Machado Belts

I don't think it's necessarily my place to judge.

Then why post all these "I don't know, but I heard from another dude" threads like this every chance you get?

There are now, I believe, five Machado black belts on the other side of the state from Grand Rapids. "Machado" as in directly promoted by one of the Machado brothers (or in the most recent case, with Rigan's stated and direct blessing) -- one of whom you keep talking shit about on Sherdog, hoping people will infer who you're talking about without actually having the balls to name names.

I've trained with all five of these guys, and they're all legit. All of 'em. I'm telling you my own experience, not something I overheard in some locker room. At the very least my views have been formed by training with these guys, learning from them, rolling with them . . .

Just my two cents. Sorry to interrupt your obvious "un"willingness to second-guess the judgment of the Machado brothers based on little more than shit you happened to hear. When any one of the Machados starts selling belts or gives us any reason to believe they've ever behaved less than scrupulously, then you'll be the first person I apologize to. Until then, some respect. They've earned it.

& great thread, by the way, TS. There's also "Google." You won't get Wrestleben, of course, but you'll get a bit less bullshit than on Sherdog.
 
Then why post all these "I don't know, but I heard from another dude" threads like this every chance you get?

There are now, I believe, five Machado black belts on the other side of the state from Grand Rapids. "Machado" as in directly promoted by one of the Machado brothers (or in the most recent case, with Rigan's stated and direct blessing) -- one of whom you keep talking shit about on Sherdog, hoping people will infer who you're talking about without actually having the balls to name names.

I've trained with all five of these guys, and they're all legit. All of 'em. I'm telling you my own experience, not something I overheard in some locker room. At the very least my views have been formed by training with these guys, learning from them, rolling with them . . .

Just my two cents. Sorry to interrupt your obvious "un"willingness to second-guess the judgment of the Machado brothers based on little more than shit you happened to hear. When any one of the Machados starts selling belts or gives us any reason to believe they've ever behaved less than scrupulously, then you'll be the first person I apologize to. Until then, some respect. They've earned it.

& great thread, by the way, TS. There's also "Google." You won't get Wrestleben, of course, but you'll get a bit less bullshit than on Sherdog.

I can't say that a Machado Blackbelt is not respected. I just know that when the Michigan affiliates are around at tournaments(rarity), I always get to have a laugh, because something comical is bound to happen. The ones I have met seem like good people, but there seems to be some sketchiness surrounding the goings on in the whole Eastern Michigan Machado Association. Maybe its just BJJ politics as usual.
 
I see you train with Wrestleben.

Yes that is correct. But I am also my own person with my own opinions and point of view. But if you want to lump me together with Ben and not put any thought into my understanding my perspective, you can feel free to do that.
 
Jdonw: Your position seems to be that you don't see a whole lot of Machado representatives at tournaments. When you do, what you see is "comical," relative, apparently, to the skills you yourself are throwing down. All of this leads you to conclude there's "some sketchiness surrounding the goings on in the whole Eastern Michigan Machado Association" [my emphases], which, again, includes five separate black belts, their representative academies, and their students. This, however, does not reflect your views on the Machados themselves, who you somehow still claim to respect, despite the obvious mistakes they continue to make in Michigan. And finally, your views are in no way related to those of your training partner, Ben, who also has a tendency to generalize and pass judgment from behind a keyboard, probably in the comfort of his parents' basement.

That about sum it up?
 
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Joshu do you train at Carlos Machado school in dallas??

ProdigyOfZen, I actually train at the places those clowns were talking shit about. But I'd love to swing by Carlos Machado's school in Dallas sometime.
 
Well come on down! haha. I am sure you would be welcomed there. That is where i train. PM me if you are ever around this area.
 
Jdonw: Your position seems to be that you don't see a whole lot of Machado representatives at tournaments. When you do, what you see is "comical," relative, apparently, to the skills you yourself are throwing down. All of this leads you to conclude there's "some sketchiness surrounding the goings on in the whole Eastern Michigan Machado Association" [my emphases], which, again, includes five separate black belts, their representative academies, and their students. This, however, does not reflect your views on the Machados themselves, who you somehow still claim to respect, despite the obvious mistakes they continue to make in Michigan. And finally, your views are in no way related to those of your training partner, Ben, who also has a tendency to generalize and pass judgment from behind a keyboard, probably in the comfort of his parents' basement.

That about sum it up?

You're classless, and I'm done with you guys.

First of all, Ben does very well for himself, I am the one posting from my parents basement(or work depending on the time of day).

I didn't mean that the skills on the mat were comical, that can come from any team, and me included. I meant the extracurricular around the mat. I actually only know of 2 of the Machado Blackbelts. But I also know of what several of the purple and brown belts have been up to, which I don't necessarily agree with, but its their name on the line.

I can still reflect the Machado's for the most part because they are not the one's doing this. They can't be responsible for what each one of their pupils does.

I don't want to argue this, because I didn't want to drag anybody through the mud, I don't like hate. If it is the right school for you and you are learning, that is fine, have fun. I think a lot of my opinions could easily be changed if these people competed. I use Sean Bansfield as my Michigan example of this. I've seen him compete, and mostly lose, but I've seen great effort and skill when he competes, I have respect for that.
 
I'm interested in your thought on this, Joshu, where do you train? Who is your instructor? There is a purple belt around here talking about giving belts with the blessing of a Machado BB. How do you feel about that when their BB affiliate is within 3 hours drive?
Edit: Send me a PM, no need to discuss this here.
 
If anything, this thread should have been named 'Machado Affiliate Belts in Michigan"...
 
Joshu, I was going to send you a PM, but it looks like you have your settings to not allow them. I'd be happy to discuss the things I've seen and heard with you. I don't feel it's appropriate in a public forum.

As for me being a clown living in my parents basement....I'm 34 and married. I live in a house. I have been practicing BJJ 5x a week for the last 3 years and compete a lot. I'm not the greatest my any stretch, but I was 14-2 this year at blue belt and won a few tournaments.

I would be upset if someone called my association into questions as well, but the person "insults" don't really add to the discussion. On record, I am a fan of the Machado's. I saw a documentary with JJM early in my BJJ career and it inspired me greatly. I also saw a couple old school fights of Rigan's which were awesome.

Anyways, if you would like to discuss this further in a mature manner, turn your PM's on.

-Ben
 
No no, maturity is overrated...please continue this hissy fit in the public forum. I'm bored at work.
 
dang it weaver, where do you train? Are you at Machado's in dallas? Please forgive me if you have already answered this question but trying to read all this while also doing a bunch of crap at work.
 
dang it weaver, where do you train? Are you at Machado's in dallas? Please forgive me if you have already answered this question but trying to read all this while also doing a bunch of crap at work.

LOL...I used to train there until very recently (end of September). I switched schools because of its distance from where I live now and I can only train in the mornings or at lunch now, and not at night for a while.
 
I'd be happy to discuss the things I've seen and heard with you. I don't feel it's appropriate in a public forum.

Ben, I appreciate the conciliatory tone of your last post, as well as that of your training partner. I'm not really into internet flame wars myself, and I don't even know you. You're probably cool, but like you said, you'd take issue with me lobbing vague accusations over at your side of the state, no?

Bottom line is I don't feel this shit's appropriate in a public forum either, which is part of the reason I took issue with your posts in the first place, and why I don't post innuendo around here myself. But this is at least the second time I've seen you do so; calling into question the qualifications of some (I still can't figure out who, and I don't really care) Machado BB on this side of the state, all the while saying it's not your place to judge. Nobody made you jump into this thread and drop nebulous accusations around about a Machado BB, did they? And no one made you the last time you did it, either.

If you really don't feel that it's appropriate, or it's not your place to judge, then don't. That's it.
 
I'm interested in your thought on this, Joshu, where do you train? Who is your instructor? There is a purple belt around here talking about giving belts with the blessing of a Machado BB. How do you feel about that when their BB affiliate is within 3 hours drive?
Edit: Send me a PM, no need to discuss this here.

Hey Caecus, I don't know, exactly, what you're referring to, but if you wanna see where you stack up, my own feeling is if you have a proper BB within three hours' drive, you get up early, grab yourself a coffee, and sip it with your favorite music as you drive past the purple belt's house to the freeway, where you intend to drive on and make yourself a nice day of seeing what the BB thinks of your skills. Again, I don't know what situation you're referring to, and I'm not commenting on someone else's decision. I'm telling you, as you've asked, my thoughts on this.

PS If a purple belt is saying he has the blessing of a BB to give rank, does that make it so? Anybody check this out?
 
First of all, Ben does very well for himself, I am the one posting from my parents basement(or work depending on the time of day).

I didn't mean that the skills on the mat were comical, that can come from any team, and me included. I meant the extracurricular around the mat. I actually only know of 2 of the Machado Blackbelts. But I also know of what several of the purple and brown belts have been up to, which I don't necessarily agree with, but its their name on the line.

I can still reflect the Machado's for the most part because they are not the one's doing this. They can't be responsible for what each one of their pupils does.

I don't want to argue this, because I didn't want to drag anybody through the mud, I don't like hate. If it is the right school for you and you are learning, that is fine, have fun. I think a lot of my opinions could easily be changed if these people competed. I use Sean Bansfield as my Michigan example of this. I've seen him compete, and mostly lose, but I've seen great effort and skill when he competes, I have respect for that.

Okay, then, we're cool. But dude, you ought to spend way more time on your posts if you want people to understand where you're coming from. For instance, the use of "comical" to mean "the extracurricular around the mat": I still don't know what that means, but there's no way in hell anyone would have inferred that from your original post.
 
Ben, I appreciate the conciliatory tone of your last post, as well as that of your training partner. I'm not really into internet flame wars myself, and I don't even know you. You're probably cool, but like you said, you'd take issue with me lobbing vague accusations over at your side of the state, no?

Bottom line is I don't feel this shit's appropriate in a public forum either, which is part of the reason I took issue with your posts in the first place, and why I don't post innuendo around here myself. But this is at least the second time I've seen you do so; calling into question the qualifications of some (I still can't figure out who, and I don't really care) Machado BB on this side of the state, all the while saying it's not your place to judge. Nobody made you jump into this thread and drop nebulous accusations around about a Machado BB, did they? And no one made you the last time you did it, either.

If you really don't feel that it's appropriate, or it's not your place to judge, then don't. That's it.

You are making ad hominem arguments and calling me childish names, and refuse to discuss this privately. Apparently you have access to a thesaurus too, lol. Trust me, it doesn't make you sound smarter.

Nobody made you jump on this thread either. I have a right to an opinion...one which has been verified by people from two other major schools in Michigan. Sorry to get you butt hurt. I have nothing to gain by publicly calling out the multitude of shenanigans I have seen, so I won't. I will say with conviction that the standard of BJJ belts at East West seems significantly lower then at any school I have ever been involved with.

Edit:

I didn't call out a black belt. Another highly regarded multiple degree black belt did at the Michigan Open. I'm sure you could figure out who that might have been.
 
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