Renzo Gracie Sets The Record Straight: ‘Sport Jiu-Jitsu & Street Jiu-Jitsu

[Jack LaBarge]

With the current controversy in the Jiu-Jitsu community opposing fans of ‘street Jiu-Jitsu’ aimed at self defense/ MMA and ‘sport Jiu-Jitsu’ aimed at competition, the boss Renzo Gracie who is very poetic, sets the record straight.

Renzo has competed in sport Jiu-Jitsu, had his fare share of street fights, fought bare knuckled Vale Tudo fights and fought in modern MMA.

From his Twitter account:

“To try to separate Sport JiuJitsu from Street JiuJitsu is a sin… Like comparing the beauty of two women..Both are beautiful in different ways.. In the case of the Jiu-jitsu all you need is blood in your intentions…The sport becomes a magic tool in a street situation ;-)”

What more is there to say?

Love & Hespect Henzo

[Damian J]

It's amazing how Renzo is always able to cut through all of the bullshit and set it straight. Awesome

[Brandon Mccaghren]

"All you need is blood in your intentions."

Wow.

[David Rosado]

Street vs sport is the new gi vs no gi.

[Aaron Gustaveson]

Im not sure what he is saying? We can butt scoot and go to spiral on the street as long as we feel violent while we do it? Or is he saying sport jits should have a more inclusive rule set that keeps it more like jits for self defense? Not getting it.

[Joe Firth]

If you try to berimbolo on the street then you're an idiot.

[Aaron Gustaveson]

If you try to berimbolo on the street then you're an idiot.

I agree, that and its prevalence in sport jits is why I used it as an example of a sport technique that won't work on the street simply because you "have blood in your intentions"

I dont understand what he meant.

[Damian J]

I think that's what he's saying...that you'd have to be an idiot to do certain sport techniques on the street and that you just have to have that switch that goes to fight mode, not sport bjj mode. But, who am I to speak for Renzo haha

[Aaron Gustaveson]

That make even less sense. No one has a switch that turns off the techniques they practice often and on the ones that they neglect. You dont have to be an idiot to use the wrong technique in s.d. You fight with the techniques you have committed to muscle memory, especially once things are going rough or you're dazed.

You may not start off by pulling guard but once it a real fight its very hard to avoid the techniques that you use often. Its hard to defend yourself in a calculating manner when you are in a fight. Why do you think the level of jits seems so much lower in mma?

I dont agree that people are trying to separate sport and self defense. I think they are simply observing a separation that already exist whether or not Renzo want to admit it.

[Aiseop]

It's not that hard. We know jiu-jitsu has a hierarchy of positions. Some positions are more important and dominant than others. We get this.

He is saying, violence in your intentions means you are out to dominate and destroy and defend your life.

If I, as a brown belt BJJer from an American Top Team school with a heavy focus on MMA jiu-jitsu (with throws/takedowns), FIND MYSELF ON MY BACK PLAYING even simple GUARD. I either was 1) ambused/surprised or 2) I am facing SOMEONE BETTER THAN ME. Otherwise, it's takedown, pass, mount, win.

Prime example. Ryan Hall's famous pizza parlor "brawl." The man who popularized the 50/50 position - the BANE of the Gracie Academy "real" BJJ self-defense congregation - did not jump 50/50 on the dude who got in his face. He double legged him, mounted, and that was it. He just sat there.

If we think Rafa or Gui Mendes are going to encounter their own "pizza parlor aggressor" by pulling a berimbolo, you're missing the major lesson of positional dominance. Berimbolo works for specific events against people who are your equal knowledge.

NOW, with that said, I personally believe that Rafa CAN berimbolo an aggressor if he wanted to and kill the son of a bitch in two seconds. But he's not dumb.

Maximum efficiency, minimum effort. Double, pass, mount, the end.