Seems like the IBJJF should let more people enter the black belt divisions because aside from the Pans and the Worlds, the local opens have huge gaps in their divisions. So the result is you get guys who lost their only match winning medals by default. I wouldn't blame the competitors themselves for that. Most would take their medals, go home, and own up to the fact that they didn't win any matches. But then you have the guys that put it on their resume, or post it on their facebook or twitter without disclosing they didn't win any matches.
This guy is a case in point. He "wins" and brags about his bronze in the NY open, but he had one match and lost in a 4 man division. The next week he enters the Las Vegas Open, two weight classes above what he competed in the week before. Why would he do that? To challenge himself? No, because his true weight class had 4 competitors. So he wasn't guaranteed a medal. He goes to Heavy with one competitor because he's guaranteed the silver, where just the previous week he competed at Middle. He lost and is now the silver medalist. Didn't enter the Pans though? Congratulations on your participation medals.
Here are his win announcements:
https://twitter.com/MarkTurnerBJJ/status/328344216289804289
https://twitter.com/MarkTurnerBJJ/status/325747141886754817
IpponOmoPlata - Seems like the IBJJF should let more people enter the black belt divisions because aside from the Pans and the Worlds, the local opens have huge gaps in their divisions. So the result is you get guys who lost their only match winning medals by default. I wouldn't blame the competitors themselves for that. Most would take their medals, go home, and own up to the fact that they didn't win any matches. But then you have the guys that put it on their resume, or post it on their facebook or twitter without disclosing they didn't win any matches.I recently competed at a naga that had 6 competitors in my division and I was given first round bye, lost my match by neck crank then ref said don't go no where you got one more match for 3rd place. It didn't feel worthy of being 3rd place but being I spent 4 hours waiting to compete, I might as well get a second match. 10 mins later they say no another person joined the division late so I didn't have a second match. But It did feel cheap that I was going to be competing for third place after getting owned.
This guy is a case in point. He "wins" and brags about his bronze in the NY open, but he had one match and lost in a 4 man division. The next week he enters the Las Vegas Open, two weight classes above what he competed in the week before. Why would he do that? To challenge himself? No, because his true weight class had 4 competitors. So he wasn't guaranteed a medal. He goes to Heavy with one competitor because he's guaranteed the silver, where just the previous week he competed at Middle. He lost and is now the silver medalist. Didn't enter the Pans though? Congratulations on your participation medals.
https://twitter.com/MarkTurnerBJJ/status/328344216289804289
https://twitter.com/MarkTurnerBJJ/status/325747141886754817
lol
The real tragedy with that guy is that he's quoting Leviticus on his twitter. WTF.
First of all. After 15 years training jiu jitsu and earning a blackbelt I don't owe anyone anything or have to explain myself to anyone. I compete because I think its fun. I don't care about any medals I received or earned over 15 years in fact send me your address, ill send them to you. You can have them. Ill include a can of pledge as well. I'll even send you my black belt. You can have that too! NONE of my medals are even displayed in my academy. None of them. You don't know me or anything about me yet you have a lot to say about what I'm apparently doing and why I'm doing it. I'm sure you're a better person than that.
I don't care and certainly don't brag about any of the medals I've received or won or anything else I've accomplished in jiu jitsu. I have a blast with jiu jitsu. Met some great people, done some great things. I enter competitions for fun. I have fun competing no matter what happens. I don't need jiu jitsu or competitions or a competition record to validate me in ANY WAY. I have great friends. A fun academy and above all my health and a great family. Jiu jitsu is a small fun part of my life that I have been blessed with. If my 15 year competition record or my belt or my academy or my teacher or my students bother you....I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. All I could begin to say is have fun on the mats. Have fun in your training. Don't take it or yourself too seriously. Ill continue to compete where ever I can when I can. I'm not hungry for a (bigger) medal collection or a world title or money from jiu jitsu. Nothing. Ill be having fun and encouraging others to do the same?
Bragging about a jiu jitsu medal??? Are you kidding me??? If anything ALL ill ever brag about is how I am trying to be the best husband and father I can be while showing people love along the way. Send me that address, you can have any of my medals that you want.
Take care and have fun on the mats
Mark Turner
@markturnerbjj
Pretty lame. Just to clarify though in a four man ibjjf division you ARE guaranteed a medal. Two thirds.
marcovia - First of all. After 15 years training jiu jitsu and earning a blackbelt I don't owe anyone anything or have to explain myself to anyone. I compete because I think its fun. I don't care about any medals I received or earned over 15 years in fact send me your address, ill send them to you. You can have them. Ill include a can of pledge as well. I'll even send you my black belt. You can have that too! NONE of my medals are even displayed in my academy. None of them. You don't know me or anything about me yet you have a lot to say about what I'm apparently doing and why I'm doing it. I'm sure you're a better person than that.
I don't care and certainly don't brag about any of the medals I've received or won or anything else I've accomplished in jiu jitsu. I have a blast with jiu jitsu. Met some great people, done some great things. I enter competitions for fun. I have fun competing no matter what happens. I don't need jiu jitsu or competitions or a competition record to validate me in ANY WAY. I have great friends. A fun academy and above all my health and a great family. Jiu jitsu is a small fun part of my life that I have been blessed with. If my 15 year competition record or my belt or my academy or my teacher or my students bother you....I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. All I could begin to say is have fun on the mats. Have fun in your training. Don't take it or yourself too seriously. Ill continue to compete where ever I can when I can. I'm not hungry for a (bigger) medal collection or a world title or money from jiu jitsu. Nothing. Ill be having fun and encouraging others to do the same?
Bragging about a jiu jitsu medal??? Are you kidding me??? If anything ALL ill ever brag about is how I am trying to be the best husband and father I can be while showing people love along the way. Send me that address, you can have any of my medals that you want.
Take care and have fun on the mats
Mark Turner
@markturnerbjj
Carlos Gracie Jr.
C/O Gracie Barra Irvine
14988 Sand Canyon Ave
Studio 1
Irvine, CA 92618
I know people who do what you're talking about as well. Guy at my gym competed last weekend so I asked him how he did. "I got second." Then I asked how many matches he had..."two". Why not say you won your first and lost your second?
I know what the TS is saying...
The first competition I entered, I was in a seventeen man division.
I won my first two fights, lost the third, then had a fourth as either repecharge, or third place playoff (I didn't ask), and ended up without a medal (i'm not complaining, by the way)...
Whereas a couple of other guys from my school were showing off their gold medals - that they won two fights to get.
I've also known plenty of instances of people entering two, or three, man divisions - even waiting to sign up to compete until the last minute, to make sure nobody else will be competing.
...then on the instructor's website it goes: 'Silver medalist...silver medalist...'.
GrahamJ - I know what the TS is saying...
The first competition I entered, I was in a seventeen man division.
I won my first two fights, lost the third, then had a fourth as either repecharge, or third place playoff (I didn't ask), and ended up without a medal (i'm not complaining, by the way)...
Whereas a couple of other guys from my school were showing off their gold medals - that they won two fights to get.
I've also known plenty of instances of people entering two, or three, man divisions - even waiting to sign up to compete until the last minute, to make sure nobody else will be competing.
...then on the instructor's website it goes: 'Silver medalist...silver medalist...'.
How about this...
A prominent BJJ black belt in Australia ambled up to a comp to coach his guys. He found out there were no competitors in his weight class at the black belt devision...
Heads out to the car, grabs his gi, runs back in and signs up: bam, gold medal right there.
:)
"even waiting to sign up to compete until the last minute, to make sure nobody else will be competing."
Even worse. Pay $100 bucks, and often plane and hotel fare to buy your medal. Plenty of that going on, just look at the IBJJF results. For god sakes, move divisions, or enter the absolute at least.
Man nothing pisses me off more than when I'm in a 3 man division and lose my first match and they throw a silver or bronze medal in my face. I hate that medal!!! It's like a token for losing.
Def not cool to brag about medals you didn't earn, but live and let live. Doesn't affect me at all.
IpponOmoPlata-
Just wondering if you compete in these tournaments? It's one thing to criticize this Mark Turner guy for "winning cheap medals" if YOU are entering IBJJF tournaments and earning medals. But it is pathetic if you're one of those guys who never enters tournaments but is bitching about a guy like Mark Turner who has the balls to compete (even if it is in a three or four man division).
I guess Mark is entitled to change divisions etc if he's just after medals rather than testing himself - which seems against the spirit of the sport IMO
I suppose in the future his grandkids won't know the detail though. I have won default medals and chosen not to publicize them within my team etc but it's a personal choice
OP, you obviously know this mark fella.
why u mad bro?
I agree with what everyone is saying here. My last 2 tournaments have been IBJJF ran and one I had to win 2 matches to lose in the semis to get a "bronze" and the 2nd I won my first and then lost in the semis for another "bronze". I was later in a no gi division with 3 people but popped my knee in my last gi match so pulled out and was offered another bronze but turned it down because lol. Sadly if you don't win at least a match you should not get a medal its not 7th grade high jump.
Another hilarious story, not IBJJF run but my friend had a 2 man bracket, lost his match. The ref told him to go to the medal table to get his medal. When he showed up and told them, they asked him "well which one do you want?". Cant make this shit up.
First of all. After 15 years training jiu jitsu and earning a blackbelt I don't owe anyone anything or have to explain myself to anyone. I compete because I think its fun. I don't care about any medals I received or earned over 15 years in fact send me your address, ill send them to you. You can have them. Ill include a can of pledge as well. I'll even send you my black belt. You can have that too! NONE of my medals are even displayed in my academy. None of them. You don't know me or anything about me yet you have a lot to say about what I'm apparently doing and why I'm doing it. I'm sure you're a better person than that. <br /><br />I don't care and certainly don't brag about any of the medals I've received or won or anything else I've accomplished in jiu jitsu. I have a blast with jiu jitsu. Met some great people, done some great things. I enter competitions for fun. I have fun competing no matter what happens. I don't need jiu jitsu or competitions or a competition record to validate me in ANY WAY. I have great friends. A fun academy and above all my health and a great family. Jiu jitsu is a small fun part of my life that I have been blessed with. If my 15 year competition record or my belt or my academy or my teacher or my students bother you....I'm sorry. I don't know what to tell you. All I could begin to say is have fun on the mats. Have fun in your training. Don't take it or yourself too seriously. Ill continue to compete where ever I can when I can. I'm not hungry for a (bigger) medal collection or a world title or money from jiu jitsu. Nothing. Ill be having fun and encouraging others to do the same?<br /><br />Bragging about a jiu jitsu medal??? Are you kidding me??? If anything ALL ill ever brag about is how I am trying to be the best husband and father I can be while showing people love along the way. Send me that address, you can have any of my medals that you want. <br /><br />Take care and have fun on the mats<br /><br />Mark Turner<br />@markturnerbjj<br /><br />
Got any mundial golds back there?
Also what size is the belt?
I agree with the OP.
The quotes from Leviticus are troubling too.
Posers gunna pose.
Absolute is the ultimate division in my opinion. I think it stinks that only the top 4 guys from each division can do the absolute division. So if that's the reason for competing in a not so deep division so you can guarantee a spot in the absolute, I can understand it.
PayItForward - OP, you obviously know this mark fella.
why u mad bro?
OP wants to talk about poor integrity in BJJ.
Why u mad bro?