Keenan's comments on No-Gi Jiu Jitsu

[Mike Nall]

I thought it was funny.

My take on the gi/no-gi debate is this:

Do what makes you happy. Most people have no interest in competing at all, much less being a world champion; the whole idea of which one makes you better at the highest levels never even comes in to play for them. So just do what seems like the most fun to you. Even if it's Tae Kwon Do. Some of us are into the art. Some of us are into the martial. Some of us just need to lose some weight. Whatever. It's your journey. Do what helps you put positive energy back into your little corner of the universe.

Exactly! You gotta do what you enjoy.

[Brent Smith]

I thought it was funny.

My take on the gi/no-gi debate is this:

Do what makes you happy. Most people have no interest in competing at all, much less being a world champion; the whole idea of which one makes you better at the highest levels never even comes in to play for them. So just do what seems like the most fun to you. Even if it's Tae Kwon Do. Some of us are into the art. Some of us are into the martial. Some of us just need to lose some weight. Whatever. It's your journey. Do what helps you put positive energy back into your little corner of the universe.

Nailed it.

[sean applegate]

I thought it was funny.

My take on the gi/no-gi debate is this:

Do what makes you happy. Most people have no interest in competing at all, much less being a world champion; the whole idea of which one makes you better at the highest levels never even comes in to play for them. So just do what seems like the most fun to you. Even if it's Tae Kwon Do. Some of us are into the art. Some of us are into the martial. Some of us just need to lose some weight. Whatever. It's your journey. Do what helps you put positive energy back into your little corner of the universe.

Couldn't disagree more...jiu jitsu is about winning and when I stop winning I'll just quit.

[Liquidrob]

Overall the gi vs. no-gi question is asked by interviewers because it's an easy question to ask. It's almost as default as "When did you start training." But largely among serious practitioners there isn't much of a debate.

The best people do both. And most of these guys aren't having conversations about what makes you better. They just train hard in both. During gi season they train gi. During no gi season they train no gi. The best grapplers are the best grapplers, no matter what they wear.

The best guys. Ask Marcelo Garcia or Rafael Mendes. They love both. They do both. I know this is a largely no-gi forum but as long as the best grapplers continue to do both (they will) you are going to continue to get a variety of different answers when people ask the gi vs. no-gi questions.

At the end of the day Keenan Cornelius by the end of the year has the chance to be the best active American no-gi competitor. And he's already top 3-5. I would like to see a Lovato Jr x Keenan match at ADCC.

Great post Mike

[bobby rivers]

During the interview he said, " You have to be able to accept the fact, that at any moment your opponent can just slip away". Seems like criteria for a technical clench based style. I do and love both, but I see the lack of grips as a challenge to be addressed as opposed to a fact that must be accepted.

But I'm not even in the same zipcode as Keenan. I dont have seasons. I do gi and nogi at all my tournies and he is used to gettin a couple grand a pop. Dude pretty much is competition jiu jitsu personified. His mindset trips me out. I believe him. Multiple world titles in his future. Have to look at his opinions from the perspective in which he gave them. But still, dude knows what he's talkin about, and if he can't control an opponent nogi I sure as hell couldn't. From his perspective, he only rolls the best in the world. I would probably wish Rafa had a lapel and sleeves too.

[Tori Applegate]

Whether he took the comment back or not..in the back of his head he still has little belief and little confidence in nogi. Even if there's that tad bit of doubt. If he doesn't believe in it 100%, not 100% Gi and only 90% nogi..100% in both, then he's probably not going to ever be the best there is..At least in nogi. But who knows!!

[Mike Nall]

Whether he took the comment back or not..in the back of his head he still has little belief and little confidence in nogi. Even if there's that tad bit of doubt. If he doesn't believe in it 100%, not 100% Gi and only 90% nogi..100% in both, then he's probably not going to ever be the best there is..At least in nogi. But who knows!!

No offense, but the fact that a white belt (or any belt that doesn't train like a pro athlete) would say that Keenan Cornelius has "little belief and little confidence in nogi" is baffling. He never said anything about belief or confidence. Honestly Keenan just dislikes sweaty and slippery mats...you're reading way too much into an Instagram post.

You're talking about a guy that submitted everyone at the no-gi worlds at brown belt in his weight and at Absolute. He tapped out Sinistro and Magid Hage. He did the Kumite and submitted all 12 of the absolute highest caliber brown belts no-gi. He qualified to go to ADCC (the most prestigious/elite no-gi competition on earth) by submitting everyone at the trials, and he's about to go there, then do a no-gi superfight with Lucas Leite a week or 2 later, and THEN go do the No Gi Worlds at black belt a week or 2 after that. He's said that he's better no-gi than gi.

This guy is a No-Gi monster. He believes in it 100% and to say otherwise is just simply wrong. The kid got right in there into a leg lock battle with Dean Lister of all people. He is confident as shit.

[kevinculp]

Keedog is probably our best American grappler and I too think it's silly to argue one is better than the other in jiu jitsu. The best are the best at both so until you have guys who only train nogi consistnly beating guys like Braulio or Keenan or Ciao let it go. I love jiu jitsu you could ware a bathroab and a gorilla mask and kill and I'd be a fan!

[David Rosado]

People don't understand that he's not talking about which is better or more effective. He's saying he prefers the gi. That's it. He just made a smart ass remark about it. But in essence he's just cracking wise, not hating.

[sean applegate]

No offense, but the fact that a white belt (or any belt that doesn't train like a pro athlete) would say that Keenan Cornelius has "little belief and little confidence in nogi" is baffling. He never said anything about belief or confidence. Honestly Keenan just dislikes sweaty and slippery mats...you're reading way too much into an Instagram post.

You're talking about a guy that submitted everyone at the no-gi worlds at brown belt in his weight and at Absolute. He tapped out Sinistro and Magid Hage. He did the Kumite and submitted all 12 of the absolute highest caliber brown belts no-gi. He qualified to go to ADCC (the most prestigious/elite no-gi competition on earth) by submitting everyone at the trials, and he's about to go there, then do a no-gi superfight with Lucas Leite a week or 2 later, and THEN go do the No Gi Worlds at black belt a week or 2 after that. He's said that he's better no-gi than gi.

This guy is a No-Gi monster. He believes in it 100% and to say otherwise is just simply wrong. The kid got right in there into a leg lock battle with Dean Lister of all people. He is confident as shit.

Wow, you make a lot of assumptions huh?