If you’ve been training Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for a while, then you may have come across the term Brazilian tap which is sometimes used as an insult. Although not the most common word in BJJ, it is sometimes thrown around and you may be confused about its meaning.
In this article, we shall break down the meaning of what a Brazilian tap actually involves and where you’re most likely to witness it. Also, we’ll talk about how you can deal with it if you fall victim to the infamous Brazilian tap.
What is the Brazilian tap?
The term Brazilian tap is used to describe the action when someone taps out to a submission, yet pretends they didn’t. There can be a few scenarios where this happens with various outcomes.
The first situation is during competition. Imagine you have a fully locked armbar on your opponent who taps the underside of your leg. Instantly, you let go respecting that you could break their arm if you continue with pressure. Then, the opponent continues fighting as if they never tapped, despite the two of you knowing otherwise.
If the ref sees the tap then they should immediately stop the match and award you the victory. However, if it’s done in a sneaky way then it could trick the ref and give the tapper an unfair advantage.
In the gym
The second situation is when someone does a Brazilian tap in the gym. Whilst it’s unfair to do this in a competition, there are some people who will do this, especially if there’s big money on the line or a prestigious medal.
However, in the gym this is done by those with even bigger ego and is far pettier. Of course, you should release the submission when you feel a tap but if they continue then so should you. Sometimes, this is more likely to happen if a higher belt gets caught by a lower belt – so they pretend to tap out of embarrassment. Having said this, if you did earn a reputation for doing a Brazilian tap in the gym then you may get harder spars as a result, which would not be a wise decision.
How can you stop a Brazilian tap?
Ultimately, the counter to defending against a Brazilian tap is to hold the submission and wait for the referee to intervene. Of course, this is a moral dilemma and could seriously injure your opponent.
Ideally, if the opponent did try a Brazilian tap and you eased the submission, you would still keep the position in case they tried a quick escape. Thankfully, most referees will be wary of such things and should be physically positioned well enough to see if someone is tapping out or not. Of course, most competitors don’t really want to have to break someone’s arm though, or choke someone out before finishing the match. Thankfully, it doesn’t really come to this and is quite a rare situation.
Where does the term come from?
The exact origins of the term Brazilian tap aren’t known. However, the name alone hints that it is a move performed by Brazilians. In fairness, it is a Brazilian martial art after all. Anyway, the term has connotations that Brazilian competitors are more likely to cheat in order to win. Whilst this stereotype is unfounded, it does have some context behind it.
For example, the stereotype goes that Brazilian competitors are more likely to do anything to win a match. This often involves tactical decisions that push the boundaries. For instance, one may run out of bounds during a takedown to avoid points being scored. Similarly, one may try to start in an advantageous position from a reset – and most of all, one may stall from winning positions to run the clock down and gain a tight win.
These all test the legalities of competition BJJ and may explain why Brazilians get blamed for pretending to tap. Arguably, this could be described as gamesmanship, and being smart during a bout is very different from openly cheating. In short, there’s nothing wrong with playing within the rules but pretending to tap is far worse than stalling.
Are Brazilian refs biased to Brazilians in BJJ?
Based on the same cliché, there is also the idea that Brazilian referees will favor Brazilian participants in big competition matches when a Brazilian goes up against a foreign opponent. The stereotype goes that a Brazilian ref will be slower at awarding points to the opponent, if at all, and that they have a natural bias towards their countrymen.
Of course, this could be a myth created by sore losers. In fact, competitor Jake Mackenzie has said that this myth is unfounded – as he has won various competitions in Brazil whilst competing as a Canadian.
Sometimes, people aren’t tapping out
Lastly, sometimes people genuinely aren’t tapping out, despite it looking like that at the time. For example, you could be locked in a darce choke and use your hand to quickly try and push the opponent’s elbow down to try to escape. If you do this quickly, it could be interpreted as a tap. Similarly, you could try and stomp on the floor with your foot to escape a choke.
Again, this could be viewed as tapping out. If this happens, then ultimately only you will know if you truly tapped or not. This is something that you will have to live with and deep down, your conscience will know what really happened. Still, the point remains that sometimes people are genuinely not tapping, despite it looking like they clearly are.
Conclusion
When it comes to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, the Brazilian tap is quite a rarity. In fact, if happens during a training session then it can be chalked off as it has no serious repercussions. Thankfully, most people are honest and won’t even do it during a competition due to pride. Nonetheless, if you are a competitor then it’s definitely something to look out for. At the same time, it’s a fine line between respecting the tap and ripping on submissions and disrespecting your opponent to try and win a medal.
