Kron Criticizes Gracie University

[SmokeyBJJ]

It's mostly technique demo and what they call a 5-minute Fight Simulation, where you have to respond to your "partner's" actions with the corresponding Combatives techniques. It's not really sparring as your partner is supposed to simulate an untrained opponent which doesn't know any Jiu-Jitsu, in a street fight.

That sounds very much like Master Sylvio Behring's progressive guard series. I bet you that's where they stole the idea from.

[kerux]

I understand what they are doing, as I looked into it. You get with a partner and work the techniques and spar together. You get your strips by distance video evaluation, but the belts are in person. Frankly it appears very well thought out, as they explained it for an hour. The program actually seemed to address a problem that exists in schools, that of the uneven grappler. In their program you would have to be good at guard, clinch, top, transitions, etc to pass. You couldn't just master a certain gym strategy and beat everyone hiding really week skills in one area.

My only problem was I just don't care to for gis or belts, but that is me, not them. They had some video students and they looked sharp. My only concern is the sparing as you need partners, but if the belts are done in person, then weak sparing would be addressed at that time.

[Ross Davidson]

Can't learn how to move by watching videos. How does one learn to let go, breathe, and flow from never doing it live? #whitebeltfury

[Wancarlos]

I'm getting upset about you non-sandwich "players." Real sandwiches fight vale tudo, you dont need to feel or breath, just drop or pick up the sandwich.

[bobby rivers]

I have learned the majority of my grappling via internet. People underestimate what intelligent, motivated individuals with a goal can accomplish. If a world champ doesn't live in your city, it just makes sense to learn from them if that resource is available. You just need game training partners then every and anyone becomes your teacher. The catch is that skill should be your primary goal over rank. You shouldn't even think about rank if you're learning online. Why would you?

I have never seen Gracie combatives and am unfamiliar with the system and ranking. Just commenting generally about online learning. Eddie def does it best imo.

[Dylan Ehrnreiter]

I have learned the majority of my grappling via internet. People underestimate what intelligent, motivated individuals with a goal can accomplish. If a world champ doesn't live in your city, it just makes sense to learn from them if that resource is available. You just need game training partners then every and anyone becomes your teacher. The catch is that skill should be your primary goal over rank. You shouldn't even think about rank if you're learning online. Why would you?

I have never seen Gracie combatives and am unfamiliar with the system and ranking. Just commenting generally about online learning. Eddie def does it best imo.

Same here for how I got started. After youtubing it for years and learning from books I eventually got my blue from Eddie at a seminar, and I agree that in person is the only way to handle belting someone. Too many intangibles that won't show up on tape.

I have the combatives dvd's and if you have no school nearby they are for sure a great source of instruction. Good details, potential pitfalls, and drill suggestions. Solid basics for starting and good for going over again if you have basics already.

[Scott Yockel]

It's a disgrace the way the Jiu-Jitsu is being sold. I am ashamed to say the Ryron and Rener teach classes online, where you can pick a track from a Gracie the internet. I am sad to know that it's happening now. Unfortunately, I can not do anything. I do not own the world, I can only control what I do. Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art. You need to put your blood in the gym, hang out with your teacher and earn the belt. It is something that is gained with time, experience, and not with money and friendship.

I agree with Kron for the most part. I think learning new stuff off the web is completely ok, hell we do it with MTS. I dont believe in the people that train at home with friends practicing the skills off Gracie's website without going to a rear school to learn from an instructor (the same goes for the people that train that way on ths site). I personaly dont believe you can give rank out the way they do. BJJ is hands on both for teaching and learning. Props to Kron for voice his thoughts even if it goes against a family member!

[Wancarlos]

I have learned the majority of my grappling via internet. People underestimate what intelligent, motivated individuals with a goal can accomplish. If a world champ doesn't live in your city, it just makes sense to learn from them if that resource is available. You just need game training partners then every and anyone becomes your teacher. The catch is that skill should be your primary goal over rank. You shouldn't even think about rank if you're learning online. Why would you?

I have never seen Gracie combatives and am unfamiliar with the system and ranking. Just commenting generally about online learning. Eddie def does it best imo.

The thing is that guys forget about the skill when they are "done"/after getting the blue. Or even worse, they walk into a bjj place, and leave because it's not street effective.

[Chris Herzog]

Online training should be a supplement to live training under a real instructor. I've seen a number of guys come through that had huge holes in their game due to being selective in what they wanted to learn when only utilizing online training. A good instructor generally has a curriculum in place to prevent those holes. Nothing beats hands on evaluation by an instructor that can feel your jiu jitsu as well as see it.

[NameLikeNoOther]

Almost all of the Jiu-Jitsu/Grappling/Wrestling I have learned has been from online, video or book resources. If there was a club close to me I would love to train there. But there is not, so I make the best of what is available. I try to travel to a local Moon at least twice a month. I agree that live training is the best, but showing up prepared by studying video techniques or having a technique focus for a session has helped me a lot. I also use the video/book stuff a lot to review techniques later if I forget a detail or had trouble with something live rolling. There have been times that I have been in position that I have watched a technique and only solo-drilled it, but I was able to execute it live. I am so greatful for all of the video and book knowledge that has been made available in the last 5 years.