The Gracie Debate: "Online" vs. "Live" Training

The Martial Arts are an individual's person journey. Why is everyone so concerned about what other people are doing? Is your own journey not enough for you?

well said. I have found that there are more old washer women on this forum than oldladieshandbags.com
 
The Martial Arts are an individual's person journey. Why is everyone so concerned about what other people are doing? Is your own journey not enough for you?

Because there are people out there, and on here, who are deeply ingrained with grappling. They teach, own academies, do seminars, try to compete professionally, etc.

When you have someone giving away belts and completely devaluing the effectiveness and reality of a martial art, you make it very difficult and eventually impossible for the lay person to navigate the sea of TMA bullshit.

Basically, you make it very hard for legit people to make money in this industry. The lay person just ends up at jiu jitsu joes corner lot gym. They don't know the difference. Don't worry though.. He's a Gracie Certified Camo Belt! I'm sure your instruction will be top notch.
 
The Martial Arts are an individual's person journey. Why is everyone so concerned about what other people are doing? Is your own journey not enough for you?

I believe this is the first time I've posted on this subject. I don't have any big opinions either way. But I think I can speak on why people care. Yes, it's an individual journey, but it's also a shared path. Graduating from Harvard would be an incredibly personal journey of growth, experience, and fulfillment. So for good reason, people that walk that path together (students at the school) want to know that what they're doing is worth it. If some other people got their degrees from Harvard by some other way that was deemed by a community of people to be "less difficult" then i can understand why they would have a problem with that.

Progress in jiu-jitsu is hard as fuck. So people like the idea, and are generally comfortable, knowing that other people moving along the same road are facing the obstacles, and overcoming the same strides together. So for belts, they don't matter, but they do. it's nice to be able to look at a purple belt and go "Okay, well they probably can do a, b, and c." This issue is messing with these dynamics. So even though it's a personal journey, there is a huge tribal and community nature to what we're all doing.

You can't do jiu jitsu alone. So while it's easy to call it a personal journey, it's also a journey with the people along side you.
 
I disagree, when you produce a superior product people will seek it out. The fact that someone else is producing an inferior product does not take away from your own; it only serves to enhance your product.

The Martial Arts are an individual journey; you may share your path others, but they will not always be the same individuals you begin or continue your journey with. Everyone joins the Martial Arts for different personal reasons and ultimately they will stay or leave for other reasons. Similarly, the journeys and paths of those from the past, present, and future will never be the same, but hopefully will improve and progress over time.

The idea of a completely uniform system of progression in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or any other Martial Art for that matter is a pipe dream. Millions of dollars are spent each year in this country trying to standardize the public educational system with negligible results at best. I do agree that if you graduate from Harvard you would expect a certain academic standard to be upheld or improved upon at that school, but it is not possible to systematically hold every school outside of Harvard to these same standards. Not every school is Harvard and that is its charm.
 
The Martial Arts are an individual's person journey. Why is everyone so concerned about what other people are doing? Is your own journey not enough for you?

why would we care that someone bought 100$ worth of dvd and is now a certified BB ninja?
 
Perhaps you dont need full resistance sparring for it to be useful against an untrained punk on the street?

Don't need no blue belt either.

A single stripe on that white belt would be more appropriate.
 
I disagree, when you produce a superior product people will seek it out. The fact that someone else is producing an inferior product does not take away from your own; it only serves to enhance your product.

The Martial Arts are an individual journey; you may share your path others, but they will not always be the same individuals you begin or continue your journey with. Everyone joins the Martial Arts for different personal reasons and ultimately they will stay or leave for other reasons. Similarly, the journeys and paths of those from the past, present, and future will never be the same, but hopefully will improve and progress over time.

The idea of a completely uniform system of progression in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or any other Martial Art for that matter is a pipe dream. Millions of dollars are spent each year in this country trying to standardize the public educational system with negligible results at best. I do agree that if you graduate from Harvard you would expect a certain academic standard to be upheld or improved upon at that school, but it is not possible to systematically hold every school outside of Harvard to these same standards. Not every school is Harvard and that is its charm.

ok fair enough, but let me ask you this. Since you seem to be a supporter of this program.

why do you feel you deserve a blue belt for the online training?

I watch my fair share of online BJJ videos, instructional and competition matches but I dont think I deserve rank for it. Especially if I haven't proved my self in some sort of real life testing situation (ie. not a skype call).

End the end it densest matter; I just think its like learning how to swim online, without ever being in water above your heard. Then getting a life guard certificate for it.



Edit: rephrase
 
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Hi Rambo121, I never said that I supported the Gracie University program, I simply wondered why everyone else is so concerned about what other instructors do. Personally, I reserve my own judgment on the subject. I am not a master of the Art; I am only a student of it.

To address your analogy, I agree you cannot learn how to swim by simply watching a video and then claim proficiency without ever getting wet. However, taking formal swimming lesson(s) does not grant or equate to any degree of skill or proficiency either.
 
I believe this is the first time I've posted on this subject. I don't have any big opinions either way. But I think I can speak on why people care. Yes, it's an individual journey, but it's also a shared path. Graduating from Harvard would be an incredibly personal journey of growth, experience, and fulfillment. So for good reason, people that walk that path together (students at the school) want to know that what they're doing is worth it. If some other people got their degrees from Harvard by some other way that was deemed by a community of people to be "less difficult" then i can understand why they would have a problem with that.

But would they have a problem with someone who got a degree from an online university or a community college? The market place values those degrees at a certain level compared to Harvard and similarly jiu jitsu has objective measures to determine the worth of a belt.
 
word on the street was that he was the only one in his division

That word is incorrect. He posted two of the matches to his facebook feed, so he had at least two opponents. This was at NAGA Germany, results should be up on the NAGA site pretty soon I would think.
 
I disagree, when you produce a superior product people will seek it out. The fact that someone else is producing an inferior product does not take away from your own; it only serves to enhance your product.

The Martial Arts are an individual journey; you may share your path others, but they will not always be the same individuals you begin or continue your journey with. Everyone joins the Martial Arts for different personal reasons and ultimately they will stay or leave for other reasons. Similarly, the journeys and paths of those from the past, present, and future will never be the same, but hopefully will improve and progress over time.

The idea of a completely uniform system of progression in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or any other Martial Art for that matter is a pipe dream. Millions of dollars are spent each year in this country trying to standardize the public educational system with negligible results at best. I do agree that if you graduate from Harvard you would expect a certain academic standard to be upheld or improved upon at that school, but it is not possible to systematically hold every school outside of Harvard to these same standards. Not every school is Harvard and that is its charm.


I agree with you 100% no one on this forum should give a shit how someone chooses to learn BJJ or anything else. Who cares if an online system gives someone a blue belt or any other belt anyway. The argument that it somehow takes away from more "legitimate" training methods is not based in fact and there is no way to substantiate that statement.
 
That word is incorrect. He posted two of the matches to his facebook feed, so he had at least two opponents. This was at NAGA Germany, results should be up on the NAGA site pretty soon I would think.

link?
 
I don't know who to believe anymore over the internet. LOL.
 

NAGA finally posted the results:

Mens Masters Blue Belt Welter Weight
1st Place Ismail Geyik BJJ Dtown 70
2nd Place Maciej Litwin Gold Team Fighters 50
3rd Place David Micah CheckMat BJJ 30

The link to that page is here.

The videos he posted were on Facebook. I'm not sure how to link to them directly since they aren't youtube or anything. It is shared publicly, so if you go to facebook and search for Ismail Geyik you should back able to see the videos if you scroll down to May 24th.
 
5 years later, and where are the haters? Having Rickson and Pedro Sauer onboard probably changed some minds, eh?
 
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