After a significant shakeup earlier this month in which 5 of the IBJJF’s favorite athletes accepted doping suspensions, the IBJJF had an important meeting in which they decided to go ahead and overturn those suspensions and others handed down in recent years to move forward as an untested organization.
Jiu-Jitsu Times reached out to IBJJF President Carlos Gracie Jr. for comment
“We initially wanted to increase the level of professionalism in the sport, but we realized that a substantial portion of our clientele uses performance-enhancing drugs. The smart ones are able to cycle off before competition to test clean, so why should the others be punished?”
Why indeed.
Throughout the history of the sport there have been many self-contradictions, talk of honor and religion among rapists and those who support them, talk of curbing ego among fragile men with overactive egos… And talk of size and strength being non-factors among large, strong men who take enough steroids to make them melt a piss cup. It only stands to reason that the ban be lifted.
Carlos continued with his reasoning
“ADCC doesn’t test, Who’s Number One and other pro organizations don’t test, why should we carry this burden? Who among us hasn’t taken a bit of bomba? Jesus himself said ‘he that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.”
As problematic as this end of prohibition may be, it is also potentially exciting news. Now athletes will be able to take as many different performance-enhancing drugs as they want up until the moment they step on the mat. We may witness heart attacks in the heat of competition for those who do poorly or take a tainted batch. We may see Lucas “Hulk” Barbosa turn green and tear through his clothes.
Wild and exciting times are ahead.
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