CJI FINAL: KADE RUOTOLO vs LEVI JONES-LEARY | FULL MATCH CRAIG JONES INVITATIONAL

[@baudopl1]

Levi will be a millionare selling his instructionals about his insane guard

[@xandr13]

Exactly

[@bengough6955]

I'd love to learn some more from him his defense is astonishing

[@MuayThaiDreadlock]

no he wont

[@decidingpaper6324]

💯, might be the best guard in this current era of BJJ

[@1GmO2]

I’m a former wrestler but ngl Levi makes me want to become a butt scooter. His game is so clean

[@TB-LivingFree]

This CJI was one of the best tournaments ever!

[@felipem2040]

Adcc much better and bolder

[@JhonJairoBernal-i3j]

No, this whole Jujitsu thing is very gay. It's probably gayer than wrestling. I prefer martial arts for men, like karate or muay thai.

[@JacobsNews]

​@@JhonJairoBernal-i3jno they're all gay because you're dressing up to go touch other men😂 karate is even more gay because it's useless

[@TB-LivingFree]

@@felipem2040 the number of likes on your comment vs mine makes me think that most people don't agree with your statement

[@TB-LivingFree]

@@JhonJairoBernal-i3j bet you wouldn't say that to any of these competitors faces

[@reallaz8804]

This is my attempt to objectively analyze the Kade vs Levi match and better understand the criteria and the rules. I broke all of the significant sequences down by match timestamp and tried to look at them in light of the CJI rules that were posted to smoothcomp. This is all for educational purposes. I don't care who won, and I don't care about opinions on entertainment value or really anything else that is not backed up by some reasoning. I do welcome any counter arguments or pointing out factors I missed. Scoring Criteria: Initiating effective action Close submissions and dynamic action (described as transitions into attacks) Positional Control (described as a tie breaker in absence of the above two) Round 1 ( judges scored 2-1 Levi) 4:55 - Kade running away as Levi moves forward 4:40 - Levi enters DLR and moves to a crab ride 4:25 - Kade walking away and told he has to engage 3:40 - Kade enters a split squat passing position, Levi enters DLR, puts Kade to his hands and Kade flees 3:14 - Kade standing on the outside, Levi makes a conneciton and enters DLR, Levi sweeps, Kade counters with a triangle, Levi escapes and attempts to enter the legs, Kade disconnects and steps away 2:39 - Kade stands on the outside, Levi connects and enters left side DLR, Levi uses underhook DLR to enter the legs and drop Kade to a hip, Kade gets back to his knees and enters a split squat 0:47 - Kade backing away to the outside, Levi scoots forward, enters K-Guard and drops Kade to a hip, Levi attacks the foot and Kade manages to roll out Round 2 (judges scored 3-0 Levi) 4:55 - Levi pulls guard, moves toward Kade, Kade attempts a carthweel, they both turn to face 4:32 - Kade enters a split squat, and backs out again, jumps back in and returns to a split squat, no further action 3:35 - Kade playing on the outside, Levi scoots toward Kade and takes a scoop grip to enter K-guard, drops Kade to a hip and attempts to attack the leg, Kade rolls to avoid the heel exposure, Levi comes up with a single, Kade turns to face and pushes Levi away, Levi sits back to guard 3:00 - Kade turns his back and walks away, Levi attempts to wrestle up to a rear bodylock, Kade turns to face and Levi sits back to guard 2:57 - Levi scoots toward Kade and enters DLR, Kade disconnects and moves to the outside, attempts a diving knee slide and moves back to the outside 2:00 - Kade enters a split squat, Levi takes a right side scoop grip to K-guard and drops Kade to a hip, Kade strips the grips and returns to his knees 1:20 - Kade enters the split squat, attempts a Rau drag, Levi recovers guard 0:27 - Levi attempts to move to a reverse closed guard, Kade counters with a toe hold, Kade lets go and Levi enters a false reap and drops kade to a hip as the round ends For Rounds 1 and 2, I more or less agree with the Judges. I probably would have scored round 1 3-0 to Levi because although Kade did counter with the triangle, in that sequence Levi swept Kade (criteria number 1), Kade countered with a triangle (criteria number 2), but Levi was able to escape pretty quickly suggesting it was not that deep (the criteria states close submissions) and moved immediately to attack the legs again (dynamic action, criteria number 2), so I believed that Levi won that sequence. The remainder of round 1 seemed pretty clearly in favor of Levi. Round 3 (judges scored 3-0 Kade) 4:30 - Kade attempts a diving knee cut, Levi retains guard and they turn to face 3:20 - Kade is playing on the outside, Levi enters DLR, transitions to waiter guard but is unable to drop Kade to hip, Kade is able to disconnect 2:50 - Kade deliberately turns his back, Levi enters a crab ride and sits Kade down but Kade is able to disconnect and roll away, 1:40 - Kade moves in and attempts to tight pass on his knees, Levi maintains his knee shield and Kade returns to the outside 1:00 - Kade is playing on the outside and hits a throw by, Levi attempts to scoop Kade's leg as Kade attempts to move to a leg drag, neither is able to gain further advantage and they return to neutral 00:12 - Levi takes an underhook and attempts to enter backside 50/50 but time ends in the round Round 3 was close and I think Kade was given the round because of the guard pass attempt. However, Levi also had a deep scoop on the leg and I think Kade was forced to abandon the pass else risk getting countered. If you review the footage, Kade also moved to the Leg drag as Levi attempted a choi bar entry. I would still score this sequence in favor of Kade just as I would score the wrestle up attempts in favor of Levi even though he elected to give them up. However, I think people discounted the attempted crab ride by Levi because Kade had deliberately turned his back. In my opinion this was an election by Kade to stop engaging and Levi initiated an attack that dropped Kade to a hip (I consider dropping a standing player to a hip the same as a near guard pass), so this brings their action economy to equal. The only other significant initiation in this round was the close waiter sweep by levi where Kade had to post his hand and roll away to avoid going to a hip, and at the very end Levi attempted to enter backside 50/50. Because of that I would give this round in tight contest to Levi. Round 4 (judges score 3-0 Kade) 5:00 - Round opens, Levi pulls guard and scoots toward Kade, the referee tells Kade he has to engage as Kade was backing away 3:45 - Kade is playing on the outisde and dives for a knee cut, Levi retains his frame but Kade is able to get a strong crossface, Kade abandons the crossface as Levi is able to scoop the leg and drop Kade to a hip 2:10 - After a sequence of pass attempts and off balances in both directions, Kade enters a split squat with upper body grips, Levi spins underneath and collects a leg, dropping Kade to a hip, Levi takes an achilles grip and tries to suck in a leg but Kade is able to disconnect and return to his feet 1:20 - Levi enters k-guard and drops Kade to a hip, Levi attempts a straight ankle into an aoki lock but Kade slips the heel, as Kade is trying to stand up Levi enters a crab ride and drops Kade back to a hip, Kade is able to disconnect and return to his feet 0:40 - It looked like Kade deliberately turned his back (this was one harder to tell), Levi enters a crab ride, Kade attempts to suck in the leg for a knee bar but Levi drops him to a hip 0:17 - Levi enters K-guard and is able to drop Kade to a hip and come on top into a leg drag I actually think Round 4 was more in favor of Levi than round 3. Kade was able to get some upper body grips but it did not look like he was able to use them to initiate a pass and both times Levi won the exchange and dropped kade to a hip. I call out at the beginning that the ref had to tell Kade he must move forward because there are several instances in this match where I believe Kade willfully disengages (walking away, turning his back, stepping backward when Levi moves forward) and the main criteria for this event was to initiate effective action. It also states in the rules that a fighter cannot flee or run from a guard pull. I tried to look for the reciprocal in Levi but so far at no point did Levi move away from Kade. Any time Kade was out of reach Levi would sit up and move toward him, and whenever Kade moved toward Levi he would attempt to counter. In this round Levi was the only one with submission attempts and he dropped Kade to a hip six times, with the final time being a full sweep into a leg drag. I think some attention was on the attempted knee crunch by Kade due to what happened with Jozef vs Barbosa. However, it did not look like this was a legitimate submission threat and Levi's arm was under Kade's arm and shooting to the far trap as the round ended. I think Kade's odds of finishing Levi here was close to zero, if not zero, and Levi was in position to finish a leg drag with a kata gatame grip and likely a good look at a back take. Obiviously that did not hapen so it won't factor into my analysis. But what did happen was Levi swept Kade and came up into a strong passing position. Round 5 (judges scored 3-0 Kade) This round was close and I do think Kade had his best pass attempts of the night in the final round. However, Levi also had a strong pass attempt this round so I have to rule these as equal action . The only other significant action in the round was Levi knocking Kade to a hip through a leg inversion before Kade is able to scramble back to his feet. I give this round to Levi for having just slightly better action, but also because the rules clearly state that the top player cannot flee a guard player and Kade is seen walking away from Levi multiple times. Even when Kade pulled guard, he did not drop to double seated and engage Levi on the ground. He took multiple steps backwards and then sat and waited for Levi, to which Levi immediately stood and engaged. I think there are some points to be made about some of these rounds going to a 2-1 split but no matter how many times I watch this match I have Levi winning. I welcome any counter arguments but all I've seen so far was that Kade was more exciting. But being exciting is not listed as a victory criteria, initiating effective action is.

[@ShrimpyWilliams]

Exactly. Round 4 was an insane robbery. I’m no where near as technically savvy as you lol I just got my blue belt but the only significant action in round 4 seemed to be a close submission attempt by Levi and him almost coming on top to end the round

[@homunkoloss6782]

Your analysis is spot on, i felt the same while watching the match.

[@NovaChan07]

The robbery of round 4 was Levi’s sign that the judges had been swayed for the top player. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if Levi decided to risk a change to his strategy. Thanks for this analysis!

[@mustaphamsr9617]

You are a gentleman and a scholar, Levi definitely won

[@mrmeeks85]

Great breakdown. I had Levi winning as well (watched without the commentary)

[@THEWORLDISPVP]

Listen say what u want about levis strategy. THE MOMENT kade tried to sit and play the guard game and let levi try to pass his guard he changed his mind real quick when levi started leg pummelimg

[@AlexQ-ud8ng]

So why didn’t Levi continue with that plan????? Why sit back down??

[@reallaz8804]

@@AlexQ-ud8ng cause he would get taken down by kade? he was attempting to pass because kade sat down. but if kade doesn't want to play off his back, then he has no choice but to play guard, which was working. better passing is different to better wrestling

[@YungRamo]

Cos kade stopped playing guard​@@AlexQ-ud8ng

[@THEWORLDISPVP]

@@AlexQ-ud8ng dont misunderstand me kade clearly dictated whether he wanted to be on top or on bottom. But levis passing was enough to let kade decide it was safer to play top game in that situation. (Which most of us would) but kade was mocking levis strategy and the moment he decided "okay ill play guard now lets see your pass game" he let that go on for about 40 seconds before he changed his mind.

[@justinava1675]

You can see who the butt scooters are based on their comments lol

[@hamzahraza6540]

Levi with wrestle ups would be incredible

[@AN043V3R]

It's coming. This time next year, Levi, Andrew, or Joezef will win. CJI showed me that the Ruotolos aren't that technical. And as they get older and slow down, you'll all notice it more.

[@marcinolszewski2260]

@@AN043V3R "as they get older and slow down"... you mean in 12 years from now? :D

[@GrappleHeavy93]

He had several single legs to tree top, but he isn't confident at all in his finishing ability on the feet, which leads me to believe he hardly trains stand-up at all.

[@AN043V3R]

@marcinolszewski2260 it will probably be less than that. Hopefully, they transition to MMA.

[@Sweetness2205]

@@AN043V3Ryes it is certainly impossible for Kade to get more technical in one year and being 22 years old in a year he will most definitely be losing a step 😂😂😂

[@Baen666]

No disrespect to Levi, his guard and leg attacks are crazy, but I just can't get over the buttscooting and not engaging in standup. Definitely not the way to make the sport attractive for the mainstream viewer.

[@JwowDickens]

I like to look at everything through the lense of self defense and violence and not sport. So I agree with you

[@pooppoop1619]

It’s jiu jitsu.

[@justinava1675]

They don't want to lose the stand-up battle and end up in a bad position. So they just butt scoot. I hate to see it and love the ruotolo bros mentality

[@benkelly7182]

His job was to win a million dollars for himself. I don’t think “make the sport attractive for the viewers” is or should be part of his game plan.

[@Wealthforthe99Percent]

They said the same thing about Khabib until he fought Connor. Casuals gonna casual.

[@EpicDoughnut]

Levi definitely could have won this match if he actually took the initiative when he had it. Both times he had something (standing Kade up at 7:59 & passing his guard when Kade sat down 25:14) he just gave it up immediately, sitting down instead of pursuing it, and the judges rightfully punished him for that. I totally understand Kade's frustration.

[@k1mfor]

Levi was clearly far superior but was robbed. Kade is a whiny little bitch, judges just happened to prefer him.

[@awptsm]

If he didn't do the butt dragging. Made me want to turn it off. if it wasn't Kade would have turned it off

[@LeelosAdventure]

Guard pulling is 99% of the reason jiu jitsu is not mainstream

[@errgo2713]

Fuck the mainstream

[@finnlee4553]

Na guard pulling is entertaining if the person pulling guard actually initiates action. I tell you right now watching two people wrestle who don’t initiate is just as boring. Watch the recent izaak michelle vs Pedro Marino match

[@danielestrada8835]

I’m new to watching these matches. I really do love it. I never knew there were matches like this. Very interesting

[@Jiu-JitsuJourney257]

Welcome. It’s an amazing martial art.

[@forgejiujitsu508]

We can debate the merits of their strategy for sure. But that was an incredible display of guard throughout the event from Levi. I remember an era where we were questioning the effectiveness of DLR in high level nogi grappling. He’s an absolute master at it.

[@deezntz70]

Man, Levi's guard this tournament was FANTASTIC. Never saw him in any danger of getting passed and was always looking for leg entries.

[@thesmitty83]

Kade wanted none of his top game either. After 3 seconds he realized giving Levi top position was a big mistake for his play it safe plan.

[@Kinj]

You mispelled "waiting" and "looking". He does have a fantastic guard and never was in danger but this is what you should expect from pulling guard, evading danger, not playing and WAITING for the guy to do all the work while you safely exploit holes.

[@MuayThaiDreadlock]

how tf do you still lose when no one can pass your guard? for sure the most boring matches of the year, thanks for nothing Levi, you wasted the your spot in CJI... Craig wanted people who DONT train bjj to watch bjj... Levi did the exact opposite for that.

[@biscobisco1882]

​@Kinj But he WAS playing, he actively sought and achieved a whole bunch of leg entanglements. That wasn't him being passive, that was him attacking from a seated position. Kade defending them effectively doesn't negate that.

[@flowride4184]

Yes indeed. And he made it to the final of a division that was as talent stacked as they come. He's an incredible guard player. Kade, Tye and the rest need to work on their guard passing.

[@filmnlnja]

I want to learn guard with Levi

[@puregeniusful]

he has a god guard so boring

[@justinava1675]

Gotta be very flexible and long legs.

[@andrewnorwalt7643]

Essentially throw that pseudo lasso with your leg. You can tell that’s what him and Lachlan do all day long

[@bengough6955]

​@@puregeniusfulbut if you're weak in guard theres few better to learn from, boring or not

[@MuayThaiDreadlock]

gay

[@OMARANT100]

My take: combat sports are fundamentally about imposing your will on your opponent. Levi's performance was astoundingly impressive, but he did nothing to impose his will. Levi sat to the ground (without touching/pulling Kade) and said "you have to come to me." If he had grips on Kade and actually pulled him into his guard and kept him there, that would be one thing. But what he did was he sat and waited for Kade to move forward. Kade went forward and backwards at will, and Levi couldn't do anything to stop him. Levi didn't impose his will, he (metaphorically speaking) sat with his back to a wall holding a shotgun and said "I bet you can't get me." I'm not saying that Levi should have been forced into a proper wrestling match with Kade, because that would have been unfair to Levi. But I am saying that forcing Kade to walk d--k first into a bear trap would also be unfair... But that was the only option available to him. Levi had other options, Levi could have wrestled up or stood up, gotten grips, then properly pulled guard instead of passively waiting for Kade to put himself in danger, but he chose not to.

[@iosmc4]

Very well said

[@ramonveltmeijer9961]

Factsss

[@dubstepXpower]

He did more than Kade. He actually had a couple close attacks but Kade kept backing up and not engaging. Tbh I felt Kade was stalling more then him since Kade can't even pass his guard

[@AEKEST]

Amazing analysis

[@OMARANT100]

​@@dubstepXpower I get what you mean, I do. I'm not a guard hater or a guard pull hater. It's an important part of the game. But I take issue with the language of "can't even pass his guard." Both of these men are so far above me that they could fold my spine into a bow and I couldn't do a thing about it. Hell, you might even be able to do it to me too! But to say that one of the top players in the world "can't even" just *pass the guard of one of the most impressive guard players I've ever seen* just doesn't sit well with me. It's easy to say but soooooooo hard to do. And - by the same token - I could say that Kade tried to pass Levi's guard many times and Levi "couldn't even" hold Kade in his guard. Ultimately, Levi's will was to catch Kade in the obvious trap, Kade's will was to not get caught in the obvious trap. Only one person succeeded.

[@ora_et_labora1095]

The Kade vs Tackett fight should’ve been the final. Wow what a fight

[@TheUrbanBeekeepers]

Levi scooted right into 2nd place, B Team might consider picking him up ;)

[@rhidiandavies1991]

IDK maybe I'm not with the majority here judging by the number of people bigging up Levi's guard, I just think top position should be rewarded more in and of itself to encourage the development of stand up grappling. There's the argument that excessive guard playing is boring, but it also just skips 50% of what grappling should involve. I think if there was a legit way that someone could keep a match standing to their advantage, guard play fans would complain, so I feel this is a valid criticism. I think fundamentally intentionally sitting into a defensive position and then relying on your opponent engaging with you for you to be able to mount an offense by countering that, is equivalent to running away in a wrestling match.

[@justnick32]

In addition, its on Kade to initiate. If he doesn't, he is stalling and the rules are against him. I think its backwards, the netural position should be prioritized. Imagine Levi being attacked on the street, him dropping and dragging ass towards the attacker... In a competitive environment I think its backwards.

[@deweyck6820]

Levi’s guard is really good, the man doesn’t deserve the boos for sure. He might evolve after this even more who knows, cause with that kind of guard anything he adds to it will only make him more dangerous.

[@BlahBlahFreeman]

He 100% deserves the boos when the entire purpose of the ruleset was what Kade vs Tackett gave us. Just like Levi 100% deserved to lose the tournament for sitting on his ass hoping to toe hold Kade for 25 minutes. The grand finals were exactly the thing the promoters wanted to avoid, because it's the exact reason no one watches this sport. Forcing guardplay should result in a point penalty 100% of the time.

[@JohnDoe-rs4fl]

​@@BlahBlahFreemanplease stick to the WWE for grappling.

[@andrewrodrigues2865]

​​@@BlahBlahFreeman What? Anyone booing doesn't understand guard retention at the highest level. Surely, if you understand phenomenal guard retention, which was on display, then the last thing you'd want to do is boo, because Levi put on a master class. Guard retention is fucking hard. If people are booing then maybe they showed up to the wrong event. Also, if the booing was warranted, Kade is also to blame. He wouldn't fully engage Levi's guard - no aggressive knee cuts, no Headquarters, no back-steps to side control or to attempt to take the back...it takes two to tango.

[@flowride4184]

@@andrewrodrigues2865 Yes! And he was applauded various times such as for finishing Roberto in an exciting fashion that had the commentators screaming. Or for the beautiful transition to Barbosa's back. Or when he had Tye fleeing on a deep heel hook entry that injured him. Also, people seem to think Craig was not expecting Levi to not do what he always does, which is play an awesome guard. Craig was also aware of Eoghan O’Flanagan's guard centric game and invited him too.

[@__________o____________]

boooooooooooooo

[@burghleyli2693]

was told to watch this by my coach because i have a similar game. Now i see why. What an insane guard, a lot of things to take away here.

[@desistang8794]

People are wrong here. Levi has an impenetrable guard, but he doesn't have the submission skills to hold, dominate or submit Kade. On the other hand, Kade, who is one of the best guard passers, can’t pass Levi's guard either. It simply becomes a stylistic stalling match, and whoever is the most aggressive wins, especially in ADCC or CJJ style-no points or dominant position means the one pushing the pace more will likely take the match.

[@Harps555]

Kade wasn't pushing the pace more Kade stepped into guard and then backed out as soon as Levi started attacking. Kade and Ty are both absolutely amazing but they also have a skill of making it look like they are doing a lot when they are not. Kade has nothing for Levi in this match and Levi was constantly attacking. If you want a wrestling match watch wrestling but Levi won this match. Kade knew to and made that speech before the match even happened down talking Levi and influencing the crowd which in turn influenced the judges

[@BlahBlahFreeman]

@@Harps555 Kade literally was the only one doing anything. He proved it in his interview after the Tackett match. If he just stood back and waited for Levi to get up and engage him, people would say he was stalling. But praise Levi for sitting on his ass forcing guardplay. It's the bigger cancer in sport, and Levi deserved to lose the tournament off that alone.

[@Harps555]

@@BlahBlahFreeman he didn't prove shit in that speech. that speech was to get the crowd on his side because he knew he couldn't pass Levi's guard he knew exactly what he was doing.Levi literally destroyed his brother's knee and he's going to act like he didn't do anything that's fuckin retarded. Levi was in guard but constantly moving towards Kade and entering leg attacks and sweeps as well as attempted back takes. Guard play is part of the sport if you only want to watch wrestling then watch that but it's not jiu jitsu be it what you like to watch or not. The rules of CJI were effective action, the only effective action was Levi attempting submission Kade just stepped in then out as soon as Levi attacked. Kade made it look like he was doing more by just moving rapidly without actually doing anything. Both brothers are very good at that. I'm a Rutolos fan but Levi won that match by all measures.

[@Marco-kn8rg]

​@@BlahBlahFreemanwhy? If sitting IS that bad, how the oponents are not able to punish It?

[@mrmcrobbkdc4001]

@@BlahBlahFreeman Levi was coming forward and engaging the entire time!

[@Koko161081]

This guard is a work of art, let the haters hate.

[@assassin7250]

It didn’t win him a million dollars though 😂.

[@RoninPyro77]

Its boring to watch

[@Koko161081]

@@RoninPyro77 That's subjective, I find it exciting. But let's be realistic and somewhat objective here: in all sports there are different styles of playing. Some like aggressive styles, some appreciate less exciting but perhaps more sophisticated styles, some like unorthodox etc. It's all part of the game whether we're talking about basketball, MMA, tennis and what not. You can't expect that suddenly in a bjj tournament every match will be a war full of takedowns and scrambles, even more so given that guard-playing is a quintessential aspect of the sport.

[@flowride4184]

@@assassin7250 Yeah, all he could manage was beating a bunch of killers and getting to the final..

[@stevec2890]

Great guard until you punch him in the f***in face

[@gilbinman9873]

This was an amazing event. I like watching this as much as watching MMA.

[@localsymbiosis]

this is fascinating. I came to this after watching the semi final and people saying that the final was boring... but this is such an interesting match, i love how complex his guard is, even though it isnt as "exciting" as the semi-fnal with Kade.

[@benjamingasquefoothillhs5178]

If you're going to play guard the whole time, you'd better be sweeping a lot or submit your opponent- I didn't see Levi pull off many successful sweeps and there was no submission. So really he was on his butt the whole time failing submissions and sweeps- how can that be considered victory or aggression? Kade initiated everything and was the more 'game' competitor. No guards were passed or submissions completed- aggression is the only thing that could have decided this match and Levi just sat there.

[@Hw7dh]

"Aggressiveness" is what gets you a win if it equal when ut comes to attacks. It wasn't equal.

[@BudduNoonga]

how was kade the one who initiated everything? he barely attacked and made no effort to pass.

[@AnananasFanta]

Kade wasn't doing shit. Just slamming himself to guard and bacled away scared when Levi got grips. He just faked people believing by taunting.

[@juancarlosrodriguez9800]

I've seen this fight 4 times and I really analyze it every time. I see Levi as the winner, at all times controlling the position, there was no effective attack by Rotuolo, the show boy couldn't do anything. On a technical level, if you see him as a competitor, Levi wins, he never felt a threat, they never let his guard go. So what the hell are you talking about that he stayed seated. hahahahaha you have to feel the pressure of labeling it trying to pass hahahahaha it's ridiculous. It didn't happen and he became desperate. LEVI WON

[@foesublime]

still have to pass the guard

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[@colinh9454]

Levi was robbed. He was able to neutralize the Ruotolo's best weapon and basically force a temper tantrum. Note when Kade sits down and Levi goes to pass, after about 30 seconds, Kade basically says, 'Na fuck that'.

[@rhabenic]

This 💯 Levi was better all around. Yes, he played guard. That's his A-game and this is for a million bucks. Is he supposed to play into Kade's A-game of spazzy athleticism over technical jiu-jitsu? And I'm not saying he doesn't have good technique, just that it clearly isn't to the level of Levi's! Kade basically wanted none of Levi whether on top or bottom. He was gifted the win due, in large part I think, to his wild (quite amazing really!) match with Tackett. The crowd wanted more of that and with the open scoring I think the crowd - or something - swayed the judges. If Levi won rounds 1 and 2 (AND based on ALL of the scoring prior), there is NO way he didn't pick up at least one more round out of the last 3. To be fair, I love the concept of open scoring, but maybe the judges should be in a sound-proof booth(?) Kade stalled as much as some of the +80kg guys. He just did so in a much flashier manner.

[@runawaybum4799]

🤨Robbed how?! I saw one weak ass submission attempt from him the entire fight. His L was well deserved. When a million dollars is at stake, I want to see you act like you want it and go for a damn k!\\

[@colinh9454]

​@@runawaybum4799 You should probably reevaluate what you know about the sport in that case. To each their own.

[@runawaybum4799]

@@colinh9454 you should quit bitchn about your guy losing and get on with your life.

[@__________o____________]

he should go back to adcc

[@mrejpeguero]

Pulling guard is not a martial art. It's the reason some black belts get destroyed on a real fight.

[@JJDon5150]

For those saying "this isn't a wrestling match" and don't want to see the full game of jiu-jitsu/submission grappling from standing, transitions, ground, and wrestling up, just say you want both competitors to start from their butts. See how fast that kills any momentum of BJJ ever becoming a mainstream and viewer friendly sport. This is such an easy fix. If you pull guard, force the guard puller to have to have positive connection at all times. If I can simply step out of your guard or guard pull, then that's not legit offense by the guard puller. And if the top player can simply step out of your guard once it hits the ground, then they should be able to call for a standup just like in MMA. And for those who think this would result in just bad wrestling/takedowns on the feet with endless hand fighting and no takedown attempts, just implement stalling calls like in Judo and wrestling. BJJ was never intended to be all about the guard. See BJJ's roots in Judo with Jigoro Kano and Maeda, the Gracie challenges in the mid 1900s, and the early UFCs with the Gracies. The modern day sport guard mentality has only come about in the last 10 years because its largely a way to game the rules. Guard players know top player's only option is to pass, while the bottom player has the options of submissions, sweeps, or wrestling up.

[@nooneatall5612]

or just make the top player actually have to engage

[@jacobvandiver8297]

@@JJDon5150 the biggest development in BJJ is the guard.

[@marinradovan9539]

This is not wrestling, but NO GI grappling. Levi was one active here, looking for submissions and sweeps while Ruotolo basically jumped in, jumped out and that's it.

[@JJDon5150]

@@marinradovan9539 you realize wrestling is a part of no gi grappling right lol?

[@Facu_duartejj]

You know nothing about jiu jitsu Go tune up to flowrestling

[@ricardobjj24]

My knees start hurting just watching this. Levy seriously has one of the best guards ive ever seen

[@brucetuer]

The 49-46 scorecard was crazy. Round 4 unanimous for kade was also crazy. I was there and felt like the crowd and wanting it 2-2 going into the 5th led to that judges scoring for round 4. That is not how scoring works.

[@k1mfor]

crooked judges

[@EnMiHomeStudio]

It is true that playing guard is part of BJJ (although I thought this was a grappling tournament, not just for BJJ) but if Craig Jones want this to grow and appeal to a broader audience, he'll need to change the rules and favor wrestle ups, top position so that guard players would need to get a submission if they want to win. Because for a casual viewer this is boring to watch, and especially dull if you are supposed to be watching a "fight".

[@Wealthforthe99Percent]

The thumbnail showing Kade's only offensive moment of the match lol.

[@ShrimpyWilliams]

And it’s a round he lost LMAO

[@mikegold3130]

Tbf what else was close? Levi on his butt refusing to do anything else?

[@Wealthforthe99Percent]

@@mikegold3130 Tbh, had this conversation so many times at this point and across the board its been the less people train the more they thought Kade won, the more they trained the more they thought Levi won. That says a lot. There are too many things to point to but if you watch the match and know what your looking at Kade looked tenetive, stalled a lot, disengaged to whine to the crowd, and abandoned bottom 10 secs after thinking it was easy to play guard lol. From a rpund scoring standpoint there is no way Levi won rounds 1 and 2 and then lost 4 and 5, they were all razor close, but that made no sense. Of the close rounds the one Kade did the best in was the first round, which he lost. Just inconsistent scoring.

[@theemperorcharlemagne]

Tough to be offensive when your opponent is avoiding the match by sitting down. Considering that some of the best passes and scrambles are done through takedown, sitting guard is a cheap tactic. By sitting guard, you are displaying a lack of skill by forcing your opponent into your best weapon - the guard. Which is totally unrealistic for fighting. No-gi grappling is Submission Wrestling (hybrid grappling) and is older than BJJ. BJJ is done in the gi, keep the butt scooting over there.

[@Wealthforthe99Percent]

@@theemperorcharlemagne the best submission grapplers in the world are in bjj and a lot of them would submit 99% of people regardless of whether they are CACC, sambo, judo, wrestling, or jiujitsu guys. If it's that effective it's certainly not cheap lol.

[@IN2MEUC]

YES!!! Kade! Offence is rewarded!! 💰💰💰

[@Deejaygrooves]

This is not pure BJJ, it's submission grappling. Levi , as excellent and technical of a jiu jitsu player he is, has no take down game. Athletic scrambles, take downs, throws, are what will take submission grappling mainstream. zero wrestling competence and butt scooting won't.. bottom line

[@joeycraic7729]

Completely agree Frustrating match

[@theemperorcharlemagne]

100% agree. To elaborate, some of the best guard passes and scrambles are done through the takedown. Guard sitting is cheap and unrealistic for fighting. It shows a lack of skill. No-gi grappling is Submission Wrestling (hybrid grappling), formerly known as no-pin Catch Wrestling. BJJ is done in the gi, keep the butt scooting over there.

[@JSMinstantcoaching]

​@@theemperorcharlemagneI love the formula "keep the butt scooting over there ", that's absolutely where it belongs 😅😊

[@marinradovan9539]

@@theemperorcharlemagne nowhere in the name of the event it said Submission Wrestling. This was NO GI grappling, pulling guard is part of the game.

[@__________o____________]

facts

[@TheRossyP]

Watching Kade attack Levi's guard reminds me of watching someone struggle on a really stuck pickle jar. I just wanna interrupt and give it a go myself!

[@k1mfor]

that's an accurate description, he even threw a few temper tantrums and spazzed out a lot when he kept failing hilariously

[@iKaiserr]

Judges love to throat the Ruotolos. The judges need to have noise canceling headphones, each round they were persuaded by the crowds boos.

[@TheMrchris1234]

This is a lesson in forcing your opponent to fight YOUR fight your way, to get the advantage,

[@StillRolling]

Levi won that match. I am a wrestler and black belt in bjj for the anti butt scooter warriors. Levi tried to engage and attack every time Kade came in. Kade engaged then disengaged any time Levi got close to anything. Like it or not this is bjj. Top guy has to engage bottom. Kade has some crazy passing which makes Levi that much more impressive. Actually Kade should have got DQ'ed for hitting MD with a closed fist 1st round because he thought the collar tie was to hard. My opinion

[@liukang85]

same... I'm not for the butt scooting in general but Levi made it something else, he was aggressive about it

[@MuayThaiDreadlock]

your not a wrestler, stfu

[@loganleroy8622]

Nah you should be penalized for intentionally placing yourself on the ground. If you can pull someone into you and can creat attacks fine, but if nothing materializes from it you should be penalized for taking the defensive posture. Pulling guard and willingly putting yourself in the worst position to be in an actual fight should always be considered passivity and should be treated as such.

[@StillRolling]

@@loganleroy8622 honestly in a real one on one fight, take a good leg locker or someone good at back takes. Have them set down. Person on top can't hardly reach them to get a solid hit, the can try to kick but the harder they commit the more likely their leg gets trapped then immediately broken. In the ufc people generally just try to kick their legs and retract or they make the ref stand them up. You don't seem them confidently running in very much. Even Fedor got caught engaging Fabricio' s guard. Not saying it's the best tactic but not as inferior as people may think. Food for thought🤙

[@loganleroy8622]

@@StillRolling It’s still the inferior position, which is why it should be treated as such. It’s not that it isn’t impossible, but most real fight situations you want to be able to flee. Going to your back doesn’t do that.

[@GrapplingDork]

I wonder how Lachlan and Craigs relationship is after Levi getting shafted by the judges. Will Craig even address the controversy? It's wild that 3 supposed black belts gave round 4 to Kade when the cleanest sweep of the entire match happened in that round by Levi.

[@JohnDoe-rs4fl]

Tbh Levi and Lachlan should understand why it happened. Ultimately the event is for the views, not for gauging the athletes technical abilities. The Ruotolos gamed the system by acting busy and peacocking for the viewers. Solid acting.

[@GingerMate-e2d]

@@JohnDoe-rs4fl Both are right here Levi got robbed and Ruotolo should have wone. We need to accept that there is no -INITIATING EFFECTIVE ACTION- (CJI scoring criterium) from bottom, accept you nearly submit the other guy or land on top of him by sweep or wrestle up. Being on bottom should be penalized not by losing point more so by you not being to be considered as the person that initiates... So you can pull guard with no penalty but if it dosen't work you need to wrestle up or stand up...

[@user-vc6]

pardon maybe i missed something when a did a sweep happen? do you understand how sweeps are scored? if the person is in a submission attempt there's no sweep. kade falls back on the calf crush attempt. in fact its more likely to go kade as a advantage in those point tourneys ... you don't get sweep unless you go on top and display control for 3 seconds. less time would be a advantage ( adcc needs the person flat back i think , ibjjf no) other then that kade attempted a ton of passes for the first 2 min+. ghe ets some chest to chest diving knee cuts etc later then in later half levi gets counterplay entering leg entanglements still its off kades pass attempts ( kade is still starting the action) and although kade falls to his side. this is just simply to clear the legs like clearing a collar tie, its basic top position maintance.. none of these actually were as threatening like the ones in round 1 and 2. even those weren't true advantages (close attempts) just super deep matrix positions ....

[@breakdancerQ]

If it was that controversial sure, but it wasn't.

[@Rob_Hogan]

Seriously do not understand how Levi lost round 4. What did Kade do apart from pretend to go for a submission at the end?

[@justin9744]

Sucked off the judges.

[@GingerMate-e2d]

I really think it was a robbery! Nobody is talking about it but under this ruleset Levi for sure one the match.

[@nooneatall5612]

it was a robbery

[@runawaybum4799]

I was as confused about how he won rd 1. You probably have no problem with it though.

[@nooneatall5612]

@@runawaybum4799 it's obvious, Levi did all the offense

[@Ruhan885]

Good call by the judges. Kade was active and engaging.

[@jayce8123]

Meh. Guard is fine and all. Great skill to have. But it shouldn't be your only weapon. Scooting towards your opponent at the start shouldn't be considered initiating offense.

[@Spandex213]

Not being able to pass guard shouldn't give you the win either.

[@keithtorrence2487]

@@Spandex213why not? You think it should have been a draw?

[@Spandex213]

​@@keithtorrence2487 Levi actually attacked during the engagements. Kade retreated when his aggressive non-passing failed. I think Levi should have won. I think Kade and Andrew would have been a much more crowd friendly match and justified win for Kade.

[@homunkoloss6782]

Man the commentators do really have their favourite

[@nintendad2099]

Both styles are amazing and watching each counter each other was an amazing display of skill and technique from both. Both deserve a million each! 😁 What a great match and what a great time to be alive for BJJ! Thank you CJI. ❤🤙🏽

[@Stereo-alex]

Levi was the one threatening, imo he should have won. Not being able to pass someones guard and engaging in a flashy way but making 0 attempt should not be enough. That being said i think the crowd played a role, if they don't want guard pulls it should be in the rules but as it was for the event Levi was the one threatening.

[@suchhero1281]

I view it as he was more active when Kade chose to engage beyond 'dip in, dip out'. Kade looked like the more active player and that's because pulling guard is simply not an offensive strategy.

[@Insider9467]

Looks bad when he immediately sits down off the failed wrestle ups.

[@paulietv2162]

Yes you're right, Levi was playing to IFBJJ rules, not the Ruatolo fanboy rulebook

[@GingerMate-e2d]

@@paulietv2162 So true but there is a shift if you like it or not. Being on bottom is rightfully not viewed as "initiating action" (CJI scoring criterium). Accept you really sweep or wrestle up and land on top or get into a close submission. I think its a great idea not to penalize guard pulling by taking of point but on the other hand reward the guy who is really trying to get on top by viewing him us active...

[@user-vc6]

@@suchhero1281 playing guard gives you a high chance at million different types of sweeps and every submission on the body.. meanwhile when your passing thats basically it ( no your not gonna estima lock levi or fall back on a surprise leg lock. thats low % stuff) ,,,,, did i mention passing is offical harder then sweeps or takedowns. thats why its 3 points not 2 in ibjjf and adcc etc..

[@fabiocalia]

Congratulations Ruotolo 🥇🤙🏼you are the best fighter championship 🔝

[@dan15lop]

I think Kade Ruotolo is fighting Mikey Musimeci soon, this is a good match to prep for it.

[@gordonantal6417]

How would You like to see Levi v. Mikey?...

[@bengough6955]

Yes in a few weeks in One, he is 😂

[@dan15lop]

@@gordonantal6417I would like to see that also just to see who would initialize the guard passing first… I think Levi would be the wrestler in that fight 👀.

[@cptazstudios7952]

I think both styles are relevant, but when everything is equal the attacker should be rewarded

[@farkas266]

I think the final should be sub only. There is 1mill on the line, i don't want winners by points or advantages. I want a no time limit submission only final. You have a 15 min open section, after which positional EBI style armbar and back positions, we continue until someone gets a sub and the other doesn't. Only 1 break after the first 15 min then we go until we get a sub. This way, there is no discussion left after the end of the day on which fighter was better. CJI was the best grapplers event I have ever watched, but the final needs some tweeks for next year. Cheers!

[@dacamichal3819]

I strongly disagree. 5 x 5 min rounds is enough to declare winner. With round format, pace is much higher , thus more intresting. We don't want similar fight like Chambers vs Michell

[@farkas266]

@@dacamichal3819 If it ends with a sub I am okay with it.

[@Me-nt6ww]

@@dacamichal3819 Exactly. With no-time limit, nothing stops this from becoming a snooze fest and someone winning by cardio. Also, even EBI OT has it's issues. Getting a submission from a position you didn't earn in regulation isn't the same thing. You're saying, you can't pass the guard for 15 mins but you win by RNC in OT?

[@smithright]

Last round should have no time limit, submission or K.O. only.

[@farkas266]

@@smithright I like that

[@Merked.]

Props to Levi for sticking to his game plan. Great match between both!

[@timandmonica]

PLEASE, Craig: Figure out a way to reduce butt-scooting. You had a great event, especially considering everything that it took to pull off, but I fear this is the one thing that mainstream audiences simply won't hang around to watch. I want this event to go on and draw millions of outsiders to the sport!

[@JohnDoe-rs4fl]

I also think the should add chairs and light bulbs and ladders and....

[@pahmo]

@@JohnDoe-rs4fl ...some leather costumes as they're at it?

[@mrmcrobbkdc4001]

Craig is possibly the best butt scooter in the world!

[@JSMinstantcoaching]

Muting the sound and watching the match without any commentary, and imagining not knowing anything about BJJ feels immediately strange, when considering it's a sport fight. You would instinctively ask "why sitting down ? "... That's the only one step to solve for the mainstream deep access.

[@dpiss]

Levi's guard is impenetrable, but we'd like to see sweeps or something to advance his position. It's for a million bucks! I thought he did well in his passing attempt but decided to butt scoot again. It's a unanimous decision for a reason. Frustrating to watch someone fight to not get passed.

[@Hw7dh]

Levi had some good attenpts in the match. And what was Kade doing exactly? Trying not to get caught, but agressively😂

[@dpiss]

@@Hw7dh Exactly. If you’re both stalemate, you give it to the more aggressive competitor. What else would you based it in, Successful leg entanglement? lol I honestly wanted Levi to win cause he was the underdog but he didn’t follow through with the passing or even attempted to takedown when I know he had that chance. Kade tried to mix it up by being at the bottom.

[@MuayThaiDreadlock]

@OMARANT100 My take: combat sports are fundamentally about imposing your will on your opponent. Levi's performance was astoundingly impressive, but he did nothing to impose his will. Levi sat to the ground (without touching/pulling Kade) and said "you have to come to me." If he had grips on Kade and actually pulled him into his guard and kept him there, that would be one thing. But what he did was he sat and waited for Kade to move forward. Kade went forward and backwards at will, and Levi couldn't do anything to stop him. Levi didn't impose his will, he (metaphorically speaking) sat with his back to a wall holding a shotgun and said "I bet you can't get me." I'm not saying that Levi should have been forced into a proper wrestling match with Kade, because that would have been unfair to Levi. But I am saying that forcing Kade to walk d--k first into a bear trap would also be unfair... But that was the only option available to him. Levi had other options, Levi could have wrestled up or stood up, gotten grips, then properly pulled guard instead of passively waiting for Kade to put himself in danger, but he chose not to.

[@fyi93789]

I like the CJI scoring system. Looks like aggression is rewarded and more weighted, which is what Kade brought to the match and the entire tournament.

[@zeato6320]

26:12 Great question... Valuing top game is definitely more exciting!

[@theemperorcharlemagne]

Guard pulling should be removed or penalized from the sport. Considering that some of the best guard passes are scrambles are done through the takedown, guard pulling is a cheap tactic. Not only does it show a lack of skill, you are forcing your opponent to engage in your best weapon - the guard. It’s totally unrealistic for fighting and therefore dishonourable. No-gi grappling is Submission Wrestling. BJJ is done in the gi. Submission Wrestling is far older than BJJ. This crowd was highly educated and listening to them boo Levi was music to my ears.

[@kingraj333]

We need sakuraba to cartwheel on Levi’s guard

[@amckinney47]

If you are going to use the guard strategy, you better get a submission or at least a bunch of strong attempts to win. Looks like a scared puppy when their in trouble

[@ATACXGYMCAPOEIRA]

Absolutely Absolutely right. Guard gamers are not only boring but they hamstring development of the dominant other skills essential for self defense, promote a mindset detrimental to self defense, and present the illusion that the notion of being guard reliant in self defense and fighting situations is wise. This is a big mistake, and a disservice to the self defense origins of jujutsu. In real life? Nobody HAS TO PLAY GUARD WITH YOU. Yes, if you have a gravity well guard a decent chin, and a street fighting as opposed to sport bjj match mindset? You'll do well in many 1 v 1 h2h fights, because your opponent has absolutely no clue what you're doing or what they should do in response. But this same strength both makes you vulnerable to circumstances not conducive to guard pulling [ fights in parking lots, bars, clubs, in enemy territory around his buddies, on bus stops, vs armed single or multiple opponents, in the dirt--as HRSPP Security I once saw a guy pull guard at a construction site, the other guy kicked dirt in his face; saw another guy pull guard at a Skate Park at Cal-Rec in Long Beach and the kid who was a teenager and brand new purple belt was absolutely working the other kid til he got back whacked by the skateboard the non-bjj kid had ] etc. One White kid got into it with a Latino kid, and the White kid...who called himself defending his girlfriend...kept pulling guard. The other kid kept walking away while dissing the Guard Kid as a man. Kept telling him that he falls on his back and opens his legs like a horny girl. The effeminate guard flopping IS emasculating in appearance, and The Guard Kid didn’t have anything else developed. Guard Kid's gf was pissed. Her bf Guard Kid...a blue belt obviously...couldn't do anything but run up on the Latino kid and flop onto his back in attempt after attempt to force the guard game. Eventually even Guard Kid's gf got frustrated. She was like:"This guy grabs my ass and all you can do about it is fall on yours?!" These kids were no more than 15. But think about it. Would you want that happening to your little brother with his gf or your little sister with her bf? Specifically regarding this match: those first two judged rounds were double ass. Kade should have been up 2-0 or it should be 1-1. But I definitely 100% think that Guard Players SHOULD BE FORCED TO DEVELOP A WELL ROUNDED GAME BECAUSE GUARD PLAY IS B.S. IT'S A CRUTCH THAT IS BAD FOR BJJ AS A SPORT...ASK THE BORED AND OFFENDED ASS CROWDS...AND BAD FOR SELF DEFENSE. It's GREAT for defending against a single unarmed aggressive opponent bringing the fight to you, though. But rules should not favor The Guard Kid or FORCE Guard Play. You DON'T HAVE TO ENGAGE THE GUARD KID IF THE GUARD KID ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO IMPOSE HIS SKILLS ON YOU. Make the Guard Kid learn and play bjj. It's bjj not Go Guard or Go Home.

[@altonparr747]

are there points for being flamboyant ?

[@maguiberRM]

My only question is how did Levi not get round 4. The crowd thats why.

[@saltycomet]

Kade is 💯. Please adjust the rules for next year

[@Tglizzy_]

Only been doing BJJ for about a year but Levi is the first person I've watched and said "I want to do BJJ like that". What an awesome player and personality.

[@joshpoi886]

Ive done bjj for a while, and Levi is the first person I’ve watched where I said I never want to do bjj like that. I did bjj to begin with for actual real world usefulness if ever needed and his style doesn’t help that

[@dogflirt]

Agree - Levi's jiujitsu was so technical, Kade didnt know how to defeat it. He's used to mostly training w wrestlers I guess 🤷‍♂

[@marcusviniciusneves3673]

@@joshpoi886 go there in the real world and try to fight him. I bet you will get yourself choked out in less than a minute.

[@Koko161081]

state-of-the-art guard playing

[@Ins0mni4ddict]

Levi’s style is literally the reason I didn’t watch half this event. Also don’t watch adcc anymore. I love the sport but we’ve got to stop praising these people for sitting and scooting around. It’s for 1mil put it on the line

[@spectrvm16k]

If you look it through the prism of a sport that could serve you later in a hypothetical real life self defense scenario, you do boxing because you want to isolate the striking aspect of the fight to train it better. When you grapple on the ground you isolate the part that emulates what happens when you take someone down or he moves you there against your will. What would you be isolating if you sat down while the attacker stood in front of you? What is that you would be emulating? Surrender?

[@dustina69]

Exactly only works in sport, guard pullers or boring

[@renatoespinoza5181]

Guard pulling has to be negative pointa for the next CJI. The match against taket is what we all want to watch . No hating on guars pullimg but if u gonna do that u should know thats a negative just like adcc.

[@renatoespinoza5181]

And if u gonna pull guard and is not working u gotta wrestle up. Levi didnt even try to wrestle up .

[@Hw7dh]

Even if he got the negative point, he still should have won the match

[@thewolfmalik3317]

I would have loved to see Tackett’s guard passing vs Levi’s guard

[@bolieve603]

If someone can leave at any moment from your attack, it's not an attack, it's a defense. "Levi was attacking but Kade kept disengaging" is clear proof that many don't understand the first sentence.

[@georgenoble5282]

So there's no such thing as attacking in Olympic wrestling where people are only prevented from leaving by passivity calls and stepout points?

[@JJDon5150]

@@georgenoble5282 What @bolieve603 is saying is right. If you can simply walk or backup out of someone's guard, its not an attack. Buttscooting wouldn't be a thing without the ruleset forcing the top player to have to engage. You cite wrestling stalling calls, which makes wrestling exciting and forces action and engagement. What BJJ needs is a standup or stalling call for sitting to guard without grips or buttscooting because its not a legit form of attack from a martial arts perspective, self defense perspective, or ruleset perspective in grappling (its only found in MMA). If you disagree, then you should just advocate to get rid of standing all together and force both competitors to start on their butts.

[@petermuskett3414]

Simply walk or back up is not what’s happening there. Kade was forced to use a lot of energy and technique to get himself out of a lot of bad entanglements

[@petermuskett3414]

He couldn’t leave at any moment 😂 he had to completely abandon any offensive and use a lot of technique and energy not to get pulled in and finished. Tye hurt his knee against Levi because he tried just ripping his leg out of Levi’s grips

[@georgenoble5282]

@@JJDon5150 if someone is butt scooting forward and the other person is walking backwards then clearly the person going backwards should be hit with the passivity call

[@CromCruachTheElderK]

Both of these fighters are awesome to watch, yes, even Levi's guard-play had me intrigued from the first minute! I also love both their outfit choices haha. I also just really like Kade, did I say...? Awesome event.

[@HG-bs3en]

As awesome as the Ruotolo brothers are, I think Levi won that. He had more significant exchanges in every round.

[@GingerMate-e2d]

Under the ruleset CJI I was reading it really depends on the view. First and most important scoring criterium is -INITIATING EFFECTIVE ACTION-. I think you could make the argument that every attempt to pass is an "initiation" and every attempt to leg lock is only a "reaction". I at least have the feeling that leg locking is the "no gi" meta off guard retention and therefore more a passiv thing. But im still in one boat with you, because Ruotolo at least had no effective action... But on the other hand what was the effect of those leg entanglements, Ruotolo just played the pull out game like me on drunk chicks.

[@Monscent]

Agree. But Ruotolos are massive favorites, so judging is gonna be biased sadly.

[@Awardance]

This is the official final, I liked the unofficial final better Rotoulo vs Tackett. 😂 Damn Levi and his sticky guard

[@sedicken]

My wife who has never sat and watched a BJJ or MMA match watched the CJI and after being blown away by the Kade/Tackett match, she was jumping and screaming watching this match and cheering for Kade. My daughter was like “Mom I’m a guard player, I really like Levi. This is a really impressive guard.”🤣

[@randomuser6306]

You need to ask your daughter in a Kenyan-English accent 'why are you gay?'

[@sedicken]

⁠@@randomuser6306I asked her the more precise question which is ‘Do you prefer dick?’ And she answered affirmatively 🤷‍♂️

[@pyramidbrickandstone2198]

Intervene, don't let your daughter go down that road.

[@sedicken]

It’s ok my son does BJJ 3-4 days a week and wrestling 2 days. So I have one of each.🤣

[@randomuser6306]

@@sedicken my kids do bjj 6 hours/week, muay thai 3 hours. Used to have a wrestling coach at the gym but he got a better offer and went elsewhere. The striking gives them confidence in the standup for sure, even though they don't enjoy training at as much, as no one likes getting punched and kicked.

[@mayadog2497]

So how does it work if Ruotolo went out and mirrored Levi and went into the same guard where neither were in a position to advance, and both laying there in guard waiting for the other? Ive seen plenty of matches where both fighters scooch around on their ass in guard like crabs fighting....Just dont see how the entirety of you game plan can be laying in guard. Any explanations how that works out?

[@MuayThaiDreadlock]

Levi belongs in ADCC, he cramped the style of the ENTIRE competition. who tf does that? and for nothing.... id rather have my teeth pulled than watch someone pull guard. Craig said keep jiujitsu gay, not make it wack af and hard to watch

[@DionWasHere]

What happens if both guys get onto their back?

[@russellinator]

I typically hate the butt-scooting too, but Levi is actually active with his guard so he keeps it entertaining. I like that he doesn't scoot into closed guard.

[@georgiiportnichenko5355]

If we look at the fight strategically Levi chose the "battlefield", by doing sitting guard, and thus forced Kade to go there. Apparently he was focusing on the leg game in addition, and that's why he didn't go deep with the guard. That's the plan done great. But while this approach is effective, cause the guard game of Levi is phenomenal, no less. But it's passive defense, so by default it's competitively inferior, playing that game you're not demonstrating the will to win. Another thing is that the one need to be adaptive, showing ability to read the game of adversary and looking for a key to more dominant position and to submission. While Kade was in this process, Levi apparently stuck to his plan strictly and done nothing to really change something.

[@nastasijatoskovic9859]

Idk guys white belt thoughs, but if you can't punish your opponent for giving you his back, can't threaten a wrestle up and can't stop the opponent form simply getting up when you are close to a guard pass, i don't think you should get a milion dollars, yes Kade didn't do much but if you are guard pulling you are fighting from a disadvantage and you should go for it, and as soon as he lost the 4th round Levi should have known that if he doesnt make it clear he was loosing it and he did the same things he did the whole match

[@benashurov7434]

Who’s number one should do a tournament: Chen, Levi, Mica and Takket. Winner goes to One and takes on Kade

[@alanacasio9520]

0:13 objectively hilarious

[@dandretwoodard]

I plan to be the guy who is good at wrestling but always guard pulls. Nothing feels better than sitting down

[@DomnulSarb]

This guy is why people can't take jiu jitsu seriously. Inb4: REEEEEEEE scooting on my ass is a valid fight style

[@pierer91]

Yeah this is so dumb hahaha

[@k1mfor]

lots of people take it seriously. I understand it might look boring for spazzy new white belts tho

[@pierer91]

@@k1mfor Not enough people for this to be a popular high paying sport.

[@ATACXGYMCAPOEIRA]

Absolutely Absolutely right. Guard gamers are not only boring but they hamstring development of the dominant other skills essential for self defense, promote a mindset detrimental to self defense, and present the illusion that the notion of being guard reliant in self defense and fighting situations is wise. This is a big mistake, and a disservice to the self defense origins of jujutsu. In real life? Nobody HAS TO PLAY GUARD WITH YOU. Yes, if you have the extremely rare combo of gifts of a gravity well guard, a decent chin, and a street fighting as opposed to sport bjj match mindset? You'll do well in many 1 v 1 h2h fights, because your opponent has absolutely no clue what you're doing or what they should do in response. But this same strength both makes you vulnerable to circumstances not conducive to guard pulling [ fights in parking lots, bars, clubs, in enemy territory around his buddies, on bus stops, vs armed single or multiple opponents, in the dirt--as HRSPP Security I once saw a guy pull guard at a construction site, the other guy kicked dirt in his face; saw another guy pull guard at a Skate Park at Cal-Rec in Long Beach and the kid who was a teenager and brand new purple belt was absolutely working the other kid til he got back whacked by the skateboard the non-bjj kid had ] etc. One White kid got into it with a Latino kid, and the White kid...who called himself defending his girlfriend...kept pulling guard. The other kid kept walking away while dissing the Guard Kid as a man. Kept telling him that he falls on his back and opens his legs like a horny girl. The effeminate guard flopping IS emasculating in appearance, and The Guard Kid didn’t have anything else developed. Guard Kid's gf was pissed. Her bf Guard Kid...a blue belt obviously...couldn't do anything but run up on the Latino kid and flop onto his back in attempt after attempt to force the guard game. Eventually even Guard Kid's gf got frustrated. She was like:"This guy grabs my ass and all you can do about it is fall on yours?!" These kids were no more than 15. But think about it. Would you want that happening to your little brother with his gf or your little sister with her bf? Specifically regarding this match: those first two judged rounds were double ass. Kade should have been up 2-0 or it should be 1-1. But I definitely 100% think that Guard Players SHOULD BE FORCED TO DEVELOP A WELL ROUNDED GAME BECAUSE GUARD PLAY IS B.S. IT'S A CRUTCH THAT IS BAD FOR BJJ AS A SPORT...ASK THE BORED AND OFFENDED ASS CROWDS...AND BAD FOR SELF DEFENSE. It's GREAT for defending against a single unarmed aggressive opponent bringing the fight to you, though. But rules should not favor The Guard Kid or FORCE Guard Play. You DON'T HAVE TO ENGAGE THE GUARD KID IF THE GUARD KID ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH TO IMPOSE HIS SKILLS ON YOU. Make the Guard Kid learn and play bjj. It's bjj not Go Guard or Go Home.

[@Kuroyamitv]

Wanting to give Kade the win because you prefer to watch wrestling & takedowns is stupid. Guard bottom is part of the game. If you don’t like it, then go watch wrestling & judo matches

[@N8Men]

I mean ur absolutely correct. But the entire point of the event was to grow the sport, and people outside of bjj aren’t the biggest fans of guard play

[@peacefuldecadence328]

Plus the one attempt form ruotolo to play guard was embarassing cause Levi almost got him in less than 20 seconds he got up real quick.

[@Stankfish420]

Completely wrong, the rules make it to where Kade HAS to engage Levi or he’ll be called for stalling. It’s a boring style and heavily favors the bottom guy. If anything, a rule set should be implemented in alternating rounds where you can and can’t pull guard like some tournaments do.

[@minch_me]

​@@peacefuldecadence328I feel that Kade should have lost because of this

[@jerejarvinen625]

Sitting on your ass waiting for someone to come play nicely is not a legit way to fight tho. This comment is not related to this match, but instead the idea behind your comment.

[@ronakdparikh]

what was the big surprise announcement?

[@NFAIVIOUS]

When the fight was over I was sure Levi won so I was shocked but happy that Kade won

[@josephflynn9792]

Man imagine how skilled Levi would be if he learned to actually fight instead of sit down and aggressively scoot after people.

[@StudioCuts]

Kade v Tackett was fun to watch, no doubt. But the level of jiu jitsu Levi brought just left Kade in defense mode most of this match. So he had to throw gymnastics in to play to the crowd. Disappointing moment for jiu jitsu. But Levi definitely gained some new fans.

[@PlanetMotion]

Exactly!!

[@AN043V3R]

Agreed. The hardcore fans know that Levi clearly has better jiu-jitsu.

[@benkelly7182]

100%. Levi is better at Jiu Jitsu so Kade just avoided doing Jiu Jitsu with him. It was pretty pathetic actually.

[@dogflirt]

Levi 100% had the better jiujitsu - Kade could only be defensive and athletically jump around. 💀

[@wezreplex0]

​@@dogflirthow was kade the one being defensive when Levi was on the ground like Izzy's dog and avoiding an actual exchange

[@SuperNachtAktiv]

where is the thumbnail?

[@BreakTheFl00r]

What a shame! Are you serious to call this "fight sport" when someone is sitting or laying down the floor... It's just disgusting. Respect to Kade Rutolo who tries to fight standing up.

[@RedKingdom9]

You probably the same kind of person that guzzle Craig Jones

[@CROSSNSHOOT]

Very close match- yes Levi sat down but he never went backwards

[@tomjoseph-sparks3179]

Levi was unbelievable- I’m gutted he didn’t get some additional reward following his run and how close it was!

[@tomjoseph-sparks3179]

Rewatching - Levi round 4 ROBBED

if you sit down and the other guy tries to pass your guard the whole time,. you automatically lose lol

[@joshuamartinez8049]

When was the triangle attemp at by Kade. I want to see Levi’s defense to it

[@burningdog2]

1st round

[@AmSpartan1]

Kade : Ineffective aggression Levi : Coherent and proactive use of grappling whilst looking for leg entries during scrambles

[@stephenforbes2762]

How was Levi's guard effective? He was unable to sweep or submit.

[@kimborampage]

Levi with zero close sub attempts

[@AmSpartan1]

@@kimborampage I agree, but personally Levi was more technically sound in both defense and offense.

[@sylviayusuf6738]

That was really close. I think Levi more consistently demonstrated technical superiority. Perhaps there should be an option to take the final match to a submission only sudden death decider round, so there is an undisputed clear winner?

[@fofopho]

Kade’s point about the asymmetry is stalling calls is valid. A technical match, but looking forward to updated rules for this new rule set (which was super sick)

[@DizzyHips]

The should have to reset standing. Constant guard pulling is stupid

[@Rob_Hogan]

Kade sitting in the 5th is an admission that he game was not working and that he was losing.

[@realitycheck816]

Cry more Kade walked away with a Million and the butt scooter didn’t

[@BlahBlahFreeman]

Kade was the only one doing anything. Per the rules of CJI, he should've one 50-45 clear as day. Sitting on your ass hoping people just walk into a toe hold is the cancer of the sport, and Levi lost 1 million dollars because he chose cancer over skill.

[@andrewrodrigues2865]

Kade's game wasnt entertaining at all. At least we got to see a master class in guard retention from Levi.

[@justin9744]

@@realitycheck816Levi is going to make far more money than that selling instructional while Kade won’t be pushing any new material since everyone knows Levi was better.

[@user-vc6]

@@justin9744 more then a milly of a instructional? maybe you missed the part where everyone in jits is poor as fuk. craig jones was poor as hell doing as much as 10 seminars a week all over the world. and his leg locks down under instructional was one greatest ever in history of bjj fanatics. most guys make almost nothing off instructionals........so just stop, kade makes a milly per year. he has endless huge sponsors and grapples for 50 000 per match in onefc. dude doesn't even do seminars . him and brother have been the widely pushed sponsored names in jiu jitsu for years. ... levi's only been competing no gi for a year., meanwhile kade has been unstoppable for years in WNO onefc and adcc , even if you think he lost a single close match isn't change kade's ranking. why buy levi's instructional? lachlan giles levi's instructor and corner man already made a masterpiece 12 hour instructional on guard retention. i highly recommend to anyone who's impressed by levi's guard

[@MartianTravels-i3x]

Without a doubt, Levi demonstrated a great guard; however, I do think that a rule change is required, viz. guard playing is fine, but the match has to start standing and a player may only pull guard if the player has an attachment to his opponent (some grip or hook). To just sit down and start the fighting from there is crazy. Furthermore, if we want international standard competition and presumably growth in the sport (meaning we want money from the general public), then this extra rule needs to be added. If we're okay with 'around the corner' Jits tournaments, then no change is required - but do not complain about lack of support and sponsors! That's my two pennies worth!

[@PlanetMotion]

Levi had Kade playing defense most of this. How did Levi NOT win? SMH.

[@StudioCuts]

Exactly what I saw. 100%

[@dogflirt]

Levi def won this!!

[@benkelly7182]

He won 3 rounds for sure and possibly 4. The judges were influenced

[@peacefuldecadence328]

Cause the commentators and the judges were 'hawk tua"ING the Ruotolos from the Strat of the competition. Ruotolo didn't do shyte against Levi just giving his back and doing flips gimmicks. An absolutely robbery anyone wanting to watch wrestling can go get some WWE.

[@karlfechner9602]

@@dogflirt you think he would have def`ed a kick to the head?

[@FightStylin]

I wanted Kade to win, so this was a frustrating match. After processing the event though, I became a fan of Levi. An impassable guard he has. If a bit of a fire was lit in the last round, it could have been very interesting. Great event for both guys!