Not competing against teammates...

[Jdonw]

Then, what about just one competitor for school in each weight class?

I know that this may sound a little extreme, but IMHO it's always better than not see the final.

It doesn't solve any problems, because it doesn't change anything about who is competing. As it is now you can have a bracket with 2 guys from "Gracie Barra" and 2 more from "Gracie Barra America" and 2 more from "Gracie Barra 'insert city'". 1 from each team just fractures that into more creative ways to register. Then if the guy from the main team name meets another than he will get the nod. Right now if 2 Gracie Barra meet in the final it is possible for them to fight it out and have an equal number of team points. In your scenario Gracie Barra meets Gracie Barra America in the finals, Gracie Barra gets the nod automatically to help the team points.

You could then try to regulate the creative team names at registration. That would only serve to splinter larger teams, which will hurt the development of the players and bjj as a whole. It is a benefit for somebody from Alliance in Texas to be able to travel and train at Alliance Atlanta or bring in Alliance guys for a seminar. Without a network, schools in different areas become isolated, isolation is not conducive to developing new and better bjj.

 

[MMA junkie]

I'd have no problem competing against a teammate and there should be absolutely no issues afterwards. I don't see how there should be any hostility and any issues of helping the teammate down the road either.

In Wrestling, I had a few teammates always challenge me for my Varsity spot in "Wrestle-offs." These were some intense matches. It did get annoying though when the same guy kept challenging me all season and could not even come close though.

 

[YeahBee]

But why is it any different to any other sport?

The Williams sisters compete against each other all the time and it is bloody serious

 

[MMA junkie]

But why is it any different to any other sport?

The Williams sisters compete against each other all the time and it is bloody serious

Well they don't crossface and physically hurt each other for one.

 

[YeahBee]

Well they don't crossface and physically hurt each other for one.

And yet people in other grappling sports then BJJ do it,

Fedor faced his own brother in sambo

there are friends who have fought each other, "teammates" on TUF end up fighting each other and go back to training together

It would only be a problem with people who have too much ego

 

[gtsbjj12**]

me and my friend competed months ago for our blue belts. we both ended up getting to the finals of our division and competing for the belt. I ended up winning, but it was a very intense and good match. I see no problem with it. all tournament matches improve your game and help realize just what you need to work on.

 

[BruceOnJuice]

I have zero problem competing with a teammate. We do inhouse tournies all the time.

 

[MMA junkie]

And yet people in other grappling sports then BJJ do it,

Fedor faced his own brother in sambo

there are friends who have fought each other, "teammates" on TUF end up fighting each other and go back to training together

It would only be a problem with people who have too much ego

I agree. I have no problem with this.

 

[Solidus Snake]

It doesn't solve any problems, because it doesn't change anything about who is competing. As it is now you can have a bracket with 2 guys from "Gracie Barra" and 2 more from "Gracie Barra America" and 2 more from "Gracie Barra 'insert city'". 1 from each team just fractures that into more creative ways to register. Then if the guy from the main team name meets another than he will get the nod. Right now if 2 Gracie Barra meet in the final it is possible for them to fight it out and have an equal number of team points. In your scenario Gracie Barra meets Gracie Barra America in the finals, Gracie Barra gets the nod automatically to help the team points.

You could then try to regulate the creative team names at registration. That would only serve to splinter larger teams, which will hurt the development of the players and bjj as a whole. It is a benefit for somebody from Alliance in Texas to be able to travel and train at Alliance Atlanta or bring in Alliance guys for a seminar. Without a network, schools in different areas become isolated, isolation is not conducive to developing new and better bjj.

I see it. Then, for the sake of the sport, I just hope that people will use another kind of mentality, as this one of closing brackets and such just plainly sucks.

 

[Shinedown88]

I'm sorry...but having wrestled for many years, this is kinda crap. I have gladly competed against my teammates...in fact, I did so every week...to earn that varsity spot in high school...and later in college.

Competing against your teammates makes you, and them, better.

I compete every day with them in the gym. If we're talking about the worlds, sure I'd compete against a teammate.

 

[boisefireman]

this I want to see video of!

Your wish is my command. I have about 3 or 4 more. Most are a little bit longer. We just saw Glover's video and thought it was awesome.

 

[boisefireman]

I don't currently compete but if I did & met a teammate in a match I would do my best to tear his arm off & take it home for a souvineer....Then buy him a beer that night (& hold it for him due to the missing arm :icon_chee) while we discussed the fight.
While our sport may not be a spectator ratings machine some people do come to watch & if matches aren't fought for arbitrary reasons it hurts the sport.
As far as already knowing who'll win since you train together that ain't necessarily so. Many moons ago in college (different sport) I met a teammate in the finals who had NEVER beaten me in practice...I lost to him (the only time he's ever beaten me). doo doo occurs & you won't know how something will unfold until you do the match.

Not this!

When I go against teammates, my first goal is that no one gets hurt!! A crappy medal is not worth me or my teammate(all my teammates are also good friends) getting hurt and can't train. Not worth it to me. Even from another school, I don't want to really hurt anyone. I want a good clean submission.

 

[Keyser]

I run grappling tourneys in south florida and run into this issue quite often. 2 teammates make it to the finals or face each other in a consolation match ( we're double elimination) and refuse to grapple each other. I've had guys share medals, flip coins, play rock paper scissor, so they don't have to compete against eachother...

Personally this makes no sense, i have competed against teammates in the past and had some awesome matches. It's not the same as in the gym, the pressure is real and you are standing in the way of each others glory.

Would you compete against your teammate?why or why not?

If your competitor's are paying then why does it matter?

I have no desire to compete against someone from my gym in a tournament I paid for. If I pay the overpriced entry fee, travel, hotel etc it's to prove myself vs people from another gym not my teammate who I grapple with everyday. I can just save my money and pay dues instead.

Now if your tournament is free or pays out prize money I am all for having a match with a teammate.

 

[FXG]

If your competitor's are paying then why does it matter?

I have no desire to compete against someone from my gym in a tournament I paid for. If I pay the overpriced entry fee, travel, hotel etc it's to prove myself vs people from another gym not my teammate who I grapple with everyday. I can just save my money and pay dues instead.

Now if your tournament is free or pays out prize money I am all for having a match with a teammate.

competing against guys in your gym is nothing like competing at an open tournament in front of hundreds of people. there are no spectators, nothing on the line, no real pressure to win. grappling is a sport and your teammates are that, until they run out of money. When i hear "we're a family at my gym" i laugh. What family charges you to be apart of it?

 

[Gabicho]

I wouldn't fight a teammate in a tournament. For one it might cause problems down the road. Plus you both probably already know who is better, so why bother.

Some of the teammates i've had matches with used to beat me constantly during training, yet none of them have beaten me in competition.

Some peole say you can't really know who's "better" until you have to test your skills under stress (competition or a real fight), and it happens that some people suck at training but are great at actually fighting/competing and who may have better strategies to win a match even if they are less technical or weaker.

So that's why unless your instructor tells you to forfeit, i see no big deal in having a match with a teammate. I just take care in ensuring their safety during the match even if it costs me points, because i'm sure they'll try to do the same.

I've stopped takedowns because i didn't want to slam them out of the mat, and they have allowed me to take my toes out of their sleeves as to avoid injury... And so on.

My instructor gives us two choices: either have the match taking care of each other's safety, or let one of the competitors advance with a bye. It may be the non-injuried one, the motivated one, the senior one, the most experienced one, the one who has no medals, the one who has a lot of medals... It's up to us.
But, if there was a forfeit, when we're back at the academy, we'll have the match in the privacy of the academy, so to speak.

It's a good experience.

 

[FXG]

Some of the teammates i've had matches with used to beat me constantly during training, yet none of them have beaten me in competition.

Some peole say you can't really know who's "better" until you have to test your skills under stress (competition or a real fight), and it happens that some people suck at training but are great at actually fighting/competing and who may have better strategies to win a match even if they are less technical or weaker.

So that's why unless your instructor tells you to forfeit, i see no big deal in having a match with a teammate. I just take care in ensuring their safety during the match even if it costs me points, because i'm sure they'll try to do the same.

I've stopped takedowns because i didn't want to slam them out of the mat, and they have allowed me to take my toes out of their sleeves as to avoid injury... And so on.

My instructor gives us two choices: either have the match taking care of each other's safety, or let one of the competitors advance with a bye. It may be the non-injuried one, the motivated one, the senior one, the most experienced one, the one who has no medals, the one who has a lot of medals... It's up to us.
But, if there was a forfeit, when we're back at the academy, we'll have the match in the privacy of the academy, so to speak.

It's a good experience.

Im glad that you're in the majority on this issue.

 

[Jdonw]

competing against guys in your gym is nothing like competing at an open tournament in front of hundreds of people. there are no spectators, nothing on the line, no real pressure to win. grappling is a sport and your teammates are that, until they run out of money. When i hear "we're a family at my gym" i laugh. What family charges you to be apart of it?

Unfortunately because I don't live anywhere near where your grappling tournament is my newly formed one man boycott of your event means nothing. You sound like you represent everything that is wrong with the sport. My teammates are my friends, they are my family. Regardless of whether they pay a gym fee or not. When people stop attending class, it doesn't change my opinion of them, they are still my family. When you live with a family, somebody is paying the mortgage, somebody is paying to put food on the table. My teammates are everything to me in bjj, and I respect them enough to fight them in competition if they wish, or to step aside if that's what they want.

 

[platfox]

I don't know these guys in the video but I found it pretty funny. I think they both got DQ'd. I'm assuming they are teammates.



My opinion on the matter :
In the finals - no big deal
Before the finals - unfair to other competitors
Would I forfeit pre-finals even though it was unfair to the other competitors - I'd like to say no, but I probably would.

 

[Gidselgrisen]

[... ]My teammates are everything to me in bjj, and I respect them enough to fight them in competition if they wish, or to step aside if that's what they want.

Sorry, but it sounds like you are being treated as the little brother of that family...

 

[crochuck]

So many sandy vaginas in this thread. You are there to compete who cares if it's against one of your friends; nobody said you have to snap his arm in half. Also if your friend is going to get bitter about losing to you in a comp you need to step back and realize what they think about you.