#18 - Rant Alert: Forced Reaps and Weak Jiu-Jitsu in Competition

In this fiery and unfiltered episode, Dave dives into a controversial and frustrating aspect of Jiu-Jitsu competitions: forced reaps and the exploitative tactics some competitors use to get disqualifications. Buckle up for a passionate take on integrity in the sport and the mindset needed to truly excel on and off the mats.

Key Topics Discussed:

Trigger Warning & Disclaimer

• Dave warns listeners with kids in the car or those sensitive to strong language: this episode contains swearing.

Main Rant: The Forced Reap Controversy

1. What Happened?
   • Competitor A forces Competitor B into a reap, resulting in a disqualification (DQ).
   • The trend of exploiting rules for wins instead of relying on skill.
2. Why This Is Problematic:
   • Integrity Matters: Winning by forcing DQs goes against the spirit of Jiu-Jitsu.
   • Skill Over Rules: Competitors should win because of better technique, strength, or strategy—not rule exploitation.
3. Examples Shared:
   • A purple belt match where one competitor manipulates the rules to get a DQ.
   • The financial and emotional toll this takes on competitors who travel for tournaments, only to face unfair outcomes.

Critique of Current Rules

• Reaping at Purple Belt:
  • Dave questions why reaping is still penalized at purple belt.
  • Suggests that by blue belt, competitors should have enough knowledge to handle and defend against reaps.
• Rule Evolution Needed:
  • Modern Jiu-Jitsu involves leg locks and reaping even at lower levels.
  • Calls for rule adjustments to align with the sport's evolution.

Message to Competitors and Coaches

• Be Better:
  • Compete with integrity and focus on improving your Jiu-Jitsu.
  • Avoid relying on cheap tactics to win.
• Coaches’ Responsibility:
  • Hold students accountable for dishonorable actions.
  • Consider removing students who repeatedly act against the gym’s values.
• Reputation Sticks:
  • With everything recorded in the modern era, these actions can tarnish reputations long-term.

Closing Thoughts

• Win because you’re better, stronger, faster, or more technical—not because of loopholes.
• Forced DQs and rule manipulation are a disservice to the sport and show a lack of skill and confidence.
• “Your Jiu-Jitsu is weak, and your wife’s boyfriend thinks so too.” (Dave's mic-drop moment)

Listener Engagement:

• What do you think about the current rules around reaping in competitions?
• Have you ever encountered competitors exploiting rules? Share your stories in the comments!

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• Be sure to tune in for more unfiltered takes on Social BJJ!
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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Welcome back to the pod with your boy Dave and social BJJ.

(00:03):
Today we're gonna be talking about something
that is so frustrating to watch.
Oh my gosh, it's so frustrating to watch
when you're trying to watch a good match,
you're trying to watch a tournament,
whatever the case may be, but then you got,
let me pause, let me say something real quick.
If you guys are listening to this,
and you're in your car and you're driving,

(00:26):
and you got kids in your car,
I normally don't swear,
but this is gonna be the one episode.
I'm just gonna ask you to listen to this off on the side.
You know, I got a kid, and when I'm driving,
I don't want to just be playing stuff.
I wanna play stuff that is safe that I can listen to.
This episode is not gonna be that.

(00:49):
This is not gonna be that.
So I gave you your forewarning.
All right, so don't get mad at me.
All right, I'm gonna get into it now.
You're watching a match, and oh my gosh,
you just want a fair match,
not somebody bitching around.

(01:09):
Not somebody being a little bitch.
It frustrates me so much.
I'm watching this match, purple belt match.
They both got purple belt rash guards.
I'm on Reddit, and I'm seeing it,
and it's just so frustrating.
It's so frustrating.

(01:36):
He's kinda ashy with the left foot on the hip.
The guy that has his foot stuck,
the guy who has his legs stuck,
he forces the guy, the bottom guard player,
to reap, and he's forcing the ref to disqualify him.
And guess what?

(01:56):
The guy pulls back, he lets the leg go.
The other guy who's standing on top
that has his leg trapped, guard player lets the leg go.
The one whose leg is trapped, he straightens his leg
and pretends to have a knee injury.
The ref DQs the guard player.
Even though the guard player was like,
hey, no, he pulled my foot across,

(02:17):
ref's like, don't wanna hear it, disqualification.
Mind you, this is happening so often.
Another case that happened as well,
and the guy flew from,
I forgot where they were talking about.
Where did he fly from?
He had a thousand dollar flight.
He needed food, he needed registration,

(02:39):
and he needed a hotel.
He paid how much money to be in this tournament,
and then you DQ him as the ref?
As the ref, you're a little bitch.
First off, I don't care what rules you gotta follow.
Bro, it's clear that he forced him to reap the leg.

(03:00):
It's so infuriating seeing stuff like that.
It's so infuriating.
Because we just wanna do jujitsu.
If he wants to be a bitch and force the dude to reap him,
then pay the consequences.
You get DQed for that.
Because you're trying to, why are we trying to,
first off, why is it a crime to reap a leg at purple belt?
Why is it a crime to reap?

(03:23):
I can barely understand why is it a crime
to reap at blue belt.
Nowadays, white belts are doing leg locks.
I can kinda understand why not white belts,
because people are just coming in and off the street,
not knowing what to go on.
But if you get a blue belt, you should know.
Your coach that gave you the blue belt

(03:44):
should let you know what a reap is, how to handle it,
bend into it, don't straighten your leg.
And if you don't know how to get out, just tap.
Don't spin, don't do it, just tap.
Learn how to get out, learn the proper way.
And if you don't know it, that's it.
Why are you trying to get bailed out from the rules?
This is so weak.
This is so weak.

(04:05):
You hear me talk about jujitsu,
you hear me talk about it like, oh, if you're on the street
and somebody goes for a leg lock, yeah, that's stupid.
Because it is, because you're giving a bottom,
like you're going to the floor,
you're going on the bottom position.
Unless you're doing a leg lock while you're standing,
like it's a really dumb thing, it's risky, I should say.
I don't shouldn't say it's dumb,
it's just very, very, very risky.
However, it can be very, very successful as well,

(04:27):
especially if you throw in a reap on somebody
who doesn't know what they're doing in jujitsu.
They're probably gonna blow out their leg.
But if we're talking about two people,
if they're purple belts, that means they have
the skill necessary to compete with anybody on the planet
when it comes to grappling.
Anybody on the planet.

(04:48):
Purple belts have technique, good enough,
well enough, however you want to organize and say it,
to tap black belts.
It's possible.
That's when you are really, the purple belt is a threat.
It's a threat, you are a threat.

(05:08):
And you're telling me you need to get belt out
by these rules because somebody's reaping over your leg
and you've been training for five years,
three years, four years, and your coach said
you're a threat to everyone that comes around you,
anyone that walks in your vicinity.
And you need to get belt out,
you're forcing someone to reap you,

(05:29):
your game is that weak and you're proud of it?
If I was a gym owner, I think I would kick him out.
I think I would, honestly, I think I would.
Because what type of brand of Jiu Jitsu is that?
You're representing my gym and you do that?

(05:50):
That's so weak.
That's so weak, I think I would have to say,
dude, you gotta get a new gym.
Like, we can't tolerate that here.
We don't, no man, no, I don't care.
Here's your, like, no, no, you just pay your dues,
here's your money back, bro.

(06:10):
We don't do that here, we don't do that here.
If I was the coach, I would have told him at that moment,
dude, you gotta forfeit this.
You're forfeiting that match.
You're forfeiting, you don't wanna forfeit?
All right, you got a new coach.
I can't be with you, I can't be with people
who have, in Korean, it's like no yangshim.
Yangshim eopseo.
It's like no, how do you say it, like no conscience.

(06:34):
How could, like, that's weak.
So weak, such a bitch move.
It's so, I'm sorry, I'm like repeating myself over.
This is a rant, this is definitely a rant,
but guys, if you're doing Jiu Jitsu, get better.
You're going to a competition, I get it, you wanna win.
But guess what, this is 2024, about to be 2025.

(06:57):
Everything is recorded, there's footage on everyone.
You're a purple belt, eventually you wanna be a black belt,
eventually you probably, if you're competing like that,
you probably wanna do seminars
and compete in the highest tournaments
and all this other thing, have instructionals.
But people are gonna remember this.

(07:19):
People are gonna, oh yeah, that guy who forced the reap,
that's why he's so popular?
Oh, that's why he won?
Oh, now he's selling the structure?
I ain't buying that shit.
I'm buying that shit, fuck him.
That's all you're gonna hear.
Like dude, what, like.
Just do your game of Jiu Jitsu,
don't play a game in Jiu Jitsu.

(07:42):
Win because you're better.
Win because you're stronger.
Win because you're faster.
Win because you're more technical.
Hell, win because you're on steroids
and the other person isn't.
Win because you're bigger and you did a weight cut
and you've rehydrated.
Win for any of those reasons,
and I hate those reasons as well,

(08:03):
but I'm not willing to kick you out of the gym
for those reasons, because a lot of people do that,
but don't win because you're cheating.
Don't win because you're playing the rules
because your Jiu Jitsu is so weak.
If you got a force of disqualification on somebody,
you are weak.
Your Jiu Jitsu is whack, you're lame,

(08:28):
and your wife's boyfriend thinks so too.
I'll see y'all in the next episode.
Peace.