As jiu-jitsu has developed over the years, many people believe that the variety within the martial art requires it to have multiple separate factions. For example, while lots of practitioners believe that Brazilian and Japanese jiu-jitsu deserve to have their own separate categories, others also believe that Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet jiu-jitsu deserves to be its own separate category, and with Keenan Cornelius having opened his own gym recently, there have also been practitioners referring to his style of jiu-jitsu as “American jiu-jitsu.”
The debate around separating the different styles of jiu-jitsu has raged for ages, but now, Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes has shared his own thoughts in a passionate post on social media. In the post, Draculino slams the separation of jiu-jitsu and calls on practitioners to remember their roots.
“I’ve been holding my tongue for quite a while but people have to stop buying into the BULLSH**T that some certain professors, athletes and segments of the Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling media are vomiting into our community. In order to implement their own agenda and to capitalize on this, they are:
1- dividing: they say that “real” Jiu-Jitsu is exclusively what they teach. Some say self defense only classes are the real thing. Some others say competition is what counts and self defense is dead and not necessary because a law suit solves everything. Others that NOGI is the only “realistic” way and the Gis are pajamas. Others that NoGI is not JJ and that in the street people wear clothes. Others say that sub only is what needs to be taught because if someone doesn’t tap, there wasn’t a victory.. and etc, etc.
2- Branding: now there is this “American Jiu-Jitsu” trend. Well, there is no American, Brazilian, Japanese, Russian, Planet or any other name. THERE IS ONLY JIU JITSU! If this idiots don’t know, until the art exploded in the US, in BRAZIL, Europe, Japan and other places the art was called Ju Jitsu or Jiu-Jitsu. It was in HERE, on the US, that people started to brand it that way. Back in BRAZIL, we never said we practice JIU-JITSU BRASILEIRO. It was Jiu-Jitsu. Period. And now they say the American version is the best since it incorporated wrestling, Judo and got more technical. WRONG! Wrestling was blended into JJ thanks to ROLLS GRACIE, who competed extensively in the sport and actually brought Bob Anderson, a great wrestler, to learn more ( but Bob never got involved or taught JJ in America. The Gracies did). Judo and JJ are pretty much the same art with different rules and philosophies and since the 50’s, several high level athletes or fighters from each discipline cross trained and competed in both scenarios like Kimura, Royler Gracie, Flavio Canto, Amauri Bitteti, Megaton, Yuki Nakai and several others. This is not something that happened in America.
3- creating a “new” philosophy: they say that what have been practiced, taught and proved to be a very effective martial art and sport is obsolete. They say that the teaching methods that made them and the sport so big are wrong. They say that respect and reverence to those who paved the way is BS. That having their pictures on the wall is making it a cult. That bowing to them is ridiculous. Well, what they don’t know or forget is that if they are making money, have fame and do what they love IS BECAUSE OF THE HEROIC ACTIONS OF THIS “ OLD GUYS WITH PICTURES ON THE WALL”. And the worst is that most of this disrespectful fools don’t have the balls to back it of. They don’t have the same samurai spirit of the “old men on the walls” who literally fought with ANYONE, in any arena, in any rule, in the street, with no weight class. This idiots call brave man crazy, animals or has beens.
Well my rant is over. But KNOW that there is only ONE Jiu-Jitsu. And this art is vast, huge and improves everyday ( in Brazil, America, Japan, Europe, Australia, the Middle East) Embrace the new, but NEVER forget or disrespect our roots. #unity #respectyourroots #onejiujitsu“
What do you think of Draculino’s thoughts on the matter?
