If you’ve found this article, then you’re probably wondering if tickling is legal or illegal in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. As it happens, the answer is actually a little more complicated than a definite yes or no and mostly falls into a grey area. However, fear not, if you’re planning on tickling your opponent during a competition match, then it will probably fine…just don’t expect it to be massive effective though.
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So, is tickling allowed in BJJ?
If you’ve bothered to look through ADCC and IBJJF rules, then there’s actually nothing that covers tickling which is probably because it’s very obscure and doesn’t really happen. Having said this, in some cases it could be interpreted as illegal by certain referees and here is why: Under certain rulesets, tickling could be defined as unsportsmanlike behavior. T
herefore, if you tickle someone, you could be viewed as doing something that is unfair for the sake of gaining a competitive advantage which results in a disqualification. Whilst this would be incredibly harsh, it could potentially happen. If you’ve ever competed, then you’ll know at the best of times that ref’s can make some unusual decisions. Therefore, it would be bad to risk victory for a joke if you decided to tickle your opponent, especially if it was viewed as disrespectful by a strict referee.
Does that mean tickling is illegal then?
As stated, it really depends on the interpretation of the ref which is why it’s a grey area. Here is the reason why tickling would probably be allowed in a competition. Firstly, it’s near impossible to tickle someone whilst they’re wearing a gi. Due to the heavy material of the gi, the tickle would be desensitized and the person getting tickled probably wouldn’t feel anything. Therefore, in this instance tickling would be pointless.
Even in a rashguard, it would be tough to feel a tickling sensation due to the literal layer of material that the rashguard provides. Not only this but with adrenaline flowing and the fast paced nature of BJJ competitions, it’s pretty unlikely that someone would feel a tickle, let alone react to it. And the chances are if you’re tickling someone, you’re not using your grips correctly which could mean getting passed or submitted because of it.
Perhaps the only body part you could realistically tickle would be the feet, which are quite hard to get to even if you’re in leg-locking positions. Even then, due to the nature of competition, nothing would really come of it.
Has anyone ever tickled in a BJJ competition?
To make it more clear; there have been no recorded incidents of tickling in any BJJ competition. That goes for local, small comps all the way up to serious, international events. The reason may be quite obvious, as it’s an inefficient strategy to try and win a BJJ match.
By a similar token, tickling has never been done in an MMA fight. For these reasons alone, you would be foolish to attempt tickling. For tactical or comedic purposes, it’s not really worth it if you’re trying to win something.
Can you tickle in the gym?
Sometimes, people may tickle a training partner in the gym whilst playing around. This is akin to trash talking whilst rolling and is unusual but may go on in some circles. Here are a few guidelines if you plan on doing it. Firstly, make sure you know the person very well and they’re comfortable with your level of humor. Don’t just randomly tickle someone who isn’t comfortable around you because it’s quite weird and could be seen as creepy.
Obviously, you shouldn’t be doing this with the opposite sex either as it can further be interpreted as creepy or harassing behavior. Having said this, if you did tickle someone for a joke then obviously you can’t get DQ’d in the gym. Overall though, this behavior is very rare and doesn’t really go on.
Conclusion
Tickling in BJJ is incredibly rare and barely warrants a conversation as it’s so obscure. Nonetheless, there are some stories of when it happens so it does go on. As mentioned, there’s nothing written in competition rules that penalizes tickling, but as ever if you force the ref into a decision then don’t be shocked if it goes against you. From a tactical route though, tickling is probably a very bad idea and is not advised.
If you’re worried about bizarre BJJ rules, then feel free to check out these articles on smothering and greasing. These articles should help clear up any confusion regarding the more obscure parts of BJJ competition.
