Over the years, Stuart Cooper has become a beloved figure in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community for his captivating highlight reels that have inspired countless individuals to take up the sport. However, his relationship with the sport’s governing body, ADCC, took an unexpected turn in 2019, leading to his departure from the videography scene.
Cooper’s journey with ADCC began in 2011, when he produced his first highlight reel for the event. His work quickly gained recognition, with his 2011 video going viral and setting the stage for his involvement in the sport’s growth over the following years.
“I didn’t even know much about ADCC at the time,” Cooper told Craig Jones in appearance on El Segundo. “A friend put me in touch with Braulio Estima, who was preparing for the event, and that’s how I got involved. Little did I know that my videos would end up having such a significant impact on the sport’s popularity.”
“It’s kind of strange that they wanted an ADCC highlight reel with no submission finishes,” Cooper stated. “That’s the bread and butter of the sport, and those are the moments that really captivate the audience.”
The decision to limit individual match clips to 3 seconds was equally perplexing, as it would severely undermine the ability to showcase the high-level grappling exchanges that define ADCC. Cooper expressed his frustration, stating, “How are you supposed to capture the intensity and drama of these matches when you can only show 3 seconds at a time? It’s just nonsensical.”
Cooper’s highlight reels became a staple of the ADCC experience, showcasing the skill and athleticism of the sport’s top competitors. However, his relationship with the event’s organizers, particularly Flograppling, took a turn for the worse in the lead-up to the 2019 edition.
“There was a lot of miscommunication and confusion around the rights to the footage I was shooting,” Cooper explains. “Flograppling was very restrictive about what I could and couldn’t do with the content, and it ultimately led to a dispute that prevented me from being involved in the event.”
The fallout from the 2019 incident left Cooper feeling disillusioned with the sport he had grown to love. “It was really disappointing because I had put so much time and effort into promoting ADCC over the years, and then to be essentially shut out like that, it was tough to take,” he says.
Since then, Cooper has been focusing his efforts on other projects, including the recently launched Craig Jones Invitational, which aims to provide a new platform for the sport and better opportunities for the athletes.
“I still love grappling and want to see it continue to grow, but the way ADCC and Flograppling have been operating just doesn’t align with my values,” Cooper says. “With CJI, we’re trying to do things differently, to put the athletes first and create an environment that’s more transparent and fair for everyone involved.”
As the BJJ community looks forward to the upcoming ADCC event, Cooper’s absence will be felt by many. However, his legacy as a pioneering videographer and his continued commitment to the sport’s development ensure that his impact will be felt for years to come. As for flograppling business practices, as usual, very short sighted.
