Is a BJJ match a fight or a game?

[MMA_fan_2017]

Joe Rogan — UFC color commentator and BJJ black belt — does not think that a jiu-jitsu match counts as a fight.

He said so in an interview with Tom Papa on The Joe Rogan Experience:

“Jiu-jitsu is not fighting because you’re not hitting each other,” he told Papa.

Rogan went on to say:

So, you’ve got a jiu-jitsu match, for sure. Not really a fight because you can’t get leg kicked, you can’t get elbowed in the face, you’re not going to get kneed into a coma, it’s a totally different experience than a fight, and it’s almost disrespectful, in some ways, to call a jiu-jitsu match a fight. But other people like to refer to it as a fight. There’s nothing wrong with that.

What do you think of Rogan’s opinions. Does competing in jiu-jitsu constitute fighting, is it simply a match, or does it really matter?

 

[The Real jc]

Same can be said for Wrestling and Judo. I think a fight is an ok description for it, as its all combat sport at the end of the day. Often see Judokas called players and that works too.

Neither fighter nor player are perfect descriptions though.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

match.

 

[Ξlliott]

I understand his point. When I roll, and am exhausted and put into a position like mount, I will rest with my hands blocking my face. This has no strategic value to the BJJ match, but I am not trying to build habits that will get be destroyed in a fight.

 

[DaGenius]

A Match. Just like wrestling and judo to name a few other highly respect combat sports..

If there aren't strikes involved it is not a fight. I don't feel there is another side to this

 

[lechien]

It is semantic.

A fighter has been match up to another fight.

It is a match or a fight or whatever rogan is tripping on.

Personally, I don't like referring to a Bjj fight but rather use Bjj matches.

Love it when you read post on Facebook about someone having to lose weight for a Bjj fight. Lol

 

[Balto]

Match is probably the more technically accurate term.

Fight is also fine though. Most regular people call it a fight naturally. That's just how the language works.

If you can fight traffic with your car or fight a cold with your immune system, you can fight a guy with your BJJ too.

 

[SummerStriker]

I've never heard someone say "BJJ fight" irl. I can't imagine. Most people take too much pride in BJJ to call it something it's not.

 

[Balto]

I've never heard "boxing fight" either. Lots of people will say "I'm watching the fight" referring to boxing, but it's always "boxing match" when said that way.

People say "MMA fight" all the time though.

It's just quirks of the English language. It is not some ranking of how extreme the thing is.

Ever hear of a "fencing fight"? Probably not, even in historical usage when people actually died from them. That was way more dangerous than an MMA fight. But it was normally called a duel.

Yet if you take those same swords into battle, you are now "fighting" again with them. Interesting.

Kind of like how a baby goat is a kid. And so is a baby human. But not a baby lion. Not sure exactly why, but that's just how it is.

 

[Big Nasty Edison]

Game or match 100%.

 

[Cash Bill 52]

I like to think of myself as a competitive jiu Jitsu athlete. Jiu jiteiro never really caught on. I try to choke people at 100% intensity. If you can't defend that, are you a fighter?

Although "prise fighter" should work for jiu Jitsu athletes since there is money awarded to victories.

Hockey fight for sure. Punching people bare knuckle is fighting.

Boxing isn't really fighting if there's no wrestling involved. That's just silly.

If some guy attacks me in the street with haymakers, and I take him down and put him to sleep; was I in a fight?

Jiu Jitsu duels would work for me.

 

[Coconutwater]

Joe Rogan — UFC color commentator and BJJ black belt — does not think that a jiu-jitsu match counts as a fight.

He said so in an interview with Tom Papa on The Joe Rogan Experience:

“Jiu-jitsu is not fighting because you’re not hitting each other,” he told Papa.

Rogan went on to say:

So, you’ve got a jiu-jitsu match, for sure. Not really a fight because you can’t get leg kicked, you can’t get elbowed in the face, you’re not going to get kneed into a coma, it’s a totally different experience than a fight, and it’s almost disrespectful, in some ways, to call a jiu-jitsu match a fight. But other people like to refer to it as a fight. There’s nothing wrong with that.

What do you think of Rogan’s opinions. Does competing in jiu-jitsu constitute fighting, is it simply a match, or does it really matter?

Match for sure.

 

[fanboysareevil]

Nobody cares and you're a douchebag if you have a strong opinion on the subject.

 

[Calibur]

I use all of them interchangeably. It all depends on context.

Just don't be a douchebag and tell everyone in the bar you've got a fight this weekend when you're just trying to make people outside of the sport think your Roy Jones jr when your really just gonna pajama wrestle for advantage points.

Intentionally using fight when talking to nonbjj people is kind of whack.

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

Boxing isn't really fighting if there's no wrestling involved. That's just silly.

I love BJJ and compete in it frequently but a boxing match is more of a fight than a BJJ match.

In BJJ, you tap the guy out and they tap, symbolizing the fact you could have maimed them or killed them had they not tapped or escaped.

In a boxing match, even at the amateur level, the is no "symbolizing" you beat me so I give up. The closest thing would be the corner throwing in the towel or the referee stopping the contest. The likelihood of bodily harm, concussion, or getting your jaw broken/one punch KO'd is very real and likely.

Thats my reason why I consider it more of a fight than BJJ

 

[Dogstarman]

Who cares is what I think. It's a combat art and you can win a fight without throwing punches.

Before people start bitching, I didn't say shit about MMA.

 

[loyalyolayal]

Game.

 

[Dirty Holt]

Is it possible for fighting to occur during a bjj match?

 

[lechien]

I love BJJ and compete in it frequently but a boxing match is more of a fight than a BJJ match.

In BJJ, you tap the guy out and they tap, symbolizing the fact you could have maimed them or killed them had they not tapped or escaped.

In a boxing match, even at the amateur level, the is no "symbolizing" you beat me so I give up. The closest thing would be the corner throwing in the towel or the referee stopping the contest. The likelihood of bodily harm, concussion, or getting your jaw broken/one punch KO'd is very real and likely.

Thats my reason why I consider it more of a fight than BJJ

I agree about the fact that the fact that the fact that you can tap out in a Bjj match.

In boxing, you cannot tap so it is real fight.

You cannot turn your back and coward until the ref reset you.

You cannot spit your mouth guard for a referee restart.

You cannot take a knee on the floor for a ref stoppage. Etc..

 

[Rhood]

Obviously a match.
Never heard anyone call it a "game".

Hey brah, did you play that new jiu-jitsu game last weekend?

WHAT?