Lots of commotion has been stirred up in the BJJ community, after a recent NAGA tournament allowed for a transgender athlete to compete in a female division.
A part of the Jiu-Jitsu community is against allowing such instances from taking place in martial arts, simply due to physical differences between males and females.
And, well, Tom DeBlass is on the same boat.
He shared that he spoke with Mo Jassim, ADCC Head Organizer, about allowing transgender athletes to compete in the female divisions at the ADCC Open and Trials.
Here is his conclusion:
We are absolutely not, in any circumstance, allowing natural born males to compete against natural born females.
Grappling is a combat sport, physicality and bone density play a huge part.
We must make sure we do all that we can to keep our athletes safe.
DeBlass emphasized that he doesn’t have “anything against” transgender people.
But rules are rules:
I have no problem using pronouns; he, she, they, them. I will call you anything you’d like.
However, you must compete in the gender you are born.
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What are your thoughts? Should transgender submission grappling athletes be allowed to compete in female divisions?
