Hi, I’m Brice, a BJJ purple belt training under the guidance of Chris Collins - affiliated with the Gracie Allegiance team. I recently launched Grappling Roads, an app to collect and organize your BJJ and grappling content! And today, I would like to share some thoughts on the impact of CJI on the future of Submission Grappling.
Disclaimer: this article does not cover techniques breakdown and matches analysis from the competition.
Was this weekend the biggest in Grappling History? The answer is probably yes! Beyond the magnitude of the ADCC & CJI events, it may very well be a game-changing milestone in the world of submission grappling. So what does this first edition of CJI mean for the future of Jiu Jitsu?
Two years after the previous ADCC edition, the sport is drawing more attention. This increase in popularity seemingly hasn't increased fighters' pay, which causes issues for some fighters.
As a reminder, at ADCC, everyone losing before the semi-finals reportedly doesn’t get paid for competing (or at least this used to be the setup). The winner of each division gets USD 10,000. The silver, bronze, and fourth-place finishers receive USD 5,000, USD 3,000, and USD 2,000, respectively. There's also controversy over the rights to use footage and highlight reels from the competition, with restrictions imposed by FloSports, ADCC's broadcast partner.
In response to this situation, Craig Jones initially proposed raising money to pay all athletes who would lose in ADCC's first couple of rounds. Ultimately, he secured USD 3 million from secret investors to organize another competition instead. The Craig Jones Invitational was born, bringing elements that could change the sport for the better and forever. Let’s dive into this.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the entire event aimed to raise money for the Fair Fight Foundation, in partnership with Tap Cancer Out. It wasn't just a quick note at the event's end. The donation QR code was regularly displayed between fights for people to support the cause.
Whatever happens in the future, the first edition of the Craig Jones Invitational will leave a mark on submission grappling. The early reactions are enthusiastic—people are pumped! There are definitely more exciting competitions coming our way soon! Let’s stay tuned!