"To be honest, when I heard all the controversy over this I was surprised. As for Rashad and his abilities I can say this: Today the IBJJF has created the No-Gi Jiu Jitsu tournaments. If Rashad were to compete in these tournaments, he would compete at the Black Belt level, without question. He is a Black Belt in No-Gi JJ."
How would this be any different from someone like Josh Barnett though? Both guys have been grappling for years so honestly if they were to compete they would have to compete at the highest level to be fair to themselves and other competitors.
Would we rather see Rashad compete in the White belt division?
The "problem" is not Rashad, or Barnett and their skillset. They're obviously at or better than 90% of the average bjj black belts out there.
The problem is the precedent that has been set now because of this regarding the martial ART of brazilian jiujitsu. Not competitions or fights, those have their own way of rewarding participants in the way of medals or titles.
How is rashad different than a guy like Rhadi Ferguson who as an olympic level judoka went through years of training BJJ with legit teachers on its own and went through the belt system like everyone else? Monson.. who even competed in the black belt division but still worked through the belts and got it the traditional way. Diego Sanchez (how many bjj black belts did he beat before formaly training bjj) ? The Camarillo brothers? StPierre?
When i got my purple belt a long time ago, i remember royler said that the belt wasn't a gift, but a heavy responsibility that was on my shoulder now.
The belt to rashad was a gift.. plain and simple...THAT is the problem.
But whatever, my last name isn't Gracie...... so i can't hide behind that to voice my opinion.
SlapUsilly - The "problem" is not Rashad, or Barnett and their skillset. They're obviously at or better than 90% of the average bjj black belts out there.
The problem is the precedent that has been set now because of this regarding the martial ART of brazilian jiujitsu. Not competitions or fights, those have their own way of rewarding participants in the way of medals or titles.
How is rashad different than a guy like Rhadi Ferguson who as an olympic level judoka went through years of training BJJ with legit teachers on its own and went through the belt system like everyone else? Monson.. who even competed in the black belt division but still worked through the belts and got it the traditional way. Diego Sanchez (how many bjj black belts did he beat before formaly training bjj) ? The Camarillo brothers? StPierre?
When i got my purple belt a long time ago, i remember royler said that the belt wasn't a gift, but a heavy responsibility that was on my shoulder now.
The belt to rashad was a gift.. plain and simple...THAT is the problem.
But whatever, my last name isn't Gracie...... so i can't hide behind that to voice my opinion.
This...AND, a big part of being a black belt, in my opinion, is the ability to transmit the art so that it doesnt become everything, but remains bjj. What I mean is that BJJ is not simply "grappling" (not saying it is more than that, or something better). Every instance of someone submitting someone else or passing the guard is not an instance of BJJ, necessarily. BJJ is a specific strategy, and it contains a group of fundamental techniques that form its foundation. Traditionally, many of those techniques involved the gi, and I dont think someone like Rashad will be able to pass any of that along to anyone else.
I dont think every black belt HAS to teach. In fact, it's probably best that many don't, but they should be able to at least demonstrate the ability to perform correctly the fundamental techniques of the art. If they cant, there really is no reason to call what they do BJJ.
checkuroil - im sure that rashad can handle the responsibility way better than most.
Undoubtedly..... if he actually had it. He never worked a day in his life with the purpose of being a bjj black belt... he was gifted that belt as a reward for being a good wrestler/fighter.
ausgepicht - sport/Gi BJJ=the new TMA, complete with silly bickering, politics, lineage, etc. Some of you guys are worse then Trekkies and LARPers.
You really think any sport/martial art/organization/business doesn't have any in-fighting/bickering?
Of course no thread is complete with the obligatory TMA/doomsday poster.
Where have you been this last decade? You really think its any different now than it used to be. Only difference now is that the Gracies aren't the end-all be-all of the art.
Indrek R. - Yes, but you can see that the real problem is IBJJF not Rolles, right?
If they'd allow anyone to compete at the highest level of no-gi jiu-jitsu then we wouldn't have this problem.
1) What makes anyone think Rashad is going to compete in the nogi worlds/pan ams?
2) AFAIk the IBJJF doesn't actually check to see if you're a blackbelt or if your blackbelt conforms to there guidelines(the person giving you a blackbelt must have been one for so many years, so many years between brown and black and so fourth). If Rashad really wanted to compete in the nogi worlds without being belted I don't know that anyone would have stopped him.
Pretty lame reasoning. Last I checked Brazilian Jiu-jitsu was a martial art not a no gi only sport. Bjj is bigger then the IBJJF and any tournament they put on. LAME
ausgepicht - sport/Gi BJJ=the new TMA, complete with silly bickering, politics, lineage, etc. Some of you guys are worse then Trekkies and LARPers.
I understand what you're trying to say but the reason there is "bickering" is largely to try and maintain the integrity of promotions, as in this instance.