Robert Drysdale has started giving his opinions on a wide variety of topics in the Jiu-Jitsu world and has now explained why he believes that BJJ is not in the Olympics. It makes sense that this is something that he’s thought about lately considering that the delayed Tokyo Olympics have only recently finished, and it’s something that a lot of Jiu-Jitsu enthusiasts might be curious about after watching other grappling-based sports like Judo and wrestling taking place at the games and showcasing some phenomenal talent from all around the world.
It’s only natural then for fans or practitioners of BJJ to wonder why it’s the most popular grappling art that’s been left out in the cold and doesn’t get represented at the Olympics. Robert Drysdale addresses these questions directly in the recent video uploaded to his official YouTube channel, and has even gone so far as to claim that the lack of Olympic recognition for BJJ is actually a good thing for the sport. That’s not a particularly uncommon claim either, as many will point to the ‘watering down’ of Tae Kwon Do and Judo as something that could potentially happen to Jiu-Jitsu if it were ever to gain Olympic recognition.
The fear is understandable too, because not only is it based on precedent but it’s something that many BJJ practitioners will have direct experience with. A large number of Jiu-Jitsu competitors will have started out as Judoka in a former life and the changes that the IJF have made to the rules of the sport over the years have come under heavy criticism from a high number of competitors and practitioners.
