What is the deal with Gracie Barra???
- Thread starter Trickster***
- Start date
I started training with Eduardo De Lima in Tampa in 1999 and had to move in 2006. I started with Royce, then the Machados, and finally with Gracie Barra. Hands down it is the best club I have ever trained at. The instruction was so far ahead of what the other guys were showing me. About 10 other guys started with the Tampa gym in 1999 and most just got their BB this year or will get them this year.
When you have a good gym people stay and train for the long term and if the instructor is the real deal then they should progress to the BB level. I think this is why Barra is so successful and produce so many good guys and do so well at all the big tourneys. It seems odd that schools that have been around since the mid 90s, and have given out few BBs question the "legitimacy" of other schools promotions. I would think something is wrong when you are teaching for that long and no one is progessing or sticking around.
Carlos Jr is awesome and most of the BBs from Barra truly do treat each other like a family. I am coming off as a Barra Nuthugger but after all the bullshit I dealt with in the 90s from all these organizations not showing shit, talking shit, or not supporting their long term loyal guys I can def say the Barra guys I have dealt with are top notch in every respect.
When you have a good gym people stay and train for the long term and if the instructor is the real deal then they should progress to the BB level. I think this is why Barra is so successful and produce so many good guys and do so well at all the big tourneys. It seems odd that schools that have been around since the mid 90s, and have given out few BBs question the "legitimacy" of other schools promotions. I would think something is wrong when you are teaching for that long and no one is progessing or sticking around.
Carlos Jr is awesome and most of the BBs from Barra truly do treat each other like a family. I am coming off as a Barra Nuthugger but after all the bullshit I dealt with in the 90s from all these organizations not showing shit, talking shit, or not supporting their long term loyal guys I can def say the Barra guys I have dealt with are top notch in every respect.
As with any organization that large, the quality does vary from branch to branch. However, Barra is a bit of a special case. They were the largest of the pioneers of sport BJJ. They have MANY world champions. Many of those world champions knew they could make some money opening their own schools in places other than Brazil when MMA and BJJ exploded, and so they did.
Because of that, many of the Barra branches are taught by guys that are former world champions, former head instructors at Barra, etc. The thing is, training in that environment in Brazil with so many guys of that caliber means you essentially HAD to be a badass to achieve a black belt. So, when all those black belts went out to start their own schools, the quality level stayed similarly high.
The other thing Barra does are lots of visits by black belts to affiliate branches for seminars and such. That tends to help keep an eye on the affiliates so they aren't too ridiculously bad. Are there some bad Barra affiliates? Probably, but I've never seen one. If you go to a Gracie Barra school in a major city, it will be an official school taught by a Barra Black belt. He will almost certainly be a badass, and chances are good he scored a mundials championship at some point. If you go to a school in west bumblefuck north dakota, well what did you expect? Nothing there is going to be awesome, not the weather, not the women, and probably not the BJJ instruction.
Because of that, many of the Barra branches are taught by guys that are former world champions, former head instructors at Barra, etc. The thing is, training in that environment in Brazil with so many guys of that caliber means you essentially HAD to be a badass to achieve a black belt. So, when all those black belts went out to start their own schools, the quality level stayed similarly high.
The other thing Barra does are lots of visits by black belts to affiliate branches for seminars and such. That tends to help keep an eye on the affiliates so they aren't too ridiculously bad. Are there some bad Barra affiliates? Probably, but I've never seen one. If you go to a Gracie Barra school in a major city, it will be an official school taught by a Barra Black belt. He will almost certainly be a badass, and chances are good he scored a mundials championship at some point. If you go to a school in west bumblefuck north dakota, well what did you expect? Nothing there is going to be awesome, not the weather, not the women, and probably not the BJJ instruction.
B
blanko
Guest
as i said before. Even if a person isn't a world champion or an accomplished jiu jitsu competitor. If he is a barra black belt, it means that he has been gettin his ass kicked by world champions for 10 years. That will make anyone tough and technical.
D
Deleted member 10003
Guest
I lost to a GB guy in the finals of my purple belt division at the last NAGA. He was tough. I know the Chicago area GB are real good.
dbowles
White Belt
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2008
- Messages
- 61
- Reaction score
- 0
I train at a gracie barra Miami affiliate... My instructors are Brown belts under Montanha( GB Miami) and we rep the GB at competitions, but we are not listed on the GB site (although we are on the GB Miami) so I don't think we are an official or affiliate school. Regardless, the instructors and most of the students are legit.
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2004
- Messages
- 4,063
- Reaction score
- 3
blanko is right.
The best thing about GB is that you know that if you sign on, your chances of getting quality, technical, gi-based instruction are very good.
There may be more famous guys at other schools, or more focus on competing in regional or national tournaments or more time spent doing no-gi or MMA.
But if you want to learn solid, fundamental jiu jitsu, that's what happens at a GB school.
The best thing about GB is that you know that if you sign on, your chances of getting quality, technical, gi-based instruction are very good.
There may be more famous guys at other schools, or more focus on competing in regional or national tournaments or more time spent doing no-gi or MMA.
But if you want to learn solid, fundamental jiu jitsu, that's what happens at a GB school.
