Take a look at Matt Wimans last fight! Seems to have some pretty sick BJJ now...isn't that where he trains?
Could you enlighten us with a bit more informaton about yourself 1st? Have you trained before, in what, how long, etc, etc... Also a bit more info about the school?! As in how teaches there...is it an actual Machado teaching or is it a Machado affiliate school?
This is the school. Carlos Machado Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu Info about me - I'm 17 years old, 6'4", 205, I've never trained, and I'm easy to get along with. I bought a jiu-jitsu DVD and rolled with a friend some, only to get some basic understandings and to learn not to spazz out when rolling. I'm ready to start from scratch with a nice school, I just want to know if this is a good school to start with.
The Machado family are very good, you can't go wrong with them. The Machado's here in Torrance are very well respected, same with their school.
seems like you have a good attitude. you really can't go wrong by picking any of the machado schools or their affiliates
Only knock on Machado is that his school is very expensive compared to some of the other local schools. Mohler, Shelley, and various Machado black belts are around and not quite as expensive IIRC. Also depends on your location.
Oh, sheee-it, for CLOSEST you'd have to do Drum Jitsu at AMAI in Mesquite off Gross Rd. That's where I train. It's cheap, but only twice a week (Wed and Sunday), which is frustrating. That said, classes go for 2+ hours with about 45-60 minutes of rolling. Jeff Hennen, the teacher, is good, and he's a Mohler BB. The next closest place is Wolfpack in Rockwall. The instructor there, Colin Grayson, is good as well and is a Machado BB, and they do classes 3x week. After that, you're looking at some long drives up into either Plano, Irving, or Dallas (DFW Gun Club is in Dallas). Mohler is in Irving, which is a hike, and even Machado is a hike. JD Shelley I think is up in Plano, probably a 25 minute drive?
If you're driving from Garland, then you're going to be on 635N/W or 75N during rush hour, and you're going to find 30 mins is pretty optimistic. If you're just starting out, then Wolfpack might not be a bad direction to go, Colin is pretty good and I don't think the cost is all that bad. With Machado I do think you're probably paying a bit for the Machado name. There's a pretty different perceived value saying "I got my blue belt from Carlos Machado" vs. "I got my blue belt from one of Carlos Machado's black belts". Graned, either way it's just a blue, but some people still care whom you got it from. I think it was Nick over at Boxing Club in San Diego that got his blue from Rickson and I was like "DAMN".
After checking with google maps, I see that all 3 schools are almost equally far apart from my specific address (20-30 mins ea). And with what appears to be reasonable costs, I think I can't pass up training with Carlos Machado (yes he teaches there). So thanks for the info, I think I've made up my mind. I'm not starting this month, but when I get my car I will.
I am from Lubbock at one the schools in the association, and Carlos' influence on myself and others around is incredible. He has come up for countless seminars, and I am from Dallas so I train there everytime I am in town. It is definitely worth the drive no matter where you are in Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex. My advice to you is to figure out what you are looking to accomplish in martial arts. Machado will provide the most well arounded aspects of BJJ, and I would not go away from that style of training very much.
Wow thanks for providing the follow-up info! I thought this would be another, ask for info, and than the thread starter does not respond again... So i tip my hat to you! Yeah so you cannot go wrong with an instructor like that! Go and check it out, see if you get along with him, the other instructors as well as the other students. If it feels like a good environment for you you are all set... From your description of yourself, you seem like a good kid, and you have learned the most important thing...do not SPAZZING OUT!:icon_chee Anyway, good luck to you man, let us know how it turns out!
I've trained with several blue and purple belts from that exact school and heard nothing but phenomenal things. Great people and great skill is what I've seen. Definitely go for it
You can't go wrong with Machado's school. If you can afford the additional cost, gas, and added time to get there, go for it. I train at JD's school in Plano and love it. Mohler's is another top notch gym. Wolfpack is good too, BTW I believe Colin is a brown belt. I just did a Marcelo Garcia seminar at his gym last month.
Cool, I'll be heading over there as soon as I get my car and know my hours. Thanks for the info everyone.
Alliance BJJ ( JD Shelley ) is probally the closets to Garland. I work in garland off jupiter and Miller. I don't train at Alliance but have had to drive up that way after work before. Takes me about 20 minutes to get there with traffic. I've got a friend that trains there and he really likes it a lot.
