How points are
scored in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an intricate form of martial arts dated back as
far as the 1920s. Originally derived from Japanese
Jujitsu, its
fighters engage in a battle of grabbling and fighting.
From the Hoosier Open to South Bay to the Michigan Open, fighters
converge from all over the world to fight in these competitions.
Competitors are put into groups based on three things: their age,
their skill, and their weight. Although certain
fighters may be smaller or bigger or stronger than their opponents, that
doesn’t necessarily mean they will win. The scoring
in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is different than other sports and it is always a
toss-up who will come out the victor in competitions.
The process by which points are given and winners are announced is as
follows:
1)
2 points can be scored for a player if he
successfully executes a technical side mount, puts his knee on the
opponent’s stomach, or if he completely sweeps his opponent.
2)
3 points are given if a competitor completes the passing
the full guard move.
3)
4 points are presented to a fighter who performs a mount
or back mount with hooks move and holds it for at least 3 seconds.
At 3 seconds, he earns those 4 points, and the longer he holds
it, the more points he gets.
4)
The top three competitors in each age and weight class
receive awards, along with the team that collects the most awards.
5)
The scoring is the same whether fighters are wearing the
traditional Gi or simply a t-shirt and pants. No
changes in scoring occur. If a fighter does not wear
a Gi, he should make sure his board shorts and shirt are clean and neat
with no loose articles hanging from them. It is
optional for fighters to wear helmets, mouth guards, and cups no matter
what uniform they are wearing.
That is not the only way to win a match, though. Winning
the most points is only one way to beat an opponent. Another
is to make the opponent surrender, or tap the mat. This
is how a lot of fighters prefer to win, and it is done by either a hold
or choke move. In the rare event of a player being
disqualified for any reason during a match, the remaining player will
automatically win the match.
Disqualification can result from a number of instances, but more
likely, a player will simply be deducted points. This
will happen if the player disobeys the match rules, which include no
biting, pulling hair, punching, or kicking the opponent; even rude
language or gestures can get a player deducted points or disqualified.
The amount of points lost depends on the act, so a bigger
disregard for the rules will incur a larger amount of points lost than a
smaller one.
Lengths of matches vary, depending on the age and rank of the
players. White belt children will fight 4-minute
matches while White belt adults will fight 5-minute matches.
Each group adds one minute to the match time, with the exception
of the senior group that fights 5 to 6-minute matches.
In order to progress to the higher ranks and groups, a fighter must
practice and focus on his fighting daily. Each
practice should have a sparring section where a fighter will encounter a
live person to fight so he can get used to working his moves and tricks
full-out, otherwise he risks accidentally breaking rules or not
performing moves correctly and missing out on points. Studying
another live fighter is the best way to learn to anticipate moves and
blocks.
But before entering any ring, new fighters should first understand
all the rules and scoring procedures for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
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