Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, joined other martial arts experts in condemning Andrew Tate’s dismissive comments about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Kavanagh expressed his frustration by criticizing Tate for exploiting vulnerable individuals to build his wealth, questioning why people would listen to someone with such views.
“He ripped off a bunch of socially awkward lonely men to get rich. How does anyone listen to this guy??”
Similarly, Matt Thornton, author of ‘The Gift of Violence: Practical Knowledge for Surviving and Thriving in a Dangerous World,’ took to Twitter to challenge Tate’s assertion that BJJ is useless in real-world altercations.
Tate had stated:
“BJJ is absolutely useless outside the cage or a dojo. It’s useless on the street. You can’t perform a double-leg takedown on concrete. You’re gonna f**k yourself up. Even if you manage to take your opponent down, many submissions won’t work if he can bite, scratch your eyes, or pull out a knife. Additionally, you never know if he has accomplices.”
Thornton suggested Tate read his book to better understand the nuances of martial arts in different contexts.
The controversy over the effectiveness of BJJ isn’t isolated to Tate’s comments. Michael Bisping, a former UFC champion, has also voiced skepticism about the martial art’s efficacy against multiple opponents, underscoring a broader debate within the martial arts community about the application of sport techniques in real-life defense situations.
