What specifically do you dislike about Gracie Barra schools?

[ThatBJJGuy]

ITT: People talk about their perceptions of Gracie Barra schools, when 9/10 commenters have never set foot in one.

because the people criticising them arent already brain washed by their system

would you complain if youre getting your belt every time "x" amount of days came by?

no you wouldnt.

 

[blacjac]

they're not all like that - blanket statement.

This

 

[NateTx4112]

What is your end goal to this thread? To justify why you picked a GB school and validate your decision? You seem to have some sort of agenda in most threads you start.

 

[brendan raedy]

because the people criticising them arent already brain washed by their system

would you complain if youre getting your belt every time "x" amount of days came by?

no you wouldnt.

You can try things and visit schools without being brainwashed...

 

[gator28]

We don't have to wear the GB uniform at our school, but if our professor did enforce that...it would really suck. I have one and it's way overpriced, which I'm sure has been discussed here ten thousand times. Just try out the schools near you and pick the instructor that you think fits you the best no matter what the name is.

 

[Calibur]

You can try things and visit schools without being brainwashed...

You keep bringing that up.

Why do you assume people who criticize Gracie Barra haven't trained there? Wishful thinking?

 

[sausageshop]

ITT: Shit on GB because its cool to do. Hey guys lets all find one half week segment of one of a GB curriculum and criticise it out of context! Lets say they give out belts like candy because we all know the curriculum is terrible and none of the coaches have any standards or pride in what they do, how could the students possibly get promoted based on knowing jiu jitsu! Every GB academy must be the same and obviously worse than where I train! My life is wonderful now I can try to make people feel bad about their academy which isn't as good as mine despite me never having trained anywhere else to compare!!! They have to wear GB stuff, it must be like North Korea or some shit!!!

Get a grip.

Edit: This is in no way an endorsement of GB as an organisation. I can only speak to the experience of where I train, which is a GB. I guess I must be brainwashed

 

[NSchoke]

My general problem with GB is guys getting promoted for the sake of promotion or because they have x-many years at x-belt color. So what. It just waters down the art and makes belts lose their meaning. Far too often I have come across guys who are GB blues or purple, and are just rubbish. While is an occurrence across many gyms, not just GB, GB is one of the biggest gyms out there, making them one of the biggest offenders.

A promotion should be given because you've reached the skill level that your belt represents, not because you have done it a long time. It doesn't matter if you've trained 20 years, you should only be getting a x-color belt if you are on the same skill level as other x-color belts.

I think this is a fine way of promoting. I'm not directly part of Gracie Barra, I'm Team Renzo. I think that if a person shows up to 200 classes (or whatever is required) at a legit gym, they will be blue belt level. There is no magic, if you show up and train, you get better. If guys are showing up consistently and not getting better its speaks more to the teaching than the promotion process IMO. If everyone had similar measures for belts tournaments would be more of an even playing field also, having guys promoted at a set time rather than sandbagging them so they can win a World or Pan title. I was the best in the world with under 200 classes seems more definitive than I was the best in the world who's instructor felt like they were a blue belt.

Its hard to say what a blue or a purple is. The blue's and purples I train with don't seem anywhere near a Edwin Najmi or a Ronoldo Samson. What is an accurate measure? Should there be belt testing?

 

[nefti]

because the people criticising them arent already brain washed by their system

would you complain if youre getting your belt every time "x" amount of days came by?

no you wouldnt.

Numerous current Gracie Barra students have stated that this is not the case, some GB students have stated that this is the case. That means that like in any school, some instructors care while others dont' as much. That is not a GB issue, it is a instructor issue. The fact that "former GB" students don't accept this is due their own bias and stubborness.

 

[nefti]

You keep bringing that up.

Why do you assume people who criticize Gracie Barra haven't trained there? Wishful thinking?

or people with a bad experience at one GB school chooses to paint the whole organization as the same as that one specific school. Even with contradictory statements by current GB students (who btw state which school they attend and who the instructor is), these "former" students of GB schools refusese to think it is basically a school by school basis rather than saying "all GB's are the same". The GB curriculum clearly states that these are minimum requirements. If your instructor chooses to be lazy then it's on your instructor, not GB. For there are plenty of GB instructors that use the requirements as it should be used, as guidelines. Including my instructor Phillipe Della Monica of GB Saddlback.

 

[Musheen]

I think this is a fine way of promoting. I'm not directly part of Gracie Barra, I'm Team Renzo. I think that if a person shows up to 200 classes (or whatever is required) at a legit gym, they will be blue belt level. There is no magic, if you show up and train, you get better. If guys are showing up consistently and not getting better its speaks more to the teaching than the promotion process IMO. If everyone had similar measures for belts tournaments would be more of an even playing field also, having guys promoted at a set time rather than sandbagging them so they can win a World or Pan title. I was the best in the world with under 200 classes seems more definitive than I was the best in the world who's instructor felt like they were a blue belt.

Its hard to say what a blue or a purple is. The blue's and purples I train with don't seem anywhere near a Edwin Najmi or a Ronoldo Samson. What is an accurate measure? Should there be belt testing?

Belts are the current way we judge people by skill. We're not going to be able to change that, so surely gyms should make sure that guys are of the correct skill level, regardless of the hours they have put in. Everyone learns at a different rate. Most people will be a blue belt level by 200 hours, some quicker, some slower. But surely with the current system of belts which we use, the best way to promote is on skill level, not some arbitrary amount of time, which may or may not be sufficient to reach the required level.

I agree that using mat hours would be a far more accurate way to see who is best in the world for belts under black, unfortunately it isn't a practical system. Using mat hours to promote won't stop sand bagging, guys could easily just lie about their hours.

Well, both the guys you mentioned are now brown, but I get your point. While a very relevant point, competitive belts are whole other can of worms. I was just talking about regular gym goers.

 

[Leify]

So if we are saying that BJJ itself can't successfully teach throws, then why do we call it a negative if a BJJ system has any at all? Talking pure BJJ here. No MMA.

Are you saying the negative is that Gracie Barra even tries to teach throws/takedowns? The solution being remove all throws and tell students if they want to learn that then they need to find a school that teaches that?

It's not saying BJJ can't teach Judo. Guys like Megaton, Saulo, Xande, Jacare, Rodolfo could teach the fuck out of judo for BJJ. But if an instructor isn't good at Judo, it would be dumb for them to teach shitty technique to their students, and they either shouldn't, or should bring in someone else to do it who is good at it. And ideally it would be its own class, because improvement requires focus, even if only for an hour at a time.

 

[Rivet L]

Every GB academy must be the same and obviously worse than where I train! My life is wonderful now I can try to make people feel bad about their academy which isn't as good as mine despite me never having trained anywhere else to compare!!! They have to wear GB stuff, it must be like North Korea or some shit!!!

In my brief summary of common complaints, I never stated that all GBs are the same. There's actually a great degree of difference. In fact, there's radical differences between the gyms. When I was still a part of GB and I met students from other parts of the country, I always liked discussing which policies their gym enforced. I noticed that gyms run by older generation or with famous instructors get much more leeway, but gyms run by Americans tend to be streamlined.

And I've been in several organizations, none of which have been perfect. But it's important to keep awareness of the flaws and structural contours of your training environment, and not delude yourself too much. Actually, a very prominent GB BB told me something quite similar: 'Don't fool yourself guys, this is a cult! And I think that makes us stronger.'

 

[JustSomeGuy]

Interesting stuff on both sides of the fence. The more I read, the more I get the feeling people dog on GB just because many have painted them the "bad guys" and it's easy to pile on. I get that. I'm just curious to hear the real negatives versus the misinformation that floats around out there and hopefully learn a thing or two in the process.

 

[brendan raedy]

You keep bringing that up.

Why do you assume people who criticize Gracie Barra haven't trained there? Wishful thinking?

Well I have nothing to do with Gracie Barra, so I wouldn't call it wishful thinking.

 

[Calibur]

Well I have nothing to do with Gracie Barra, so I wouldn't call it wishful thinking.

Than what do you call it? You're just assuming people are talking out of their ass. Different places have different issues and if you don't think it's worth discussing I get it. I really do. But I wouldn't bring it up if it didn't think it was worth knowing. People need a clear picture of what could happen in a gym they choose.

A couple of things.

The thread starter started a controversial thread for no reason.

He could have said what do you like about GB or what do you think about GB and I personally would have given a very different answer. Instead he asked a question that only sets up negativity. That's on him, not the people answering his question.

Secondly, there is plenty of stuff about GB that I think is good. A lot of that stuff I like about GB a lot of people dislike. Again, I didn't bring those up because that's not what the thread starter asked.

If you wanna make a GB cheerleading thread than go on and start one. Maybe I'll chime in.

 

[brendan raedy]

Than what do you call it? You're just assuming people are talking out of their ass. Different places have different issues and if you don't think it's worth discussing I get it. I really do. But I wouldn't bring it up if it didn't think it was worth knowing. People need a clear picture of what could happen in a gym they choose.

A couple of things.

The thread starter started a controversial thread for no reason.

He could have said what do you like about GB or what do you think about GB and I personally would have given a very different answer. Instead he asked a question that only sets up negativity. That's on him, not the people answering his question.

Secondly, there is plenty of stuff about GB that I think is good. A lot of that stuff I like about GB a lot of people dislike. Again, I didn't bring those up because that's not what the thread starter asked.

If you wanna make a GB cheerleading thread than go on and start one. Maybe I'll chime in.

Whoa. Deep breaths.

I think there are a lot of misperceptions and unquestioned, faulty conventional wisdom out there. Forums can really get spun up by group think, and anonymous usernames often contribute to folks being a bit more...opinionated...than they normally would be online or especially in person. People bash people without meeting them, schools without visiting, instructionals without watching all the time.

 

[ThatBJJGuy]

just because you show up to x amount of lessons doesnt mean you will be skilled or grasp the concept of bjj

 

[Calibur]

Whoa. Deep breaths.

I think there are a lot of misperceptions and unquestioned, faulty conventional wisdom out there. Forums can really get spun up by group think, and anonymous usernames often contribute to folks being a bit more...opinionated...than they normally would be online or especially in person. People bash people without meeting them, schools without visiting, instructionals without watching all the time.

What does that have to do with me?

 

[NSchoke]

just because you show up to x amount of lessons doesnt mean you will be skilled or grasp the concept of bjj

If the number is right, I disagree. I used 200 classes to bluebelt in my example. That'd average 4 times a week for a year, about 3 times a week in 1.5 years or 2 times a week for 2 years.

As long as the training is solid, this amount of classes will make anyone without pretty serious special needs blue belt level. If they do have serious special needs and they make that commitment they should get the belt anyway. Who cares if guys on here say their belt isn't legit.

Where I think that this promotion process could really excel would be getting guys to go to class to improve and help each other rather than trying to beat the guy who has one more stripe than them. Obviously you want guys training hard but if there isn't pressure to win or beat the guy with the higher rank you could create an atmosphere where guys help each other more and expose themselves in training more by trying new moves or putting themselves in bad position. This is the attitude I've taken toward my training now but I am a Black Belt. I think that if I had started doing this earlier and hadn't been worried about if my instructor had just seen a lower rank pass my guard or whatever, I may have improved quicker.