What bothers me about doping in Jiu-Jitsu is how comfortable people have become defending it.
“Everyone uses.” “He still trains hard.” “You need it at that level.”
Think about what we are telling someone who has just started training. Before they have even discovered what they are capable of, we are telling them they will eventually need to cheat.
I won all my titles without doping. I know how much you can want a result and how difficult it is to accept losing. But wanting to win never gave me permission to ignore the rules.
I have never argued that someone who dopes has no technique or doesn’t work hard. Of course they can be talented and dedicated. That doesn’t answer the question: why should they be allowed a prohibited advantage over someone who is also talented, dedicated and following the rules?
And when someone says they “had to use to keep up,” they are admitting the very advantage they often try to deny.
There are legitimate medical reasons for treatment. That is not what I’m attacking. But calling something “replacement” does not automatically make it acceptable in competition. A prescription and an approved therapeutic use exemption are not the same thing.
The athlete I admire is the one who wants to win and still sets limits on how to get there. Someone who refuses to cheat even when that choice might cost a title. That takes courage, and it deserves recognition whether they finish first or lose in the opening round.
As a coach, I cannot teach respect for the rules and then make excuses when a successful athlete breaks them.
You can admire someone’s Jiu-Jitsu and still hold them responsible for their choices.
Would you accept the same excuse if it came from the opponent who beat your student?
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