Video summary
In this discussion on performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs) within Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Craig Jones addresses the aggressive nature of their use in the sport, driven by a lack of financial incentives from events and a strong desire for medals and clout due to the absence of drug testing. While he is sponsored by an anti-aging clinic in Texas that utilizes testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), Jones chooses full transparency regarding his specific stack—typically 200 to 250 mg per week, occasionally spiced with Anavar or low-dose Deca—to serve as a harm reduction strategy for the next generation. He argues that hiding usage leads athletes to speculate about dangerous dosages and rely on "Bro Science" practitioners who act like voodoo doctors administering unknown substances; by revealing his relatively therapeutic doses, he aims to prove that elite performance can be achieved without excessive or risky drug intake. Jones explores various substances used in the sport before matches, ranging from cannabis for relaxation to cocaine as a stimulant akin to strong coffee, though he notes that overuse of any substance leads to failure. He expresses particular concern regarding fighters using magic mushrooms prior to competition and criticizes the secrecy surrounding these practices, which often leaves athletes dependent on unqualified individuals to manage their regimens. The conversation highlights a clash between old-school martial arts mystique involving secret moves and modern evidence-based pharmaceuticals, with Jones advocating for keeping the mystical elements within the art form while strictly separating them from blood work and testing protocols in sports science. A significant portion of the dialogue focuses on the influence of PEDs and controversial behaviors like nose beers or using Jiu-Jitsu to promote gay rights on young children entering the sport at a very early age, such as one Tacket brother starting at four years old. Jones admits that while he makes jokes about these topics to spark conversation, the real issue lies with parents who push their kids toward these habits rather than athletes themselves. He acknowledges his own lack of major titles and refuses to be looked up to by young fans, emphasizing instead that event organizers like himself must take responsibility for creating a safer environment, even if it means turning down sponsorship money or backing away from certain controversial topics to maintain authenticity over broader appeal. The discussion extends to Jones's instructional content, specifically his decision to release an instructional titled "False Reap Accusations" despite pressure from sponsors like Fanatics to change the title due to its controversy regarding illegal moves in IBJJF competitions where false reaps are common tactics used to force disqualifications. He also touches on other edgy titles involving wall wrestling and ball size, illustrating his commitment to risk-taking and authenticity even when it alienates some audiences or sponsors. Ultimately, Jones concludes that while the landscape of BJJ is a "Wild West" filled with secrecy and varying levels of drug use, transparency remains crucial for protecting young athletes from developing unrealistic expectations about what constitutes legitimate performance enhancement in martial arts.
Read the full video transcript
how aggressive do you think the uses of
PEDs in BJJ I think it's pretty
aggressive I think um again there's not
great financial conversation from the
events but like in terms of
instructional sales Talent seminars and
just they want the medals they want the
they want the clout from the medals so
there's no drug testing generally people
are going to take some I myself put out
my stack obviously I'm sponsored by
steroid uh or trt anti-aging clinic in
uh Tes in Texas but in testosterone yeah
but I put my stack out because I also
like just saying no doesn't really work
with drugs you know it's like you just
say know kids take it anyway I'd rather
at least to the Next Generation let them
know what I'm taking so that they don't
they don't imagine it's up here and they
don't take dangerous amounts I at least
want to be like is it a relatively sort
of therapeutic dose that you take yeah
so 200 or 250 a week we get spicy with
some anavar for matches coming up and
then a real low dose Decker but that's
that's really and I want to I don't want
the kids or the Next Generation to
speculate I I don't want them to think
my I'm taking a gram a week or something
I think it's good to let them know what
I'm taking so they can see hey well he
was be the second best in the world I
could be the second best in the world on
this [ __ ] shitty little stack you
know so I think it's like a harm
reduction strategy rather than just say
no have you got any idea how much
further people push the drug oh yeah
I've mean I've been around athletes that
pump some crazy levels you know like you
got the ultimate Bro Science guys like I
remember one famous athlete um had and
it I mean it's more than who you think
you know one I know one famous iic had
some health issues and when the doctor
said hey what are you taking they didn't
know what they're taking but their Bro
Science that was administering it to
them said hey I just look at this person
every day I know what they need and I'm
just like that's wild that's like some
voodoo doctor like telekinesis yeah like
holds the stack back from him doesn't
tell them what it's given him it's like
uh so there's a lot of crazy [ __ ] out
there when it's shrouded in secrecy and
they're going to do it anyway they're
left to find idiots to administer it you
know so it's almost like uh it's very
much of the Wild West there's kind of I
guess this is like the meeting of the
sort of more old school martial arts
side stuff which is this mystique and
kind of magic and secret moves and stuff
with a new world of evidence-based
something but you know the Mystique and
the magic is supposed to stay within the
art form of the sport and the
evidence-based stuff is supposed to stay
within the blood work and the testing
and the Pharmaceuticals like you don't
get it the other way around yeah I I
mean I'm all for full transparency you
know like I'm almost I'm honest about
every single thing I do almost too
honest but because some of it comes
across a joke most people just don't
believe me but like most of the stuff I
put out there is true what have there
been any uh spicy substances that you've
heard about Fighters using before
matches given that anything's on the
table maybe I need to smoke weed before
I go out there I don't think that
katamine would be a particularly useful
nose beers give you a little uh perk up
you know is it an is cocaine a
performance enhancer when it comes to
the sport of Brazilian
jiu-jitsu I think it's a bit of a wake
up you know like a strong shot of coffee
you know I mean at the end of the day
it's just a simulate you take too much
you're going to probably guess out I and
know maybe that's why I have a bad guess
I don't know but uh yeah I mean people
take crazy [ __ ] everyone has different
stuff they take I've been around guys
who took magic mushrooms before the
match and [ __ ] and I'm just like BR what
are you doing you know like just people
will do anything to get an edge are you
worried
about I I appreciate what you said that
you know you put your puny wimpy little
stack out there is like that you know
this you don't need to sort of go too
hard and heavy but you know Downstream
from you and uh a lot of the other guys
in the sport Are Young kids you know
like one of the tacket brothers started
when he was four years old if you think
steroids or
J that's why he's so good the bastard a
um yeah are you worried about sort of
influence on the new generation whether
it be nose beers or keep Jiu-Jitsu gay
or the steroids like do you yeah the
nose Biz is not good hey because you
know what's funny is I make jokes about
that like uh and uh the kids do the sign
I saw you next to a kid at the UFC thing
I know the problem is I tried to stop
doing it but it's the parents that want
it you know and like we even gave it a
bad name I was calling it the white
powder white powder you know the but
yeah I don't know it's not great you
know but like uh I guess it starts the
conversation but I would say your kids
shouldn't be looking up to me you know I
didn't win anything [ __ ] send him in
the right direction you
know do you feel or do you think that
you're going to feel a bit of a
different kind of responsibility now
being a event organizer in some regard
is does that come with any change in the
way that you need to operate yourself I
mean that's a good question I think
basically run of a nonprofit probably
influences that a little bit but uh well
I'm not really I'm not really running
I'm the just help him run the the
tournament but uh yeah I mean for sure
but I've already had these conversations
with sponsors you know where sponsors
have said to back down on certain things
and I've turned the money away you know
like even with my instructional titles I
keep a controversial title because I'd
rather be authentic I'd rather have a
smaller more dedicated audience than a
broader what are some of the names of
the instructionals you've released all
right so this one was spicy actually so
there's a move in Jiu-Jitsu called a
false reap it's a false reap it's a type
of way to enter a leg lock reaping in
the
ibf is in a legal move it's something
where you bring your leg across the knee
and it could potentially injure
someone's kneee however in the IB jef a
lot of people
CU they want to win they'll do anything
to win they'll try to force the guy to
make it look like they're doing an
illegal move and it's sort of they were
reaped but
falsely but I brought out an
instructional on the false reap and I
called it false reap accusations but it
was really a strong uh it was
instructional about the reap I remember
Fanatics called me and they said bro can
we change the title on this one placee
and I said what about false reap
allegations but I mean it fits in with
di Jeff like uh DQ narrative and I just
thought it'd be funny but we take you
got to take a risk you know like
someone's got a do what was that one
that you did about balls something to do
with balls balls to the wall yeah cuz
when you when you're defending against
wall wrestling you're really slamming
your bows well I'm on T mine are pretty
small so they're not hitting the wall
but generally speaking a clean athlete
he's going to have some big balls in
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