The Official Metamoris/BJJ/Grappling Thread

cowboyronnie · Post #261 » by **cowboyronnie** » Wed Oct 14, 2015 4:25 am

REDDzone wrote:Stuart Cooper's adcc 2015 highlight. Not as good as the 2011 or 2013 one imo but still worth watching. Some of these guys are just such freaks.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQcI_0hNyc8[/youtube]

Affected, precious, emo. ^

No credit to Mogwai in the credits.

REDDzone · Post #262 » by **REDDzone** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 3:45 pm

IDK if anyone cares or has followed this, but there has been a lot of interesting stuff going on with the Gracie Academy lately.

Long story short, these are the people who have a 16 year old blue belt running a gym. Also, a few weeks back a fake blackbelt was found in their association. And now, there are literally two teenage girls who run a gym of theirs who teach bjj in bjj black belts (all of these people are online blue belts btw). I guess one of their business models is to give online blue belts to tma dojos and collect affiliation fees. So you have a lot of this sketchiness going on with people teaching bjj wearing black belts, etc. The teenage karate blue belts have since literally challenged legitimate black belts to fights, etc. Its just one big clusterf*ck.

Its ironic and sad that the same people who did so much for the martial arts and dispelled so many myths about fighting (Rorion was the founder of the ufc), are now contributing to the McDojofication of bjj.It won't be long until you can "earn" a blackbelt online from these people, for sure. Within a decade I'm guessing.

A few source articles for those interested:
http://www.bjjee.com/featured/gracie-university-blue-belt-pretends-to-be-2nd-degree-black-belt/
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/teen-gracie-university-blue-belts-teach-jiu-jitsu-wearing-bjj-black-belts/
http://www.bjjee.com/featured/16-year-old-blue-belt-is-a-head-instructor-of-gracie-academy-in-mississippi/

cowboyronnie · Post #263 » by **cowboyronnie** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:12 pm

REDDzone · Post #264 » by **REDDzone** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:26 pm

The "karate girls" is the most ridiculous story. They are wearing bjj gis, wearing bjj black belts, teaching armbars and throws, yet claim that they only wear their black belts when teaching karate lol. This really sucks for everyone as the art is devalued, but it sucks the most for
1) the people being defrauded directly - the people paying to be taught by people pretending to be black belts
2) the legitimate students of the Gracie Academy. Whatever else Rener and Ryron are, they are great teachers and great practitioners. I think Ryron showed that in his matches vs Galvao and Barnett. Imagine earning a black belt from them the old fashioned way and then seeing them sending people belts through the mail? It has to tear you up inside, because when your lineage and instructors' legitimacy is being questioned, your legitimacy is being questioned, even if it is indirect.

cowboyronnie · Post #265 » by **cowboyronnie** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:28 pm

REDDzone wrote:IDK if anyone cares or has followed this, but there has been a lot of interesting stuff going on with the Gracie Academy lately.

Long story short, these are the people who have a 16 year old blue belt running a gym. Also, a few weeks back a fake blackbelt was found in their association. And now, there are literally two teenage girls who run a gym of theirs who teach bjj in bjj black belts (all of these people are online blue belts btw). I guess one of their business models is to give online blue belts to tma dojos and collect affiliation fees. So you have a lot of this sketchiness going on with people teaching bjj wearing black belts, etc. The teenage karate blue belts have since literally challenged legitimate black belts to fights, etc. Its just one big clusterf*ck.

Its ironic and sad that the same people who did so much for the martial arts and dispelled so many myths about fighting (Rorion was the founder of the ufc), are now contributing to the McDojofication of bjj.It won't be long until you can "earn" a blackbelt online from these people, for sure. Within a decade I'm guessing.

A few source articles for those interested:
http://www.bjjee.com/featured/gracie-university-blue-belt-pretends-to-be-2nd-degree-black-belt/
http://www.bjjee.com/articles/teen-gracie-university-blue-belts-teach-jiu-jitsu-wearing-bjj-black-belts/
http://www.bjjee.com/featured/16-year-old-blue-belt-is-a-head-instructor-of-gracie-academy-in-mississippi/

"It won't be long until you can "earn" a blackbelt online from these people, for sure. Within a decade I'm guessing."

Do you really think that? The above is a clustereff, for sure. But I think they would have the sense - and/or integrity - to keep it at blue belt level.

My expectations for Gracie's are pretty damn low. There are a lot of straight psychos, bad losers, etc. in their midst. The terrible behavior over these years has been a lot. Listened to Renzo on MMA Roasted from a few months back - this is a man with a real deficit: he recounted excitedly story after story of cruel violence without any shame. Something social is missing. Also, I totally respect him on a bunch of levels. But, damn. Something is off.

REDDzone · Post #266 » by **REDDzone** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:36 pm

I don't really see why not, maybe I'm exaggerating the timeframe due to my disgust. My understanding is that the Gracie CTCs were originally only meant to be set up in places where access to a legitimate instructor was not available. Now you have fat online blue belt 16 year olds setting up shop a few miles away from true bjj black belts. Also, their online training academy keeps growing, IIRC as of right now you can get up to two stripes on your blue belt through their online course, but that's because the material they have produced only goes through that rank. My understanding is that once the next stripe is available, you can earn that rank. IDK how far they plan on taking this, but it seems to go further all the time. Now this nonsense about separating bjj from "gracie jiu jitsu" and claiming they are different and the ranks are different, and also the new business model of spreading jj to tkd schools, etc....I'm cynical about the future of this.

REDDzone · Post #267 » by **REDDzone** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:50 pm

And I would really question the integrity aspect anyway.These are the same people who have ripped tons of people off with metamoris. Also probably the biggest cult in bjj, I posted a few months back about the current blackbelt who was brainwashed by them and talking about how Sean Roberts was strangling him again and again as he was telling himself in his head that he wasn't as good as he was because he didn't know the true Gracie jiu jitsu or whatever LOL.

Read the message board threads/reddit, there are Royce Gracie/Valente Bros, etc. black belts in the vicinity of these Gracie CTCs. You will randomly see online blues come on and say "if I want myself or my children to win medals I would go to that Royce Gracie black belt...but if I want to learn true self defense, I would send them to <16 year old karate girl>". People actually believe stuff like this.

edit: I had forgotten details from the account of the former Gracie student, current blackbelt, here is that post:
viewtopic.php?f=270&t=1340469&start=180#p44160178

cowboyronnie · Post #268 » by **cowboyronnie** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:54 pm

Oh, totally. I read all those stories, it's endlessly interesting.

cowboyronnie · Post #269 » by **cowboyronnie** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:55 pm

Dariush story?

REDDzone · Post #270 » by **REDDzone** » Sat Oct 24, 2015 4:57 pm

cowboyronnie wrote:Dariush story?

I edited my post, it was Sean Roberts, not Dariush. Dan/Roberts/Dariush all came up together so I get them confused. But like I said I had the details wrong anyway.

REDDzone · Post #271 » by **REDDzone** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 6:22 pm

It makes me sad to know that McKenzie Dern is moving to mma.

Jasen777 · Post #272 » by **Jasen777** » Sat Oct 31, 2015 10:16 pm

Wrong one never mind.

REDDzone · Post #273 » by **REDDzone** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 2:39 am

I guess Jamie Varner won nogi worlds at purple this weekend. Not sure how the hell a dude who competed in MMA for ~15 years and wrestled his whole life is purple but whatevs lol. It wouldn't be as weird in the gi, he wouldn't win that.

SDM · Post #274 » by **SDM** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:14 am

* Hey, is IBJJF Masters Worlds considered a legit competition?

Just wondering because a pro wrestler I enjoy (MVP) won the open blue and ultra heavy blue six weeks ago.

SDM · Post #275 » by **SDM** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:20 am

REDDzone wrote:I guess Jamie Varner won nogi worlds at purple this weekend. Not sure how the hell a dude who competed in MMA for ~15 years and wrestled his whole life is purple but whatevs lol. It wouldn't be as weird in the gi, he wouldn't win that.

Chuck was a blue belt wasn't he?

REDDzone · Post #276 » by **REDDzone** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:50 am

SDM wrote:* Hey, is IBJJF Masters Worlds considered a legit competition?

Just wondering because a pro wrestler I enjoy (MVP) won the open blue and ultra heavy blue six weeks ago.

Which division? Could have been masters 1 which is 30-35 or masters 6 which is 50+ lol. Its legit regardless, but my point is depending on the division he may not have had as many competitors being that heavy. But its at bluebelt so probably had to win multiple matches which is cool.

The way most people describe it is the masters world are mostly dudes who have a career and a family and still like to compete whereas regular mundials are dudes who prioritize competition and compete. Like seriously there are white and bluebelts in this world who train full time, crazily enough.

REDDzone · Post #277 » by **REDDzone** » Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:51 am

SDM wrote:
REDDzone wrote:I guess Jamie Varner won nogi worlds at purple this weekend. Not sure how the hell a dude who competed in MMA for ~15 years and wrestled his whole life is purple but whatevs lol. It wouldn't be as weird in the gi, he wouldn't win that.

Chuck was a blue belt wasn't he?

Yea and Bones is a whitebelt. :lol:

Post #278 » by **NO-KG-AI** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 10:18 am

Attended NAGA in Louisiana about a month ago, and was extremely disappointed in the level of competition from my home state. The novice division winners in Texas would have cleaned house here :/

People that are more informed, are there more known "grappling states." Like are certain areas producing significantly more talent?

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REDDzone · Post #279 » by **REDDzone** » Thu Nov 12, 2015 2:16 pm

NO-KG-AI wrote:Attended NAGA in Louisiana about a month ago, and was extremely disappointed in the level of competition from my home state. The novice division winners in Texas would have cleaned house here :/

People that are more informed, are there more known "grappling states." Like are certain areas producing significantly more talent?

California is basically known as the new Brazil. New York is good too. Not sure if any other place else stands out although there is good grappling everywhere.

Part of your problem may have been that you were at a NAGA, home of the meatheads.

Susan · Post #280 » by **Susan** » Sun Nov 15, 2015 10:49 pm