Today, the Olympic Games feature a wide variety of sports. These sports are widely training globally, and thus, in a try to bring people together, they’re featured in a major event. This event is called the Olympics. We all know BJJ, so is it an Olympic Sport?
BJJ is currently not in the Olympics. That’s because the demand for a featured sport has to be extremely high. And, with BJJ, the demand isn’t as high to reach the Olympic Games standard. Of course, there are other, regulated Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions, such as IBJJF – World Championship.
Still, most Jiu-Jitsu trainees would do anything to see it broadcasted on the big screens. However, the demand for other sports is higher. And, thus, it’s likely that we’ll never see BJJ in the Olympic Games.
Well, you likely have some questions you want to ask me. I’ll politely ask you to hold them in your heart, as I’ll answer them in this article. For example, some of you may wonder when will we be able to see BJJ as an Olympic sport? If it’ll ever happen.
As you may guess, I’m one of the fans that would do anything to see BJJ be an Olympic sport. And still, there’s nothing in my power I can do to make it happen.
Before diving into the other questions you may currently hold, I want to encourage you to follow the link to read an article of mine on the best BJJ fighters from around the world. Indeed, we may see them someday on the big screens.
Should BJJ be in the Olympic Games?
The Olympic Games is one of the most popular sports platform globally. So, as you can imagine, it also brings new trainees to start their own journey. Because of that, we understand why so many organizations try to bring their activity to the Olympics. So, should BJJ be an Olympic sport?
BJJ, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, should be in the Olympic Games because it’s a highly effective martial art with a rich history. Likewise, it has many followers and grateful trainees willing to watch and follow every move in the Olympics.
However, the demand for entering such a sport—is higher than what most people may think. For instance, imagine how many followers and fans you need if BJJ is currently not in the Olympic Games.
Karate, which is another martial art with more history, was an Olympic sport in 2020. That said, it won’t be a part of it in 2024, as it simply doesn’t fill the requirements.
Personally, it’s sad to see martial arts not being a part of worldwide culture. The amount of positive impact they had on their many trainees is truly astounding. I don’t know any other sport that builds character in such a way that its trainees become entirely different people.
It’s not uncommon to see trainees being more confident and with higher self-esteem after a few months of martial arts. In today’s world, that’s a significant achievement, with depression and anxiety rates being higher than ever.
If you want to read more about the mental benefits of BJJ, ensure to follow the link to an article of mine.
Are there any BJJ competitions?
As you may know, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a widely trained sport throughout the world. For that reason, it has built a large following with plenty of dedicated fans and trainees. Other than the Olympics, which we may never see BJJ in, are there any other competitions?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s culture includes competitions as a major part of the training and learning processes. Competing in any sport will boost your progression rate by plenty if you take it seriously. Like sparring, it’s the closest you’ll get to fighting in real life, which is something all trainees should go through.
The following list is BJJ competition examples:
- Brazilian National Jiu-Jitsu Championship
- UAEJJF Abu Dhabi World Pro Jiu-Jitsu Cup
- IBJJF World No-Gi Championship
- World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship
Other competitions exist other than the four above. If a BJJ trainee wanted to compete, one would be able to find the suitable tournament or platform to do so.
As I previously mentioned, the benefits of competing in any sport—and especially in martial arts—are vast. It’s no secret that competing and giving everything you got will make you better at the sport you’re competing at.
If you’re participating in a BJJ tournament, you’ll most likely hone your skills and gain various mental benefits, such as success and fulfillment. These are the feelings which will attract better self-confidence and self-esteem, a highly desirable trait in today’s world.
If you want to know whether you should compete in BJJ and if it’s mandatory to do—in order to achieve the black belt, follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
Will BJJ ever be in the Olympics?
Predicting whether a sport will ever be in the Olympics will never be more than a personal guess. We can take into mind the benefits and features of this sport and compare them against the disadvantages. Likewise, taking into account the sport’s growth rate—is also important.
So, here’s my guess to: Will BJJ ever be in the Olympic Games?
BJJ won’t be a part of the Olympics because it doesn’t have as much following as other, more popular sports, such as Skiing, Volleyball, and swimming. Moreover, its growth rate won’t make it be eligible for consideration in future Olympic events, meaning that it won’t take part in it.
I’m a big fan of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. You know what? I’m a big fan of all martial arts. As I previously mentioned, BJJ simply doesn’t have as much people doing it worldwide. Understandably, there’s no point for it to be included in such a worldwide platform.
There is hope, however. If you’re a fan of Jiu-Jitsu, many tournaments bring it to the eyes of the globe. The main one is the World Championship. In it, the elite of the elite come to see who is the best grappler in each weight division.
The takeaway of this section is that regardless of BJJ being a part of the Olympic Games, countless other tournaments showcase this martial art to the globe. As a result, it keeps on growing and growing.
Who knows, maybe someday we’ll see BJJ be an Olympic sport.
If you want to save money by doing BJJ at home, ensure to follow the link to an article of mine on the topic. Reading it will give you everything you need to start doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at home.
Is BJJ considered a sport?
For this section, I didn’t want to look up the definition of a Sport. Instead, I wanted to come up with a unique answer, in the way I see sports. I didn’t want to ignore the true benefits of martial arts and their effect on the world. So, is BJJ a sport?
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is considered a sport because it’s an intense workout that allows its trainees to better themselves. It’s not uncommon to see trainees growing their physical and mental selves by dedicating themselves and staying consistent with training, which is what all sports grant their trainees.
It’s no secret that martial arts, and specifically BJJ, train their practitioners to become competent fighters. That is, indeed, its purpose.
But, the by-products of BJJ are plenty and are diverse. For instance, here are some common benefits you’ll experience by doing martial arts:
- Better social life
- Improved confidence
- Better self-esteem
- Improved physical shape and condition
These are all highly desirable goals, which may take more than a few years to master. Because of that, BJJ is as valuable as I put it out to be. If you dedicate yourself to training, you will see these results naturally flowing into your life.
If you want to learn about the complete list of benefits of martial arts, follow the link to an article of mine on the topic.
Final words
Although BJJ is not as likely to ever be an Olympic sport, we may see it someday broadcasted to the entire world. The growth of any sport that the Olympics present immediately spikes, which is a valuable benefit to the entire martial arts community.
Although there are dedicated fans and trainees all throughout the world that would watch it—it’s simply not enough for it to be in the Olympic Games.
On a positive note, countless tournaments, both local and global, host BJJ competitions. These tournaments have plenty of viewership, which means that people do want to see it.
That’s why we see the sport continuing to grow, although it’s not even considered to being eligible to be in the Olympics. Of course, we can still hope and contribute to the martial arts community by dedicating ourselves to training while spreading the word to the world.
If you enjoyed reading this article, I highly recommend following the link to read about BJJ vs. MMA. Reading it may seal the deal and allow you to be confident in starting to train in martial arts as soon as possible. Good luck!