Gracie Barra is the largest BJJ franchise in the US.
There are Gracie Barra schools everywhere.
I have heard lots of stuff about them from different people. Most of it not good. I was surprised that they don’t do any real sparring until they reach bluebelt level. I have also heard that there are not many good guys there. Most likely because the lack of conditioning and sparring. It appears to be a BJJ mcdojo in a sense.
What is your experience with Gracie Barra schools?
Discuss:
[quote=sandbag2;2283655]Gracie Barra is the largest BJJ franchise in the US.
There are Gracie Barra schools everywhere.
I have heard lots of stuff about them from different people. Most of it not good. I was surprised that they don’t do any real sparring until they reach bluebelt level. I have also heard that there are not many good guys there. Most likely because the lack of conditioning and sparring. It appears to be a BJJ mcdojo in a sense.
What is your experience with Gracie Barra schools?
Discuss:[/quote]
Well, as a member of a Gracie Barra school, I will have to say…it depends.
It is a large organization. As such, it it pretty much ran by the individual who runs the school/classes, not the organization itself. Think of the franchise system in fast food if you will. The franchise itself, doesn’t run the individual restaurant, the owner does under the franchise’s guidance and ruleset. I’m not a member of their inner circle, mind you, but I’m positive that about sums it up. This tends to be how most BJJ orgs are. You are provided certain guidelines on how your school operates, but for the most part, it is up to you, the owner/instructor. As such, quality can and will vary.
It also explains what you have said (although if you have specific examples, it would be best to actually post detailed and accurate information regarding those examples):
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At my school, the Gracie Barra schools in the area, and the school in Canada we are a part of, white belts spar. This seems to be the case at most Gracie Barra and BJJ schools in general. At my school, my teacher waits after a few lessons and then slowly moves them into sparring with people he know can control the situation. Its for both the new students sake and their training partner. The wrong combination can be bad for both. Anyone who remembers being new or training with new students know this.
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Well, as for having good guys, I recommend you take a look at tournament results for the Worlds, Pan Ams, etc. many Gracie Barra guys and gals do pretty well for themselves. The proof is in the results and is easy to find on the ibjjf.org website.
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McDojo…some schools, quite possibly. Other’s, probably not. Again, as mentioned before, it will depend on the school, the instructor, and those participating in classes that will dictate the quality of the school. Again, think franchise. There are some McDonalds (oh the irony) that are great, some that suck. They all follow the same guidelines of their franchise authority, some just have their own flavor that make it better/worse than others.
Here is a link to the Gracie Barra requirements website:
http://www.graciebarra.com/gbas.php?n=req
I hope this has answered your questions.
I think it might depend where you go. Gracie Barra Angola had white belts competing at the African Abu Dhabi trials and I would say they definitely spar before becoming blue belts. They had a very aggressive competing style.
Gracie Barra is everywhere, of course the quality will vary.
[quote=sandbag2;2283655]I have also heard that there are not many good guys there. Most likely because the lack of conditioning and sparring.
[/quote]
Roger Gracie and Braulio Estima are both pretty badly handicapped by their lack of conditioning and sparring, I hear.
Romulo Barral as well… and the Almeida brothers… and…
[quote=sandbag2;2283655]Gracie Barra is the largest BJJ franchise in the US.
There are Gracie Barra schools everywhere. [/quote]
How is that bad?
I have heard lots of stuff about them from different people. Most of it not good. I was surprised that they don’t do any real sparring until they reach bluebelt level.
the only place I’ve heard this about was the Gracie Academy. Gracie-barra teaches self-defense, but is extremely competitive, and is in fact one of the best teams out there taking 2nd to Alliance for the World Championships this year, and winning the World Championships last year… Gracie Barra has actually placed either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd every year for the Mundials since it’s inception.
I have never heard about any GB school not allowing live rolling till blue belt because you can not reach blue belt level without rolling… this is common knowledge. if you have info on a single GB school that practices this way then present it, because it is certainly against the grain of the team in general.
I have also heard that there are not many good guys there. Most likely because the lack of conditioning and sparring. It appears to be a BJJ mcdojo in a sense.
then you’re as dumb as you are blind. Gracie Barra has many of the best Grapplers in existance including the many time World Champion, and ADCC Champion for both his weight AND the Absolute Roger Gracie. Braulio Estima is also a World Champion, and the CURRENT ADCC Champion for his weight and the Absolute.
Not to mention countless other world class champions, instructors, and innovators that have come through GB including, but not limited to Roger Gracie, Braulio Estima, Marcio Feitosa, Renzo Gracie, Victor Estima, the Almeida Bros, Romulo Barral, Gustavo Machado, Roberto “Tussa”, Renato “Babalu”, Rafel Freitas (Barata), Mario Reis, and countless others.
Basically this thread is ridiculous and you probably heard from people that either go to an opposing school and have no real experience with GB, or people that had a bad experience with a rare bad apple GB club.
Yes, GB is marketed very well and is well known for making a great profit, but thus far it has not been to the expense of producing great champions left and right. any GB school that is not teaching good BJJ is in the overwhelming minority right now.
What is your experience with Gracie Barra schools?
Discuss:
I never really trained at a GB Academy, and not all of them are equal I’m sure, but for the most part they have overwhelming evidence to support the claim of being THE BEST BJJ TEAM THERE IS… if they so choose to.
[quote=M-Tri;2283914]How is that bad?
the only place I’ve heard this about was the Gracie Academy. Gracie-barra teaches self-defense, but is extremely competitive, and is in fact one of the best teams out there taking 2nd to Alliance for the World Championships this year, and winning the World Championships last year… Gracie Barra has actually placed either 1st, 2nd, or 3rd every year for the Mundials since it’s inception.
I have never heard about any GB school not allowing live rolling till blue belt because you can not reach blue belt level without rolling… this is common knowledge. if you have info on a single GB school that practices this way then present it, because it is certainly against the grain of the team in general.
then you’re as dumb as you are blind. Gracie Barra has many of the best Grapplers in existance including the many time World Champion, and ADCC Champion for both his weight AND the Absolute Roger Gracie. Braulio Estima is also a World Champion, and the CURRENT ADCC Champion for his weight and the Absolute.
Not to mention countless other world class champions, instructors, and innovators that have come through GB including, but not limited to Roger Gracie, Braulio Estima, Marcio Feitosa, Renzo Gracie, Victor Estima, the Almeida Bros, Romulo Barral, Gustavo Machado, Roberto “Tussa”, Renato “Babalu”, Rafel Freitas (Barata), Mario Reis, and countless others.
Basically this thread is ridiculous and you probably heard from people that either go to an opposing school and have no real experience with GB, or people that had a bad experience with a rare bad apple GB club.
Yes, GB is marketed very well and is well known for making a great profit, but thus far it has not been to the expense of producing great champions left and right. any GB school that is not teaching good BJJ is in the overwhelming minority right now.
I never really trained at a GB Academy, and not all of them are equal I’m sure, but for the most part they have overwhelming evidence to support the claim of being THE BEST BJJ TEAM THERE IS… if they so choose to.[/quote]
Dude, you totally slacked on mentioning Kyra Gracie…how dare you!!!
I heard Gracie Barra Brazil is really good, but it was the American branch that was not.
Of course these are guys from my school. They don’t like Gracie Barra as compared to our school.
On it’s own it could be pretty cool
So some people at your school are badmouthing the local GB outpost and without further evidence you think this is MABS material? GTFO.
[quote=sandbag2;2284024]I heard Gracie Barra Brazil is really good, but it was the American branch that was not.
Of course these are guys from my school. They don’t like Gracie Barra as compared to our school.
On it’s own it could be pretty cool[/quote]
Most of those guys I named teach in schools outside of brazil. in fact the current GB headquarters is now in California, and those were only some of the black belt stand-outs I could think up off the top of my head. if you want to get into blue, purple, and brown belt champions for the pan ams, worlds, nationals, states, eurpeans, and plenty others I could name American students all day long.
Please shut the fuck up at this point. it is clear you do not have a clue what you’re talking about, and never should have made this thread in this section.
Welcome to the idiocy that is sandbag.
Moved.
Go fuck yourself.
Seriously though, go fuck yourself.
Here’s some other GB people who weren’t Mentioned:
Ana Laura Cordeiro
Kayron Gracie
Otavio Sousa
Samuel Braga
Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhaes
Roleta…
Anyway, some schools might suck, I have no idea if the one near you does or not. It probably doesn’t, you’re probably just a sorry piece of shit.
I didn’t know Roleta was GB. His guard game is crazy. And people think Ryan Hall invented the inverted guard…
[quote=sandbag2;2283655]
I have heard lots of stuff about them from different people. Most of it not good. [/quote]
Sure you “heard.” These “people” go to your back yard and wear tapout shirts don’t they?
I was surprised that they don’t do any real sparring until they reach bluebelt level.
Well I see something interesting:
YouTube- Paul Joseph (Gracie Barra Calgary) - Competition Highlights
YouTube- Bobby Mules vs Jesse - BJJFNZ National Open 2009 - Mens White Belt 98kg
YouTube- Jeremy Montalvo Arm Bar win from Gracie Barra White Belt
YouTube- OTM BJJ Championships 2007 WhiteBelt Unlimited gold medalist
Their white belts compete so, I’ll chock up those “people” as the little voices helping you to talk out of your ass.
I have also heard that there are not many good guys there. Most likely because the lack of conditioning and sparring. It appears to be a BJJ mcdojo in a sense.
I like your “I heard” bullshit. MABS is for proof and legit allegations.
Please take your Hypocritical ass to their gym and speak up. Instead, here you sit talking shit over the iinternet.
What is your experience with Gracie Barra schools?
Discuss:
The same as yours…none.
Fucking douchebag Hypocrite.
Yeah, Roleta was GB, and the man is a legend.
And people think Ryan Hall invented the inverted guard…
who thinks that?
nobody invents anything in BJJ really. you can’t invent a movement of the human body anymore than you can invent a new species of bug; however, if anyone were to be credited with developing the basis for the inverted guard than Roleta would definitely be that man.
With that said, guys like Ryan Hall, Daniel Aguilar, and more so Cobrinha definitely played their part in expanding it into what it is today.