Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has always thrived in the grey areas of competition—unwritten etiquette, unspoken codes and the constant tug of war between survival and submission. But at the second edition of the Craig Jones Invitational, the question that refused to go away was simple: what actually counts as a tap?
The controversy isn’t new. The sport has long wrestled with what’s known as a “Brazilian tap”—a tactic where an athlete makes a light tapping motion, often hidden from the referee, hoping their opponent will release the submission. The goal is simple but dirty: convince the opponent the match is over only to keep going the second they let go. Few things cut deeper into the unwritten code of respect than this trick.
One of the most infamous examples came at UFC 117, when Chael Sonnen found himself trapped in an Anderson Silva triangle. Sonnen gave what looked like a small concession tap, hoping Silva would release. The referee saw it, stopped the match and Sonnen tried to continue—but the damage was done. Silva got his hand raised and Sonnen carried the stigma of the “Brazilian tap” forever.
At CJI 2, echoes of that moment reverberated again—three separate matches were clouded by questionable taps, sparking outrage from competitors, commentators and fans alike. Jasmine Rocha, daughter of Vagner Rocha, wasted no time in calling it out on social media:
“Guys, day one of CJI is already done, and we had not one, not two, but three Brazilian taps… And here’s the kicker. All three of them were done by Americans. So what do you guys think? Should we rename it the American tap?”
What makes Rocha’s post even more pointed is that it wasn’t just random shade—it indirectly called out her own side. Vagner Rocha had been drafted in as a wild card for Team New Wave, the very squad tied to a controversial tap moment. By highlighting the issue so publicly, Jasmine was essentially putting heat on her father’s team as much as their opponents.
The most heated moment came when Giancarlo Bodoni, ADCC champion and New Wave standout, got caught in a heel hook by Taylor Pearman. Slow-motion replays showed what looked like a tap. The commentators didn’t hesitate:
“That looks like a tap. You cannot fault anyone for stopping that match.”
But Bodoni’s fury told another story. He immediately disputed the call, insisting afterward:
“I think everybody in the arena knows that that wasn’t a tap out if you just look at it.”
Fans and analysts split down the middle. Some saw clear taps, others saw defensive hand posturing. The referee ruled it a technical submission but the debate hasn’t cooled since.
The second incident came when Geo Martinez, competing in what he’d announced as his final tournament, got trapped in an ankle lock by Belal Etiabari. The pressure was harsh and Martinez appeared to tap several times before the referee stopped the match.
This time, the controversy was thin. Replays showed clear tapping and Martinez’s emotional reaction—removing his rash guard to signal retirement—underscored the finality of the moment. What stung was that the legendary 10th Planet veteran had promised he’d let his foot break before tapping. The crowd got a painful contradiction.
The third disputed case came when Vagner Rocha faced Elijah Dorsey. What appeared to be tapping motions stirred arguments, but many argued Rocha was simply posting his hand to base out. Unlike the Bodoni incident, this one didn’t result in a submission call but the whispers of doubt lingered.
The events at CJI 2 shone a harsh spotlight on something the sport often overlooks: the lack of a universal standard. Under the Unified MMA Rules, a tap can be physical or verbal but the rulebook doesn’t define how many taps are needed.
IBJJF doesn’t spell it out either. Historically, referees have stopped matches for even a single tap—just ask Fedor Emelianenko, whose lone slap against Fabricio Werdum was ruled the end.
Fabricio Werdum vs Fedor Emelianenko in San Jose, CA on June 26, 2010. #DWCOTD pic.twitter.com/BV2q3AEf7C
— danawhite (@danawhite) December 26, 2015
William Tackett summed up the frustration of many:
“To my knowledge, under every established ruleset, a tap is considered 2 or more taps. After replaying this, it’s hard to say Bodoni tapped. To fix this: 1) keep ripping the sub till they are violently tapping, 2) or wait till the ref is pulling you off. We aren’t playing soccer, this is a combat sport.”
Meanwhile, Luke Thomas reminded fans that history complicates things:
“Not sure what rules CJI is using on taps, but Fedor’s tap to Werdum was a single tap. There are rule sets that will accept a single tap.”
And of course, Gordon Ryan used the drama to claim bias against his New Wave teammates, blasting CJI’s officiating as “crooked” and insisting that a single tap has never counted in “any ruleset.”
The truth? The sport is caught between tradition and gamesmanship. The Bodoni case exposed just how thin the line is between defensive motion and conceding defeat.
Does Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu need a clearer definition of what a tap is?
Until it does, the Brazilian tap—whether you blame Brazilians, Americans or anyone else—will continue to haunt competition mats.
