You might have heard about the “Gauntlet” tradition in BJJ. It’s a popular and controversial tradition practiced in jiu-jitsu. In this piece, you’ll first learn about the tradition itself and then why it’s followed.
What’s Gauntlet in BJJ Tradition in Jiu-Jitsu
When a student gets promoted and receives a new belt, all the teammate lines up, and the person has to walk past them. Easy job, right? Wrong. Each teammate slashes the promoted student with their belts when the person is walking past them. The student has to complete around one or two full rounds depending on the people available.
Do Academies Still Practice Gauntlet?
Some firmly believe in the gauntlet tradition, while some have rejected it. And many other academies have made it optional.
But the meaning behind this tradition helps us to understand why every academy should follow it.
Reason Behind The Gauntlet Tradition By Cyborg
According to Cyborg, there’s no glory without sacrifice. Every time a person gets promoted, he/she has to go through a struggle. Without struggle, your story doesn’t check out, or it’s not worth telling.
Struggles help you to realize that you have made it, and you have survived. Gauntlet tradition reminds the person of every sacrifice he/she has to do to keep living the journey. Furthermore, enduring the pain and walking like a strong person makes one proud of everything he/she has gone through to come to this stage – belt promotion.
So what do you guys think? Is practicing the gauntlet in BJJ tradition worth all the pain and trouble?
