ADCC Veteran Wins Purple Belt Division. Is he a Sandbagger?

Today I'll be responding to the backlash towards recent ADCC Veteran, Brandon Reed, for his success at IBJJF No-Gi Pans (Purple Belt).
Brandon, my student, who has been training just a little over 3 years in BJJ won the tournament along with Michael Pixley, which stirred up a lot of conversation and a video response by Brandon, to said controversy.
Here's his video:
• Should we be BJJ Brown...
I'll give my take on the situation & address the reality of Brandon's Jiu-Jitsu experience and his recent competition result. I'll also explain WHY he has not gotten his brown belt yet.
Thanks for watching.
Chewy
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[@rorkan138]

Damn people. Not like he can promote himself.

[@cthulhu-jitsu7404]

Brandon losses to other purple belts: Everyone in Jiujistu: "Jiujitsu beats Wrestling! We're the greatest!!!!". Brandon finally wins a big competition: Everyone in Jiujistu: "He Cheated!!! SANDBAGGER!!!!" I'll say my unpopular oppinion here again, when your competing at, Euros, Pans, Worlds etc. Sandbagging is fake. It's just an excure to not admit you're not as good as you think you are.

[@singleplayerparty3899]

Probably the same people that will cry when he gets his black belt “too fast”

[@TheGrapplingYeti]

I was in Brandon's bracket at pans, and will be again in worlds. I'm happy he's competing. He's putting a lot on the line coming out here. If he loses, it gives people like me a huge boost. He didn't dominate the final, he won 2-0. I love having a big name out there to train for and get to compete against top level opponents. Most purple belt adults at pans and worlds are nearing pro level and winning most local tournaments, this gives us a good litmus test to see where I'm at

[@ByronC900]

Belts should stay, as a measurement of time training. But we should move to an ELO system, like Chess for competition. ELO would range from 1000-2800+, with a first time competitor starting at 1,000. Getting your blue should move you to default 1,100. Purple 1200, Brown 1300 and black 1500. But it would be very possible for a blue belt competitor to defeat a black belt, and start climbing into black belt ELO before they even get their purple belt.

[@ronaldinho5860]

Pixley is definitely not a Purple Belt.

[@fatandhandsome]

Man with purple belt level jiujitsu has purple belt, sources confirm that this is working as intended.

[@BigTiddyGothGrappler]

Chewy way nicer than me

[@bepratt]

A few thoughts: 1) He can't promote himself (as he stated) 2) BJJ isn't just about skills, it's application/experience (as you stated) 3) With all belts, white - black, there's going to be a range of skill/experience at each level. It's not like someone's a purple belt one day and then they get their brown belt and they're magically so much better because they got then next belt. People get the belt because they've put in the work to grow and get better. With all belts there's different levels of skills and there will be some overlap. Anyway, you and Brandon know why he's where he is and that SHOULD be all that matters, but it still can be challenging to hear the haters. Congrats Brandon! Way to compete and get better.

[@rahulbball9395]

This is why belts are outdated imo. There’s a reason no other sport does anything like belts

[@tamamalosi]

Yeah! Apart from Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Judo, no one does belts! No one!

[@ItsPandatory]

They may not have belts but many sports have skill divisions that you move through

[@tamamalosi]

@@rahulbball9395 In case anyone missed the sarcasm, belts are fine. They show time served and skills acquired. They don't always show ability on the mat however. Belts are an effective way of tracking progress. Leave them be.

[@richardgallagher4880]

Yes they do. Every sport does. But you don't play football(soccer)20 times a week with the guy sat across the mat you've never met before.

[@finburns]

Is there any rule in the sport like other sports that if you win you go to the next division up ? That would prevent sandbagging.

[@blackanviljiujitsucompany1993]

He doesn’t decide his rank .. you do.. I hate it when idiots say that trash

[@shootits48]

Hard spot to be in. His experience is greater than his belt level. Wrestling and Judo matter But it doesn't necessarily mean he's at that jiu-jitsu knowledge level

[@benlevin7296]

He's not a sandbagger at all. But they should have some "advanced" category for Sambo masters, D1 wrestlers, etc. At the end of the day, if you beat the world's best in submission grappling, you are a black belt, I really don't care how you got there. Fine to skip the belt. The idea that, say, Josef Chen is a brown belt is absurd. Jon Jones is a black belt, Khabib is a black belt, etc.

[@blacksheep4266]

"People sit around on social media too much." 💯

[@AntoineFabri]

We should assign a handicap to practicioners based on belt, age, and weight, and people should compete among their handicaps, with the option to move up if they win enough, we'd go down to like 20 categories, fights would be more fun and no more sandbagging because winners move up anyway, and should be happy to do so. Currently ibjjf is 9 age categories, 10 weight categories (incl absolute) and 5 belts. That is 450 categories, and if you consider gi/no gi and gender that's 1800! How is anybody supposed to care at this point? And yet when you go training everyone rolls with everyone and there is like 10 to 15 levels of opposition that you've felt in all your rolling experience all gyms included, where is the sense in that ?

[@ZenBJJ10p]

For me, as a coach competition success doesn’t always equal knowledge. You can have a somewhat limited game set and use it very successfully in competition while still knowing significantly less than your opponent. For example look no further than early Nicky rod. He was smashing dudes but when it came down to who you may learn way deeper Jiu Jitsu from, often it’s his opponents. So I totally respect and understand why it may be that a coach keeps a student at a lower rank even if they are comp killers when they may be using more anti Jiu Jitsu, stalling, or wrestling to find success than Jiu Jitsu

[@tamamalosi]

Huh, real interesting take.

[@hari9885]

Outrage generates dopamine

[@BrodusLee]

You can tell from the videos Brandon is a super nice guy!

[@nicholasnj3778]

Great Explanation, imo IBJJF has to Grant Exceptions when its warranted

[@holla_at_tchalla2548]

I definitely think it’s situational and the individual’s journey. Brandon is a great purple right now, like Chewy was saying he is still relative new in this space and not a ton of competition experience. PANs was his first major title, outside of placing at ADCC trials. Now yes if he wins Worlds and maybe even PANs again next year maybe go even further in ADCC, then yeah I would think it’s about time. Right now I think Chewy’s logic is sound and Reed’s is in a great spot to continue to grow. Pixley on the other hand is a sandbagger. Not of his own fault.

[@determinedlyunmotivated4300]

Chewy is the best 🥰💪

[@Patrick-sheen]

Some people are just haters. I honestly wonder if all these commentators even train..I’d imagine half of them don’t.

[@eichnerm]

Pat Downey is competing at Blue belt at Nogi Worlds, not by his choice but it is IBJJF rules. It is crazy the level of grappling experience and skill that Pat is going to have over his opponents is the biggest gap of any bracket.

[@paulg3397]

That’s wild Imagine the others guys in his bracket!!

[@thejacobanderson1]

One time I came into class and there was a new white belt. Like clean brand new crisp white belt. I had been doing Jiu jitsu for a couple years. So I introduced myself and shook hands. I did want to make the new guy uncomfortable. I wanted to ease him into starting Jiu jitsu. I was brutally arm bared about 12 times that roll.... That new guy was a Judo black belt and had been grappling since he was 5. I think some people should just get a blue belt right away for public safety reasons.

[@rstlr01]

I been training BJJ 11 months and have won both white and blue belt sub only gi absolutes with a record of 12-0. I got my first stripe on my white belt a month ago. I wrestled into college but as a 40 year-old man, it had been 20 years since I had stepped on the mats. I too am a sandbagger apparently but I run into Mr. Reed at a sub only local I’d probably be crying as well😂

[@af4396]

There is a difference between being an athlete and overall understanding "grappling", and knowing the art of BJJ at a deep level that a good black belt would in both Gi and No-Gi. And, from what you're saying he doesn't even murder everyone. Some people with wrestling or judo backgrounds already have LOTS of conditioning, skills, muscle memory in grappling movements etc. That doesn't mean I'd ask this purple belt for advice over Jean Jacque Machado or Pedro Sauer. People need to separate athleticism and general skill from individuals with certain belts. There is no objective belt, and BJJ isn't ALL about performing, it's not a sport, it's a martial system that makes a good sport as well.

[@king_xena]

BJJ athletes are soft

[@MattBreaux-q3p]

🤨

[@MJSilverfang]

3:15 This is me with cocaine. 😅

[@LC-in5or]

This is the day of mma. A guy might have a blue belt in BJJ but has 10 years of wrestling, judo, muay thai or whatever. these schools are more accessible then they have ever been, and if you want to be a successful competitor, you really have to keep that in mind.

[@tylerohlmann8904]

Never has a hater existed who is doing better than the person theyre hating

[@billycaves]

I am CERTAIN that is not true. Sounds nice, though

[@Cody.Tafoya]

You've never heard of the "player haters ball"

[@richardgallagher4880]

I've got trump on line 1, he's saying your post is the worst he's ever seen. Ever seen. Worst in the world. So bad.. so bad.

[@tylerohlmann8904]

@@billycaves I'm CERTAIN your wife needs to stay out my DMs. Boom. Roasted

[@tylerohlmann8904]

@@richardgallagher4880 your face is the worst he's ever seen. Boom, Roasted

[@cb4354]

Chewy he crushes you. he's not a purple belt.

[@WakeUpUniverse66]

Tell that to the regular guy who does BJJ after he get smashed by an ADCC Vet in his first Purple belt bracket. Good way to get people to quit. I mean i could see how that could be seen as unfair. That's like Michael Jordon going back to college course to play ball again.

[@fatandhandsome]

@@WakeUpUniverse66 a hobbyist in his first purple belt bracket is a super heavyweight doing IBJJF pans? And that makes him quit?

[@justinhearst]

​@@fatandhandsome wether its first comp or not, his point stands.

[@fatandhandsome]

@justinhearst no it doesn't. The expectation of the skill level of your opponent is reflected in the tournament. Now sure, you go to a naga for your first tourney at purple and run into a reed or pixley, be upset. But getting smoked at pans? You gotta know where you stand.

[@WakeUpUniverse66]

@@fatandhandsome I never said Hobbyist.

[@WakeUpUniverse66]

@@fatandhandsome When a guy from ADCC shows up everyone else in that bracket knows the odds of them taking home gold goes to under 10%. That's why its bullshit. You proved your skill by winning in ADCC, its not the same type of Purple belt.

[@markavelisocal]

Dude, its sandbagging. Come on

[@Swindler-wz5md]

There’s blue belts competing at ADCC. Competition success doesn’t always equate to skill level.

[@irlshrek]

im proud of brandon

[@AyyoBalake]

Same people complaining are more then likely the same people who did the free week trial at the gym and never went back. “I know jiu jitsu” shut up Kevin, you know how to get smashed and give up 😂😂 props to him for doing good at ADCC!

[@BroodYouth]

tbh for this reason (not sandbagging necessarily, the whole belt system being subjective) is why I only really care about the black belt division

[@msdunkel]

Follow Joe Rogan's lead: post and ghost. Haters in the comments hate themselves; you can't satisfy them, you can't convince them, you can't fix them.

[@MJSilverfang]

Word. And don't read the comments either, lol

[@Chewjitsu]

Eh, I don't mind jumping in here once a week with the comments. Let's me know what you guys are getting from the videos.

[@Wiseoldman901]

If outrage is a drug then so is celebrating/ hype. Go Brandon, awesome job!

[@DanielJBarnett]

My guy, he is sandbagging. Not by his doing but by yours. However, the tournament should not have let him compete. It’s ridiculous and downright insulting that he is competing at this level after ADCC

[@Marcus-rx3jg]

Facts that guy is definitely not a purple

[@rorkan138]

Caio Terra got his got his black belt in 3 years

[@ItsPandatory]

Caio got promoted to black the same year the minimum time rules came into effect and he had problems with the federation because of it. This recently happened with Mica, he got promoted early and the federation wouldn't let him compete for a while.

[@curraja14]

When I think of sandbaggers, i think of 5 year white belts, so they can win big tournaments. Or as a well known school... wont promote their students until they place at Pans or worlds.

[@vincechanhealthy6373]

damn! I didn't know Brandon trains under you!

[@leesanders1619]

A hater’s going to hate.

[@JustDontCareAnyMore]

I couldn’t care less what he competes at or what he wins. But, what I do find interesting is that you had to make a 6 minute video defending him. If people are hating on you then you’re doing something right. But now, you just made him look like a chump.

[@Aaron-zk2wu]

I'm sorry, did you say in years past he competed in world's at purple belt and got 2nd place? Lmao, sandbagging confirmed. You kept him at purple so he could win before being promoted, now that's he's won you will promote him to brown. Quit BSing.

[@ItsPandatory]

For a person that starts as an adult the minimum time requirement at blue belt is 2 years and at purple its 1.5, there is an exception in the rules for if you win worlds. No exception for 2nd place.

[@Marcus-rx3jg]

Bro he's sandbaghing ​@ItsPandatory

[@ItsPandatory]

@@Marcus-rx3jg If you think what hes doing is extreme you should see the training history of the best blue/purple belts in the gi

[@kurtishigh4277]

If anything is makes me want to get a round with him lol

[@fordguyfordguy]

You are arguing this too hard. It is what it is, let people complain if they want, no need to explain yourself.

[@Sensei_Gaz]

Lets just get rid of belts

[@gogorth1936]

Sandbagging so pedigo?