Visited Valente Bros GJJ. 5 star

[sauron0379]

I currently train at a 100 percent sport JJ school and decided to try a school that goes to the roots of BJJ. I checked out Valente bros on youtube and saw that they are a traditional self defense Jiu jitsu school that follws helio Gracies curriculum to the tee. My first class was awesome. All students have an attendance card so instructors can track progress. The techniques of the day were shown listed on a large screen Tv and then shown by the instructor. The class is purely techniques. Surpisingly alot of stand up defense from real life scenarios. But in all honesty i liked it.

After the class, the sparring class started. No time limits, no points. It ended being a 45 minute sparring session non stop. IM sure evryone knows that the gracie's don't beleive in tournament rules, so sparring like this forces you to conserve energy, relying on an untrained person to tire and then make your move.

There belt promotion style is pretty linear. From white to blue is 16 classes per stripe. No tests except for black belt. Stripes for blue onward is every 6 months as long as you are training consistently. Royce Gracie usually attends ceremonies and ties your belt around your waist, Pretty cool I thought.

All in all, probably the most organized and regimented school ive seen. I like how they stay true to the roots. Compared to where Ive recently trained where tournament wins are priiorty number one, I feel alot less pressure and a much more friendlier atmosphere. For a guy like me, I want my ROI to be able to have an apllication in a street setting. i highly recommend this school

 

[jcandoitbig]

having a strict rule on the amount of time to get stripes is fucking stupid.

 

[JMG1134]

Caring about a little piece of tape is stupid.

 

[Uchi Mata]

Do you start sparring from the feet? With punches? Because otherwise it's just TMA LARPing. At least sport BJJ schools are honest about what they do. Javier Vasquez is about the only combat oriented BJJ guy who sounds like he does it the right way, i.e. basically training MMA but with an extremely strong focus on getting the fight to the ground and winning via grappling.

 

[sauron0379]

Yes always start sparring from your feet. Punches are optional but w/o gloves you can slap to emulate punches, its optional. IMO knowing when you are going to get your belt takes the anxiety of focusing on the belt away altogether. I prefer this rather than hopng one day my instructor says I'm ready because i did well at a tournament

 

[dalexan242]

After the class, the sparring class started. No time limits, no points. It ended being a 45 minute sparring session non stop. IM sure evryone knows that the gracie's don't beleive in tournament rules, so sparring like this forces you to conserve energy, relying on an untrained person to tire and then make your move.

You sparred with a single training partner for 45 minutes?

If you just mean it was multiple partners with little/no rest in-between, that seems like most sport BJJ sparring. Are there really gyms where people count points while sparring in class (other than maybe silently in their head or a competition prep class)?

 

[Ice 9 Cobra]

This school sounds like the antithesis of what I want in training.

 

[Rod1]

The only thing i like is the no counting points.

If you just mean it was multiple partners with little/no rest in-between, that seems like most sport BJJ sparring. Are there really gyms where people count points while sparring in class (other than maybe silently in their head or a competition prep class)?

Even if no counting everyone still takes account of them in their mind, they are still practicing to score.

Do you start sparring from the feet? With punches? Because otherwise it's just TMA LARPing. At least sport BJJ schools are honest about what they do. Javier Vasquez is about the only combat oriented BJJ guy who sounds like he does it the right way, i.e. basically training MMA but with an extremely strong focus on getting the fight to the ground and winning via grappling

So judo was originally conceived as LARPing? thats new.

 

[JBM150]

Honestly, I'm glad you enjoy the experience there and I'm sure you'll learn a ton. But the belt system has the smell of youth sports: everyone gets a trophy because they tried. Can't say I'm big on that

 

[lts5025]

I like the Valente Bros. as people. I think they're nice, intelligent, well-spoken guys who have found a niche in Jiu-Jitsu and are capitalizing on it. That niche happens to be selling a sense of preparedness. From what I've seen, most of their students tend to be older, upper- and upper middle-class professionals. Men and women who don't want to get beat up in training, but are also pretty unlikely to be in a life or death weaponless fight to begin with. As for the stripes and belts on a regular schedule? That's right out of the TKD mcDojo handbook. Stripes and belts should be given when they're deserved, not when you've hit a certain number of classes and your check clears.

As for sport BJJ schools treating competition wins as the only priority, every serious competition gym I've been in has had seperate classes for recreational players and the competition team. If you want to learn tournament techniques and get smashed, you go to the comp team class. If you want to learn solid basics and feel free to sit out a roll every once in a while, you go to the regular classes.

 

[Uchi Mata]

Yes always start sparring from your feet. Punches are optional but w/o gloves you can slap to emulate punches, its optional. IMO knowing when you are going to get your belt takes the anxiety of focusing on the belt away altogether. I prefer this rather than hopng one day my instructor says I'm ready because i did well at a tournament

If you're doing contact sparring from the feet that's pretty good then. I can respect that. I still don't like the belt thing, but whatever.

 

[dalexan242]

Even if no counting everyone still takes account of them in their mind, they are still practicing to score.

Aside from specific competition prep classes, I don't remember ever feeling like any of my training partners were counting points in their head while they rolled with me. Or maybe I just didn't recognize it because I never do it. Is that kind of thing common for BJJ players during regular sparring sessions?

 

[Rod1]

Aside from specific competition prep classes, I don't remember ever feeling like any of my training partners were counting points in their head while they rolled with me. Or maybe I just didn't recognize it because I never do it. Is that kind of thing common for BJJ players during regular sparring sessions?

You dont have to count points to act based on points.

 

[jcandoitbig]

IMO knowing when you are going to get your belt takes the anxiety of focusing on the belt away altogether. I prefer this rather than hopng one day my instructor says I'm ready because i did well at a tournament

you shouldn't have anxiety regarding belts or belt colors. the only thing you should be worried about is improving every time you train.

 

[Mike Piekarski]

Everyone being promoted on the same time scale is horrible. People have different attributes and learn at different speeds. Some people should achieve rank faster than others.

 

[FlexLuthor]

Yet another case against the validity of attempting to quantify skill in grappling via brightly colored pieces of cotton.

 

[Waldorf]

Glad you found a place you like. As long as you keep at it and keep rolling, that is the most important thing.

 

[lechien]

After the class, the sparring class started. No time limits, no points. It ended being a 45 minute sparring session non stop. IM sure evryone knows that the gracie's don't beleive in tournament rules, so sparring like this forces you to conserve energy, relying on an untrained person to tire and then make your move.

Can you please elaborate on the sparring format?

If no time limit, no points, what do you guys did?

just keep rolling until someone taps. and then what? just get another partner waiting around?

 

[sauron0379]

@lechien. 1 sparring partner. there was no time limit but it went 45 minutes. if a person taps, you start over from feet. If gloves are not worn, you can simulate slaps. Gracies are big on closing the distance in standing. Sparring for this long really forces you to dial things back and tire your opponent out. I can understand why alot of sport guys call Gracie style Jiu jitsu stalling. However, I also understand the concept, alow your opponent to tire and then submit him.

 

[lechien]

thanks.

Did you get matched up or you just pick anyone?

was the class based on belt level?