I keep saying this again and again. The reason someone begins learning a martial art is always rooted in self-defense! While competition can be a reason, self-defense is always a reason.

With that said and understood, why do most submission grappling schools teach everyone to a ruleset in every class? Brand new white belts don’t walk into a school and say, “I want to learn IBJJF rules!” as you teach them to tie their belt. They come to learn the art the school claims to teach. Schools then conflate the art (typically BJJ) with the sport version to students that don’t know better at the time.

STOP IT!

I am so tired of being in a class and showing a technique and hearing a student say, “is that IBJJF legal?”.

Who cares? If you must ask, you probably are missing the point. The only thing the student should be concerned with is why/how it works, when/how to set it up, how to escape it, and the safeties/dangers involved. 

Before I continue, let me get these off my chest real quick:

• Reaping is not really that dangerous – a takedown is more dangerous, and we (should) do it all the time.
• If you are concerned with being picked up and slammed in closed guard, stop fucking pulling/playing it and let it go!
• Jumping guard is dangerous and I’ll give you that!

If you conform a student’s learning to a ruleset, you put in their head that what they came to learn is bound by that ruleset. Fuck the points, fuck the advantages, fuck all of it and teach them moves that work because one day that could be all they have to rely on. Give them what they came for unless they ask for something else.

Say it with me: Self-defense is not bound by any rule set (except in a court of law).

Now what about when they ask for something else?

If a student comes to me and says, “I am competing in a competition under X rules, can you help me prepare/coach/etc.?”, I always start with “I don’t do those and may not be the best person for it, but if you really want me to, I will do my best.”.

Why fake the funk? Black belt doesn’t mean I pay attention to competitions or points. 

At this point I still try to emphasize true fundamentals and such to complement their plan – not sport specifics (but this is just me). I still recommend they find someone else.

So, what should you do if you wake up and realize the gym you go to teaches to a specific sport ruleset and you aren’t in it to primarily compete?

• If you are training at a BJJ gym and keep getting told “you can’t do X, it isn’t legal”, ask the head instructor why. If they point to rules and not a safety issue, ask yourself what you are there for again. Are you there to compete, or learn the art? If it’s the art, you might want to look at other schools or do a lot of self-studies.
• If you are at a BJJ gym and want to compete, but they don’t seem concerned with rules of those competitions in your training, talk to the head instructor as far out as possible about your intentions to hopefully find a solution that is best for you.

My Recommendations (apart from what is above):

• If you are a head instructor, teach the art and not just what is bound by some tournament rules unless you have a true safety concern.
• If you only want to teach what is bound by some tournament rules, then your gym needs to be upfront with this and stop claiming you teach the art, because this is dishonest. You are teaching a sport.
• If you are a head instructor, teach classes to specific rulesets outside the normal fundamental classes to keep competition in your school if you want it there.

Mathematical Jiu-Jitsu doesn’t teach to any specific rulesets for grappling; just what works. Techniques are not discarded unless reasonable safety issues beyond that of the typical risk in the art have been demonstrated.