Why does it seem like everyone from artofjiujitsu is so good?

[nefti]

Ive been training at AOJ since 2013.

You are in the wrong gym if you expect small-gym vibe from AOJ. Rafa didn't get my name right until after my first year at AOJ. AOJ is a huge gym with a of students. The gym locates in a tourist beach in southern california. Down the road from AOJ is Irvine (IBJJF Pan Am) and close to Long Beach (IBJJF Worlds), so AOJ gets A LOT of visitors all year long.

Is it true that multiple students at the school needed neck surgery?

 

[Toothless King]

Post a picture of your haircut.

shavedhead.jpg

you can have whatever hair style you want at AOJ. The only students have to adhere to AOJ's hair/facial grooming standards are the coaches a.k.a. employees

 

[TheGZA]

shavedhead.jpg

 

[Toothless King]

Because they all live off their parents and train jiu jitsu 3 times a day. lets see if half of those dudes are still training in 5 years.

most of the full-time guys at AOJ live in a 1-bedroom apartment share with 10 other AOJ guys and they ride their bicycles to the gym. most of them also work for AOJ

 

[EGDM]

You are in the wrong gym if you expect small-gym vibe from AOJ. Rafa didn't get my name right until after my first year at AOJ. AOJ is a huge gym with a of students. The gym locates in a tourist beach in southern california. Down the road from AOJ is Irvine (IBJJF Pan Am) and close to Long Beach (IBJJF Worlds), so AOJ gets A LOT of visitors all year long.

I've trained at big gyms (Alliance HQ, Cobrinha's). They were cordial and exercised the normal social niceties to visitors and new students. At least when I showed up at AOJ, for a seminar specifically open to the public, it felt like I'd accidentally walked into someone else's private club.

As I said, it wasn't a huge deal and YMMV. The instruction was great and I don't regret going. It just left me wondering why you'd invite the public if you were going to be indifferent to them.

 

[jct]

I recall an interview with Keenan where he talked about going there and the interviewer asked him how it went and he replied something along the lines of 'they didn't post the footage so you know how it went', implying that he did well so the Mendese didn't release it.

Was that his reddit ama? If so, I'm pretty sure he was joking. He also talked about mean mugging the miyaos.

 

[Uchi Mata]

Was that his reddit ama? If so, I'm pretty sure he was joking. He also talked about mean mugging the miyaos.

It wasn't an AMA, I'm pretty sure he wasn't joking. The question was along the lines of 'did you get tuned up' and his response was that they didn't post the video, implying he did well.

 

[kying418]

I think it's ironic that despite their love to quote the bible and talk about their Christian faith they get tons of criticism for being standoffish, unfriendly, selective with their rolling videos, etc.

- kinda like other BJJ Christians that get popped for roids, or are heavily suspected of using them

(PS- I'm also a Christian)

 

[fanboysareevil]

they have a carefully crafted and branded image (more than anyone else in the bjj world by far)

Rener.jpg

 

[Balto]

I think it's ironic that despite their love to quote the bible and talk about their Christian faith they get tons of criticism for being standoffish, unfriendly, selective with their rolling videos, etc.

- kinda like other BJJ Christians that get popped for roids, or are heavily suspected of using them

(PS- I'm also a Christian)

Fellow Christian here as well. While I can see how it might be ironic from one perspective, consider it from another:

The irony in question here is that we are assuming that these guys are flaunting their faith publicly to provide cover for massive ego and selfishness. That would not be a very Christian thing to do, right?

But what if they are just naturally asocial, introverted people? Some people are born that way. They might not make great pastors, but there still should be room for introverts in Christianity.

And what if rather than using their faith to provide cover for selfish actions, they are actually using their faith as a constant reminder to try to improve upon a natural selfishness and vanity that they struggle with? What if they actually pray and try to use faith as a way to be less selfish, and what you are seeing currently is that improved version?

I mean this does not seem too far fetched to me. I think it's an established fact that both brothers have extraordinary jiu jitsu talent. Are they arrogant about it? I think it's reasonable to believe that sometimes they probably are given their talent.

That being said, there are guys out there in BJJ with lesser talent that are far more arrogant -- openly and unabashedly so. They are so arrogant that it has become part of their persona, particularly on social media.

What if the Mendes brothers are using their faith as a constant reminder to themselves that they should make a conscious attempt to refrain from this behavior? Even if sometimes they still fall short? At least they are trying and making some improvements right?

Looking at it that way seems entirely consistent with Christianity.

I don't know the Mendes brothers (never even met them), but I hear similar stuff about Galvao all the time. People will say how Christian can Galvao really be when he jumps over a barrier and cusses out a ref at the Worlds?

What most of these people miss is that Galvao knows that what he did was wrong. He also knows that he naturally has a temper and is susceptible to those types of outbursts. He uses his faith not as a cover for that but as a way to keep him on track to try to improve on that stuff. If you listen to him talk about it, he used to be far worse about such things before he found his faith.

The same stuff is said about Deblass, Miyaos, etc. It is said about every BJJ Christian there is (in general every Christian too). People even say that about Marcelo, the nicest guy ever. Was putting out that video which caused public shame to his two students what Jesus would have done? Or would have Jesus have just handled it quietly to show compassion and let them save face?

But at the end of the day, I don't see irony in these guys' faith. What I see is some regular people, who have shortcomings like all human beings, trying to make themselves better.

 

[Toothless King]

I think it's ironic that despite their love to quote the bible and talk about their Christian faith they get tons of criticism for being standoffish, unfriendly, selective with their rolling videos, etc.

- kinda like other BJJ Christians that get popped for roids, or are heavily suspected of using them

(PS- I'm also a Christian)

just out of curious, have you met any of the Mendes Bros before you make this conclusion?

I don't think they are standoffish or unfriendly. Shy and introvert? yes

 

[kying418]

Balto- great post and I agree completely- we are all just trying to improve.

Toothless King- I've never met them- and have found them to be honest and friendly in podcast/video interviews.

 

[kenetics]

Unlike literally everywhere I've trained, including with gyms and instructors with similar cachet, AOJ seemed oddly insular and unwelcoming . No one said hello or particularly responded to offers to train during the hours I was there, despite several overtures from me. I sat within arms reach of Rafa watching politely for 20 minutes during class while he worked with one of his own students, and afterwards he didn't even make eye contact, give a head nod, or ask if I had questions.

I'm not in a twist over it or anything. It became pretty clear that the Mendes bros don't actually like people that much and have adopted a deliberate professional social persona because their business and reputation depend on it. The students pick up on that. They all have the same style of dress, haircut, and on-the-mat personal mannerisms as Rafa and Gui.

This is in contrast to Marcelo, Cobrinha, Lucas Lepri, etc. where by the end of an hour I felt like I was family already.

AOJ is obvisouly a fantastic academy. The Mendes bros are goddamn wizards on the mat and also gifted instructors, judging by the seminar and their students. I learned an incredible amount over two classes. Their school and students are extremely successful for all lthe right reasons. It felt like the BJJ version of the Stepford Wives, though, and I think it would bother me long-term.

YMMV.

Crazy, I know a guy who tried to do their world camp and said exactly what you described. He left the camp after one day. He spent like $700 too for the camp lol

 

[kenetics]

Been by there a few times, but never trained there. But I've read similar accounts. BJJ has this weird thing that I've never seen in Judo where all the hipsters coallecs around a personality (like the Mendes bros). Trying to emulate their technique is one thing, but the way they dress and their fucking hair cut is pathetic... If I were the mendes bros, that would creep me out.

It's kind-of weird that you describe Rafa that way. Most of the interviews I've seen with him seems the opposite. He always seems to be laughing and very friendly. Guess people are very different off camera, or especially at work. Gotta think, he does this day in and day out and sees new people probably every day. Or maybe he's just an asshole. Most people are in alot of ways.

His retire video was cringy. I wonder if the rumors were true about him failing a ped test.

 

[Ryo]

His retire video was cringy. I wonder if the rumors were true about him failing a ped test.

Well, I didn't see him stick a needle in his ass or anything, so accusing people is usually a waste of time. However, given the fact that PEDs are pretty rampant in high level JJ, I wouldnt doubt it.

 

[yetanother]

His retire video was cringy. I wonder if the rumors were true about him failing a ped test.

USADA would announce it if Rafa failed a ped test, retiring doesn't save you from that.
It's not like USADA gives a fuck about Rafa and would cut him some shady deal he is just a small fry to them.

 

[kenetics]

USADA would announce it if Rafa failed a ped test, retiring doesn't save you from that.
It's not like USADA gives a fuck about Rafa and would cut him some shady deal he is just a small fry to them.

So why does it take ibjff a whole year to release fail test? Pena and miyao both failed and it took almost a year to hear this news.

 

[mataleaos]

So why does it take ibjff a whole year to release fail test? Pena and miyao both failed and it took almost a year to hear this news.

USADA announces failed tests on their website and I don't believe the IBJJF makes any statements other than they will uphold the rulings that USADA decides: https://www.usada.org/paulo-miyao-accepts-doping-sanction/

 

[kenetics]

USADA announces failed tests on their website and I don't believe the IBJJF makes any statements other than they will uphold the rulings that USADA decides: https://www.usada.org/paulo-miyao-accepts-doping-sanction/

He failed june of 2016 but release fail test may of 2017?

 

[Solidus Snake]

Or maybe he really, freely decided to only focus on his academy and family? Just sayin'..