Martial Arts, a place where practitioners build a solid and special bond with one another over time. For many, it is a way of living and the people they train with play a huge role in their social life. The students and teachers form a team, and they push each other day after day to reach and surpass their limits. In Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I feel that this is pushed even a step further. Brotherhood, family, are terms often used by a Jiujitero when speaking of his teammates. In an article in breakingmuscle.com, Valerie Worthington wrote:
- Over many years, the connections can become familial, because Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu requires so much of those who pursue it, and because teammates and instructors put so much time and effort into helping each other progress.
Whenever two BJJ practitioners meet, regardless of where they are, more often than not their behaviour towards each other will immediately become friendly as if they had known each other for years. It is something I have never seen in another other martial art.
But what happens when someone leaves the gym and ends up training somewhere else? One term that is often used when speaking of that person is the term ¨CREONTE¨. What does it mean? Where does it come from? What can push someone to leave his current gym and coach for another one? Is it still a relevant term nowadays? Well, let’s talk about it! In this article, we will answer all these questions and I will follow up by expressing my thoughts and feelings on the matter!
Creonte, where does it come from and that does it mean?
Here is a passage from an article written by The Grumpy Grappler that explains the origins very well:
- Originally, “Creonte” was the name of a character in a popular soap opera in Brazil–a character who regularly displayed a lack of loyalty to those who helped him in the past. In short, Creonte was a purely self-interested traitor–someone to be both distrusted and despised.
- Later, Grandmaster Carlson Gracie adopted the name as a label for high level jiu jitsu students who switched schools and hence switched allegiances–which was ironic given that one of the key differences that led to the split between Carlson and Grandmaster Helio Gracie was that Carlson was willing to teach the “secret” Gracie techniques and not just the self defense curriculum (see below for more on this issue). Since Carlson began calling his ex-students creontes, it has unsurprisingly always been a term of derision in the jiu jitsu world. To be labeled as a creonte is to be identified as someone who ought to be outright ostracized. As such, being a creonte was traditionally one of the central sins of old school jiu jitsu and a label the Gracies (and their students and followers) took very seriously. On this view, a creonte is someone who steals secret techniques under confidence and then shares them with rivals at other schools. So, not only is a creonte disloyal and distrusted, but he is a thief of techniques as well!
Another article found on the Bjj Fanatics website gave a specific example while sharing insight on the origin of the term Creonte:
- Grandmaster Carlson Gracie first used the word Creonte when referring to Vitor Belfort’s departure from “Team Carlson Gracie,” to “Brazilian Top Team.” The term comes from a popular Brazilian soap opera that Carlson enjoyed, called Mandala. The show aired during 1987 and 1988 and featured a character named Creonte Silveira who became the basis for the term coined by Carlson. Brazilian actor Gracindo Junior portrayed the villainous character who constantly switched allegiances in order to save his own skin and come out on top, even if succeeding came at the expense of others. Carlson drew parallels between the soap opera’s self-serving character and his former prized pupil when Vitor left Carlson to train with his former teammates.
Valerie Worthington also said that, historically, these bonds have been so strong that there is actually a word in Portuguese – creonte – to describe someone who leaves a team, joins another one, and competes for the new team against the old one. It loosely translates as “traitor,” and it reflects how high emotions can run when a teammate leaves.
Now we know it comes from Carlson Gracie and that it was used to refer to someone he viewed as a traitor. One of the key factors behind him being so unforgiving about it was the fear that the leaving student would start sharing all the “secret” techniques from the school with rival schools.
Now, should all the people, if any, who change academies be called Creontes regardless of their motive? Let us check some of these reasons before we make up our minds about it.
What are the reasons someone would change schools?
1- Finances. Some gyms are expensive and not everyone has the same budget allowed for training. For example, if you take a 1-year contract at the Atos Hq school, the fee is 199$ per month. If you go month to month, the fee is 350$ PER month. Granted you get to train under one of the best coaches and competitors in the world, but we all know it is not accessible to everyone. If that is the only gym around, maybe sacrifices will be made but let’s say you train there and now another family member wants to join. This may become too expensive for some families. Now, a new gym opens 10 minutes further but is less than half the price, is it a reasonable reason to change schools? If for some reason you just cannot afford it anymore, are you a Creonte for leaving and joining another academy to keep practicing the sport you love?
2- Changing location. Another reason someone might change schools is that person moving to a different state/city etc. This might seem like a no brainer, but what if the student trains at Academy A and there is one in the area he is moving to, but he decides to join Academy B instead. Should the student prioritize training at an affiliate academy, or does it make him a traitor?
3- Beliefs and values. This one i can personally relate to. This one is broad and might be a very touchy subject but let us dive in it a little. What if the instructor acts in ways that are unacceptable for the student, should he just suck it up or does he have the right to leave and join a place that he can relate to and is a better match for his beliefs and values? For example, i know gyms where a colored belt would be punished if he ever had the audacity to asks a Black Belt to roll. This is something I refer to as the God mode syndrome. Some see it as structure, respect and tradition, others see it as bullying, power thirst and intimidation. I have also been in gyms where colored belts were asking high level Black Belts to roll all the time. These are two quite different vibes. An academy’s mentality is set by the head instructor, so depending on what the student is looking for, one may be experienced negatively.
An academy i know decided to part ways from under their coach’s banner due to political views when the head instructor was proclaiming his support to Jair Bolsonaro and promoting his presidential campaign during the last Brazilian elections. For them, it was unacceptable and does anyone have the right to judge them for it? I have also seen students and instructors change academies due to the bullying of students by the instructor. Are these valid reasons? In the first example, the teachers were black belts and obviously have great knowledge of the academy’s techniques. In both cases, they will train with different people in the future and share what they know with their new teammates.
4- Different goals. Everyone has their own reasons to train. Some people just want a social activity and a bit of exercise. Others want to learn it as a form of self defense or to add a new dimension to their existing martial arts background. Some students want to be competitors and there may be some cases where the student feels like he is training more in a casual environment and feels like joining another school would match better with his more competitive goals. If he is the only one who wants to compete at his gym and there is a gym close by that has almost all students in competition and getting good results, is it ok for him to go or will he be a Creonte?
5- Drama. I know people who left their schools because of conflicts. One of them had switched teams for distance and schedule reasons but still enjoyed stopping at his former gym here and there to see the gang the instructor. When his coach learned about this, he reacted by threatening to kick him out in front of everyone and decided to push back his belt passage. This resulted in the student eventually leaving the academy because there was always drama like this. It is common for students to train with different academies nowadays but still compete under their main academy’s banner. Personally, i always had friends that trained under different banners than mine and I visit them every couple month. I never tried to hide the fact that I often trained elsewhere, and I also ended up on a receiving end of a negative attitude from a former coach because of that.
6- Experience and options. One thing I feel is often overlooked, is that not everyone starts BJJ with experience in martial arts. For some, it is their first time in a martial arts school, so it is harder for them to judge what academy is the best fit for them. Maybe it was the only one around when he or she started training and now, as the sport increases in popularity, new options have presented themselves. As they become more experienced, there is a chance they will feel like another one is a better fit for them and will make the move. As talked about in the previous paragraphs, not every gym has the same vibe and mentality. On top of that, there are so many styles in BJJ now. Body types and flexibility play a huge roll in the style of BJJ the student might want to learn. Some only do Gi classes, some prefer No Gi. Some like more traditional techniques, some, like me, prefer the modern guards.
7- Satisfaction. Some teachers give their students everything they have, technically and emotionally. I have seen teachers who spend most of the class talking in a corner with friends, spend time on their phone, while having higher ranked students teach the techniques and answer the questions of lower ranked ones. I have also seen instructors running from student to student all class long, giving it their 100% making sure the techniques are being learned properly and answering every question asked from the students. These are two hugely different ways of coaching. If the student is tired of the first way and feels he could get more for him money’s worth, is it ok for him to leave for another school that could offer him the way of coaching he desires? Keith Owens wrote an article about it and suggested that the instructor asked himself some very important questions and one of them was: Am I giving the very best class that I can?
Conclusion
So, now we have pointed out reasons that might push students to change schools, is it still relevant today? Everyone has a right to his opinion, and I will share mine with you. I do not think it is. Is there exceptions, I guess there could be but in 99% of cases it is not relevant today.
First and foremost, the times back then were quite different. It is well documented that some teachers took in students that had no way to afford any kind of training, some had no parental figure, and took both the roles. I can imagine if these instructors would lose that student, they would be terribly upset but even after they have done is it still safe to say that the decision still comes back to the student? I think it does. I am convinced that if the gym mentality was a positive one and that the student had a strong feeling of belonging, it would take a major reason like moving away for him to join another academy.
As far as techniques go, nowadays you have a lot more schools available and techniques are everywhere on the internet so there are no real secret techniques anymore. The top coaches and students in the world have made their systems, concepts, and techniques accessible to everyone. To quote the Grumpy Grappler, Jiu jitsu is something that should be shared not just with one’s own students, but with anyone interested in sharing the knowledge. Yes, times have changed. As Bill Thomas said in an article for BJJ Weekly:
- It’s a different world today. There is no secret knowledge. Competitions are broadcast live over the internet and you can watch the best technique in the world as it happens. YouTube is flooded with technique videos. That’s what’s driving the evolution of the sport. So many people have access to so much knowledge that used to be locked up in individual schools.
Is it normal for a coach, who invests time in his students to feel disappointed if one leaves? Of course, it is. I have had students come up to me asking if it was ok with me if they visited a gym while on vacation, some asked if it was ok for them to go visit the nearby gym a friend was training at, and my answer was always the same. Of course, and have fun! The people pay for a service, they can go train wherever they want. I had students leave the gym because another school was focused on No-Gi and it was more appealing to them, they were at a point where they knew enough about BJJ to know what style they preferred and that is perfectly fine and understandable. I was sad to see them leave, but the decision was not mine to take and we still have a good relationship.
I personally changed schools in the past, I was training with a great team but had to drive 2 hours for every training, coming back late. I worked early in the morning so after coming back home, eating, showering I had around 5 hours left to sleep if I managed to fall asleep right away. This pushed me to join another gym, not even 15 minutes away from where I live. I felt bad because I enjoyed training at my first school and I’ve always kept a good relationship with them, so I still drop by a couple times a year to go see everyone. I ended up leaving my second gym for hugely different reasons, having differences in core values and interests, to join one that had just opened and that I felt was a better fit for me. Was the coach a bad coach? No. Was it a bad gym? No. I had great times there, I learned a lot, but they were just a bad fit for me at that point in my journey.
If you ask me today, am I happy to have done the move? Yes, I am. It was hard at first, but worth it in the end. I coach in a great place, close from home, with a teacher that does everything he can to share his passion with us, putting emphasis on respect and teamwork and leading by example. He wants us to find our own way and will help us the best he can to reach our goals. You will be spending a lot of time at your academy and you are paying to train so i think it is very important to find one you are satisfied with. You have the RIGHT to.
I hope this helps understand understand the origins on the term CREONTE and that you found the article interesting to read. If you feel like reading more on the subject, feel free to check out the links below, they will lead you to some articles i quoted through this one. As i mentioned earlier, the conclusion is my personal opinion so even if we differ, I would love to hear your take on it!
References:
https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/how-to-switch-bjj-schools-and-not-be-a-creonte
https://philosophycommons.typepad.com/the_grumpy_grappler/2014/05/creonte-and-proud.html
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