It’s no secret Tom DeBlass and his teammates have been wreaking havoc on the submission only scene. His black belts have added another trophy to their prestigious record this past weekend with Gordon Ryan wining his 2nd Eddie Bravo Invitational.
But in spite of what many believe Tom has a unique view on the rulesets that govern many victors in bjj. Here’s what he had to say on the topic:
Listen, if you that think “submission only” is the purest form of Jiu-Jitsu, yet will give up position like mount and side control, where in the street you would get your face bashed you, you are a moron. That isn’t pure, it’s playing to the rules of the event, which you are supposed to do.
For those of you that think getting two points and running the rest of the match is the purest form of Jiu-Jitsu, you are also a moron! That is not realistic either. It’s simply playing to the rules of the event, which is also smart!
What it comes down to is the smart person will adapt. Whether it’s submission only or points the smart fighter adapts.
In my opinion the “purest form” of Jiu-Jitsu is Jiu-Jitsu in actual combat, where you can headbutt, punch, knee, and kick. Survive that with Jiu-Jitsu then talk about pure.
Oh wait, we have someone close to that and his name is Demian Maia. (Mic drop!)
And of course this makes plenty more sense. Intelligence equals maximizing the use of your resources to a certain circumstantial rule set.
Do you agree with Tom DeBlass’s view on sub only vs points tournaments?
