Gracie Combatives

[MasterPain]

I've heard it said that Gracie Combatives gives rank to easily. I had a new guy come in today and was told he had a Gracie Jiu Jutsu blue belt. I've read the belt requirements for that and expected someone with similar technical knowledge to myself, though maybe less experienced. Turns out he has blue in Gracie Combatives.

The two are not the same thing. What he did know was good stuff, they didn't teach junk. But the requirements for rank are not the same.

[bushido_man96]

I'm not familiar with them, but I think the DT guy at our college has been through it. It sounded like it was pretty intensive, and some guys didn't make it back for the 2nd day of training. But I've never heard him say he held any kind of rank.

[isshinryu5toforever]

Yeah, I've heard that echoed elsewhere. Apparently, you can use their DVDs to train, but need to be viewed by an actual Gracie black belt to get your blue belt. Although, that's been contested before as well.

Either way, you still won't be as good as someone who earned it on the mat with a variety of different partners. They'll be competition tested as well, which puts them worlds above someone who learned it in their livingroom.

[Dobie1979]

As a person who just started using them I can also agree that the instruction is very good. From what I read on their website the videos sent in for blue belts are reviewed by one of the instructors at the academy. Also, this is the same material pepole go through to get a blue belt at the Gracie academy, so he in my opinion does have a Gracie blue belt. It's when you start the Master's cycle (Blue belt and beyond) that is when you are encouraged to grapple more and you learn more advanced techniques.

[tallgeese]

I've seen the product, as well as others out of that camp, and I can say that they are very well done materials. Each movement is broken down into componant steps that are really precise and accurate.

I think as supplimental material it's some of the best stuff out there. As always, it's better to have live instruction. However, from people with no real BJJ instruction nearby, they aren't a bad investment.

My major issue is ranking via video. However, it's their system, they can do what they want. They've really gone along way to get to the heart of the self defense and artistic side of things. If you poke around their website, you'll see they don't even start focusing on competition tactics till purple or so.

It's a good marketing niche for them. I'll always say find a school or coach. But, the videos are well made and will keep you away from the junk that you can run across on you tube rather easily.

[Dobie1979]

I enjoy the videos and feel that I've learned a lot from them. I have about three other guys that I train with and try to run it as close to a school as we can. I know it doesn't work for everyone, but it works for me.

[MMA_Jim]

The Gracies give rank under different circumstances than others, and even then the family doesnt seem to be in total agreement.

What most of them do agree on however, is their emphasis on self defense and street applicable jiu jitsu. Thats really one of the main differences between BJJ and GJJ- GJJ has that emphasis on street applicable jiu jitsu moreso than tournament winning jiu jitsu. Some people have accused the Gracies of holding back when they teach, because their students often didnt do well at tournaments- but that was the difference. They taught how to escape headlocks, defend punches on the ground, etc.

In the traditional way that the entire family taught things, white belt classes were all self defense classes, with most training being positional training as opposed to the typical type of training where both people start from their knees and do a full match. When someone could demonstrate the appropriate knowledge of all the self defense techniques, they were given their blue belt and were allowed to go to the blue belt and above classes, which is run the way that all schools run a typical class

[Dobie1979]

The Gracies give rank under different circumstances than others, and even then the family doesnt seem to be in total agreement.

What most of them do agree on however, is their emphasis on self defense and street applicable jiu jitsu. Thats really one of the main differences between BJJ and GJJ- GJJ has that emphasis on street applicable jiu jitsu moreso than tournament winning jiu jitsu. Some people have accused the Gracies of holding back when they teach, because their students often didnt do well at tournaments- but that was the difference. They taught how to escape headlocks, defend punches on the ground, etc.

In the traditional way that the entire family taught things, white belt classes were all self defense classes, with most training being positional training as opposed to the typical type of training where both people start from their knees and do a full match. When someone could demonstrate the appropriate knowledge of all the self defense techniques, they were given their blue belt and were allowed to go to the blue belt and above classes, which is run the way that all schools run a typical class

Jim,

I think that was the best description of the difference between GJJ and BJJ. I couldn't have said it better myself.

[brickshooter]

Am I the only one smelling something funny about earning a blue belt by video?

Not questioning the body of knowledge offered. But questioning the belt factory marketing.

[ps1]

Am I the only one smelling something funny about earning a blue belt by video?

Not questioning the body of knowledge offered. But questioning the belt factory marketing.

You've missed the boat on this one. It's been around for several years now.

The process is far more difficult than you may expect. There are several videos online about it. It's not uncommon to fail the process many times before getting it right. Until BJJ schools are a dime a dozen like most other martial arts, this is likely to exist.