Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Marcelo Garcia has expressed strong criticism of PEDs in combat sports, emphasizing how chemical enhancement compromises the integrity and purity of martial arts.
“Everything I’ve gained in my career, I never needed to take anything, not even supplements I had money to take,” Garcia stated in Connectcast. “I’ve always had to control my diet because I liked to eat and not take supplements. I never wanted to trade a plate of food for a whey.”
He pointed to his own success as proof that greatness can be achieved naturally, having won multiple world championships in both gi and no-gi competition without ever using PEDs.
Gordon Ryan
Garcia provided a nuanced view of Gordon Ryan, simultaneously acknowledging his technical brilliance while expressing concerns about his PED use.
“He’s a guy who has put a lot of effort to learn his jiu-jitsu. He must have spent a lot of time training on the tatami,” Garcia said. “I think he’s at the top today. It’s hard to fool him. It’s hard for anyone to show a jiu-jitsu more technical than his.”
However, Garcia was unequivocal about his disappointment in Ryan’s admitted PED use:
“It’s a shame because he’s a very big guy…and he’s a guy who admits that he used anabolic [PEDs].”
Garcia highlighted the difficulty of truly assessing an athlete’s skill when PEDs are involved.
“I know he’s the best today, but then I imagine…I don’t know how much it depends on his strength and size,” he noted.
Yet, he also recognized Ryan’s technical dedication: “Whether you want it or not, if you can, you’re just going to use your strength. Why are you going to be technical? But he learned.”
Throughout his career, Garcia has been a staunch advocate for natural training methods.
“I focus on myself. I don’t want to wait for the rule to save me. I don’t want to wait for the judge to do something for me by the rule,” he explained, emphasizing his belief in letting technical ability and hard work determine success.
