The age-old debate of technique versus strength has found new life in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community, with high-profile figures weighing in on how elite strongmen and bodybuilders might fare on the mats.
UFC veteran Chael Sonnen recently challenged the traditional martial arts narrative that technique always prevails over raw power.
“I was told strength doesn’t matter – it’s about technique, speed, and heart. None of them are true,”
Sonnen stated, emphasizing that
“Strength matters. Horsepower matters. How big a horse are you?”
However, BJJ champion Gordon Ryan provides a counterpoint through his recent experience with strongman Thor Bjornsson.
“I literally grappled the strongest person on the planet, and I promise you, jiu-jitsu works,”
Ryan reported after successfully controlling and submitting the 6’9″ former World’s Strongest Man.
Ryan detailed the encounter:
“I let Thor start inside control like full inside position. He’s got everything like my arm shelfed and I’m like, All right, go. That’s all I got. I escape, I sweep him, and then I get up submitting him. And he’s like, Man, it’s like, I don’t know what just happened.”
Yet, exercise scientist and BJJ black belt Mike Israetel raises an interesting perspective regarding four-time World’s Strongest Man Brian Shaw. At 6’8″ and 440 pounds, Shaw’s combination of size, strength, and intelligence could prove problematic even for elite practitioners if he receives proper training.
In an appearance on The Simple Man podcast, Isratel details:
“I’m always really concerned if a pro strongman gets into the jiu-jitsu community. You guys know Brian Shaw? Someone’s teaching him MMA and jiu-jitsu right now, and that is a f**king bad idea. Why? Because he is six foot eight, 440 pounds. Yes, he’s smart. That’s a problem. Then it’s a f**king big problem. If you just have him drill something like a blast double—bro, his arms are half the length of your body. Yeah, like who the f**k is gonna duck that? You’re gonna guillotine that guy? There’s nobody”
The discussion has highlighted a complex reality: while technical skill remains crucial, the physical advantages of elite strongmen cannot be dismissed. As the sport evolves, the integration of these super-heavyweight athletes may reshape traditional assumptions about size and skill in grappling arts.
With more strongmen like Shaw beginning to explore martial arts training, the BJJ community watches with keen interest to see how these titans of strength might impact the gentle art’s future landscape.
