The term Creonte is taken from the Portugese language and literally translates to ‘Traitor’ in English. As you may have figured, this isn’t exactly a kind word to use when describing someone. Sadly, this word is used in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and some people take its meaning very seriously.
You may think that the Creonte term is a bit dramatic, but then again BJJ has never been short of drama. Thankfully though, most people don’t think this way and these days the term is used in a playful context, rather than being seriously used.
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What is a Creonte in BJJ?
Imagine that you’ve trained at a BJJ gym for 3 years and you earn your blue belt. Then one day you decide to leave for whatever reason but continue training at a local gym. This is where your teacher may call you a Creonte. Generally, if you just quit or move to another city for work, your exit will be met with neutrality. However, if you quit and show up to a local rivals gym, then the term Creonte may be used.
As said, most people don’t think like this but it still goes on. Usually the term Creonte is used by old school Brazilians who still follow a strict, dated version of BJJ. However, even without using the exact term, some teachers and gym owners will still behave in similar ways where they discourage students to cross train as they deem it disloyal.
Often, you may also get a decent black belt from a gym who decides to train elsewhere. This is where things get more complex as some view a black belt as a big deal and think it demands some kind of loyalty. For others, this is definitely not the case.
So, should you be loyal to your BJJ gym?
As always in life, there’s another side to the argument. Some instructors argue that their gym is like a family or home, and leaving is taken very seriously. Ultimately, it depends on your own personal take on the gym and whether it feels that way.
For instance, if you train at a franchise gym that is after your money and the teacher barely knows your name, then there’s obviously no loyalty there from this gym. By the same standards, you can’t expect to be very loyal in this scenario.
However, if the gym owner goes the extra mile to welcome you and make you feel like you genuinely belong, whilst teaching for honest reasons then it’s a bit different. Really though, it’s your own choice and as a paying customer – you have the final say. Having said this though, don’t expect to be welcomed back with open arms if one day you do decide to return to your own gym.
Secret BJJ moves and techniques
Believe it or not, but in the earlier days of BJJ – some gym owners wanted to keep moves to themselves and a few, loyal followers. From a selfish perspective, this makes sense as it keeps others from getting better and keeps you in a position of power. Imagine going to a competition for instance, and having a big knowledge gap on your opponent. Obviously, this could be used to your advantage.
This is partly where the original Creonte stereotype came from. As mentioned earlier, these days BJJ has moved on significantly and most people don’t think this way. Nonetheless, if you think back to times before the internet then it makes more sense that a leaving teammate could pose a legitimate threat in harming your gyms reputation.
Looking back, it’s all petty stuff and doesn’t really make much logical sense. Then again, lots of things in BJJ aren’t always ‘right’ but are still engrained into the culture.
Is Creonte culture exclusive to BJJ?
The idea of Creonte culture is not new and has been seen in traditional martial arts forever. Remember the bit of secret moves? This still goes on in certain, questionable martial arts. It’s also important to remember that BJJ is fairly modern in its outlook, whereas other arts are quite dated, insular and put a lot of emphasis on saving face and respect.
The reason for this may be due to most martial arts coming from Japan which also has similar values. Anyway, the point is that BJJ isn’t alone in having gym owners believing the Creonte hype and it’s actually a pretty common theme in other disciplines. It should be noted though, that the particular term ‘Creonte’ is exclusive to BJJ.
Conclusion
These days, if you’re called a Creonte then you should either laugh it off or ignore it. However, the chances are that this won’t happen anyway. Still, if it does then remember there’s bigger things in life than BJJ and in the big scheme of things, it’s not a big deal.
Still, this shouldn’t give you a lisense to disrespect your gym and teacher and it’s always good to be respectful. Regardless, we all have our own motives for moving in BJJ – and whether that’s down to work, gym environment or wanting a new challenge, it’s really up to you.
