By Coach Kevin Written in 2020
The IBJJF has a long history shaping the sport of Jiu-Jitsu, taking over in 1994 from the Guanabara Federation, founded in 1967. The often-criticized organization has acted as both a venue for competition and a governing body for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which was chaotic in its early stages. But bias and a costly bureaucratic process caused grapplers old and new to turn away in frustration from the sport’s only real governing authority.
In particular, the banning of most twisting knee manipulations—heel hooks—has enraged the community, especially now that the modern grappling game has become so leglock-centric. The IBJJF claims it’s a safety issue, but historically, banning foot locks may have also been rooted in rivalry.
In the early days of BJJ’s development, it was common for practitioners to leave gyms to start their own academies, which naturally caused conflict. Resolving these disputes sometimes involved gym “stormings” with tournaments to determine whose Jiu-Jitsu was superior.
One variation of the rationale behind the disdain for leglocks comes from the story of Oswaldo Fadda, a student of Luis Franca. Oswaldo, an often-forgotten figure of the time and a contemporary rival to the original Gracie Academy in Rio de Janeiro, operated his school in the same region. The story goes that the two rival schools held a tournament to settle their differences. Fadda’s school prevailed using foot locks as the deciding factor—due to the heavy influence of Luta Livre, an offshoot of Catch Wrestling, in his teaching.
After the tournament, the Gracie Academy allegedly demonized foot locks as impure to the art, often referring to them as “peasant techniques” because many Luta Livre practitioners lived in the impoverished “suburbano” region of Rio. This disdain followed the art for years, and spectators would boo competitors who used these taboo moves.
However, the historical accuracy of this story is questionable. Robert Drysdale, a Jiu-Jitsu legend and historian of the art, discussed the Oswaldo event in his book *Opening Closed Guard: The Origins of Jiu-Jitsu in Brazil*. There was minimal mention of leglocks, and in a conversation with me, Robert explained that Luta Livre connections were tied more closely to the Gracies than commonly believed. Helio Gracie himself was known to use leglocks frequently. Robert believes this story is likely another example of an oral history distorted over time and later used to justify why BJJ purists traditionally disliked foot locks.
So, where did the real hatred originate? Robert’s answer was simpler and less polarizing: safety.
In the early days of Jiu-Jitsu competition, reconstructive knee surgery was far less advanced than today. A torn ACL could mean lifelong mobility issues. Instructors banned and demonized knee reaping and twisting leg attacks for legitimate safety reasons, which likely led to the creation of stories like the Oswaldo event to support that narrative.
But the sport and the medical world have advanced. Microsurgeries are now common, and even serious injuries often require only months of recovery. Technically, Jiu-Jitsu has grown exponentially—more people are training worldwide than ever, and techniques are more refined. Today’s grapplers have diverse attacks and more opportunities to showcase them on a thriving professional circuit. It’s only right that the IBJJF, which runs countless events including the World Championships, now allows heel hooks.
What does this mean?
Competitors who already use heel hooks may not want to enter IBJJF events, but IBJJF athletes will now have to develop this skill set to remain competitive. Leglockers better be ready too: the IBJJF ruleset is nuanced and strategically complex. Even with leglocks allowed, the scoring structure isn’t submission-friendly—failing on a heel hook attempt could cost the match. Submission-only athletes will need to wrestle, retain guard, and master the nuances of advantages and stalling penalties to succeed.
The IBJJF will always have its critics. The rules are complicated, referees can be biased, and the organization maintains tight control over enrollment and promotion standards. But it also brought order to the sport, introducing Judo belt ranks and standardized promotion periods to preserve the art’s structure for decades.
Most importantly, they host the World Championships—still the most prestigious title in Jiu-Jitsu. You’ll never be a world champion until you learn how to navigate their tricky rulebook… and you’d better learn how to pass someone’s guard to do it.
Turn Knowledge Into Mat Dominance
Knowing the history is only half the battle — the real edge comes from applying it. If you want to develop the leg lock skills and overall game to thrive under any ruleset:
🦵 Leglocks for Dummies – My complete system for controlling, trapping, and finishing legs in gi, no-gi, and competition:
https://leglocks.unclecoachkevin.com/
🥋 Gracie Trinity Online Academy – Access full training courses, Q&A sessions, and a community of serious grapplers who want to win the mental and technical battles:
https://www.skool.com/gracie-trinity-academy
