Creon (Creonte), in Greek mythology, is the name of a king, the son of Meneceus.
But in Jiu-Jitsu, the meaning is much less honorable.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art rooted in honor and legacy. This means that a student’s loyalty to his or her instructor and academy is a crucial aspect of the sport. That’s why, if you are a BJJ practitioner, you have probably heard the term “Creonte” before.
Created by Grandmaster Carlson Gracie, “Creonte” means traitor, and it is applied to fighters who leave their gym and started competing for another one. It also goes for those who switch gyms for no reason, just for convenience.
But where did Grandmaster Carlson Gracie get that name from?
In fact, it was not from Greek mythology. In fact, Creonte was the name of a character from the soap opera Mandala, which aired on Rede Globo in the 1980s. The character was known for being a bad character, a traitor.
For those who are not Jiu-Jitsu, it may seem too heavy to call someone a traitor, or a Creonte, for the simple fact of changing gyms. But those who practice the gentle art know that a gym is not just a space to train. Those who train constantly form a family with their training partners. That is exactly we aim for at Gracie Sydney: WE ARE NOT TRAINING PARTNERS, WE ARE FAMILY!!
Therefore, changing academy is like changing family, abandoning your master and brothers, to become part of another group. The situation gets even worse when participating in competitions, as you will be able to face your old gym mates.
There is certainly some debate today as to whether or not people should use the term Creonte. The growing popularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has attracted more and more casual practitioners that want to try the sport. Because of this, many in the community see Creonte as an outdated term and idea.
Nowadays, it is becoming rare for the idea to be taken seriously at all. As the sport continues to grow in popularity, the traditional and hyper-loyalist ideals that used to dominate the Jiu-Jitsu scene (unfortunately) are becoming rarer to find in modern BJJ academies – but not at Gracie Sydney at all!
What is your opinion? Loyalty forever to your Master and Academy or change academies according to circumstances and personal interests?
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