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Fila Wrestling Attempting to Stop the Growth of BJJ & IBJJF in Russia

Fila Wrestling Attempting to Stop the Growth of BJJ & IBJJF in Russia

 

 

News out of Russia is saying that FILA (International Wresting Federation) is using it’s influence to stop the spread and growth of BJJ in Russia by not allowing the creation of the Russian BJJ federation and blocking BJJ competitions from happening in major sports halls.

FILA has it’s own style of submission wrestling that they calle Grappling and their “Gi Grappling” (sic) which is basically a copy of BJJ with some rules changes.

Fila Gi grappling featuring two BJJ players Mciej Kozak (Poland) and Alksandar Milicevic (Serbia):

gi

 

 

FILA also followed the example of the IJF (International Judo federation) which has also developed a circuit of Judo Ne Waza tournaments which basically follow very similar rules as BJJ with a focus on ground fighting.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu formally arrived relatively late in Russia in comparison to other Eastern European countries such as Serbia and Poland (2000). Leonid Gatovskiy, Russia’s first BJJ black belt started training from 2004.

Currently there are 5 Russian BJJ black that live in Russia. See the list HERE.

Last year the first IBJJF events ever was held in Moscow: The IBJJF Moscow International Open and the No Gi Open. They were a smashing success.

Michel van Rijt is a Dutch Judoka (former national team member in Judo and Japanese Ju Jitsu) who now lives in Russia and teaches BJJ at Rio Grappling Club in Voronezh. He holds a brown belt in BJJ under Roberto Atalla.

He told BJJEE about his take on the current situation of BJJ in Russia:

 

How do you view the evolution of BJJ in Russia?

The Russians grow up with Sambo, Wrestling and Rucho Pashne Boi so to bring new sports to them is difficult. MMA is growing fast as Fedor is their hero but for grappling and BJJ there is a long Way to go. Not only because of people do not want to do the sports but also for political reasons. For example it is not allowed to have a BJJ federation in Russia because FILA federation will not allow that. It is in fact by law not allowed. You can only organize BJJ tournaments in your own dojo if it is not in a governmental sport hall.

The only two tournaments allowed in Russia from IBJJF are The Moscow Gi and No Gi international open. But the tournament for May is canceled and no new date is given. You understand That the politics between Fila and IBJJF or other BJJ federations are not helping to develop BJJ in Russia.

There is an great potential here so we will see how it goes in the next few years.

 

BJJ has a real potential of growth in Russia which is a huge country with a population 140 million.

Check out the Highhlights of the 2014 Moscow International Open IBJJF 2014 (GI): Made by BJJ Mania