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Robert Drysdale: “BJJ’s Global Success Did Not Come From Superior Technique”

From BJJ Eastern Europe

September 15, 2026

Robert Drysdale, ADCC champion and MMA competitor turned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu historian, has spent years researching old newspapers, letters, and interviews to separate the sport’s mythology from what’s actually documented. On The MMA Lab, he laid out an argument that runs against much of BJJ’s own marketing – its global rise wasn’t driven by technical superiority, […]

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