ADCC veteran Charlie Kohler has revealed the fascinating origin story of how Sheikh Tahnoun developed the rules for what would become the Abu Dhabi Combat Club (ADCC) submission wrestling championships. The now-prestigious tournament, considered the pinnacle of no-gi grappling, started as an experimental competition shaped through trial and discussion between Sheikh Tahnoun and a group of dedicated grapplers.
In 1995, Kohler was part of a small group of American grapplers living and training in Abu Dhabi under Nelson Monteiro. During their stay, Sheikh Tahnoun organized an internal team tournament featuring eight competitors with no time limits and submission-only rules. This informal event served as the foundation for what would later become ADCC.
After Kohler won the tournament by defeating his teammate Micah in the finals with a toe hold, Sheikh Tahnoun gathered the group on the mats to discuss ideas for a new competition format. This discussion would lead to the creation of the rules that define ADCC to this day. In an appearance on Lytes Out podcast, Kohler recounts:
“We sat on the mat for about an hour after that first tournament,” Kohler recalled. “He was asking questions. He probably already had a vision of what he wanted, but he was running things past us. ‘What do you think about this? Do they have to wear a gi?'”
The group provided input on various aspects of the competition, debating different rule formats and structures. One of the main points of contention was whether there should be a point system or if matches should be determined purely by submission. Kohler argued in favor of points to ensure fair judging and avoid the potential for endless, inconclusive matches.
This led to Sheikh Tahnoun proposing a hybrid approach: no points for the first half of the match and points for the second half, encouraging competitors to focus on submissions initially while still having a structured way to determine winners.
Time Limits: Another major discussion revolved around match duration. Initially, there was consideration for no time limits, but the group highlighted the risk of excessive stalling, leading Sheikh Tahnoun to settle on 10-minute matches with 20-minute finals.
Gi or No-Gi? The group also debated whether competitors should be allowed to wear the gi. Some argued in favor of gi competition, as it was common in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournaments. However, Kohler pointed out that allowing the gi would give jiu-jitsu and judo players an unfair advantage over wrestlers and other grapplers unfamiliar with the uniform.
“If it’s going to be strictly grappling, we can’t have uniforms. Some wrestlers or some Greco guys don’t know what the gi is,” Kohler explained.
After deliberation, the decision was made to prohibit the gi, ensuring a level playing field for competitors from all backgrounds. This decision ultimately helped shape ADCC into the definitive no-gi grappling championship it is today.
How Bias in BJJ Competitions Influenced ADCC Rules
Kohler also shared stories of early Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitions in Southern California, where biased officiating was a major issue.
“We’re starting fights at jiu-jitsu tournaments, chasing the refs and chasing the promoters in the parking lot, gonna kill them. These guys were cheating a seven-year-old kid, our kid,” Kohler recalled about the controversial judging that plagued early BJJ tournaments.
At the time, many Brazilian-run competitions were heavily biased in favor of their own competitors, making it difficult for non-Brazilian athletes to win fairly. This experience influenced Kohler’s later discussions with Sheikh Tahnoun, emphasizing the need for clear and objective scoring criteria in ADCC to avoid the same problems.
“If there are no points, how are you gonna determine a winner? Because there’s always gonna be bias,” Kohler emphasized during those early discussions.
This input helped shape ADCC’s structured yet fair rule set, ensuring that winners were determined by clear scoring rather than subjective judging.
The Legacy of ADCC’s Rule Development
Had the discussions gone differently, ADCC might have launched as a gi-based competition instead of the no-gi event that has become legendary in the world of submission grappling. The inclusion of points, structured time limits, and a no-gi format all contributed to ADCC’s unique identity, allowing it to stand apart from traditional BJJ tournaments and attract competitors from all grappling backgrounds.
According to Kohler, this early experimentation and collaborative approach to developing the rule set was crucial in creating a format that would showcase the best aspects of submission grappling while maintaining fairness between different styles.
ADCC’s Impact on the Martial Arts World
Beyond just a grappling tournament, Kohler believes ADCC played a major role in accelerating the development of mixed martial arts. By providing high-level grapplers a platform to test their skills against various styles, ADCC indirectly contributed to the evolution of modern MMA.
“If it wasn’t for that tournament, MMA would be 10-15 years behind where it is today,” Kohler stated. “It really launched the sport to exponential levels. After the Abu Dhabi tournament happened—boom—it launched it because they gave the instructors and professors the ability to teach without being worried.”
ADCC’s rise also provided financial opportunities for grapplers, allowing them to focus on teaching and training full-time rather than working multiple jobs. This, in turn, helped expand the sport worldwide and professionalize submission grappling as a discipline.
