CJI 2: Craig Jones’ Bold Gamble and Grappling’s Never-Ending Struggle for Prestige -

CJI 2: Craig Jones’ Bold Gamble and Grappling’s Never-Ending Struggle for Prestige

Creating a professional grappling circuit that bridges prestige and profitability has been the holy grail of our sport for the last decade. Ever since Gordon Ryan slapped a Burger King crown on his head, every competitor chasing a NAGA belt has dreamed of the day they could make enough money competing to move off their […]

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Editorial/Opinion

CJI2 Preview, Jay Rodriguez Breaks Silence & Khamzat Earns BJJ Black Belt

Jiu-JItu News & Updates / Leave a Comment

Written By Kevin Bradley Welcome to the UCK Roundup, where we cover some of the biggest stories in grappling this week. My name’s Kevin—no, not that one. Despite UFC BJJ’s arrival, the grappling scene is still being driven by independent promotions. Offering massive prize pools for men’s and women’s tournaments alongside carnival-style superfights, Craig Jones’

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Jiu-JItu News & Updates

Coach vs. Instructor: Why the Difference Changes Lives

Coaching & Culture / Leave a Comment

By Jamie VarnerInspired by a Ryan Hall interview I am a coach. But what, exactly, is an instructor—and how is that role different from mine? Most of us have had instructors. Fewer of us have had a true coach. Instructors teach skills; coaches shape people. Both are valuable. Both can be excellent. But they do

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Coaching & Culture

The Hard Truth: Sub-Only Jiu-Jitsu Isn’t Built for Spectators

Jiu-Jitsu Life / Leave a Comment

I’ve been lying on my couch for two days, fighting off Influenza A, and I’m miserable. But most of all, I’m bored. There is a limit to how much “Declassified: Untold Stories Of American Spies” you can watch in a weekend before you lose your lust for life and pray for the Reaper to guide

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Jiu-Jitsu Life

Tattooing the Spirit: A Journey with Phil Holt

Personal Writting / Leave a Comment

Tattoo culture has changed dramatically over the last 20 years. There was a time when a tattoo signified that its wearer earned the right to brandish that colorful scar. They were badges of honor meant to display misadventures abroad or loyalty to a cause more personal and permanent than a legal document. Fast forward to

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Personal Writting

My Love/Hate Relationship With Professional Jiu-Jitsu

Jiu-Jitsu Life / Leave a Comment

Written in 2021 Professional jiu-jitsu has become a business now—complete with high-dollar matchmakers and star athletes exhibiting all the traits expected from their newfound fame and fortune. As the sport grows to new, previously unthinkable heights, many purists are torn between celebrating the increased interest in their passion and lamenting the necessary changes that have

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Jiu-Jitsu Life

Texas Tim and The Church of The Hub Bar

Personal Writting / Leave a Comment

His crystal blue eyes stare into your soul, but it’s the pristine smile—somehow untouched by a lifetime of smoking off-brand cigarettes—that captures your imagination. For 33 years, Texas Tim has been drinking Busch in the can on a bar stool in downtown Tampa’s Hub Bar. Born in Arlington, Texas, in a year unknown—because this vain

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Personal Writting

The Calm Killer: Karel “Silver Fox” Pravec’s Quiet Impact on Jiu-Jitsu

Profiles & Interviews / Leave a Comment

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s place in Western culture has grown exponentially over the last 25 years. What began as a self-defense art for surviving the tough streets of Rio has exploded into an international phenomenon, with major competitions now held around the world almost weekly. This growth has given rise to standout practitioners who—whether through competition glory,

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Profiles & Interviews

Gordon Ryan Dominates No-Gi Worlds: Why the IBJJF Needs Its King of Sub-Only Grappling

Jiu-Jitsu Life / Leave a Comment

Written in 2018 The IBJJF has never been short on controversy. A confusing, often inconsistent scoring system and a limited rule set banning many popular submissions have fueled debates over whether this almost antiquated format still serves the sport. Many younger grapplers now boycott IBJJF events altogether—some publicly calling the organization a money-grabbing machine holding

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Jiu-Jitsu Life

Marcos da Matta: How Great Technique Makes Us All Giants

Profiles & Interviews / Leave a Comment

By Coach Kevin At 5’4” and 167 pounds, Marcos “Parrumpinha” da Matta has no business in the Super Heavyweight division. Yet at this year’s Masters Worlds, he battled opponents outweighing him by 75–100 pounds — and walked away with a silver medal. That kind of mismatch doesn’t happen by accident. It’s living proof of Jiu-Jitsu’s

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Profiles & Interviews