The McDojo phenomenon is a plague that has infected martial arts schools all over the world. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has not been spared by this. What exactly is a McDojo you may ask? It’s basically a martial arts school or franchise of schools that have shady and poor instructors, that are only focused on making money and that make false claims. Most schools are run as businesses but a MCDojo’s sole function is to make money.
Nowadays many of the major BJJ academies are using the system where BJJ students are given attendance cards and if they fulfill the recommended amount of classes, they are given a stripe or belt, usually which they have to pay for… The Gracie Barra association does this for example.
Gracie Barra is even doing virtual attendance cards for their students to watch the BJJ classes online:
Many academies are now teaching a watered down version of Jiu-Jitsu where people don’t train as hard and where people get promoted and get stripes according to attendance.
BJJ black belt Firas Zahabi talks about how nowadays BJJ academies are teaching a watered down version of Jiu-Jitsu where people don’t train as hard and where people get promoted and get stripes according to attendance.
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Firas on Joe Rogan about BJJ McDojos:
“In a lot of these McDojos, the emphasis is on getting more students through the door rather than developing true martial artists,” Zahabi explains. “This leads to a superficial understanding of the art and can ultimately tarnish the reputation of BJJ.”
Commercialization and Its Effects
Zahabi argues that the commercialization of BJJ has led to a dilution of its effectiveness. With the surge in popularity of mixed martial arts (MMA) and BJJ, many schools have popped up to capitalize on the trend. However, not all of these schools maintain high standards of instruction.
“The commercialization of BJJ has brought many new people to the sport, which is great. But it has also led to some schools lowering their standards to accommodate more students,” Zahabi says. “This can be dangerous, as it creates a false sense of confidence in practitioners who may not be receiving proper training.”
“BJJ is about more than just techniques and belts; it’s about discipline, respect, and continuous improvement,” he asserts. “We need to ensure that these values are not lost in the quest for commercial success.”
“As coaches, we have a duty to provide our students with the best possible training,” Zahabi advises. “And as practitioners, we need to seek out schools and instructors who uphold the true spirit of BJJ.”
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