Does Valente Brothers participate in grappling sportive competitions?
Valente Brothers is proud to abide strictly by Grandmaster Hélio Gracie’s training philosophy, and to focus 100% of our attention on teaching a combat system. As per Grand Master Hélio’s recommendation, Valente Brothers does not participate in any point competitions. According to Grandmaster Hélio, sparring and technical practice should always emphasize street like conditions, including strikes, hard flooring and multiple opponents. Moreover, we want our school to be a center that promotes personal development and self-confidence rather than a breeding ground for athletes who want to compete in regulated tournaments. Tournaments were first established to serve as a means to better self-defense skills. Unfortunately the means became more important than the end, and the techniques of Jiu-Jitsu were modified to fit tournament rules rather than the realities of hand to hand combat. It is important to note that Valente Brothers is not against sportive competitions of any kind.
