In a recent episode of the Fighting Matters podcast, three-stripe black belt Molly Reis shared her experiences as a transgender woman in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, highlighting the contradictory attitudes within the sport regarding performance enhancement and competition fairness.
Reis, who has been practicing martial arts her entire life with 21 years dedicated to BJJ, transitioned about a year and a half ago after already earning her black belt.
During the conversation, Reis pointed out a glaring inconsistency in how the BJJ community approaches competition fairness. While many practitioners express concerns about trans women competing in women’s divisions, citing supposed physical advantages, these same individuals often accept or engage in testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and performance-enhancing drug use without similar scrutiny.
“We have so many folks on TRT,” Reis noted. “It does make me giggle… being in those, especially the ultra-heavy divisions at Master Worlds, oh my goodness, I feel like I would piss hot after just rolling with some of those people.”
Podcast co-host Mike Mahaffey highlighted the double standard: “If this has an effect one way, you’re claiming it doesn’t have an effect the other way, right? It’s so hypocritical to be like, ‘Oh, all the dudes, we can use TRT and get jacked and it’s okay for competition, but trans people, we can’t have them competing because of some quote-unquote unfair advantage.'”
Reis shared how hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has significantly altered her physical capabilities. “I lost a lot of muscle mass… I do feel physically weaker, especially in my grips,” she explained. Her testosterone levels have dropped from around 325 ng/dl to just 26 ng/dl—less than 10% of her previous levels and well within the typical range for cisgender women (15-70 ng/dl).
The podcast discussion also addressed the disproportionate attention given to trans athletes in sports compared to their actual numbers. As one host pointed out, “You’re going to find more billionaires in Trump’s cabinet than you will find trans athletes at the NCAA level.”
Reis also spoke about the challenges she faced after transitioning, including having to leave her previous gym and becoming more selective about where she trains. Despite these difficulties, she has found a supportive community at Combat Arts Academy in Seattle, where she now teaches a class called “Filthy Fridays with Coach Molly.”
She emphasized the importance of representation in leadership positions: “Putting a diverse group of people into leadership positions, into positions of visibility, is going to make a diverse group of people feel like they’re welcome here.”
For trans and queer people considering BJJ, Reis offered encouragement: “You will find more support than you expect if you look, and there is a pretty extensive and rapidly growing network and community of trans combat athletes that would love to have you.”
