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Just went through a bunch of articles and found some interesting opinions on BJJ vs Luta Livre by people who have practiced both. Here it goes
Alexandre Carracerro(student of Hugo Duarte and Beto Leitao, ADCC, and now trains under the Brazilian Top Team)-He believes that BJJ is on the whole on a higher technical level than luta livre. Alexandre thinks this is because more people are involved in BJJ.
Various Gracie Barra Combat Team members- Renato Sobral(luta livre student under Beto Leitao, now does BJJ with GBCT)-Believes that BJJ is more technical than luta livre and is now a believer in gi training. His ground game has gone through the roof since he has joined Gracie Barra and since he joined the team most of his wins are from submissions. Overall his groundgame is now much mre effecient and in one of his fights he jumped up and down screaming Gracie Jiu-jitsu and in his post fight intrerview he simply stated, he showed him what Gracie Jiu-jitsu is. He now has all his sponsors list him as a BJJ stylist on their sites.
Flavio Moura(former member of Budokan team now a part of GBCT)- His game has obviously changed and like Babalu his submission skills shot through the roof since training with the BJJ elites at GBCT. He has now won most of his fights by submission while before he was more of a ground and pound fighter. I have not seen any interviews where he compares the two arts although you can obviously tell by seeing his fights how BJJ has affected both.
Gustavo Machado(trained Luta livre under Beto Leitao, now part of GBCT)-Also seems to feel the same as Sobral.
Ivan "batman" Jorge(Former Luta Livre champ now a BJJ fighter and purple belt under the Carlson Gracie flag)- he has a lot to say about BJJ and luta livre. Here are some things I found from an interview.
"DENIS MARTINS: Talking about BJJ now... You were known more as a Luta-Livre fighter, but nowadays you are a BJJ practitioner. What changed for you to make this transition? BATMAN: I developed my game a lot. To train with a gi is important. I became a better submission and MMA fighter after my start in BJJ. I adapted my game of gi to no-gi and also to MMA. I realized I had more options during a fight and I was also more agile. I didn't have this in Luta-Livre, as I just had the strength to take an opponent down and try a submission."
"When you started at Carlson's gym, did you refuse to train with the gi? BATMAN: I came here to be part of the MMA team, but Manimal talked me into training with the gi because I would improve my submission and MMA game as well. I didn't believe it, but he insisted and I wore a gi to train for the first time. It was funny because a 60 kg fighter schooled me (I am 83 kg) during the trainings. It was then that I realized how important it was to train with a gi."
"DENIS MARTINS: Did you face anger from Luta-Livre fighters when you became a BJJ fighter? BATMAN: People from Luta-Livre talked to me a lot. I answered them back by saying that I wanted to open my horizons. Nowadays, you see several renowned Luta-Livre names training with the gi. I can tell you names such as Andre Gustavo 'Mau-Mau', Leopoldo Serao, Maicon Alarcao(who won BJJ Copa Rolls Gracie last weekend), Milton Vieira, and Alexandre 'Cacareco' Ferreira use the gi. The fans outside Rio de Janeiro's scene do not have an idea of how bad the rivalry was between these two martial arts (Luta-Livre & BJJ)."
"DENIS MARTINS: What can you tell us about BJJ philosophy? BATMAN: I thought of myself as a king when I was a Luta-Livre fighter. I overcame some BJJ fighters via my 'Bat Guillotine Choke' when I fought at BJJ vs. Luta Livre challenge events (MMA & submission). In reality, I was just once more fighter. In BJJ, I know that I have to learn each time I train in my life and I respect everybody. I learned this from the Carlson Gracie team. I'm a humble guy now and I have a family here. This is not simply Batman of the Carlson team; it is the team, the union."
Milton Viera(13 years of luta livre experience before becoming a part of BTT)-
"DENIS MARTINS: You're a Luta-Livre black-belt and since you became a BTT fighter, a lot of BTT fighters are using the anaconda-choke. Did you introduce it to them (at the BTT camp)? MILTON VIEIRA: First off, I need to make one thing clear; I don't come from that basic Luta-Livre where the guys just know ankle-locks and guillotine-chokes. I came from the JOP Luta-Livre team and the coach there was Jefferson Oliveira Pereira, a master with an open mind. He told me to train jiu jitsu, judo and wrestling - we don't have this in other Luta-Livre academies. Luta-Livre sweeps? I think it doesn't exist, you know, as it's not explored in the luta-livre academies. The luta-livre masters don't know my luta-livre coach enough. But if you ask Amaury Bitteti, Carlson Gracie, and Mario Sperry, they'll tell you that he's awesome. Man, I didn't introduce luta-livre here, I just supported the development of jiu jitsu without a gi."
Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante(Luta Livre Blackbelt and now a BJJ purple belt at ATT)-He has not been asked by an interviewer on his views of BJJ vs Luta Livre. He has stated that Liborio has greatly improved his guard game.
Alexandre 'Pequeno' Nogueira(luta livre champ who has trained with BTT)-He has never really been asked about BJJ compared to Luta Livre although he has competed in gi BJJ tournaments. I believe he still only teach luta livre at his academy though.
Ricardo Murgel-Started out in luta livre before going to BJJ. He has never been asked on his opinion of Luta Livre though.
Alexandre Carracerro(student of Hugo Duarte and Beto Leitao, ADCC, and now trains under the Brazilian Top Team)-He believes that BJJ is on the whole on a higher technical level than luta livre. Alexandre thinks this is because more people are involved in BJJ.
Various Gracie Barra Combat Team members- Renato Sobral(luta livre student under Beto Leitao, now does BJJ with GBCT)-Believes that BJJ is more technical than luta livre and is now a believer in gi training. His ground game has gone through the roof since he has joined Gracie Barra and since he joined the team most of his wins are from submissions. Overall his groundgame is now much mre effecient and in one of his fights he jumped up and down screaming Gracie Jiu-jitsu and in his post fight intrerview he simply stated, he showed him what Gracie Jiu-jitsu is. He now has all his sponsors list him as a BJJ stylist on their sites.
Flavio Moura(former member of Budokan team now a part of GBCT)- His game has obviously changed and like Babalu his submission skills shot through the roof since training with the BJJ elites at GBCT. He has now won most of his fights by submission while before he was more of a ground and pound fighter. I have not seen any interviews where he compares the two arts although you can obviously tell by seeing his fights how BJJ has affected both.
Gustavo Machado(trained Luta livre under Beto Leitao, now part of GBCT)-Also seems to feel the same as Sobral.
Ivan "batman" Jorge(Former Luta Livre champ now a BJJ fighter and purple belt under the Carlson Gracie flag)- he has a lot to say about BJJ and luta livre. Here are some things I found from an interview.
"DENIS MARTINS: Talking about BJJ now... You were known more as a Luta-Livre fighter, but nowadays you are a BJJ practitioner. What changed for you to make this transition? BATMAN: I developed my game a lot. To train with a gi is important. I became a better submission and MMA fighter after my start in BJJ. I adapted my game of gi to no-gi and also to MMA. I realized I had more options during a fight and I was also more agile. I didn't have this in Luta-Livre, as I just had the strength to take an opponent down and try a submission."
"When you started at Carlson's gym, did you refuse to train with the gi? BATMAN: I came here to be part of the MMA team, but Manimal talked me into training with the gi because I would improve my submission and MMA game as well. I didn't believe it, but he insisted and I wore a gi to train for the first time. It was funny because a 60 kg fighter schooled me (I am 83 kg) during the trainings. It was then that I realized how important it was to train with a gi."
"DENIS MARTINS: Did you face anger from Luta-Livre fighters when you became a BJJ fighter? BATMAN: People from Luta-Livre talked to me a lot. I answered them back by saying that I wanted to open my horizons. Nowadays, you see several renowned Luta-Livre names training with the gi. I can tell you names such as Andre Gustavo 'Mau-Mau', Leopoldo Serao, Maicon Alarcao(who won BJJ Copa Rolls Gracie last weekend), Milton Vieira, and Alexandre 'Cacareco' Ferreira use the gi. The fans outside Rio de Janeiro's scene do not have an idea of how bad the rivalry was between these two martial arts (Luta-Livre & BJJ)."
"DENIS MARTINS: What can you tell us about BJJ philosophy? BATMAN: I thought of myself as a king when I was a Luta-Livre fighter. I overcame some BJJ fighters via my 'Bat Guillotine Choke' when I fought at BJJ vs. Luta Livre challenge events (MMA & submission). In reality, I was just once more fighter. In BJJ, I know that I have to learn each time I train in my life and I respect everybody. I learned this from the Carlson Gracie team. I'm a humble guy now and I have a family here. This is not simply Batman of the Carlson team; it is the team, the union."
Milton Viera(13 years of luta livre experience before becoming a part of BTT)-
"DENIS MARTINS: You're a Luta-Livre black-belt and since you became a BTT fighter, a lot of BTT fighters are using the anaconda-choke. Did you introduce it to them (at the BTT camp)? MILTON VIEIRA: First off, I need to make one thing clear; I don't come from that basic Luta-Livre where the guys just know ankle-locks and guillotine-chokes. I came from the JOP Luta-Livre team and the coach there was Jefferson Oliveira Pereira, a master with an open mind. He told me to train jiu jitsu, judo and wrestling - we don't have this in other Luta-Livre academies. Luta-Livre sweeps? I think it doesn't exist, you know, as it's not explored in the luta-livre academies. The luta-livre masters don't know my luta-livre coach enough. But if you ask Amaury Bitteti, Carlson Gracie, and Mario Sperry, they'll tell you that he's awesome. Man, I didn't introduce luta-livre here, I just supported the development of jiu jitsu without a gi."
Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante(Luta Livre Blackbelt and now a BJJ purple belt at ATT)-He has not been asked by an interviewer on his views of BJJ vs Luta Livre. He has stated that Liborio has greatly improved his guard game.
Alexandre 'Pequeno' Nogueira(luta livre champ who has trained with BTT)-He has never really been asked about BJJ compared to Luta Livre although he has competed in gi BJJ tournaments. I believe he still only teach luta livre at his academy though.
Ricardo Murgel-Started out in luta livre before going to BJJ. He has never been asked on his opinion of Luta Livre though.
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