In an appearance on The Everyday Perspective Podcast, grappling star Jay Rodriguez (known as Jay Rod) opened up about training with Craig Jones and the injuries he’s sustained as a result.
Rodriguez described Jones as “absolutely terrible” as a training partner, calling him out for causing lasting damage. “My arm cracks every morning because of this guy,” Rodriguez said, recounting an incident where Jones popped his arm with a kimura while Rodriguez had him in a fully locked side triangle.
“He’s got like wiry strength,” Rodriguez explained. “If he doesn’t want to let go of something, you’re not going to get your arm back. ”
Rodriguez isn’t the only one who’s suffered injuries training with Jones. The hosts mentioned there are ” Europeans just hobbling around now” after seminars with Jones, who is known for “breaking their knees.”
Despite the injuries, Rodriguez acknowledged Jones’ skill level, describing him as “f***ing strong” with a dangerous combination of strength and technical heel hook knowledge.
“Chimpanzee but he knows heel hooks, scary.” – Jay Rod jokingly concluded.
The revelations provide insight into the intense, sometimes reckless training environment at the highest levels of jiu-jitsu. While iron sharpens iron, Rodriguez’s comments highlight the potential downsides of training with such an aggressive, submission-oriented grappler like Jones.
For aspiring grapplers, the takeaway may be to choose training partners carefully and prioritize safety, even when rolling with world-class competitors.
