Gordon Ryan, widely regarded as the greatest no-gi grappler of his generation, delivered a pointed message to Brazilian jiu-jitsu’s home nation during a recent conversation with Tim Kennedy: adapt to how the sport is evolving, or get left behind.
Speaking on the changing landscape of grappling education, Ryan argued that Brazil’s decades-long dominance was built in an era before the internet reshaped how athletes learn. That advantage, he says, is eroding fast.
An Information Economy Brazil Can’t Access
Ryan’s core argument centers on access to videos. Modern grappling has become an information game, driven by instructionals, film study, and subscription-based coaching platforms that didn’t exist when Brazil built its dynasties. According to Ryan, the economics of that shift work against Brazilian athletes.
“If the Brazilians don’t start making adjustments, if they just are hard-headed and they do everything that they’ve been doing for the last 30 years that has worked because the sport wasn’t really progressing that much, they’ll be phased out,” Ryan told Kennedy.
He pointed specifically to the financial barrier created by premium instructional content and subscription training services and resources he considers essential for staying competitive at the highest level.
“The conversion rate in Brazil is so tough, like for most Brazilians, it’s hard to afford. So they just don’t have the access to the information that you would in America.”
A Changing of the Guard?
Ryan’s comments point toward a broader prediction about where elite grappling is headed. Rather than Brazil maintaining its traditional stronghold at the top of the sport, he sees a new rivalry forming.
“I think it’ll be the best Americans versus the best Russians,” Ryan said.
It’s a bold claim from one of the sport’s most polarizing and most accomplished figures, and one that’s likely to draw pushback from a Brazilian jiu-jitsu community that has produced the majority of the sport’s legends. As grappling professionalizes and instructional content becomes a primary training tool worldwide, he’s betting that economic access will determine who ends up on top.
A freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience covering a wide range of topics, with a focus on delivering accurate, engaging, and well-researched reporting. He studied at the University of Birmingham, where he developed a strong foundation in journalism and communications. Martin is a 10th Planet BJJ brown belt and has been training for approximately 10 years and a keen follower of submission grappling.
