Gracie University Master Cycle (black belt review)

Estebanantonio

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Gracie University gets alot of attention on sherdog so I thought some of you would be interested in this review. Please don't turn this into a GSPARKY THREAD.

Gracie University Master Cycle Review
By Luke Beston (Royler Gracie Black Belt)

"I've been a member of Gracie University since it first went online - having had the opportunity to train with Prof. Ryron and Prof. Rener in the past in person and, already owning the Gracie Combatives program, I knew it would be an awesome product. When it was released, Gracie University was way above and beyond my expectations and with each new module I'm continually impressed with the lessons.

There are lots of great instructional videos on the market today, so rather than give an overview of what each lesson contains let me go over what I think sets Gracie University apart as the leader in its field. For specifics of the actual lesson contents you can click on the curriculum link on the Gracie University website.

(1) The Teaching Method
There are a few unique things that I really like about the way Ryron and Rener teach their online lessons.

Firstly, of course, is the systematic way each new technique or position is introduced and explained in the context of previous lessons, and in the bigger picture of Gracie Jiu Jitsu.

There is a huge emphasis on the student learning to "connect the dots" so that all the learned techniques flow seamlessly together. For me, personally, with such a huge volume of detail for each of their techniques, this was really important in preventing information overload.

Secondly, another unique feature of the Gracie University teaching method is that you have two world class instructors as opposed to one instructor or
 
It's a great program. I have been studying various grappling arts for a long time and I have seen all kinds of techniques and principles in the Gracie Master Cycle that I had never encountered before. It's great that each section builds on the one before it and they teach you to tie everything together. You not only learn techniques but how people will react to everything you can do so you know how to defend your position before they even try it. It puts you a step ahead of your opponent.

The sparring is great as well. Normally in class you just spar and whatever happens, happens. The problem is you don't get to use the techniques you just learned because you may never end up in that position during sparring or you get into trouble and will revert back to what you are good at. With this sparring you may started mounted, so you can practice the mount escapes you learned that, then it flows from there. You also spar where one person has boxing gloves on and is trying to punch you, this changes everything as many JJ techniques are worthless if your opponent can hit you.

The Gracie Master Cycle is the highest level grappling instruction I have ever seen. You should go through the Gracie Combative program first. Not only is it great material but it's the base for the Master Cycle. It's like learning the alphabet before you start to learn words and sentences.
 
Gracie University Master Cycle Review
- by dwellerinparentsbasement

After watching the NY Mets choke on a big game, some of my friends from kindergarten and I get together and grapple each other.
then one day we found out about bjj.
but we were too scurred to go to a class so we bought some videos to grapple with each other.not for friday night fun, but with a purpose----to get a blue e belt and get some street cred (no lava or needles please, ha)
After doing the videos a couple times, i feel if anyone tried to fight me or touch my future girlfriend's ass that i would have an unfair advantage
also, i was coming out of the shower and my sister's friend asked me if i was working out.
i said "just some bjj. you know. choking a fool out. no big deal"
she was so impressed she could't stop laughing. i am gonna marry this girl so don't think about grabbing her ass. you don't want none of my unfair advantage. believe it.
i am also more assertive and a go getter at work. this one customer on my paper route owed me 2 dollars and you know what? i got it.
thanks RnR --- you guys rock n roll. ha! get it. now, by the power of greyskull, Renergize me!!!
 
gracie university master cycle review
- by dwellerinparentsbasement

after watching the ny mets choke on a big game, some of my friends from kindergarten and i get together and grapple each other.
Then one day we found out about bjj.
But we were too scurred to go to a class so we bought some videos to grapple with each other.not for friday night fun, but with a purpose----to get a blue e belt and get some street cred (no lava or needles please, ha)
after doing the videos a couple times, i feel if anyone tried to fight me or touch my future girlfriend's ass that i would have an unfair advantage
also, i was coming out of the shower and my sister's friend asked me if i was working out.
I said "just some bjj. You know. Choking a fool out. No big deal"
she was so impressed she could't stop laughing. I am gonna marry this girl so don't think about grabbing her ass. You don't want none of my unfair advantage. Believe it.
I am also more assertive and a go getter at work. This one customer on my paper route owed me 2 dollars and you know what? I got it.
Thanks rnr --- you guys rock n roll. Ha! Get it. Now, by the power of greyskull, renergize me!!!

7.5/10
 
Luke Beston wrote this? IIRC, he was the Gracie superfan who married a female Gracie and changed his handle on the UG to "Luke Beston-Gracie".

I'm guessing it was a positive review.
 
So it can actually improve your confidence outside of the mat?
 
Gracie University Master Cycle Review
- by dwellerinparentsbasement

After watching the NY Mets choke on a big game, some of my friends from kindergarten and I get together and grapple each other.
then one day we found out about bjj.
but we were too scurred to go to a class so we bought some videos to grapple with each other.not for friday night fun, but with a purpose----to get a blue e belt and get some street cred (no lava or needles please, ha)
After doing the videos a couple times, i feel if anyone tried to fight me or touch my future girlfriend's ass that i would have an unfair advantage
also, i was coming out of the shower and my sister's friend asked me if i was working out.
i said "just some bjj. you know. choking a fool out. no big deal"
she was so impressed she could't stop laughing. i am gonna marry this girl so don't think about grabbing her ass. you don't want none of my unfair advantage. believe it.
i am also more assertive and a go getter at work. this one customer on my paper route owed me 2 dollars and you know what? i got it.
thanks RnR --- you guys rock n roll. ha! get it. now, by the power of greyskull, Renergize me!!!

Yeah, there are always people like this posting. You don't like it? Think it sucks? You obviously haven't checked it out but fine, don't do it, your lose for being ignorant. If you are interested in having better BJJ then you should check it out, it's the best program I have ever seen, by far.
 
Yeah, there are always people like this posting. You don't like it? Think it sucks? You obviously haven't checked it out but fine, don't do it, your lose for being ignorant. If you are interested in having better BJJ then you should check it out, it's the best program I have ever seen, by far.

i gave it 4 fists out of 5. on the fisticuff level this is a rave review. Shit, i just spilled my Acai smoothy on myself.
 
Personally I think its a great product.
 
Gracie University Master Cycle Review
- by dwellerinparentsbasement

After watching the NY Mets choke on a big game, some of my friends from kindergarten and I get together and grapple each other.
then one day we found out about bjj.
but we were too scurred to go to a class so we bought some videos to grapple with each other.not for friday night fun, but with a purpose----to get a blue e belt and get some street cred (no lava or needles please, ha)
After doing the videos a couple times, i feel if anyone tried to fight me or touch my future girlfriend's ass that i would have an unfair advantage
also, i was coming out of the shower and my sister's friend asked me if i was working out.
i said "just some bjj. you know. choking a fool out. no big deal"
she was so impressed she could't stop laughing. i am gonna marry this girl so don't think about grabbing her ass. you don't want none of my unfair advantage. believe it.
i am also more assertive and a go getter at work. this one customer on my paper route owed me 2 dollars and you know what? i got it.
thanks RnR --- you guys rock n roll. ha! get it. now, by the power of greyskull, Renergize me!!!

Needs more "Grand Mastery Helio invented leverage"
 
As someone who has used it for about a year+ total I'd say it was pretty good (especially for beginners) but I liked MGinaction MUCH more
 
Is this for the purple belt?

The Master Cycle covers Blue Belt techniques all the way to black belt techniques. It's divided into chapters like the mount, side control, etc for every belt level. So far they just have blue belt stripe 1 and stripe 2 material up, but it's A LOT of material. Blue belt stripe 1 for instance is 60 lessons, ranging from 30 minutes to an hour and half each.

I've had the blue belt stripe 1 material for a little over 4 months now and am not even close to being through it. I like to master techniques and know them backwards and forwards so I probably won't even buy the stripe 2 techniques until Nov 2016 (on cyber monday in nov they have all of their online content 40 or 50% off, something like that, so it's a good time to buy them).
 
Why does this thread feel like an advertisement?
 
Why does this thread feel like an advertisement?

I guess it was started by a Royler Gracie blackbelt or someone posting his review anyway. I have no problem telling people how great the product is, because it is great. Looks like a few other people enjoy it as well. The only people I ever see who mock it or don't like it or the ones who have never actually checked it out.
 
The Master Cycle covers Blue Belt techniques all the way to black belt techniques. It's divided into chapters like the mount, side control, etc for every belt level. So far they just have blue belt stripe 1 and stripe 2 material up, but it's A LOT of material. Blue belt stripe 1 for instance is 60 lessons, ranging from 30 minutes to an hour and half each.

I've had the blue belt stripe 1 material for a little over 4 months now and am not even close to being through it. I like to master techniques and know them backwards and forwards so I probably won't even buy the stripe 2 techniques until Nov 2016 (on cyber monday in nov they have all of their online content 40 or 50% off, something like that, so it's a good time to buy them).

Any idea on when more advanced material will be released? I understand they have a lot of stuff online already, but being a fresh purple belt I'm kinda looking beyond the fundamentals right now.
 
Any idea on when more advanced material will be released? I understand they have a lot of stuff online already, but being a fresh purple belt I'm kinda looking beyond the fundamentals right now.

Even as a purple belt I think you will find a lot of great material i the blue belt stripe 1 and 2 sections. I would recommend looking through the Gracie University curriculum page to see what is taught in those sections. It looks like stripe 3 will be up sometime soon since it is now available to click on but nothing is listed there yet. They have been working on this since 2008 or so, it's taken 7 years to get this much material up. Believe me, it's so detailed and there is so much material it's understandable why.

Just recently I used this material to completely dominate a guy who is a black belt in Judo and a blue belt in BJJ. He had no answers for the small amount of BB stripe 1 stuff I know and even some of the white belt material from the Gracie combative program (in general though, against a skilled opponent you will need more than the combative program).
 

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