In a prescient moment that now seems almost prophetic, Levi Jones Leary (LJL) addressed potential criticism of his jiu-jitsu style in an instructional video released before the Craig Jones Invitational (CJI). His words, which at the time might have seemed like general advice, now read like a direct response to the controversy surrounding his performance at the high-profile event.
In the instructional, LJL encouraged practitioners to “Live your best life and don’t let anybody try to not let you do that.” He specifically mentioned guard retention, stating, “Don’t let anyone talk s*it about your guard retention.” This advice seems particularly relevant in light of the criticism he faced for his guard-heavy strategy at CJI.
LJL went on to predict that “People are gonna be jealous. People are gonna be jealous you’re retaining guards so good.” He even anticipated specific criticisms: “They might say like that guard is s*it. You should learn to do takedowns.” These statements align eerily well with the actual critiques leveled at LJL following his performance at CJI, where his reliance on guard pulling and retention became a topic of heated debate within the BJJ community.
The controversy surrounding LJL’s performance at CJI centered on his tactical decision to prioritize guard pulling over takedowns, a strategy that some critics argued diminished the sport’s emphasis on well-rounded grappling skills. However, LJL’s near-victory in the finals against Kade Ruotolo, decided by a narrow margin after five rounds, suggests that his approach was indeed effective at the highest level of competition.
In his official reaction after CJI, LJL maintained a positive attitude, praising the event and expressing gratitude to his supporters. He acknowledged the controversy surrounding the judging but chose to focus on the overall success of the event and his own future improvements.
LJL’s instructional video seems to have prepared him for the mixed reactions to his performance. His advice to “Don’t let it get to you” in the face of criticism now appears to be a mantra he himself followed in the aftermath of CJI.
But the market has spoken – and they’re definitely far more receptive to other styles. In case you’re not familiar, you can actually see the peaks and valleys in views on the YT timelines of popular videos. This means that the data is for once perfectly public.
This allows us to notice that the later rounds of Ruotolo vs LJL were actually losing traction and viewers unlike other events. In fact, this graph might be a sign that Levi Jones Leary needs to up his presence and marketing because even in the matches where he submitted opponents he received a lukewarm reception from the majority of the audience.
