Why the ADCC vs. CJI Debate Doesn't Matter, Much
In 8 days two of the most monumental events in grappling history will take place on the same weekend, in the same city. Here are some reasons why it matters, and some why it doesn’t matter so much, for the future of grappling and Brazilian / American Jiu Jitsu.
Similar to “jiu jitsu in the Olympics” and other dramatized hot topics floating around the grappling world on the internet, I’m far more interested in a “what’s next” discussion rather than “pick a side” debates.
Craig Jones has stated on JRE that he has a beef with Mo Jassim, the lead organizer of Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC). However, the specifics have been kept pretty quite. As Joe Rogan rightly pointed out, despite the benefits of CJI’s debut, it’s unfortunate to not see Craig competing in either tournament — save the announced superfight with Gabbi Garcia.
As with any market, I do believe competition breeds innovation. The fact that there are now (beyond ADCC and IBJJF) many well organized premiere organizations to compete under is a very good thing.
In short, challenging authority and monopoly is always a good thing. Adapting and growing the sport of grappling is also a good thing. What I’m not a fan of is incessant drama and divisive headlines. So, let’s look at why this rivalry matters, and what it may not in a few months or years.
Why It Matters:
First, let me say that it’s great that people are rallying behind professional grapples with the (alleged) cause of paying the athletes more. Truly, it’s a noble cause to pay a show-up-fee and offer a stoked $1M cash prize for each of two divisions (+/- 80Kg).
Like most people, I’m all in favor of BJJ athletes getting paid a reasonable purse like “real athletes” (e.g. other professional sports of similar public status).
The Olympics exceptionally highlights this disparity. There are hundreds of millions of dollars changing hands from sponsors and cities and countries, and an extremely small fraction is going to the athletes themselves; which are the entire reason the event even exists — or so we’re told.
Craig (and his backer) have also set things up fantastically to live stream the event for free via social media. Many people have long since complained about FloGrappling’s subscription model ($140 / year) when they (or maybe just me) would gladly pay them $50 or $100 to stream ADCC for the weekend. That’s all to say nothing of streaming quality, but I digress…
Additionally, in-person ticket sales are allegedly going to be donated to charity; though, of course, the check is (never) in the mail — so I’ll remain judiciously skeptical until receipts are shown.
This “debate” or rivalry, or feud matters because it disrupts the status quo in a big way. Competition breeds ingenuity.
Why It May Not Matter:
Similar “culture shocks” have already happened in other “soul sports.” The X-Games didn’t ruin surfing, skating, or snowboarding. Rock climbing is in the Olympics, and there are still crushers no-one’s ever heard of in the Colorado back-country.
Sure, the “gamification” of Judo or “freestyling” of wrestling in an Olympic context may have narrowed it’s application in that venue; but much the same there are obviously many very successful MMA and grappling schools practicing wrestling and judo who don’t guide every practice by IOC regulations.
What does that have to do with ADCC vs. CJI? Craig said on JRE that Eddie Bravo and EBI were a huge inspiration for this event. Which is exactly what this feels like to me (more on that below).
A far more interesting question may be, what happens next year? And the year after that? Craig has said that his backer is willing to continue to fund future events if this one “does well.”
What I’m getting at is that $3M may not be enough to buy you 30 years of history and legacy. ADCC isn’t going away, even if the story ends up that ADCC is where people go “to make a name for themselves” and CJI is where they go “to earn a paycheck.”
My Overall Opinion:
What I don’t like so much is that the events are happening on the same day, in the same city. I get that there wouldn’t be nearly as much of a challenge to ADCC’s authority if that were not the case, but there would also be an opportunity for athletes to compete in both events.
The entire situation feels a lot like EBI 2.0 to me. That’s not a bad thing. The first EBI was in 2014 and 10 years later (like ADCC) they are hosting “open” tournaments as well.
Zooming out, each of these developments is a huge challenge to the oligarchy of IBJJF; which no one seems to be talking about — certainly not to the same degree.
The first tournament I ever competed in, in 2011 or so, was in a church gymnasium surrounded by corn fields because I couldn’t afford the IBJJF entry fee or to drive 4 hours to Chicago.
What that means is that these “evolutions” and “conflicts” are a net positive for the sport. Obviously, IBJJF is still around and doing fine and the gi clearly isn’t dead (yet). We have more opportunities than ever, between PGF, EBI, ADCC, and now CJI and UFC Fight Pass to compete under a variety of rulesets and actually get paid.
Whether or not CJI is a flash-in-the-pan or not remains to be determined. ADCC and it’s prestige have already been established and aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Winning all 4 IBJJF majors (European Open, Brazilian Nationals, Pan American Championship, World Championship) is considered a “grand slam.” A “super grand slam” includes and ADCC gold medal. Notice the disparity? 4-to-1, and that’s IBJJF.
I’m glad CJI is here and athletes are getting paid more, but it has a long way to go. Plus, I still want to see Craig compete again!