I Suck At Jiu Jitsu Show #353 Richie Kelly: I love competing but sub-only is stupid
Dec 18, 2025
Richie Kelly, an experienced black belt and coach, dives into the quirks of jiu-jitsu competition. He passionately critiques submission-only formats, arguing they encourage bad tactics and confuse spectators. Richie believes that points create necessary drama and define match narratives, enhancing the spectator experience. He also shares insightful thoughts on the rise of no-gi superfights and the importance of effective scoring to minimize controversial decisions. The conversation wraps up with Richie's excitement for upcoming events and his journey within the jiu-jitsu community.
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Innovation Is Core To Jiu-Jitsu
- Jiu-jitsu used to celebrate innovation and 'stealing' techniques to improve them.
- Richie Kelly argues AJJ should reclaim innovation as a core value rather than freeze tradition.
Perception Drives No-Gi Dominance
- The gi remains widely practiced, but no-gi athletes dominate online attention and promotions.
- That perception drives promoters to favor no-gi shows, threatening gi super-fight opportunities.
Sub-Only Rules Distort Incentives
- Submission-only superfights skew incentives toward risky, low-quality grappling and mismatches.
- Points and effective scoring produce clearer narratives, safer incentives, and often more real submissions.