Behind the Scenes of Jiu Jitsu Parties

Ever wondered what really goes on at jiu-jitsu parties? Picture this: cauliflower ears, stylishly rugged appearances, and an atmosphere charged with respect and camaraderie. Join us as we share our firsthand experiences from a recent CJI after party in Vegas. You’ll hear personal anecdotes involving renowned figures which reveal a world where the tough exteriors give way to genuine friendships and mutual respect. It's a surprising blend of toughness and warmth that challenges the often intimidating facade of the jiu-jitsu community.

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Chapters

• 0:07 Jiu-Jitsu Parties
• 7:40 Community Vibe in Jiu-Jitsu Culture
• 17:56 Jiu-Jitsu House Party Vibes

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

A good martial artist does not become tense, but ready. Essentially, at this point, the fight is over, so you pretty much flow with the goal. Who is worthy to be trusted with the secret to limitless power? I'm ready. Welcome to the Bulletproof for BJJ podcast. It's Joey here, it's JT, and today we're going to talk about what it's like when you're at a party and everyone at the party trains jiu-jitsu. Now, here's the deal.

Speaker 1: 0:45

I used to have some misconceptions about this. I remember when I started jujitsu I thought, fuck, like parties where everyone trains jujitsu must be like everyone's super hard, you know, like a bunch of tough cunts. Everyone trained up, everyone iron each other off, like competitive, sure, and I think maybe in some of the early comps I went to, there were a couple of were a couple of bad actors that were like you know, come and bring some beef to it. Acting like that. You remember early days, like Aussie jiu-jitsu scene, potentially, I mean, there's always one or two sociopathic, antisocial people. Yeah, and at that stage you're not going to any parties where everyone trains jiu-jitsu, right? No, you're the guy in the corner looking around, that meme of like they don't know. I could heel hook all of them in five seconds. Well, I mean, I was like a six-week white belt at the time. Okay, fair enough, maybe not, but in any case, let's cut to like. We're at the CJI after party, sure, so, whatever, four weeks ago, we're in Vegas. Yes, we're at a fucking party. Everyone trains jiu-jitsu, Everyone trains jiu-jitsu, right. And so I guess what I wanted to mention is that it is actually, I feel, the direct opposite of this, of my earlier preconception. It is, yeah, and it blows me away first and foremost. Here's the shit. You're at a party. You see cauliflower ears everywhere, right? Yeah, you see plenty of steez.

Speaker 1: 2:07

I think that jujitsu people like on the whole these days, like, except for you showing up in shorts, but I think everyone else, cat loss, motherfucker. I think people you know, like nice clothes, I had my lady hammer pants, all right, I looked stylish, you pulled those off, you did. But you know like people got the fresh fades and like all that. And then you see like, oh, fucking, these cats looking cool. And then you see the chunky ears and you're like, all right, jujitsu cats, and you can't help, but like, I don't know about you guys listening, but I'm I'm gonna make an assumption here that you can't help but ogle other people's cauliflowers, like you. You go out somewhere and then you see some of the cauliflowers you're like like oh shit, you start miring their ears a little bit and then you know you're usually looking for eye contact, right yeah, because you kind of want to be like oh hey, like you know, yeah, the connect, that's right and so.

Speaker 1: 2:51

But it's different. It's different when you're at a big party like that, because obviously they're a grappler, because this is a grappler's event party, yep, or grappling event party, and so you don't need to establish like, hey, man, do man, do you train jiu-jitsu? I couldn't help but notice your cauliflower ears. But people look ferocious, like comes from tough, and the classic demeanor of most people right, and this is probably not specific to jiu-jitsu, but the classic demeanor is like to kind of look like you don't give a shit. So you're with your crew, you're kind of standing around, and most people I do feel like this is a thing where it's like you're kind of trying to posture a little bit to those around you potentially, and it's not, it's just us being human, right, I think that's just a part of it.

Speaker 1: 3:33

And so I had this specific example when we were at that section where the prince and jack were off playing um blackjack and you mean all over there. But there was a feud where you and all were like else around there, sure, I kind of went to this sort of I felt like being alone. So I was kind of at this little section here, yeah, and a couple of grapplers pulled up next to me, right yeah, now they didn't acknowledge me in any way, there was none of that. And there were other people at this party, not just grapplers, right, but but I'm looking at these dudes. I'm like these dudes look like they know some shit. You know fucking sharp haircuts, clothes, ears, etc. Sure. And then some more of their friends come over and it's Fion Davies and Gabriel Sosa. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 4:12

So I'm like, okay, these guys are somebodies, you know, like it's not just a, not just a punter, not random. This is like royalty, legit, legit here, you know, and I was, you know me, I'm the guy. I'm looking for the opening. Yes, I'm looking for the fucking hey man, what's up? Where are you from? How are you doing? Yeah, didn't get it from those guys. I fucking went and interjected myself and said hello to Gabriel and Fion, all the same, told Fion that I thought she's great and that she inspires a lot of people back here in Australia.

Speaker 1: 4:45

That's true, but people look ferocious and then you go and talk to them and they're super nice, they're very friendly, they're so fucking respectful and they're like, oh shit, you train and you know like we do this too. Where it's like oh, like, you start like almost bowing a little bit and like doing the Japanese, like support your hand as you shake the hand and like that's Korean too, you start oozing this like very non-threatening posture, very korean. So you start, you start oozing this like very non-threatening posture, very respectful. Yeah, it's like an overcomp and it's. It's not like everyone's a train killer. Right, we play a sport like sure, people got some skills, but it's not like we're street fighters, it's just no. But you, you may have earlier that day witnessed that guy break another dude's leg cold-blooded perhaps. Yeah, get the fuck up like it's ain't no thing, right, yeah, but it's not like. You know, I don't. It's not like we're walking around like fucking lethal weapons, like just waiting to uncoil on some unsuspecting douchebag. Well, I mean, some people are right. Maybe you know we're not joe schilling out here, um, but so people are so fucking nice and that, that postural thing where it's like oh shit, yeah, of course, man, like hey, what's up? You try, you know, like I. Just I find that so funny because it's like everyone, everyone has this exterior of like hard and then, like you just knock it a little bit, it's like big softy on the inside.

Speaker 1: 5:55

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Speaker 1: 6:26

What has surprised me about elite level jiu-jitsu folks when you get them together which is actually probably where I witnessed it more was probably the previous ADCC like 2022, because it was at that particular after party that Gordon Ryan was actually having a good time. The previous one, he was kind of sitting in the corner by himself not having a good time, right, he just, he just beaten Andre Garvam and he'd beaten everyone else and so he actually had his shirt off. You know, he was like, yeah, he looked happy. He looked happy which is not always the way, necessarily, for Gordon and he was chatting with everyone. He was chatting with Buescher, and not that I got in on that conversation, but I randomly ended up in a circle with Shanji Hodger, braulio, victor Esteema and some other elite world champion and I'm like why am I in this circle? I'd just been like pulled in. They're talking about crypto, like I was like what is going on right now? They're hammered, right, they're hammered, but they're just talking about, oh man, like, yeah, bitcoin, and they're like really like out of it, but it was, and they were all having a good time, like they were. So the warmth and the friendliness is unmatched. You know, very inclusive, yeah, and that's the thing 'm like these guys are my heroes. Act cool. The only way to act cool is to be hammered. Jujitsu huh, am I right? It's like no, bro, we're talking about fifa. I smashed this guy fifa online, blah, blah, blah. Actually, that's what surprised me. It's not even just, not just the friendliness, because obviously in those circles they've all known each other a lifetime, right with the top-level elite cats. But it's, yeah, the discussions are just not jiu-jitsu related. That's the thing that I was thinking there's going to be a bit more jiu-jitsu chat here. No, we're talking about video games, we're talking about random things. Yeah, I mean that's. I mean you can see the kind of the silliness in that from our point of view, right where it's like well, surely they're just talking about jujitsu all the time. But no, they live it all the time and have been. They're having a break. Yeah, yeah, but I do. I feel like a vibe with. It's surprising to you. When you're like these people that are like whatever the elites in that thing, yeah, that they do things in their life like normal people. You're like, oh fuck, they've got to go and like take their car to the mechanic and pay rego and shit too. Yeah, 100%, it's. Yeah, it's refreshing, yeah, it's refreshing. I find like like say, uh, and I guess there's a um, I guess, like vegas was obviously a bit of a um, what's the word it's? It's a bit of a special one in that in that way, because everyone's there for those events and so people are probably kind of generally on a positive note with things, um. But I just found around, around, like those days surrounding the comp. I would just approach, I'd see someone on the street Just say what's up With fucking gnarly ears? And I'd be like hey, what's going on? And people would just be down for a chat, you know, and like so, hey, fuck, where are you from? Man, you know what's it like over in Oz, like really receptive. It makes me like I've sort of ranted on the show before about my what's the word? About how sort of frustrated I get at people's general inability to be social with others. Yeah, I think it's a real like missed opportunity. Yeah, but I feel like, at that kind of thing, people are just like making the most of like connecting with strangers. Definitely, you know it's like I'm here for it. I think actually this is, this is a jiu-jitsu centric thing, and don't get me wrong, I'm uh, you know full respect to the mma crowd, but I have found mma to be more clicky because, depending on what camp you're in, you know you, that guy might have broken your best mate's eye socket, so therefore we're not so cool now. You know what I mean. Like you might have been hating on that person a long time and still not really love that person. You know they might have said bad things about your best mates, mom, dad and family. So you're like, yeah, I'm not, I'm not going to be so cool with them, and that's the interesting thing. Jiu-jitsu is a community. Some of the greatest rivals end up being, you know, the best friends. I don't think you necessarily see that in all combat sports. Obviously there is, well not. Obviously you would guess there would be respect between top level opponents and things like that. But jujitsu as a community it's just once you're in on the, once you're in the crew, like you're in, you know, and what I've found and I don't know if this is just a, a by-product of jujitsu still kind of small compared to other sports. Like you'd mentioned before, you're not going to be able to just go hang out with Roger Federer. You're before you're not going to be able to just go hang out with roger federer. You're like I play tennis. Yeah, you're roger federer, you play tennis, we should talk. Hey, come on our podcast. No, that's not going to happen. Um, but with buchesha, if you see him, and like hodja too, like he's, he's the goat and he's really friendly, he'll chat to anyone like he's good, and I don't know if that's a byproduct of him as a person or just this jiu-jitsu thing we're involved with. Yeah, I think it's just. Yeah, I do think that it's just the the time that, like the age of jiu-jitsu and where we are on that timeline, yeah, I think that you could. You could almost feel at the last event that there was a further degree of separation from the athletes starting to change than there was at the previous ADCC. Yeah, remember, yes, like even when you were saying, like being down on the thing, they separate coaches and athletes. It's like it's all becoming more officiated. Yes, so in that way, yeah, but of course, if you can get to the after party, you can rub shoulders with whoever right, everybody's in. Yeah, can rub shoulders with whoever everybody's in. Yeah, I've had that situation a couple of times recently where I've come to training with some water but I haven't had any electrolytes, and I've finished training and I've had to go to a convenience shop and buy myself some kind of sports drink. Usually, a gatorade cost me like seven bucks. It's small and it really doesn't contain that much of the good stuff that I'm looking for, which are the electrolytes. Sody, on the other hand, is my partner when it comes to hydration and I'd simply just run out of it and it sucks because I got to go buy expensive stuff that doesn't do anywhere near as good a job. I'm super stoked that we've been restocked with the Sodi and now I can be properly hydrated when I train jujitsu. This has always been an underexplored aspect of my training and I'm so stoked that we now have these guys in place to support us and also the listeners of the show. So if you want to be hydrated on the mats so that you can perform at your best and have the best mental clarity while training, get yourself some. Go to sodicomau that's s-o-d-i-icomau. Get yourself some delicious hydration salts and use the code bulletproof 15 for 15 off. Go to sodycomau, get yourself hydrated. Yeah, yeah. Um, I do think, like I don't reckon, you know. I was trying to think about, like what? What makes jiu-jitsu community vibe, say, at a party like that, what it is? I do think that, again, because of the age of the game and because we're all very like it's very young and we're all at this on this journey very early on um, most of the people who are at those events play the sport. Yes, most of the people at adc and cji do jujitsu, they all do it. Yeah, right, and I'm probably maybe there was a time for that with MMA. It could have been very short, right when it was an underground thing, sure. And I'm sure if you spoke to people who went to some of those, they'd be like, oh yeah, everyone was super cool and tight. But now there's fans of the sport who don't play. There's also promoters, there's agents, yeah, but once something has mass appeal, it brings in outsiders, right, sure. So then you think about a crowd, like you think about the crowd at the fucking American Open. Sure, they don't all play tennis. No, they're sports fans, they're traveling, they want to go see the spectacle, et cetera. So there's not necessarily a commonality amongst the people, yeah. So I think that we're at a very fortunate time with Jits, because right now it's our thing, yes, but say it does turn into, say, cji becomes like a UFC of sorts. There's going to be a bunch of cunts there and you're going to be like, hey, man, you trained there. They're going to be like what? No, not me, fuck that, I'm just here to watch, I'm the finance guy. And you'll be like, bro, that's so weird man, fuck that guy. What I like about Jiu-Jitsu is that there's a lot of in-jokes, like any culture you're a part of, whether it's memes or whatever it might be. What I got from being in Brazil, in Sao Paulo, actually is like Jiu-Jitsu scoring, but relevant to non-Jiu-Jitsu events. So if somebody were to trip and just like stack and put a hand down and then recover, one of the guys would give two points for the sweep. Well, you're watching soccer or something. No, no, no, no, we're just in the cafe or something, right, yeah, and you just see someone eat shit and get like you know, like just slip and land on their back and someone would go two. Or like you see someone slip and recover and they'd be like advantage, you know, like this, you and they'd be like advantage, you know, like this, you know they're just little funny scenarios where it's kind of like you're like what are you people doing? Because what I've found with jujitsu folks because we spend a lot of time intimately furiously hugging each other, roughing each other up, lose the um, the boundaries to intimacy, you know, like jujitsu folks, yeah, well, you know how they go. Yeah, I can't remember, it's you instantly, we're huggers. Rapport. You know, jujitsu is hugging, we are huggers. So somebody, somebody comes in for the handshake, whatever. You're like oh shit, they've got an underhook motherfucker, you, son of a bitch, overhook. You know like it's little little exchanges can become grappling matches, right, yeah, but because we already have gotten past the bullshit of oh, do I shake, how do I shake the hands, and it's always like, yeah, bro, a bit of a hug, like even someone you don't know it's, it's super touchy, it's super cool. So then that means you, you bypass a lot of other bullshit formalities too, I believe, yeah, depending on who you're with. Oh, yeah, and you just get straight into the shit, right, you just get into like, oh, fucking, what's cracking man, and so you can get really close to somebody, even if you've only just met them, provided you have that mutual understanding of jujitsu. That's what I think is is interesting about it. Yeah, it's almost like a shortcut to fucking like connection with somebody real. It's like get all that superficial shit out of the way, like we've already hugged, yes, and shared sweat, yes, and then. And then, even if you don't actually train with that person, but somehow that transfers to you both understand, like, like the physical thing is okay, Whereas with a total stranger the physical thing is very kind of clinical. It's like, oh, a handshake or you know a kiss kind of thing. Man, jujitsu, folks are fucking shameless. When it comes to jujitsu. You could be any social situation. They're like no, look, push the tables back. The De La Riva hook goes fucking here. I put my foot here. He did this. And someone comes in, someone starts coaching Someone's like no, no, no, don't do it like that. You've got to take the sleeve grip. I'm not the guy that's involved. I'm always like I got my shit. My white shirt's clean. I'm just going to stand over here. You guys can fuck around on the dirty man. I went straight to the outside heel hook on. Who are our friends from Queensland who came visit us at Brewdog Ebony? Oh, fuck, ebony and her partner, shit. Congratulations to you guys. Oh, yeah, they got engaged. Yeah, that's awesome. I just straight away, I fucking pulled guard. I went, you did. We were having some drinks. I went shin to shin. I pulled the leg in. I fucking threw the leg over. I went to the reap. I went straight to the outside hill. Kyle, kyle, kyle. Mckinnon Shout out bro, fucking. Congratulations you guys. Yeah, so I was like I got no shame to turn it into a fucking clinic in a heartbeat, because I learned from the best and they don't care either. So that's what it is. So, on recapping, I think at the jiu-jitsu house party everyone's there, people all look ferocious. There's almost never any beef, no, um, and you can talk to anyone and they're going to be cool, yeah, and they look tough, but they're all big softies on the inside and if you're new to the game, hopefully you can have the same experience when you go to your first party. Full of grapplers yeah, awesome, bam bam. Full of grapplers yeah, awesome, bam bam Choo.