Love him, hate him, or simply not have an opinion about Lloyd Irvin...regardless of how you feel about the guy there is one thing you really can't deny...he knows how to market his medal chasers. Lloyd has put together something really interesting for the BJJ addicted to consume. Episode 1 of the Internet reality show The BJJ Kumite was released over the weekend. In my super busy schedule I was somewhat aware of this new show/event but didn't pay it much attention leading up to last night. Here is the basic concept. Lloyd has created a contest for grapplers far and wide to challenge his phenom brown belt Keenan Cornelius. Don't know who Keenan is? Well he has basically been crushing everyone in his path since purple belt and now at brown collecting titles all over at nearly every major competition. It's downright ugly the carnage he leaves behind.
Seemingly hundreds of applicants jumped at the opportunity to go to DC and fight him for a $5000 winner take all prize. Out of all the applicants the competitor list was whittled down to 11 brown belts representing different countries. While many of them may have assumed they would simply get a go against Keenan, Lloyd decided to shake it up and create a Kumite tournament pitting them all against each other in both gi and nogi matches. This tournament took place between December 10th-16th 2012. There is no lose once and you're out. Guys are literally getting the opportunity to go against multiple opponents in both formats. It is submission only, no time limits, and there are even submission bonuses given out. Something interesting worth noting is that the competitors aren't given the luxury of being able to watch the other matches so many of them have no idea of the tendency and style of other opponents.
Here is the trailer:
The show is done well and fills a void once left behind by The Ultimate Fighter reality show. This is a show I once loved but since finding Jiu-Jitsu my enjoyment for that show waned; mostly due to the stale format, predictability, and unnecessary drama. The BJJ Kumite Episode 1 provided a breath of fresh air for those that like to consume Jiu-Jitsu and you aren't forced to watch 30 minute matches. The editing is done well so that you get glimpses of each match and the finishes. Along with that you get a decent dose of drama but nothing that is forced. I highly recommend watching the first episode and see what you think as there will be more episodes to follow. Another cool thing is that Lloyd has been uploading entire matches via YouTube if you are so inclined to watch them.
Episode #1
