1&2-The IBJJF is not very leg lock friendly
3-The only takedown I am aware of that is banned is kani basami aka leg scissors and now gripping the belt and driving your opponents head into mat.
4- This is a good point. There is probably should be an alternative to a dq for an accidental or minor slam
5- What tournaments have a large safety mat area?
6-What tournaments are run smoother than the IBJJF ones?
7-Not entirely sure where you are going with this one, but it is always a good idea for a company to allow a means of feedback and suggestions form its customers.
8- The weight divisions are the same for each tournament. If you have been allowed to compete despite being a little over weight you have been lucky. You are supposed to be DQed for being one oz. over
9-Agree with this one. The 4 major tournaments should at least use some form of double elimination, especially since there is no seeding for the lower belts
One of the things I would really like to see the IBJJF implement is seeding for blue-brown belts for the 4 major tournaments. They already keep track of your points from previous tournaments and have an athlete ranking, so seeding the brackets would not be that difficult.
Personally I like the ban on knee reaping and heel hooks (for the gi), although I think a knee reap should just result in a penalty on the same level as stalling.
The IBJJF is not without its problems, but overall I think they put on better tournaments than other organizations.
1/2. I understand that, it needs to change, however.
3. I've been told not to uchi mata a person if their head is on the outside even or i'd be DQ'd, and there is another of my throws i tend to use that is banned called sumi gaeshi. I've also been told not to back arching throw people. And after observation, it is because BJJ players do not focus enough on takedowns or their defense or how to take a fall. So the art is limited here especially.
5. Judo, wrestling, Sambo. BJJ mats have the tiniest safety areas it's a joke (i've even seen some use puzzle mats..), i can't count how many times i've accidentally thrown someone onto hard wood as a result.
I understand some might say control your throw but most people tend to open up more closely to out of bounds and try to push me out to score an advantage. So I throw whenever i can, they hit whatever.
6. Wrestling, judo tournaments run infinitely smoother with the same amount or more competitors. A standard 500 person wrestling tournament will start at 9 and end around 5. All of my BJJ tournaments that have started at 9 ended at 9 or 10. I know so many people who leave without claiming their medal or finishing a division. Bout #'s eliminate a lot of wasted time.
7. See virtually every complaint, guys being banned from areas/side with water despite it's not listed under rules. Numerous other things and you always get the same response "we value our participants feedback"...and nothing is done.
8. I never said the weight divisions changed, but some tournaments give a 1lb leeway to make up for any inaccuracies the scale or reader may have. Others if you're over 0.2 you are DQ'd. This is kind of bogus to DQ someone for 1-200 grams. Never seen this in judo and very rarely do i see it in wrestling, more often than not the scale readers will tell you to turn around and walk off (international meets are more rigid however, but smaller tournaments shouldn't be this strict on that).
9. Double elimination would be nice period, paying 75$ for one match after traveling 4-10 hours like some do is well, disheartening. Best examples are the smaller competitor divisions of 2-4 people. Rarely do i see a round robin.
The reaping rule really limits leg lock play and i've never been hurt nor seen anyone hurt from reaping in person. So realistically this just comes down to who is who and how soon one can tap. I've seen more injuries from a straight achilles locks; one of our best guys was taken out for 3 weeks on crutches after a guy snapped his ankle with one, and he is a log lock guy specifically. He knows when to tap. So even those aren't "safe" like they claim. They are limiting their own art by restricting movements.
In all the organizations i've competed under, i am most unsatisfied with IBJJF, to a point i am strongly considering never competing in another of their tournaments even if we are hosting provincials in our home city. I would rather compete in other organizations even if they are rarer to occur in my area. I don't have fun at IBJJF tournaments really.
