“Anybody can train Jiu-Jitsu” - Tye Ruotolo says it’s easier to fall in love with BJJ’s scientific nature compared to other disciplines
Tye Ruotolo believes that if there's one martial art a beginner can easily fall in love with, it's Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
The reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion said BJJ is more relatable to a complete novice in combat sports since it presents minimal harm among its practitioners.
In an interview with Combat Sports Today, Ruotolo said:
"And when you're watching this guy get slapped with a spinning back elbow, it's hard to beat that, you know. But what jiu jitsu does is super personable and relatable, like anybody can train jiu-jitsu."
Tye Ruotolo and his twin brother Kade are the perfect proponents of how an early start ot BJJ could eventually lead to sporting greatness down the line.
The 22-year-old is the inaugural and reigning ONE welterweight submission grappling world champion and holds a perfect 7-0 record in ONE Championship.
Ruotolo also holds four submission wins in the promotion against Garry Tonon, former ONE featherweight MMA world champion Marat Gafurov, Dagi Arslanaliev, and Izaak Michell.
The American superstar is also a highly decorated fighter outside his ONE Championship tenure, with multiple world titles across IBJJF and Who's Number One.
After a nearly year-long injury layoff, Ruotolo looks to extend his legacy when he defends his ONE welterweight submission grappling world title against two-time IBJJF No-Gi world champion Dante Leon.
Ruotolo's world title defense goes down in the co-main event of ONE Fight Night 31 on May 2, US primetime, at the historic Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok.
ONE Fight Night 31 is available live and free to all Prime Video subscribers in the United States and Canada.
Tye Ruotolo details why Mark Zuckerberg and other influential personalities gravitate toward BJJ
Much like how he and his brother started in the sport, Tye Ruotolo is adamant that BJJ is one of the easiest martial arts to be a fan of.
In the same interview with Combat Sports Today, Ruotolo said BJJ is a sport that's less physically demanding than striking-based martial arts.
He added that personalities like Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg enjoy the sport due to its innate complexity.
"I see so many smart guys like Zuckerberg, so many different, [people with] influence, so many smart individuals, so many different high level individuals that go into Jiu Jitsu, just because of how many techniques there are, just because of what the actual sport possesses, just the respect that goes with it."
Watch Ruotolo's entire interview below: