Canadian jiu-jitsu championship cancelled because sport violates Criminal Code

[Independent voter]

"The SPVM, acting on an internal legal memo that included jiu-jitsu as a combat sport — i.e. having strikes ("an encounter or fight with fists, hands or feet") — informed the Abu Dhabi Pro Jiu-Jitsu committee that they would proceed to enforce the section to arrest any participant in the tournament," said a statement on Facebook.

OMG! They're hitting each other!









http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montre...lled-1.4002070

Montreal was supposed to host the Canadian championship of Brazilian jiu-jitsu over the weekend, but the event was postponed after it was declared illegal.

The competition was supposed to take place at the Pierre-Charbonneau Centre, near the Olympic Stadium. But the group's Facebook page said that it decided to cancel the event Friday evening — for the first time in nine years — after Montreal police (SPVM) threatened to make arrests.

'For us, it was a huge shock because it was never a problem before. We didn't even think it could be a problem.'
- Organizer Danny An Khoi Vu

"The SPVM, acting on an internal legal memo that included jiu-jitsu as a combat sport — i.e. having strikes ("an encounter or fight with fists, hands or feet") — informed the Abu Dhabi Pro Jiu-Jitsu committee that they would proceed to enforce the section to arrest any participant in the tournament," said a statement on Facebook.

The Montreal competition features Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which organizers say does not have any strikes of the fists, hands or feet. They say the UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation should have been allowed to hold its annual event.

"For us, it was a huge shock because it was never a problem before. We didn't even think it could be a problem," said organizer Danny An Khoi Vu.

About 240 competitors, some as young as nine, were registered to take part.

"When we were advised of the event, we met with the promoter mentioning that if he was going to do the event — because he was not part of a federation or that he didn't get the [approval] of the International Olympic Committee — there could be some consequences to the event," Montreal police spokesman Jean-Pierre Brabant told CBC.

"There could be arrests made to the promoter, the fighters or even the people that were attending that place."
Wrong kind of jiu-jitsu?

Article 83 of the Canadian Criminal Code states that only contests of combat sports that are "on the programme of the International Olympic Committee or the International Paralympic Committee" can be held.

By that definition, jiu-jitsu, a Japanese martial art that has close combat but is not on the IOC's program, violates the law.

Combat sports event organizers can also get special permission from their provinces to hold tournaments.

But organizers of the cancelled tournament believe their form of jiu-jitsu shouldn't be regulated under the law because it has more in common with grappling than boxing.

Vu wonders if when they sought a legal opinion, the SPVM confused Japanese jiu-jitsu with Brazillian jiu-jitsu. Japanese jiu jitsu involves punching and kicking where its Brazilian cousin does not.

Organizers say they tried to inform police of the difference between the two disciplines.

"We tried every avenue possible until there was no other alternative," said the Facebook statement.
Event postponed

The event has been postponed until March 5.

"It was not a decision that was taken lightly. However, considering that our first priority is the security of our competitors and secondly the reputation of our great sport, we believed that there was no other alternative [than] to the postponement of the tournament," organizers say.

A location for the new competition has yet to be determined, but it will not take place in Montreal.

Organizers are contacting other municipalities in the greater Montreal area to see if town officials and their local police forces will allow them to hold their tournament.

Participants who already registered for the Canada National Pro Jiu-Jitsu Championship but cannot attend on March 5, can be reimbursed. Registration will be open again so that other competitors can join.

[Deleted]

Isn't Australia that are anti-violence nuts?!

And yeah. OMG! THEY'RE HITTING EACHOTHER!

[callipygoustp]

WTF! Have they never watched the Canadian Hockey League?

[zenkai]

Next thing you know in Hockey they will be throwing people in jail instead of the penalty box.

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WTF! Have they never watched the Canadian Hockey League?

It's funny because your Avatar looks like he is gesturing, WTF!

[Total Crica]

If people no longer have the right to defend theirselves, they will loose their ability to defend theirselves and be open to harm from anyone who wishes them harm. You had best be damned sure no one wishes you any harm before taking that stance, or at the very least, be completely willing to risk others being able to harm you if they wish! Not allowing contact sports also means not allowing humans to channel their base instincts in a way that everyone who participates agrees to.

[Deleted]

Next thing you know in Hockey they will be throwing people in jail instead of the penalty box.

No, no, they will replace the bats with foam bats.

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If people no longer have the right to defend theirselves, they will loose their ability to defend theirselves and be open to harm from anyone who wishes them harm. You had best be damned sure no one wishes you any harm before taking that stance, or at the very least, be completely willing to risk others being able to harm you if they wish!

So they'll turn into liberals who welcome refugees and shit?!

[Polyxo]

You can't actually hit each other (legally) in BJJ tourneys. Cops are dumb...

[dextersmith]

How are karate and other stuff any different?

[Yvaelle]

You can't actually hit each other (legally) in BJJ tourneys. Cops are dumb...

Yea that was my first thought too - not a lot of striking in jiu-jitsu... cops should know that....especcially since Canadian law enforcement martial systems are predominantly based on Judo (edit: BJJ is an offshoot, for those who don't know).

Edit 2: Hm, I wonder what classifies a tournament? Could we argue that sparring in a dojo is technically a tournament since there is a winner/loser?

If so, could we not seek the arrest of all law enforcement officers for practicing striking?

Edit 3: Obviously I'm not actually advocating for that - just reducing this argument to the absurd in the hopes it makes it clear why it needs to be overturned.

[SuRXIII]

This fucking city, god damn

First the pit bull ban, not this. It's become a laughing stock and I'm embarrassed to be from here more and more often

[Endus]

FWIW, this isn't a "you can't use martial arts" law, it's a "no combat sports other than the few we've approved" law. You can practice jiu-jitsu all you like, it's the tournament that's the issue.

The law was, I imagine, put in place to put the kibosh on particularly violent fight scenes, like underground fight clubs. A bit odd to apply to this, but that's based on the wording of the law.

[the game]

You can't actually hit each other (legally) in BJJ tourneys. Cops are dumb...

is there a force field stopping them from hitting eachother? I mean what's physically stopping them from hitting eachother?

[prwraith]

FWIW, this isn't a "you can't use martial arts" law, it's a "no combat sports other than the few we've approved" law. You can practice jiu-jitsu all you like, it's the tournament that's the issue.

The law was, I imagine, put in place to put the kibosh on particularly violent fight scenes, like underground fight clubs. A bit odd to apply to this, but that's based on the wording of the law.

That's a bit odd. Kinda screws them too. A lot of the more traditional dojos (the ones that don't promote idiots to black belts after a year) require tournament appearances in addition to practical and knowledge skills to progress in rank. Hell even in judo in a traditional dojo the furthest you could go without competition appearances was yellow belt. (2nd rank).

In general I hate martial arts clubs, promoting bad habits, bad form, awful expectations.

Totally know i went on a tanget.

[Captain Proton]

is there a force field stopping them from hitting eachother? I mean what's physically stopping them from hitting eachother?

He said legally, not literally. You get points deducted/disqualified for hitting, I imagine. Just like illegal blows in other supports.

[Allybeboba]

At least they let them know beforehand.

[Mad_Murdock]

Yea that was my first thought too - not a lot of striking in jiu-jitsu... cops should know that....especcially since Canadian law enforcement martial systems are predominantly based on Judo (edit: BJJ is an offshoot, for those who don't know).

I don't know why cops should know that. I mean, Are they supposed to know the difference between Gracie JJ vs Brazilian JJ? I roughly follow BJJ and didn't even realize they didn't allow strikes, I'm watching videos of BJJ vs xxx fighters and I see kicks and punches, I see elbows to the back of the head. Can't expect everyone to know all various arts and rules.

[Annoying]

FWIW, this isn't a "you can't use martial arts" law, it's a "no combat sports other than the few we've approved" law. You can practice jiu-jitsu all you like, it's the tournament that's the issue.

The law was, I imagine, put in place to put the kibosh on particularly violent fight scenes, like underground fight clubs. A bit odd to apply to this, but that's based on the wording of the law.

Eh, I'm cynical enough to think that it's entirely possible the law was actually put in place through efforts from those "few we've approved".
Pretty silly to allow boxing and MMA, but not the practices that go into MMA.

[Yvaelle]

Eh, I'm cynical enough to think that it's entirely possible the law was actually put in place through efforts from those "few we've approved".
Pretty silly to allow boxing and MMA, but not the practices that go into MMA.

Particularly when there is no striking in a pure jiu jitsu match, it's an entirely grappling-based martial art (which is why 9 year olds compete).

[Stelio Kontos]

Montreal™

/10char

[cubby]

At what point do MMA tournaments slide down the slippery slope to outright kill sports? I'm all for great competitive games, btw, I'm just fascinated by MMA's popularity and the inherent violence of the sport.