Injection of money into the submission only circuit has interested some of the main stream media. And while many silently watch and occasionally report on events such as EBI and try to understand the scene – Rolling Stone made an attempt to caption the zeitgeist.
In an attempt to do so they spoke to Garry Tonon (who they repeatedly refer to as Tonan) and here’s what he told them:
Garry Tonan notes that most of the newer circuits are pretty bereft of professionalism. “I can’t think of one organization, or one time when I’ve been a part of a show, where I ever felt like…it was super professional,” he says.
Eddie Bravo of course provides a scathing review of the points system:
When it comes to points, Bravo seethes: “The points system has killed jiu jitsu,” he says. “People fall in love with jiu jitsu because they go to a dojo and have an incredible experience, a humbling experience, and there’s never any points or anything…and all of a sudden you go to a tournament and there’s points, and the points change the whole dynamic of the sport.”
In the same interview Dominyka Obelenyte, World Champion black belt who trains in New York City. clarified how bjj sponsorships work most of the time.
“I only make money through my sponsors if I [win a] medal,” she says, adding that “you have to already be a winner to get any money.” Even as someone who’s already entered the pinnacle of achievement in her sport, Obelenyte is weighing her career options outside of jiu jitsu. She’s a student at Columbia University, and says “I always focused a lot on school. I never considered having BJJ even as a full time career, but more as a supplemental career.”
And just to make sure there’s a dash of AJ Agazarm in there, but the comments in question are fairly old given that the quoted section features a 6 month latency.. and well there was plenty of things that happened on that front.
In the end is their picture of Jiu-Jitsu correct: Is BJJ of today all about looking for profit while MMA grows in Popularity?
At least Tonon thinks we’re headed in the right direction:
“What was holding BJJ back were organizations that weren’t willing to give back to the athletes in any meaningful way,” he says. “Only a small number of people can afford to go wherever they need to go to compete in the IBJJF competitions. And even if you win, you potentially just get a title, and don’t get any money for it.”
The monetary incentive hasn’t exactly created a path to total career sustainability for Tonan, who owns a BJJ school in East Brunswick, New Jersey. “It’s not like these tournaments have popped up and now everyone can make a living, but we’re heading in the right direction,” he says.
