My real job has gotten in the way of my fake job. But I love to write about cooking, politics, current events, all that kind of stuff as well. It used to be that I could get in an hour or half an hour of blogging every day, on my lunch break, in the evening or whatever. Now, I’m back to training as much as I used to and it’s hard.

CAN: Getting back to what you were saying earlier today about rape culture, you’ve really become a spokesperson within the BJJ community on that topic. Is that a role you welcome or one that has been thrust upon you?

GEORGETTE: I welcome it so long as I’m able to do or say things that are helpful for the community. I do feel like it has kinda been thrust on me, but I’m not unwilling. I think I offer a unique perspective because I’m an assault survivor and a crisis counsellor, as well as a prosecutor and a woman who trains jiu jitsu. So I think, at least based on some of the things I’ve been told, I’ve become a voice for other people who may feel the same way, but don’t have a soap box, a platform to stand on.

CAN: How much of an issue do you think it is within jiu jitsu specifically?

GEORGETTE: I’m sure that it’s representative in a typical proportion to the regular community. I don’t think there is anything about jiu jitsu that makes people more or less likely to be sexually assaulted, except possibly the fact that it is a community predominantly made of men and it does tend to reward a certain level of aggression, I think. There’s cliquishness too. A lot of people say that it’s important BJJ incorporates Brazilian culture and that this is part of a more ‘Brazilian’ attitude towards women. I don’t know enough about Brazilian culture to agree or disagree with that, but I don’t like the idea that Brazilian jiu jitsu ‘causes’ rape, or allows it in any greater proportion than regular society.

I don’t want that to be true. Even if it was, I don’t want that theory getting out and being publically acclaimed or confirmed. I want to think of jiu-jitsu as a safe place for everybody that trains in it, male or female, straight or queer. If we can’t police ourselves and make it a safe place, something needs to be changed. But I think it is the same as it probably is in any other community.

CAN: Do you think that there are any particular steps that can be taken to make it a safer environment?

GEORGETTE: I do. I think there is a lot of talk about creating ethics codes or policies, instituting background checks, things like that. Sadly, Brazilian jiu jitsu does not have a national governing body the way that some other sports do, which could institute a top-down policy. I think it needs to come from the bottom up. Individual students and teachers need to create policies, try them out, try different variations to see what works. Grass roots change, as trite a phrase as that may be, is nevertheless the way to go.

The IBJJF, sadly, is a political and financial organisation that operates for its own profit and its own benefit. I don’t think, from watching what they have done over the last year and a half, that they are strong enough or brave enough to make great change happen. So I think it is up to the individual academies, teams and leaders to step up and write policies, require things like background checks.

CAN: Is there anything else you’d like to say to the readers of this interview?

GEORGETTE: I would welcome anyone who has more questions about writing an anti-sex abuse, anti-misogyny, anti-misandry policy for their school. I would encourage them to contact me, because I’ve probably had similar questions. Together we can probably find out the answer.

Photos courtesy of Georgette Oden.

Article - Ten Years Of Blogging

Article #24, by Can Sönmez

My first ever blog post, written ten years ago today (shortly before I flew to Asia, hence the pic), didn't start in a blog. It was in a forum thread over on the now defunct Tung-Fu. I had a habit of cross-posting on multiple forums (2004 is also when I first got up the nerve to post on Bullshido, which would later prove a very important site for me), so a few months down the line, the same content popped up again on another forum no longer with us, Cyberkwoon. That had the rather uninspired name of 'Slidey's Training Diary', though it wasn't as bad as the original name for this website. When I transferred the posts from that thread into a new-fangled thing called a blog (around 2005), I dubbed it 'The Slideyhouse'. Yeah, I'm glad I didn't stick with that name too. ;)

From what I remember, there were few BJJ blogs on the web in 2004. In my own Cyberkwoon thread-log, I focused on MMA and some of the various other martial arts I did back then, as I had not started BJJ yet. Global Training Report is probably the longest running BJJ online journal, dating back to before the millenium (here's how it looked in 2002. rec.martial-arts is possibly the only older BJJ-related site, its archive boasting treasures such as contemporary responses to UFC II). Stephan Kesting's GrappleArts was a great resource in 2004, which it remains in 2014. The mighty Meerkatsu was active that year too, still teaching traditional jujitsu at Imperial alongside his BJJ training. I was in esteemed company when I moved over to Blogspot in 2005: a certain Danish blue belt, who had already begun trotting some of the globe, started a photoblog here.

'The Slideyhouse' thankfully became 'Slidey's Training Log' not long after its birth, stripped of the ungainly clumps of logos that filled up the left hand side (I had gotten a bit overexcited when I initially learned how to embed images). 2006 is when the site really got going, once I started training in Brazilian jiu jitsu late that year: here's how the site looked back in 2007, the same year I started my rather neglected technique summary. Two years along, I was finally convinced to shift to a custom domain, resulting in another name change: 'slideyfoot | bjj resources' (I soon added '.com').

2006 was a good year for BJJ blogs. That's when Andre Anderson hit the blogosphere with this, along with the blogger I think of as the Godfather of BJJ Blogging, Aesopian. Matt has inspired me in many ways: for example, the title layout for my post-2009 site was based on his old blog title, aesopian.com | brazilian jiu-jitsu. The following year was pretty good too, with a Roger Gracie brown belt called Nicolas Gregoriades sharing his thoughts here (some of which have recently become part of his new book), while Christian Graugart had gone from a Danish blue belt to a Danish purple belt blogging at ShogunHQ. He'd do something even more impressive when he set off as the BJJ Globetrotter in 2011, later binding those experiences in a print volume.

Today, the BJJ blogosphere is enormous: I've currently got over 600 blogs in my blog index. The contribution of women has been especially powerful, and I'm not just saying that because I'm an ardent feminist. Georgette, one of several bloggers I've now had the immense pleasure of meeting in person, started her blog in 2006, like me pre-BJJ (handily for this article, last week she wrote a retrospective post about her training). MegJitsu, the blogger I most look up to, kicked off her superb blog in 2008 (I think originally on blogspot, later migrating to WordPress) with this post. Fellow fantasy/sci-fi fan Julia put on a white belt and started typing in 2010, gradually becoming one of the top bloggers in BJJ with an incredible knack for generating discussion.

Following a journey from the start (or more commonly, near the start) is a special thrill I've experienced with a few blogs. Sadly, many of them have fallen by the wayside, digital tumbleweeds rolling across their neglected RSS feeds. Fortunately, some - like Julia and another of my favourite bloggers, GroundWork editor Megan, who shifted from Posterous to Blogger - have managed to stay the course. Others have even surprised themselves by their longevity, like Shark Girl, who only intended to stay in BJJ a scant four months. I'm very pleased that she is still with us, three years later. Even though I know most blogs won't last, I always feel the same excitement when I encounter a new, well-written and engaging blog.

Appropriately, that first ever blog post I mentioned at the start of this article was written during my initial stint in Bristol. The objective back then was to share my thoughts on different schools, geared towards the kind of audience there was on Cyberkwoon and Tung Fu. By 2006, the intention had changed: I wanted to list somebody's training in BJJ from the beginning. That's still the goal today, though it has gradually become more about providing resources to help people along the way.

Having moved many, many times since 2004, heading all around the UK, it's strange that ten years and around a million page views later, I am back in Bristol. It's even stranger that last month, I co-founded a BJJ club of my own, Artemis BJJ (naturally, our school has its own blog). I look forward to seeing what the next ten years of blogging brings: thanks to everyone who has willingly suffered through my online rambling over the past decade! :D

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Article - The Dreaded Beast-Men

Article #21, by guest writer Allie McClish

For a fighter, I’m not much to look at. I’m an average sized girl: 5’5’’, 135 lbs. In a sport dominated by men, most of my opponents boast a significant weight advantage. Add onto that the spastic craziness of a new, white belt male and you have a creature I like to call the beast-man.

I used to complain about the impossibility of grappling beast-men. They were too big and strong. They used too much muscle. I cringed at the thought of grappling them, secretly rejoicing whenever my instructor, Fabio, assigned me to grapple someone with a little color on their belt.

When I got my blue belt, my distaste for beast-men increased. I felt I had something to prove. I was supposed to be more technical than them now, right? Mysteriously, that technique was missing on the mat. I was still getting crushed. The more I tried to beat these guys the more frustrated I got.

My breakthrough came when I realized I was looking at them in the wrong light. Beast-men weren’t my enemies. They were my training partners. Not only that, but I realized that these guys, with all their strength and spasticness, were some of the best training partners I could ask for.

If you take BJJ for self defense, who would be more like a real attacker on the street? A seasoned brown belt who rolls with control and courtesy, or a white belt who is coming at me with all of his strength and random bursts of movement? The white belt would be more like what I would actually face.

I realized I only wanted to defend myself against people who were going to attack me nicely. I was complaining about the most realistic mock attackers that I would get in a safe setting. Having training partners who relax and teach me things is an invaluable treasure, but having guys whose only goal is to crush me into oblivion is equally valuable.

After I stopped looking at these guys as evil villains who wanted to ruin my evening of happy grappling, and started looking at them as real-life scenario tests, everything changed. I took the pressure off myself to perform. I stopped letting my own frustration and anger cloud up my mind while I was grappling. Instead of thinking about how unpleasant the grapple was, I started thinking about what I was doing; paying attention to where I could move, where they were off balance, where both of us were vulnerable.

The results were instantaneous. Not only did I grapple better, but I started growing again in general. I started enjoying jiu-jitsu again. I stopped hating the beast-men and actually learned to look forward to the challenges they present.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re big or small. Eventually, you’ll encounter people that seem created for your misery. When you come up against them, the difference between frustration and growth is your point of view. You can decide to complain, or you can be thankful that beast men are there to point out the holes in your game. You can be the victim against an insurmountable enemy, or accept the challenge of a training partner who has something to teach you. The distinction is yours to make.

Allie McClish is a blue belt, who has been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a year and four months under Fabio Novaes in Florida. She maintains a blog at Allie the Clear Belt.

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Article - BJJ & Aggression

Article #20, by Can Sönmez [FAQ Entry]


In Brazilian jiu jitsu, you learn how to fight, imposing your will on another person to prevent them doing the same to you. It is less confrontational than MMA (a closely related sport), where you're also getting punched in the face, but physical combat is still at the core of BJJ. Sparring for the first time can be an intimidating experience: most beginners will panic. Depending on their size, they will be struggling wildly to escape with all their strength, or looking to crush their opponent with superior mass. Either way, they are probably going to be aggressive.

Personally, I have an automatic aversion to the term ‘aggression’. For me, it conjures up images of shaven-headed thugs with bulging neck veins getting into fights outside pubs. I prefer the term ‘assertive’, which doesn’t have those associations. It may merely be a matter of semantics (as Leslie discusses), but it nevertheless makes me wonder why people like me have that reaction to ‘aggression’, particularly in the context of BJJ. After all, the legendary Aleksandr Karelin put it to good use in the picture above.

Part of the reason is the fondly held myth of the slightly-built martial arts superhero, gracefully dispatching a horde of less enlightened meatheads. The weedy nerd within us all (or rather less deeply buried, in my case) wants to believe that pure technique will trump brute strength, requiring no physical effort or malicious intentions on our part. BJJ has several diminutive superheroes of its own, beginning with Hélio Gracie. The Gracie patriarch was allegedly so frail and weak he had to learn his impressive fighting prowess through observation (I have my doubts).

The success of his son Royce in the early UFC is another touchstone, dominating with skill rather than power and overcoming huge size discrepancies. Importantly, he also made a point of winning without unnecessarily hurting his opponents, often opting for a gradual transition to a rear naked choke, without throwing a single punch.

When competing, you are unlikely to succeed by staying passive and working your defence. You've got to score points, or even better, force your opponent to give up, which is rarely a gentle process. Neither of you are there to help the other person improve: you are each an obstacle in the other's path to getting that gold medal. Some might argue, justifiably, that aggression has its place in competition.

However, examples like Royce feed a desire to succeed through pure technique, smoothly flowing around your opponent rather than savagely cranking your way to a submission. This is especially the case outside of tournaments, when you are in the more co-operative and relaxed class environment. As Saulo Ribeiro said in Jiu Jitsu Revolution, "You have to think that your partner, the guy that you're training [with], has to be your best friend. So, you don't want to hurt him."

Nevertheless, there must be a line. I want to perfect my technique rather than beat up my partner, but I also don't want them to flop limply into my submission attempts, or never threaten with any attacks of their own. The extreme end of this paradoxically pacifist approach to martial arts is aikido. There, you can dance your way through crowds of attackers, because they are actively jumping into your throws.

A certain amount of resistance is required, or practice becomes meaningless: to paraphrase another of my favourite quotes, you can't learn how to swim without getting in the water. The question is, when does useful resistance cross over into brutish aggression?

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Article - Amazon Jiu Jitsu: BJJ & Larger Women

Article #14, by guest writer Megan Williams [FAQ Entry]

I…am a large woman. That’s not a euphemism for overweight or exceedingly muscular. I’m 6’ tall, with an almost 7” wrist and 22” shoulders. I weigh 180lbs when in good shape. Like the majority of women that train BJJ, I showed up for self-defense reasons (even though, aside from an incident of a man telling me that I was “so tall he wanted to put his fist through my chest”, I’ve seldom felt threatened), but the similarities begin to die off there.

Yes, a large woman will face the same “lady problems” that any other female would in training BJJ…dealing with inappropriate behavior, managing the intensity of sparring with opponents that either want to man-handle you for fun or go way too soft on you because they don’t want to hurt you, feeling out of place as the only female in class…but the issue of size is a creature unto itself. I outweigh most of the women in my school by 60lbs or more and am a solid 10” taller. I worry more frequently about putting too much of my weight on smaller opponents (male and female) than I do about being crushed by the 220 lb guy that shows up on Wednesdays. The idea of being picked up or tossed around doesn’t really cross my mind and sweeps only work if they’re technically clean. Still though, I’m not as strong as men my size, or even those smaller than me.

I’m guessing the guys at the gym have to be thinking something similar…wondering what’s got the Amazonian chick interested in a sport that’s designed to shift the balance of power in favor of smaller, weaker opponents. Their comments on how strong I am, or have gotten are great motivation, but they’ve given rise to some new concerns. I used to worry about being weak. Now I wonder about life beyond the white belt and if my size plus a pigmented belt will cause resentment or backlash. I wonder if my manly size will result in my being manhandled. I’m guessing it will, and that’s fine. Just a new challenge with which to deal. While I’m sure the heel I took to my left breast last class is a problem that’s particular to women, I suspect there are fewer differences specific to gender in Brazilian jiu jitsu than one would expect, and that’s part of what makes it beautiful.

I do think though, that my situation sheds light on an opportunity for instructors, bloggers and others to adapt how they address techniques and abilities. My instructor, (I like his method and think it could be a benefit to both genders) instead of giving advice on techniques that are good for men or women, teaches based on body type or situation…leg length, relative weight of opponent or flexibility. I’m sure there are men out there with legs that are stronger than their upper bodies, be it because of freakish genetics or injury. There are definitely men out there that are small for their gender, and I believe they could benefit from more specialized attention.

All that said, I’m glad to have found the likes of Lana Stefanac, Gabi Garcia and a few other ladies online, so I can see how other large women move and work with women their own size.

Megan is a white belt, who has been training for six months at American Top Team in West Palm Beach under Marcos "Parrumpinha" Da Matta. She maintains a blog at bjiujitsu.blogspot.com

BJJ for the Larger Woman: Further Reading

Megan Williams: Big Girl Syndrome
Fenom Kimonos: Annemieke DeMaggio Interview
Open Mat Radio: #23 - Emily Wetzel Interview
Megan Williams: Commentary on Emily Wetzel Interview
BJJ Heroes: Gabi Garcia Profile
Erin Herle: Gabi Garcia Interview


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Article - Homophobia & BJJ

Article #11, by Can Sönmez

You may well have seen the photo featuring a grinning Wanderlei Silva, unadorned except for a pair of fightshorts, held from behind by a similarly underdressed training partner. It tends to be captioned with the phrase "it's only gay if you make eye contact." This is part of the "BJJ is gay" meme, something anyone who has trained in BJJ for a while will eventually come across. Often, it will be a friend trying to make a joke about your chosen sport. When positions like 'rear mount' are a common part of class, that isn't exactly hard.

The fact is, two sweaty men rolling around on the floor looks a lot like something else to the uninformed. That is even more the case when it's no-gi, as in the infamous Silva picture. I'm a straight BJJer, so if someone tries to tell me "BJJ is gay," I'll just assume they're ignorant or trying to be funny.

However, I wonder what my response would be if I was a gay BJJer myself. Sport and homosexuality are not on the best of terms: it is still a big decision for a prominent athlete to come out publically. Even gay fans struggle to be acknowledged. Many gay sportsmen and women choose to remain in the closet (naturally it is difficult to get statistics on that, but related stories here, here and here) fearful of media reaction, losing sponsorship, or causing tension in their team. In the past, this worry has been tragically justified.

For a grappling sport like BJJ, homophobia is a particularly pressing concern. There are those who can't help feeling uncomfortable when in close bodily contact with somebody sexually attracted to their gender. This is unfortunate: after all, heterosexual women face that issue every time they step on the mats. The majority of their training partners will be straight men. A heterosexual guy rolling with a homosexual man should be no different: you're both there to learn jiu jitsu, not find a date.

Sites like Matbattle.com (not safe for work) probably don't help matters. That isn't necessarily the fault of Matbattle (although articles like this arguably cross the line), as they are catering to a specific audience, just like the vast slew of titillating material aimed at straight men. What consenting adults want to do in the privacy of their bedroom is their business. However, the problem is when homophobes decide that all gay BJJers are sexual predators waiting to jump on them, most likely pointing to Matbattle as some kind of spurious 'evidence'.

Personally speaking, I haven't seen a lot of homophobia in BJJ. The kind of attitude I'm familiar with is exemplified by my favourite martial arts forum, Bullshido. As much as it occasionally gets dismissed by detractors as a bunch of foul-mouthed meatheads, almost every time I've encountered a thread on gay BJJers, the consensus has been "yeah, so what? They're there to grapple and get better at BJJ, like everyone else." An eminently sensible response.

Nevertheless, there are examples of shockingly homophobic behaviour elsewhere in the sport, as the below video [since removed, unfortunately] investigates (interestingly, the related documentary resulted in two initially contrasting Bullshido discussions. First this, then this, and prior to both of them, one on NHBGear [website down]):  

      I'm keen to hear the perspective of gay BJJers on this topic, so please feel free to share your experiences, good or bad.       < Previous Article ::: Next Article >

Article - Kyra Gracie and the Treatment of Women in BJJ

Article #8, by Can Sönmez [FAQ Entry]


One of the threads you're almost guaranteed to see on a BJJ forum, along with "what gi should I buy" and "when should I compete", is a series of photographs like the one on the left, featuring Kyra Gracie. That will be accompanied by a succession of posts along the lines of "man, I'd like to be in her triangle!" Essentially, it's akin to a bunch of drooling frat boys in a locker room, crowded around a dirty magazine, giving each other macho slaps on the back after every lewd comment. Kyra's looks are discussed far more often than her technique.

It is a sad reflection on our society that female athletes are often objectified, their abilities ignored in favour of their appearance (women's tennis is a well-known example). Women who do not pander to that trend may find their achievements fail to get the recognition they rightly deserve. For example, I think everyone can agree that winning two gold medals at the Mundials is an incredible accomplishment, especially if you do so with humility and skill. Yet I rarely hear people talk about Lana Stefanac, the first American woman to win both her weight category and the absolute at the highest levels of BJJ, while still a brown belt. I suspect it is because she is large and powerful, a very different body type to the petite Kyra Gracie.

Emily Kwok did a great interview on Kombat Clinic back in December last year, which fits with this topic. I felt the following quote stood out:

[...] some men still believe that this is a man’s sport and a man’s world. And those types of men could care less about the fact that I managed to achieve anything at all, because they feel that there really is no room for women to be taken seriously. At most, they will say that you are good at what you do ‘for a girl’. They believe that your Jiu Jitsu is not the same as a man’s Jiu Jitsu, they feel that your technique and understanding of the sport is inferior [...]

I think we struggle greatly to be appreciated on the same level as our male counterparts. Women have been doing a phenomenal job representing the sport, providing some of the most exciting matches at elite level tournaments. But we still don’t get much press coverage; we are never talked about as much as the men, and I feel that we still have a long way to go. I think we are still sometimes seen as a novelty, and not seen as serious athletes.

Stefanac herself related a particularly relevant experience in regards to MMA, a sport in which she both competes and trains others. She spoke to Psychology Today about managing female fighters:

You've got this whole Barbie-doll thing, where a promoter will call me and be like, "Do you have a girl at 125 pounds I can use?" Yeah, I sure do. Then they say, "But what does she look like?" How does her appearance affect her fighting?

There are some good signs, however. Shawn Williams made a point of emphasising the excellence of female BJJ during his commentary for the 2009 Mundials. In the US, several senior female belts run a Women's Grappling Camp, an idea which is set to come to the UK soon. Open Mats for women are also available on both sides of the Atlantic. Meg Smitley organises regular events at Dartford MMA, while in the US, there are frequent opportunities in Richmond, VA.

Hopefully with the continuing growth of female BJJ, a woman's ability on the mat will become a more prevalent point of discussion than the way she looks.

[Update: See Meg's excellent follow-up piece here.]

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Belt Whipping and Promotion Rituals in BJJ

Article #6, by Can Sönmez

There is a tradition in certain Brazilian jiu jitsu schools called "running the gauntlet", which occurs after you've been promoted. Normally that involves everyone else in the club taking off their belts, forming into two rows, then 'whipping' the newly graded student as they walk (or run) down the middle. Sometimes this is extended to all sorts of occasions, like birthdays: I remember when I trained at Nova Força, there was a whipping or three almost every session. Reasons ranged from somebody washing their belt through to welcoming an old student back to class.

For many, belt whipping is a team bonding exercise. It is a way for the club as a whole to celebrate your success: these are the people who have seen you sweat, bleed and struggle, overcome your limitations and reach the next level. They've twisted your limbs and choked you out, while getting mangled and strangled in return. They are your training partners and your friends, the people who offer you advice and support along with the bruises. They want to be a part of your achievement, because in a very real sense, it is their achievement too, as a team.

For others, however, belt whipping is barely removed from the macho 'male bonding' of frat-boy antics and hazing rituals. You've already been squashed, squeezed and crushed for several years to earn this privilege, and now you're expected to let everyone else beat you up with impunity. You might well think you've suffered enough, and could at least have the opportunity to prove your skill, such as by a lengthy spar against all your team mates. That is just as painful, and offers you the chance to give as good as you get.

Personally, I would rather do without belt-whipping (for a range of opinions on the topic, check out this and this). I much prefer the tradition at the Roger Gracie Academy and its affiliates, where a promotion entails a handshake and a round of applause. Alternatively, there is the method Roy Dean uses: after he has decided somebody is ready for the next belt, he asks if they would like to perform a demonstration, involving techniques and then sparring. It is an optional exercise, not a test, which has resulted in numerous beautiful videos up on YouTube, such as this fine example by Jimmy Da Silva:



Compare that to the infamous test at Godoi Jiu Jitsu (though also note there are plenty of hugs and smiles at the end):



Why is it that grown women and men will happily let others slap them around with belts, or even drop-kick them in the chest? I suppose you could equally ask why do we let people try and cut off the flow of blood to our brains: both are fairly strange, as consensual activities go.

I have noticed that there is an unusual attitude to pain in contact sports, especially martial arts. There are those who will take a perverse pleasure in suffering through an especially tough warm-up, or grin after a really intense sparring session. Surviving physical hardship becomes a matter of pride, as well as a method of team building. Everyone shares in the experience, turning something potentially unpleasant into a story to laugh about with your friends.

On the few occasions I've been present at a belt whipping, I've stood off to the side, my belt still tied around my waist. However, if for some reason I was to be the recipient, I'd probably take part. While I don't think there is anything wrong with one person sitting out, denying the whole class their tradition is a different matter (especially if it's only when I get promoted, which is naturally a very infrequent event). As ever, to each their own.

Further Reading

2013: BJJ Survey Results: BJJ Belt Promotion Practices
2012: Facebook Discussion (Jiu Jitsu Style fan page)
2012: Why the Jiu Jitsu Ironman Is the SBG Way (reddit comment thread)
2012: Belt Whipping: Why??? (The Underground)
2011: Origins of Belt Whipping? (The Underground)
2009: The Gauntlet (The Underground)
2009: Belt Promotion Method (NHBGear)
2007: New Blue Belts at 302 (EFN)


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Article - Gi Fashion

Article #4, by Can Sönmez [FAQ Entry]

As I mention every time I see yet another "what gi should I buy" thread on BJJ forums, my first set of rolling pyjamas was a £20 judogi, bought through the university team. The material around the knees is beginning to get a little frayed, but the gi is still going strong after four years: my £25 Black Eagle judogi is in similarly good condition. So, why is it that so many people are willing to drop upwards of $140 on a heap of cotton?

I suppose it's a reflection of broader clothes-shopping habits. Some people just want something functional: all my trousers come from shops like Millets, because my main concern is lots of zip pockets. I look for something cheap (my last pair cost me £10) that works for the job at hand. Others want the trendiest label, and there is certainly no shortage of them in the BJJ gi world. I was once surprised during an RGA conversation, when somebody explicitly stated they wanted a well-known brand: low cost and practicality didn’t come into it.

The gi is also sports equipment, which I sometimes find easy to forget when looking at the astronomical price tags and flashy designs. As with many sports, that also involves an element of supporting a team, but unlike football, BJJ offers the chance to be an active member of that team. Hence the flourishing trade in club patches, with some instructors even insisting they're essential training wear.

For example, I have read that Xande Ribeiro said "without it you are like a stray dog, only out for yourself". His teacher Royler Gracie is known for giving push-ups to any visitors arriving to train at Gracie Humaíta without representing their team. Then there is the insistence of several Gracie Barra schools that you must wear an official Gracie Barra gi, as if it were an identifying uniform as well as protective clothing.

I would assume that high-end examples like Lucky Gi and Shoyoroll can offer enhanced quality rather than merely aesthetic improvements. I've never owned one, so that will remain an assumption. However, the fashion aspect of other options is obvious: the growing female market makes this clear. CatFight caters specifically to women who want something more than a plain white gi with no sense of style, and therefore provides a wide array of bright colours and attractive decoration. It is perhaps part of women's greater ability to communicate (to make a generalisation) that they tend to be more expressive in their choice of clothing.

Thus far, I've bought nothing but plain white, with as few labels as possible. That too could be seen as a 'fashion' of sorts, in that I'm intentionally avoiding anything that makes me stand out. I've noticed this is common to a number of men, who turn their noses up at any concept of fashion. Different colours, patches and brands go towards emphasising individuality, but it also draws attention. Therefore my choice to stick with the most boring gi available is a reflection of my lack of flamboyance in everyday dress, and general introverted nature. Not to mention that there are certain people who take sartorial innovation as an incentive to up the intensity during sparring.

Of course, I do have a few more garish items in my wardrobe, like the bright orange Bruce Lee print shirt I bought on Khao San Road in Bangkok five years ago. I somehow doubt I'll ever find myself picking up the gi equivalent, but you never know: perhaps in a decade or two, I'll feel confident enough in my skills to venture beyond the safe (but bland) realm of the pure white gi. ;)

Update October 2014: It's taken five years, but I may be turning towards the dark side. As of this month, a black gi is now regularly in my rotation, along with a blue one. We'll see if I start end up wearing bright green or something, but at the moment my BJJ bling is still 99% restricted to my fabulous nogi wear ;)

Update February 2015: Not bright green yet, but I do have bright purple. Bright green will be following shortly, among others... ;)

Update July 2017:Several shades of green, plus tie-dye. Think I've hit peak colour, but we'll see if I can come up with anything more ridiculous in the future. ;)

A post shared by Can (Jun) (@slideyfoot) on Jul 10, 2017 at 3:07am PDT

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