ADCC silver medalist Brianna Ste-Marie has made her stance crystal clear on one of jiu-jitsu’s most debated fashion choices: men wearing spats without shorts. During a recent appearance on the Jits and Giggles Podcast, the Canadian BJJ star didn’t hold back when sharing her strong opinions on mat etiquette.
Ste-Marie recounted a particularly memorable incident while teaching a camp in Colombia that perfectly illustrates her position on the matter.
“I was actually giving a camp in Colombia,” she explained. “I called this guy the [–] out. But I had just met this guy but at the same time you know like we got along and you know we had mutual friends. So I kind of thought I was like ‘Oh I’m comfortable with this guy.’ And he like rocked up to an evening session wearing just spats. And I literally looked at him. I was like ‘Get the [–] off the mats and go change.’ I was like ‘That’s unacceptable.'”
The high-level competitor’s directness caught the athlete off guard but Ste-Marie stood firm in her conviction.
“I literally see the outline of your junk,” she stated bluntly. “Like I—I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t understand like where we’ve lost the plot that that’s okay to just like walk out with that you know?”
The shorts-over-spats rule is also enforced in Gordon Ryan‘s controversial dress code.
Ste-Marie’s confidence in setting boundaries stems from her years of experience in the sport. She acknowledges that newer practitioners often struggle with establishing boundaries which is why she believes it’s crucial for experienced athletes and coaches to set clear standards.
“I think it’s super difficult to set boundaries when you start off which is why I think it’s so important to create environments in the gym where you’re not putting someone in uncomfortable situations,” she explained.
The ADCC medalist’s willingness to be direct about mat etiquette extends beyond just training attire. She emphasized the importance of creating gym environments where even less assertive people feel comfortable speaking up about their boundaries.
“I’ll consistently remind people and also to not make it a big deal,” she said noting that she often tells students it’s perfectly acceptable to decline training partners for any reason.”
