Craig Jones Says IBJJF Points Miss Where Control Comes From

Craig Jones thinks the IBJJF scoring system defines control the wrong way. His argument comes from his Power Ride instructional, and it starts from a simple mismatch between points and real fights.

Positions built for ground and pound

Jones says the point system was built around positions assumed to be strong for ground and pound. Side control, mount and back control are the ones he names.

His complaint is that these positions rarely produce finishes in modern MMA. If the scoring was designed with striking on the ground in mind, he asks, why do those same positions work so poorly for it?

The legs are the problem

The core of his criticism is that the scored positions ignore where an opponent's movement comes from. That source is the legs.

A bottom player who can plant their feet can bridge, hip escape and explode out. Jones says this holds no matter what the top player is holding.

Jones asks why control does not focus on the legs, if they are the most dangerous part of an opponent's body.

Jones says the goal should be controlling an opponent so that he cannot move without conceding something else. In his words, that is what pinning should truly mean.

Khabib and Gastelum as examples

Jones uses Khabib Nurmagomedov as his main case. He says Khabib stays on top of the legs from half guard or closed guard. The IBJJF awards nothing for those positions, yet Jones says they give Khabib stronger control.

He also asks how often Khabib is seen in side control. According to Jones, Khabib does not really try to pass guards.

The same pattern shows up with fighters who are not grapplers by trade. Jones points to Kelvin Gastelum, who, he says, quite often lets people pass. From side control, Gastelum has a great ability to turtle away and shake people off.

What is still open

The source does not say whether any rule change is being discussed, or whether the IBJJF has responded to Jones. His comments appear in an instructional, not in a formal proposal.

Our view

Jones is talking about points as a guide to what coaches and athletes practise. If scoring rewards positions that fail in MMA, grapplers who train for both may feel that gap most. Whether the IBJJF sees it the same way is worth watching.

Source: Bjj Eastern Europe