No-Gi Divisions.

Barry.Oglesby

First things first, Grapplepalooza is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament, just without the gi. It's also an open tournament, so people from wrestling, judo, sambo backgrounds are welcome to enter too. The White Belt category is for white belts, and the -1year guideline is an APPROXIMATE experience level for anyone entering from an ungraded system.

Secondly, to imply there were swathes of people in the white belt category who shouldn't have been there is just plain wrong, and you can say "it's hard to blame the organisers" but the implication is that we are at fault. So sack up, grow a set and accuse me directly of poor organisation if you're going to. I'd respect it far more than the mealy mouthed horsepuckey you're spouting currently.

1) I've seen flying armbars in novice divisions pretty much forever. It's not a difficult technique if you're practising it a lot. I'd be more suspicious of a guy if he went- takedown, pass, armbar but did it in a way that belied his experience level.

2) Everyone keeps going on about how poor beginners will feel demoralised by being beaten by a superior white belt. It's a competition. If they get beaten, they SHOULD feel demoralised. Then they ask their coach where they went wrong, regroup and train harder. Competition should be difficult, there's a hint in the name. In a group of 10 of any belts, I would look at it and say 3 have a realistic chance of winning, 3 in the mid range and 4 will be beaten early and easily. It's the same in every division in every league in every sport worldwide. If you want to create a new division, then you cheapen the competition and create an "Hooray! Everyone's a winner!" category.

3) Here's a RADICAL idea. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't that some of the white belts were extra good and cheating, but that some of their competition was less experienced and just not as good as them. That happens too. It seems to me like it's "If I win, great, but if I lose then it's because he's a sandbagger". Whenever anyone asks me how to spot if someone's on steroids I always say "if he's bigger and stronger than you, he's probably on steroids". If you got beaten, it's not because the other guy cheated, it's because you're not good enough to win. If you go and train for as long and as hard as the winner, then you might be the guy getting his hand raised. That's the point. I actually saw loads of guys in divisions ABOVE their rank and experience on Saturday. But we won't mention them, we'll just point out the bad.

4) There were 5 referees, 8 table staff and 2 tournament organisers at the event. We didn't receive one, single, solitary, tiny rumbling of a complaint or accusation of sandbagging or cheating of any kind at the event. That was the time to point things out. But you waited until Monday morning and the internet opened for business to get going. Shame on you.

I have an email address baz.oglesby@gmail.com and a phone number 083-4259066. If anyone wishes to direct any accusations of cheating or sandbagging my way I will treat them with confidentiality and investigate them seriously. I want my tournaments to be fair and transparent. I will NOT stand to be accused of facilitating cheating.

I don't expect any phone calls or emails mind you. I know this is the internet where griping anonymously is a way of life.

Barry

David Jones

Surely at this stage, somebody somewhere with some time on their hands could create a database of competitors, competitions and results. So at every competition it could be plain for everyone to see if you have competed and won the white belt category 4 times and even though you arent a blue belt its perhaps time you moved up a division? It wouldnt be up to event organisers to check but this being the internet I am sure there would be a queue of people waiting to "shop" an individual should they attempt to enter an "unsuitable" division.

Oh and as Barry said if you got tapped, maybe just maybe you werent good enough on the day. Might be a little Darwinistic for some but try to reevaluate, train harder and compete again.

Barry.Oglesby

I have an excel sheet of every tournament I've done bar the first one which was done by paper. That's how I know people are moving up in the correct manner.

David Jones

I have an excel sheet of every tournament I've done bar the first one which was done by paper. That's how I know people are moving up in the correct manner.

I am sure you do Barry, Im pretty sure I still have all the King of the Mat ones as well. Perhaps a more central location for the data would be of use. Perhaps something for a governing body or other group of like minded individuals to look into.

EnjoyChoke

Why is this the main preoccupation, after one of the best organised competitions in the country this year was pulled off?

Hanley

EnjoyChoke wrote: »

Why is this the main preoccupation, after one of the best organised competitions in the country this year was pulled off?

You eh... do realise what country you're in, right?

da-bres

There is no 'sand bagging' problem, stop whining and train.

r_obric

brianb10 wrote: »

Beginners winning by flying armbars shows how widespread the cheating was in grapplepoolza beginners divisions.

Comp was run excellently otherwise and hard to blame organisers for dishonesty of competitors

IIRC the guy who won by flying armbar beat a compeditor who won both of his first fights fairly quickly by reverse triangle, neither are easy techniques to pull off in competition but they must have been training them.

Killme00

Speaking of triangles, Tom Kings triangle in the Elite was a thing of beauty.

http://youtu.be/i_J1wCUqTIk

Embarrassing 'commentary' aside

David Jones

Why is this the main preoccupation, after one of the best organised competitions in the country this year was pulled off?

Couldnt have said it better but this is boards so bull**** will prevail.

dasmoose

Killme00 wrote: »

Embarrassing 'commentary' aside

You're a lovely cheery fellow :P