DISCUSSING GRACIE UNIVERSITY

Rener Gracie is one of the kindest people I have ever seen. Helped me out of tight spots multiple times, He has shown me more kindness than most of my friends and family members and i don't even live in the U.S., I am from Nigeria and he still reaches out. I am a better person because of Rener Gracie.

I trained at a BJJ sport school as white belt and then went to GU Torrance (as a white belt) and my technique and understanding of jiujitsu improved so much more at GU. The program is so good and the way they teach is also amazing. I have been training there for three and half years now and couldn't be happier and I like the self defense aspect of Gracie jiujitsu.

Recently our school in Prosper TX became a CTC under Gracie University. We even had one of Rener and Ryron's Brown Belts become an instructor at our school. I was a Blue Belt before our school became a CTC and at first I was aganist it a little bit, However when the program for Combative's and Master Cycle started I loved it!!!
The curriculum acutally fixed and sharpned what I already knew but added even more to my skills. People just want to hate because they can. I love Gracie Universiy and the programs , and in August I'm going to The HQ to train there and take a private with either Rener or Ryron and see what else I can learn.

Trained at a Gracie University and a sport BJJ school at the same time. Personally, I'll say that the things I learned/re-learned at Gracie University made my overall technique worlds better.

I'm G.U. instructor. Love this video!! I would agree with the jealousy part as it pertains to hate from other schools. We are structured around the OG Fundamentals of self defense. We also do have extensive sport jiu-jitsu training incorporated further into the curriculum, but when I say sport, we care nothing about points etc, rather, we will learn sporty guards inside and out, etc. So I feel we get the best of both worlds as long as you train long enough to get to all of it. We keep jiu jitsu street worthy to preserve the essence of the MARTIAL art. We also do not allow any newbie to spar until they have enough of the fundamental training to keep themselves and others safe while rolling (hence the combatives belt), which is where some people will also hate on us. This can also create an 'aggression' lag if our lower belts do choose to compete right when they do start sparring, but that seems to even itself out 6 months to a year in. These policies are great for business and also weed out the 'tough guys' that want to go wild before they even know what they are doing. My unbiased, honest opinion is that G.U. is a longer road than other schools, (which preserves the 'Gracie" name). It would be easier to get belted elsewhere, but I have seen over and over, the technical knowledge is superior to MOST other schools and visitors from them.

I attend a Graci University affiliate and I love it. I am 4 stripe white belt and hope to have my combatives belt soon. People trash it because it is not the more traditional way of doing things where you get thrown in as a white belt and have to sink or swim and survive. They pioneered the online training model that many others have adopted. Is their system better or worse than others? I don't know because I have only done jiu jitus this way. It works for me and others in my school

Ryron and Rener would both tap 99% of the people talking shit as well as their instructors.

Luta Livre means “free fight”, implying “no holds barred”

GU is a great tool! The instructions is better than most.

Both Ryron and Rener are excellent humans, they have been my instructors for a long time. Because of what I do for a living I can detect bad people, and they are not. If I need something they would drop what they are doing and do their best to help me out. Before you bash who you don't know take the time to know them. Your hate comes from their success and that says something about your life issues.

"Chances are they don't even know the guy"... this is a really amateur level argument. You don't have to know someone on a personal level to critique their actions. Their actions stand alone. You can agree or disagree with a person's actions without judging their character. He could be the world's nicest guy, that doesn't mean you automatically agree with everything he does. I lost a lot of respect for him with how disingenuous he was about Bravo/Royler II. Doesn't mean he isn't overall a good guy.

My instructor started learning purely online before our ctc.
He is a monster to spar against. And right now, he absorbs techniques like a sponge because he was forced to learn everything via video in the past. Right now, just watching a RUclips short or reels, he can immediately execute it.

I've trained mostly under Nova Uniao, and I have never understood the hate directed to any of the Gracie's or their business, or affiliates.

The quality and organization of the instruction on GU is second to none. When I am trying to learn anything on You Tube -from cooking to changing brakes on a car, I find myself wishing the instruction was taught by Rener and organized like it is on GU.

Luta livre literally means "free fighting". It's the Brazilan version of American wrestling.
At that time both luta livre and jiu-jitsu would use strikes in addition to grappling. Striking was part of the art.

Rener is a great person.

the only problem i have with them is they keep on teaching some self defense techniques that were prooven to be either bad or don't work at all. rest is totally fine, they just need to update thier sd curriculum

I enjoyed the video 👍

Well said sir!

Well said!

Bruce Lee is ushered what would be the first mainstream "MMA" because his whole premise was that 1 style and fixed positions was unefficient, and he incorporated western and eastern arts, including Grappling. Of course no one is going to admit the art they spent their whole life learning is no good, that's why it was so hard for the Karate and Kung Fu fighters to admit that decades ago, and all the BJJ guys were making fun of them. Not too different today, where MMA guys are making fun of BJJ guys....it's all full circle. Gracie JJ was absolutely the best fighting form up until probably 2000's. But that's because 1. barely anyone knew JJ and 2. That style back then was for fighting, not competing or sport. Of course nobody back at the highest level then could beat someone nowadays even in a mediocre level, just like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell probably can't compete with Giannis and Shaq nowadays. But if the atmosphere and conditions were the same, Rickson could be considered one of the best in the world.

I think GU does a great job, especially for beginners and helping low level people train with family and such at home. They have a phenomenal teaching method that helps others learn how to teach.
When people ask a way to learn martial arts at home, GU is my number one recommendation for any chance a person is basically going to have.
I'm very good at seperating any opinions of seperate issues. will I can acknowledge that some of the stuff to the side that they or notably Renner got into, like the famous court case and denigrating by default a large subset of JJ schools, was really crappy.
I'm sort of sad that happened, because whatever "hate" GU had as an online school or a non-sportive school, got eclipsed by the scandal. And recommending them now gets met with their sketchy "moral"? Choice in causing a harm to the JJ community.
I still recommend the value of their course, that imo within its context, can't be argued with. But that scandal? Made me sad.

Luta livre roughly meant “free fighting.” They were the original no gi grappling gyms. They stated that the GJJ gyms were elitist and only trained the rich while they trained all people. They saw the gi almost as a symbol of elitism.

Long time happy follower of your content 🤙
I completed my Combatives belt as an older out of shape guy that wouldn't cut it in most of the schools that tend to throw people into the fire. I legit loved the comprehensive fundamentals I learned from them and still remember a fair amount. It's going to be remembered as one of the best experience in my life 💯
So when I hear someone online talking crap about a school they probably never attended, they immediately lose all respect.
Sorry you even had to make a video like this, but someone has to speak up. Thanks for discussing the elephant in the room and also trying to avoid politics. I can tell you're an awesome Teacher/Coach/Professor. Thanks for being a terrific example 🤙

My home gym became a “Gracie ctc” it was the single worst thing to happen to it. All of our colored belts left to find other gyms. The price for a membership went up 50$. Anyone who stayed was required to drop a couple hundred on new “Gracie” branded gear. The quality of the training went to shit. Everything became focused on defending “strikes” but our striking coach also left so nobody knew how to even throw a punch to defend against. The place filled up with disabled old people and karate nerds. Their whole program is absolute Mcdojo crap calling itself jujitsu. Look at Krons last fight for an example

here for the comments Lol

Great 👍

You have two kinds of people who train BJJ. People who think you should give away your knowledge for free and teach anyone and people who think you should charge for what you know and be selective about who you teach. I'm the second type.

Is it an issue if someone uses the same shark photo for their logo as well?

The people who didn't like your father would not have gone to his funeral or told you bad experiences. Your mother probably wasn't lying.

100% people gotta stop hating success.
Ryron and Rener are the best teachers regardless of subject I’ve encountered in my life. I’ve seen many a high level BJJ black belt/UFC fighters roll with Ryron or Rener & they look bewildered after their roll, even seen one highly respected guy have to tap to Ryron’s “side mount pressure;” it is eye opening…,so ya they are good at what they do & if they weren’t people wouldn’t go/purchase from them.

I just started BJJ after doing Muay Thai for 3 years (I still do Muay Thai just added BJJ) is there any tips you can give a beginner I just did my second class today

I only train Gracie academy/university affiliate and love it I was at Carlson gym to but very sport orientated much prefer the Gracie academy

Great online instructional. They teach principles not techniques. I learned alot from their online lessons. Renners personality is great, funny.

When Gracie University came out, I was an advanced white belt. I remember my coaches at the time saying they only started that when Helio died because he wouldn’t have stood for it. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I think they were ahead of their time in using the internet as a way to teach through pre-recorded videos, and it made BJJ accessible to many people who live in rural areas with little to no options. I have to say I think it’s a bit of a fallacy to say that if someone doesn’t like someone, or what they’re doing, it necessarily means that they are envious of their success - nor does envy necessarily equal or derive from hate.

kama aina jiu jitsu

If people don't like Rener only because he's successful, why don't we see the same kind of reaction to people like Bernardo Faria, Gordon Ryan, and the Mendes brothers? Why don't we see the same kind of reaction to Craig Jones? If people only hate Rener's success, why doesn't that same hate apply to anyone else?

Excellent video, Professor. Right on point. (Esp. the Judo Gene part)

fight free = luta libre

Don't know about the greed part...trained with a few GU students over the years... not great skills.. would rather train at a "normal" bjj school...

I love Gracie University, their overall approach for self-defense oriented Jiu-Jitsu is great and the online platform is excellent for people in remote locations like myself. I'm not the biggest fan of all the trademarking but it's understandable I guess.

In house is at least 50% more students than that. Envy and ignorance are spot on. These dudes work harder then anyone else and they reap what they sow.

Great video, I would say there definitely are people who are unconsciously hating on Rener because of his success, but it isn’t the only factor. There are people who just don’t do their research & think they are still letting people get to blue belt & beyond without pressure testing, which they aren’t after Rickson & others denounced it, just the Combatives Belt. There are also a lot of people who think it’s all Combatives, they don’t know about Master Cycle, & there are people who are salty because Rener is transforming his BJJ teaching to be more inclusive, promotions are more based on knowledge/ proficiency of techniques/ principles, & not if the coach thinks you can dominate others competitively (I have respect for those kind of school, but it isn’t for everyone).
I think there are also good & bad Gracie CTC, my CTC has an open roll after Master Cycle, but I have heard there are some that don’t ever really do full on rolling, which is bullshit to me.

Another great video!

well put!

Gene Lebell is a character, and story teller. He was a very successful stuntman, and if he was going around beating up his A-List stars like Seagal or Embarrassing Bruce Lee i imagie he wouldn't work in hollywood long. The Seagal thing was more of, let me get you in a full choke and see if you can escape not really a fight. Not many could get in a full choke and escape with a highly decorated black belt but even so Lebell added to it. As for Bruce. Lee loved learning as much as teaching, so Bruce showed him some things and Lebell showed Bruce. Once Bruce died thats when Lebell started adding to the story. I also read in Richard Bressler's book Lebell didn't want no part of any Gracie's when they were beating his students at his school. Also Bruce did learn from Lebell but he also learned a form of Jiu Jitsu from Wally Jay called small circle Jiu jitsu. Wally Jay was high ranking in Judo as well as Danzin Ryu Jiu Jitsu before founding the Small Circle style that implemented both among others. Gene Lebell likes to add to his own Legend but i. His defe se he was a Pro Wrestler as well.

If I have the choice between a Gracie University Brown belt and a Dave Kama Black Belt. Pretty easy choice there for who I want to train under Especially when I watched their Facebook instructional videos they put out. That being said, they provide a value service to those that don’t have access and I cannot hate that!

I believe you're a good guy, you just keep repeating the lies of the Gracies and you don't feel like calling out the BS. It's fine. It's a little childish to consider different opinions universally as "hating", but that's fine too. Btw, luta livre was founded by Tatu who was a catch wrestler (and beat George Gracie). It's Brazilian Catch Wrestling and that tournament has nothing to do with modern MMA as far as GJJ vs "free fighting". If you want to see how well GJJ works in MMA, watch the actual GJJ "fighters" being completely irrelevant in the octagon as soon as people who knew how to fight came in 30 years ago. It's a fact, do I have to list the fights where they got embarrassed? I mean, all the way down to Rolles Gracie being KOed by Marius with a sloppy overhand. A former strongman.
The talk about fighting is totally crazy, you need to train in MMA to realize how insane what you said is. You need to take your opponent down to use jiu jitsu, how do you take down people who know wrestling? You get pieced up before you can clinch (because you can't strike) if you don't do MMA, if you can reach the clinch at all. Then? You pull guard where it's raining knuckles? Modern MMA fighters are not Dan Severn, almost nobody finishes people from the guard. Let's say he slips on a banana peel and you get on top, they spring back up in 3 seconds, BJJ doesn't teach people how to control the opponent to the level that's required today. You need to use leg rides, tilts, bars, and keep them down. That's wrestling though.
I mean, it's not like I'm making this stuff up, you can see it on TV on every UFC card. Including the ones Kron embarrassed himself on. I only talked about undisputable facts, these are not my conjectures or emotional responses AKA "hating".

Stopped watching at "you hate because you envy them". What a stupid argument. There are many more successful gyms than GU that don't get the same hate. A lot of hate started because Rener gave out blue belts online to people who never sparred which was ridiculous. That's just 1 of many reasons.

Yup Bruce incorporated grappling into his curriculum because of Gene LeBell and Hayward Nishioka.
Now let's go back to the main topic. Everyone I know that is not fond of Gracie University specifically Rener and Ryron is because of the online/video belt promotions. This waters down the art making it more like what Taekwondo has become....a belt factory. It's quite obvious whenever one of these Gracie University students visits other reputable academies...they get handled. So yeah this system they have created selling belts and certifications has caused some hate.
You say you don't have a dog in this fight. But clearly you do. You are highly biased towards the Gracie family especially the Helio side.
You came from wealth. As you said your dad was loaded. I can imagine that lent itself to incredible privilege and opportunity. Just don't let that blind you from the reason most people are critical of Gracie University. It's not because they are jealous because of the Rener and Ryron's wealth as you assume.
Yay for you and your dad's money that you inherited and had the privilege of being raised with. Yay for the millions Gracie University is making by selling belts.

Those 2 Brothers are AmazzzZZZing !! Very Smart Men & GREAT BJJ as Well.... OH YEH Great BUSINESS DUDES !!!!!! Yes A Lot Of People are. J. E. A. L. O. U. S. !!!!!!!