Testosterone replacement therapy is probably one of the hottest topics in MMA and BJJ right now. Almost every major fight card has fighters that are either openly on TRT or who have tested positive for anabolic steroids at some point in their career. According to Larry Pepe the Nevada State Athletic Commission has given 6 UFC (current or former) fighters TRT exemptions.

If you think that the use of TRT is limited to MMA then you haven't been around the competitive BJJ scene for long. Prominent BJJ competitors, such as Caio Terra, have been very vocal on instituting testing of all black belt winners and addressing (in his opinion) the rampant use of PEDs in competition. To date there are no major tournaments that include PED testing for any of their athletes.

This article is meant to educate about TRT. It will not go into any detail on any aspect of using testosterone or other anabolic agents illegally. If you're not going to your physician to get a prescription and then filling it at your local pharmacy you should stop reading now. A level playing field is fundamental for all sports. Athletes should compete within the rules of the sport that they've chosen, whatever those rules happen to be.

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Insider Jiu-Jitsu: Gracie National 2012

"You know that when a guy is a champion in our event he has SUBMITTED EVERYONE!" -- Rose Gracie

Rose, graciously, in her spare time, answered a few questions from our readers about the upcoming, Submission Only, Gracie Nationals Jiu-Jitsu Tournament.

1) How is early registration going? Because its a sub only tournament are more people signing up or are they timid?

Registration is doing well as usual... I think people are more excited about it and there is definitely big buzz. I think it will be a very amazing tournament in the end. 

2) Gracie Nationals is the same weekend as the Euros, will this affect who you draw to the tournament?

Not at all… Seems to me that most people here actually don't want to spend the extra $3000 to go to Europe. Just kidding though. Someone can host an event the same day and time as us because our competitors leave our event with so much more then just another Jiu-Jitsu competition. We have been very fortunate because of it.

3) Random Drug Testing? Like peeing in a cup? Are you looking for Marijuana?

No, we're not looking for Marijuana at all, we are more interested in things that would give a person an unfair advantage over other competitors, like steroids for instance.

4) What do you do if after 15 minutes there hasn't been a submission? Are both players DQ'd? What happens to the bracket?

Both Players go home at this point. Eventually we would like to implement a second bracket for those guys but dont want to rush into this new system too much. We'll play by ear. There is a possibility there will be no winners on a certain bracket. HOWEVER you know that when a guy is a champion in our event he has SUBMITTED EVERYONE!! and THAT my friends is a true Jiu-Jitsu champion.

--Rose