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.... just to clarify, we had a new school open in my area that boasts a black belt instructor with alot of tourney experience recently. We don't have many black belt instructors in my region and that is a definite "selling point".
Many of the more advanced students from area schools joined him shortly thereafter, particularly from the school I trained at the little I have trained. I mean, MOST of my buds who were at least blue belts; a few as high as brown moved to that school and some long time upper belts were promoted shortly thereafter!
On a side note, several are actually under the same banner as our original school(Royce Gracie). I thought that the "sudden" promotions seemed a bit ... I dunno ... opportune? Note the quotes ... I realize I could be totally wrong and appearances are often deceiveing. They were with other area schools(Alliance, Gracie Barra, RGJJN, etc ...) for between 3-9 years and a year or so after moving there they got promoted to black, brown and purple belts. The guys who got their blacks(congrats btw), got it from Royce and of course I'm not second guessing his judgement ... respect to him and the others got their purples and brown belts from the new black belt instructor UNDER Royce ....
Though I still agree that consumers have a right to spend their money how and where they decide, for the first time I understand a bit more how the old school instructors viewed students they felt "betrayed" them by jumping around from school to school with no sense of regret, respect or loyalty.
I also have to include the fact that I don't know for a fact that there were any hard feelings or that they didn't handle their situations in leaving with class and dignity and discussing it with their instructor(though I doubt most did). In my scant experience, the guys who seem the most selfish and aloof advance the quickest. Not only in Jiu Jitsu, but in other arts I've tried over the years as well.
I have noticed that the average attendance in class is thinner which has to impact the school adversely ... good for me, though. I get more attention and the average level of guys I train with doesn't give me the feeling I'm a retard, slowing down the class. Our instructor is a purple belt with about 9 years experience and if I ever reach his level, I'd be more than happy. Though he isn't a black belt, his combination of technical skill, teaching ability, maturity and general likeability is unmatched imo in the Charlotte area. My instructor teaches Gracie Self Defense, the usual grappling curricula and Vale Tudo. He competes in Vale Tudo as often as he can, at the age of 37 and is built like teh bodybuilder he once was, nearly a decade ago.(much smaller actually, but if you didn't know how big he once was, you'd prolly be awed by his physique. no homo:redface
That's him, in the middle.
There are other good schools including the new one that is the subject of this thread, but overall, I think our school compares as well or better than any other around here. Personally, I have to be true to myself and in this case that means sticking with my school and instructor but I do understand guys goin out and testing the waters. Only thing is, just cause that guy has a black belt on his waist doesn't mean he's a better teacher or even as good as the lower ranking guy ... I guess that's what they're trying to learn for themselves.
Anyways, just interested in any feedback or thoughts you guys care to offer. Not trying to stir shit but this is the first time I've witnessed this phenomena though I'm sure many of you have before. Just something that was on my mind and it's a discussion forum after all.
If this thread incites you to change colors, sigh audibly or type tl/dr, feel free to move on to another thread and let this one drop.
Thanx in advance to the other 99 percent of the forum who aren't retards. It is kinda long though.:icon_lol: I'll delete it if the consensus is it is shite.
Many of the more advanced students from area schools joined him shortly thereafter, particularly from the school I trained at the little I have trained. I mean, MOST of my buds who were at least blue belts; a few as high as brown moved to that school and some long time upper belts were promoted shortly thereafter!
On a side note, several are actually under the same banner as our original school(Royce Gracie). I thought that the "sudden" promotions seemed a bit ... I dunno ... opportune? Note the quotes ... I realize I could be totally wrong and appearances are often deceiveing. They were with other area schools(Alliance, Gracie Barra, RGJJN, etc ...) for between 3-9 years and a year or so after moving there they got promoted to black, brown and purple belts. The guys who got their blacks(congrats btw), got it from Royce and of course I'm not second guessing his judgement ... respect to him and the others got their purples and brown belts from the new black belt instructor UNDER Royce ....
Though I still agree that consumers have a right to spend their money how and where they decide, for the first time I understand a bit more how the old school instructors viewed students they felt "betrayed" them by jumping around from school to school with no sense of regret, respect or loyalty.
I also have to include the fact that I don't know for a fact that there were any hard feelings or that they didn't handle their situations in leaving with class and dignity and discussing it with their instructor(though I doubt most did). In my scant experience, the guys who seem the most selfish and aloof advance the quickest. Not only in Jiu Jitsu, but in other arts I've tried over the years as well.
I have noticed that the average attendance in class is thinner which has to impact the school adversely ... good for me, though. I get more attention and the average level of guys I train with doesn't give me the feeling I'm a retard, slowing down the class. Our instructor is a purple belt with about 9 years experience and if I ever reach his level, I'd be more than happy. Though he isn't a black belt, his combination of technical skill, teaching ability, maturity and general likeability is unmatched imo in the Charlotte area. My instructor teaches Gracie Self Defense, the usual grappling curricula and Vale Tudo. He competes in Vale Tudo as often as he can, at the age of 37 and is built like teh bodybuilder he once was, nearly a decade ago.(much smaller actually, but if you didn't know how big he once was, you'd prolly be awed by his physique. no homo:redface
That's him, in the middle.
There are other good schools including the new one that is the subject of this thread, but overall, I think our school compares as well or better than any other around here. Personally, I have to be true to myself and in this case that means sticking with my school and instructor but I do understand guys goin out and testing the waters. Only thing is, just cause that guy has a black belt on his waist doesn't mean he's a better teacher or even as good as the lower ranking guy ... I guess that's what they're trying to learn for themselves.
Anyways, just interested in any feedback or thoughts you guys care to offer. Not trying to stir shit but this is the first time I've witnessed this phenomena though I'm sure many of you have before. Just something that was on my mind and it's a discussion forum after all.
If this thread incites you to change colors, sigh audibly or type tl/dr, feel free to move on to another thread and let this one drop.
Thanx in advance to the other 99 percent of the forum who aren't retards. It is kinda long though.:icon_lol: I'll delete it if the consensus is it is shite.
