In a recent video, Olympic boxer and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu blue belt Tony Jeffries offered a nuanced response to Royce Gracie’s comments about boxing being an “incomplete martial art”.
Jeffries began by addressing the mental toughness required in boxing, which he believes sets it apart.
Unlike BJJ, where tapping out is a normal and accepted outcome, boxing demands fighters to endure until the end, even under dire circumstances:
In boxing, you can’t tap out when things get tough.
You’re expected to go the distance, no matter how much you’re hurting.
The preparation for competition is another factor where Jeffries finds boxing to be more intense.
Eight-week training camps are standard before a match, bringing an enormous buildup of physical and mental pressure.
And, while he acknowledges that BJJ techniques can be incredibly complex, the overall intensity of preparation and the stakes in boxing far exceed what he has experienced in Jiu-Jitsu competitions.
Jeffries also highlighted the structural differences between the two sports, particularly when it comes to achieving national recognition.
Boxing has a simpler categorization system, which creates much larger and more competitive talent pools compared to BJJ’s multiple divisions based on age, weight, and belt rank:
You’ve got to go in the national championships – the one national championship – and win to be the champion in the country.
In boxing, you’re going up against everyone in your weight class, regardless of age or experience.
There’s no filtering into smaller groups like in BJJ.
Sloth Jiu-Jitsu: you can be slow and unathletic and still kick butt in Jiu-Jitsu.
