Legendary Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Kurt Osiander has always been candid about his views on the evolution of martial arts, including the possibility of BJJ becoming an Olympic sport. In an interview, Osiander outlined the challenges BJJ must overcome, emphasized the need for standardization, and shared his thoughts on the broader landscape of Olympic sports, even touching on the inclusion of breakdancing in the Games.
Turning his focus to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Osiander emphasized the monumental effort required for the martial art to achieve Olympic recognition. He highlighted two major hurdles: the absence of a unified rule set and a governing body to oversee PED testing and regulations.
“The sport is still growing…but the true fact of the matter is a lot of the athletes would not be able to compete because there’s d*ping tests,” he explained. Drawing parallels with Judo, he stated, “Judo is in the Olympics because they have a governing body that’s really strict about that.”
Osiander criticized the fragmentation within the sport, particularly in the United States, where no singular federation governs the rules or enforces standards. “Shouldn’t there be a United States Jiu-Jitsu Federation? Everything will be standardized – boom, this is the rules, this is the way it is, these are the weight classes,” he proposed.
He suggested that introducing BJJ as an exhibition sport could be a stepping stone, saying, “You know what they could do it as an exhibition sport…it’s like okay you want to see something cool, we got it, check this out.”
Osiander acknowledged the missed opportunity to include BJJ during the Rio Olympics in Brazil, citing d*ping regulations as a key barrier. However, with the 2028 Games set to take place in Los Angeles, he sees a chance for BJJ to make its Olympic debut—provided the necessary infrastructure is established.
Standardization remains the biggest challenge, given the diversity of rules across competitions like IBJJF, ADCC, and submission-only formats. Without a unified framework, the dream of Olympic inclusion remains distant.
Osiander’s take on Viral ‘Breakdancing’ Performance
Osiander also weighed in on breakdancing as an Olympic sport, offering both criticism and reluctant support. Watching the performance of Australia’s representative, Raygun, Osiander initially mistook the routine for a medical emergency.
“As soon as I saw it I was like ‘(expletive) I think she’s having a seizure, someone help this poor woman,'” he recounted during the BJJ Fanatics podcast. Despite his initial reaction, Osiander later admitted breakdancing’s athletic merit, likening it to gymnastics.
“It’s like gymnastics and dancing together,” he remarked, conceding that the discipline deserves its Olympic spot, even if certain performances failed to impress him.
Osiander also pointed out potential conflicts of interest, noting that Raygun’s husband had allegedly become the head of the Olympic breaking committee. This situation, he suggested, raised questions about the qualification process: “Her husband [expletive] became the Olympic Committee head of break dancing and no other people were qualified.”
