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Link Posted: 7/15/2019 12:36:04 PM EDT
[#1]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:
At a Brazilian top team school
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Originally Posted By poisontree:
Originally Posted By Drakich:

Where are you training at poisontree?
At a Brazilian top team school
DFW or elsewhere?
Link Posted: 7/16/2019 7:21:46 PM EDT
[#2]
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Originally Posted By Drakich:

DFW or elsewhere?
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Just south of Houston
Link Posted: 7/19/2019 7:19:27 PM EDT
[#3]
Got to class last night and Tuesday day which is a big win for me did some back control choking to an arm bar and some de la riva training and landed some Ezekiel subs.
Link Posted: 7/31/2019 4:29:10 PM EDT
[#4]
Just found this thread!  Been doing Gracie Jiu Jitsu since about 1994! We were training under Pedro Sauer (through Frank Cucci) and they only tested once a year, in the fall.  I was  campus police officer at the time and testing always fell on Homecoming weekend.  So I spent 6 years as a white belt.  Got my blue in 2000 and my purple in 04.  I left that association when I sold my interest in our school to my business parnters (family issues) and started a small training group.  We ended up  morphing the training group into a new school a few years later under a different association, but long and short of it was I spent 10 years, almost to the day as a purple.  I got my brown, and last October my black belt from Royce.
Link Posted: 8/1/2019 8:48:33 PM EDT
[#5]
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Originally Posted By itsahak:
Just found this thread!  Been doing Gracie Jiu Jitsu since about 1994! We were training under Pedro Sauer (through Frank Cucci) and they only tested once a year, in the fall.  I was  campus police officer at the time and testing always fell on Homecoming weekend.  So I spent 6 years as a white belt.  Got my blue in 2000 and my purple in 04.  I left that association when I sold my interest in our school to my business parnters (family issues) and started a small training group.  We ended up  morphing the training group into a new school a few years later under a different association, but long and short of it was I spent 10 years, almost to the day as a purple.  I got my brown, and last October my black belt from Royce.
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Congrats!

An admirable accomplishment for sure
Link Posted: 8/2/2019 6:38:51 AM EDT
[#6]
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Originally Posted By itsahak:
Just found this thread!  Been doing Gracie Jiu Jitsu since about 1994! We were training under Pedro Sauer (through Frank Cucci) and they only tested once a year, in the fall.  I was  campus police officer at the time and testing always fell on Homecoming weekend.  So I spent 6 years as a white belt.  Got my blue in 2000 and my purple in 04.  I left that association when I sold my interest in our school to my business parnters (family issues) and started a small training group.  We ended up  morphing the training group into a new school a few years later under a different association, but long and short of it was I spent 10 years, almost to the day as a purple.  I got my brown, and last October my black belt from Royce.
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Very nice. I’m a 46 yr old purple belt. I’ll probably be retired by the time I get to black belt
Link Posted: 8/2/2019 9:59:31 PM EDT
[#7]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:

Very nice. I’m a 46 yr old purple belt. I’ll probably be retired by the time I get to black belt
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I was 46 when I took my BB test.  And 8 months post hip replacement surgery!  Keep training!  Consistency wins that game!
Link Posted: 8/2/2019 10:20:51 PM EDT
[#8]
Is it normal to test for belts or to be awarded them as a suprise?  I've only been to one belt promotion and it was all suprise, I think my coach will just randomly roll with people and pay attention during training to see who is progressing.  I've never asked and dont plan on it
Link Posted: 8/2/2019 10:25:06 PM EDT
[#9]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:
Is it normal to test for belts or to be awarded them as a suprise?  I've only been to one belt promotion and it was all suprise, I think my coach will just randomly roll with people and pay attention during training to see who is progressing.  I've never asked and dont plan on it
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My Professor always did them randomly and when he thought you were at that point
Link Posted: 8/2/2019 10:26:18 PM EDT
[#10]
Link Posted: 8/2/2019 10:26:38 PM EDT
[Last Edit: poisontree] [#11]
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Originally Posted By navvet89:

My Professor always did them randomly and when he thought you were at that point
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Ok, just making sure.   He will call me or text when my son is getting stripes or a belt since I work shift work and cant always be available.

Eta: he just got back from Brazil testing and passed for his first stripe.  He is Brazilian and went to his original school to test.
Link Posted: 8/2/2019 11:48:35 PM EDT
[#12]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:
Is it normal to test for belts or to be awarded them as a suprise?  I've only been to one belt promotion and it was all suprise, I think my coach will just randomly roll with people and pay attention during training to see who is progressing.  I've never asked and dont plan on it
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It differs from place to place.  I test my students using a combination of time in class and on the mats, technical knowledge, history and philosophy of Gracie Jiu Jitsu.  Most of the guys in our association do some sort of test and even for those that do it differs from school to school.  There are those that do not test and award their students belts when they feel that they can support/defend said belt.  But for our association, everyone tests for the black belt, in a room with all of the association black belts and those that pass are voted on by a committee of the senior black belts in attendance.  My class had a 60% pass rate, which was one of the higher ones.  It's usually between 40-50%
Link Posted: 8/6/2019 9:43:20 PM EDT
[Last Edit: poisontree] [#13]
Anybody else training tonight?  I just got thru, a bunch of people from my gym are going to worlds in Vegas, I'm going the week before to party lol.

Eta: going for 5th wedding anniversary, wife got me a new war tribe gi.
Link Posted: 8/7/2019 6:40:07 AM EDT
[#14]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:
Anybody else training tonight?  I just got thru, a bunch of people from my gym are going to worlds in Vegas, I'm going the week before to party lol.

Eta: going for 5th wedding anniversary, wife got me a new war tribe gi.
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We’ve got a crew going to masters worlds as well. I unfortunately can’t go because my wife can’t get the time off. I’ll probably watch on flograppling.

You’ll love the War Tribe gi. My wife and I each have a couple they’re great.

Btw lots of places have really good Black Friday deals on BJJ gear.
Link Posted: 8/7/2019 10:56:00 AM EDT
[#15]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:

We’ve got a crew going to masters worlds as well. I unfortunately can’t go because my wife can’t get the time off. I’ll probably watch on flograppling.

You’ll love the War Tribe gi. My wife and I each have a couple they’re great.

Btw lots of places have really good Black Friday deals on BJJ gear.
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Yea, it's my second war tribe, I like the inside material.  But I hate breaking in a new gi, it seems like the lapel is actively trying to choke me with how stiff it is.  I would happily pay an extra 50 dollars to have it broken in lol.
Link Posted: 8/28/2019 4:33:12 PM EDT
[Last Edit: RayFromJersey] [#16]
Subscribed. Zero experience with bjj but am going to try it for a couple free sessions at a small local school.
Link Posted: 8/28/2019 7:50:33 PM EDT
[Last Edit: denverdan] [#17]
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Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
Subscribed. Zero experience with bjj but am going to try it for a couple free sessions at a small local school.



There's a Renzo Gracie school I want to check out too but it's a much farther drive which is rough with my schedule.
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Are you anywhere near Princeton NJ?
Link Posted: 8/28/2019 8:16:31 PM EDT
[Last Edit: RayFromJersey] [#18]
Nope
Link Posted: 8/28/2019 8:30:14 PM EDT
[#19]
at 53 I finally got off my ass and joined a gym. I didnt have any excuse not to, as its 2 miles from my house. Gracie Academy. I now they get a lot of shit but I'm enjoying it, very cooperative environment. All the courses have 30 minute videos online. I havent seen single person get hurt in the gym. I have an entire stripe on my white belt...
Link Posted: 8/28/2019 9:03:45 PM EDT
[Last Edit: navvet89] [#20]
I'm starting back, my shoulder is pretty much healed and pain free, today is the 1 year anniversary of my 2nd shoulder surgery (yay ).

Got my gear bag ready, planning on hitting Marcelo Garcia's in NYC next week while I'm there.

eta: I put on 15 pounds over the last year, not a good look for me.
Link Posted: 8/29/2019 6:40:37 AM EDT
[#21]
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Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:

Nope, I'm far northeast. That's an hour and a half away without traffic.
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Gotcha, Princeton BJJ is ran by a lady named Emily Kwok. She’s a multiple time word champ at black belt and a super nice person.

A good friend of mine who is an instructor at our school trained there from early blue belt to late purple. She actually came to town to give him his black belt a couple of years ago. My wife got to roll wither when she was here and said it was an eye opening experience to say the least.
Link Posted: 8/30/2019 4:09:37 PM EDT
[#22]
It's never too late to begin!!!  Be consistent, as like a lot of things in life, that is the key!
Link Posted: 9/4/2019 9:44:51 PM EDT
[#23]
Survived my first class, barely. I was ready to leave after the 10 minute warm-up

Did some shrimping, shoulder rolling, then went right into some standing arm locks. From there we did the same arm locks in the guard, then learned a couple lapel chokes.

The class finished up with some rolling but I wasn't allowed to participate as a fresh white belt (which I understand).

My neck's pretty raw from all the lapel chokes, but I cannot wait to go back!
Link Posted: 9/4/2019 10:14:51 PM EDT
[#24]
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Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
Survived my first class, barely. I was ready to leave after the 10 minute warm-up

Did some shrimping, shoulder rolling, then went right into some standing arm locks. From there we did the same arm locks in the guard, then learned a couple lapel chokes.

The class finished up with some rolling but I wasn't allowed to participate as a fresh white belt (which I understand).

My neck's pretty raw from all the lapel chokes, but I cannot wait to go back!
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My first night of class, I couldn’t believe how intense  the 10-minute warm-up was.
Link Posted: 9/17/2019 9:53:24 AM EDT
[#25]
5 classes in.

I planned on keeping with my 4 weightlifting sessions in addition to 2 bjj sessions a week, but I just can't do it. I'm too damn sore and it's a rough schedule with family and work.

I'm going to have to cut weights to 2x a week (either 2 full-body sessions or do a push/pull split). I'm disappointed that my lifting progress is going to slow a lot, but I guess that's a must if I want to get better at bjj.
Link Posted: 9/17/2019 9:01:31 PM EDT
[#26]
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Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
5 classes in.

I planned on keeping with my 4 weightlifting sessions in addition to 2 bjj sessions a week, but I just can't do it. I'm too damn sore and it's a rough schedule with family and work.

I'm going to have to cut weights to 2x a week (either 2 full-body sessions or do a push/pull split). I'm disappointed that my lifting progress is going to slow a lot, but I guess that's a must if I want to get better at bjj.
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I went to a three day per week, full body workout years ago.  Takes 20-25 minutes.  Never looking back!
Link Posted: 9/17/2019 9:32:26 PM EDT
[#27]
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Originally Posted By navvet89:
I'm starting back, my shoulder is pretty much healed and pain free, today is the 1 year anniversary of my 2nd shoulder surgery (yay ).

Got my gear bag ready, planning on hitting Marcelo Garcia's in NYC next week while I'm there.

eta: I put on 15 pounds over the last year, not a good look for me.
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Ok, I was in Vegas last week and dropped by the Wand Fight Team gym, great place, they had BJJ, Muai Thai and wrestling going on at the same time on different mats. Instructors and all of the students were very friendly, low key, low stress, I made it through the drills and sat out the sparring. Got through with no injuries and only threw up a little when I got back to the hotel from the exertion.

Stop by there if you are in the area and looking for a place to roll.
Link Posted: 10/4/2019 9:11:18 PM EDT
[#28]
Officially 1 month in. I miss lifting weights but I've been too sore or exhausted from bjj to go lift. I've lost 10 lbs this month.

On the plus side, I'm really enjoying it. I rolled with my professor last class; although I wouldn't consider it a roll, basically just him absolutely dominating me with what seemed like zero effort.

Before that I got paired with a dude twice my size, who kept farting while we practiced side mount sweeps. Additionally, he didn't wear a rashguard or shirt under his gi so I got a facefull of his fat hairy chest a couple times.

I haven't tried any of the no-gi classes yet. I'll probably try one next week.
Link Posted: 10/5/2019 3:20:59 PM EDT
[#29]
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Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
Officially 1 month in...

...I got a facefull of his fat hairy chest a couple times
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Just get on top and stay on top...  
Link Posted: 10/8/2019 1:44:32 AM EDT
[#30]
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Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
Officially 1 month in. I miss lifting weights but I've been too sore or exhausted from bjj to go lift. I've lost 10 lbs this month.

On the plus side, I'm really enjoying it. I rolled with my professor last class; although I wouldn't consider it a roll, basically just him absolutely dominating me with what seemed like zero effort.

Before that I got paired with a dude twice my size, who kept farting while we practiced side mount sweeps. Additionally, he didn't wear a rashguard or shirt under his gi so I got a facefull of his fat hairy chest a couple times.

I haven't tried any of the no-gi classes yet. I'll probably try one next week.
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 I got some people i will roll with and some people i go to water break when we are the only ones without partners.  I'm having problems with blowing out both my elbows about 30 mins into class.  Trying to get some MRIs done to see if there is any damage.  I'm still training but going super light.
Link Posted: 10/8/2019 11:20:30 AM EDT
[#31]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:

 I got some people i will roll with and some people i go to water break when we are the only ones without partners.  I'm having problems with blowing out both my elbows about 30 mins into class.  Trying to get some MRIs done to see if there is any damage.  I'm still training but going super light.
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Damn what happened to your elbows?
Link Posted: 10/8/2019 10:23:49 PM EDT
[#32]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:

Damn what happened to your elbows?
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I think they got messed up doing some swat breaching training years ago and I've been cause in some fast arm bars...  now I'm doing everything I can to remedy it with ice, heat, tiger balm, wraps, tens unit etc...  at this point if they say they can fix it with surgery I am all in for it.  It gets bad enough, the other day I wasnt able to pull my sun visor down in my truck to get the garage door opener.
Link Posted: 10/9/2019 8:01:09 PM EDT
[#33]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:

I think they got messed up doing some swat breaching training years ago and I've been cause in some fast arm bars...  now I'm doing everything I can to remedy it with ice, heat, tiger balm, wraps, tens unit etc...  at this point if they say they can fix it with surgery I am all in for it.  It gets bad enough, the other day I wasnt able to pull my sun visor down in my truck to get the garage door opener.
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Yikes. Definitely get that checked out. My wife  hurt her elbow in a tournament when a girl didn’t feel her tap.
She lived with the pain for a while. Well come to find out she had two tendons and one ligament torn.

She had surgery and it’s still fucked up and very painful. She’s back to drilling and rolling with me and a select handful of very careful higher belts.

I certainly hope yours isn’t this bad. She’s very frustrated with this whole thing. The redhead loves training and is quite good. It’s been about 18 months since her injury and a year since surgery.
Link Posted: 10/9/2019 8:39:31 PM EDT
[#34]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:

Yikes. Definitely get that checked out. My wife  hurt her elbow in a tournament when a girl didn’t feel her tap.
She lived with the pain for a while. Well come to find out she had two tendons and one ligament torn.

She had surgery and it’s still fucked up and very painful. She’s back to drilling and rolling with me and a select handful of very careful higher belts.

I certainly hope yours isn’t this bad. She’s very frustrated with this whole thing. The redhead loves training and is quite good. It’s been about 18 months since her injury and a year since surgery.
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What are the chances of a full recovery?  This is a major reason I dont compete, that and i work shift work and can't be there everyday
Link Posted: 10/9/2019 8:58:31 PM EDT
[#35]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:

What are the chances of a full recovery?  This is a major reason I dont compete, that and i work shift work and can't be there everyday
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They told her she’d have some level of pain/discomfort forever but structurally she’d be fine in six months or so. Hers is just taking forever to get back to normal for some reason.

I personally think it’s because she lost a ton of muscle in that area. It looks noticeably different than her other elbow. But I’m an electrician not a doctor so I could be wrong.

Really sucks cuz she’s a blue belt and was at that point where she was getting really good really fast.
I’m a purple belt and have about 30-35 pounds on her. But her game really matches up well with me when we rolled. She gave me fits.

Guard pass-mount-S mount-mounted triangle all the damn time.
Link Posted: 10/9/2019 9:27:21 PM EDT
[#36]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:

They told her she’d have some level of pain/discomfort forever but structurally she’d be fine in six months or so. Hers is just taking forever to get back to normal for some reason.

I personally think it’s because she lost a ton of muscle in that area. It looks noticeably different than her other elbow. But I’m an electrician not a doctor so I could be wrong.

Really sucks cuz she’s a blue belt and was at that point where she was getting really good really fast.
I’m a purple belt and have about 30-35 pounds on her. But her game really matches up well with me when we rolled. She gave me fits.

Guard pass-mount-S mount-mounted triangle all the damn time.
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I've gotten to the point where I'm pretty much stuck at rolling real light and trying to just focus on butterfly, not even going for subs anymore because I'll blow em out and won't be able to train for weeks.
Link Posted: 10/9/2019 9:38:14 PM EDT
[#37]
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Originally Posted By poisontree:

I've gotten to the point where I'm pretty much stuck at rolling real light and trying to just focus on butterfly, not even going for subs anymore because I'll blow em out and won't be able to train for weeks.
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That sucks sorry to hear. But maybe try to find something positive and focus on guard passes/sweeps.

That reminds me my butterfly game is terrible.
Link Posted: 10/9/2019 10:54:46 PM EDT
[#38]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:

That sucks sorry to hear. But maybe try to find something positive and focus on guard passes/sweeps.

That reminds me my butterfly game is terrible.
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Hahaha, I want to love the butterfly especially sweeps.  I usually work the de la riva real quick though.
Link Posted: 10/9/2019 11:28:26 PM EDT
[#39]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By itsahak:
Just found this thread!  Been doing Gracie Jiu Jitsu since about 1994! We were training under Pedro Sauer (through Frank Cucci) and they only tested once a year, in the fall.  I was  campus police officer at the time and testing always fell on Homecoming weekend.  So I spent 6 years as a white belt.  Got my blue in 2000 and my purple in 04.  I left that association when I sold my interest in our school to my business parnters (family issues) and started a small training group.  We ended up  morphing the training group into a new school a few years later under a different association, but long and short of it was I spent 10 years, almost to the day as a purple.  I got my brown, and last October my black belt from Royce.
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I’ve been doing Gracie jiu jitsu for about 3 years now. Close to getting my fist strip on my blue belt. I love it, so glad I found gracie jiu jitsu
Link Posted: 10/10/2019 9:09:12 PM EDT
[#40]
@denverdan

Settled in after moving to Denver area. Can you recommend a good place to start?
Link Posted: 10/10/2019 10:19:58 PM EDT
[#41]
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Originally Posted By SFENDER:
@denverdan

Settled in after moving to Denver area. Can you recommend a good place to start?
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@SFENDER

What part of town are you in?
Link Posted: 10/11/2019 12:50:20 PM EDT
[#42]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:
@SFENDER

What part of town are you in?
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Originally Posted By denverdan:
Originally Posted By SFENDER:
@denverdan

Settled in after moving to Denver area. Can you recommend a good place to start?
@SFENDER

What part of town are you in?
@denverdan

I am South of Chatfield State Park.
Link Posted: 10/11/2019 1:33:44 PM EDT
[#43]
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Originally Posted By SFENDER:

@denverdan

I am South of Chatfield State Park.
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Katharo Training Center and Factory X are both south-sh and both are really solid places. I’ve been to open mats at Katharo. REALLY nice facility. Katharo is in littleton Factory X is Englewood.

Oh I almost forgot Busy BJJ is south but a Little further East. They’re another good school.

@SFENDER
Link Posted: 10/11/2019 5:15:03 PM EDT
[#44]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:
Katharo Training Center and Factory X are both south-sh and both are really solid places. I’ve been to open mats at Katharo. REALLY nice facility. Katharo is in littleton Factory X is Englewood.

Oh I almost forgot Busy BJJ is south but a Little further East. They’re another good school.

@SFENDER
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Originally Posted By denverdan:
Originally Posted By SFENDER:

@denverdan

I am South of Chatfield State Park.
Katharo Training Center and Factory X are both south-sh and both are really solid places. I’ve been to open mats at Katharo. REALLY nice facility. Katharo is in littleton Factory X is Englewood.

Oh I almost forgot Busy BJJ is south but a Little further East. They’re another good school.

@SFENDER
Great, thank you.
Link Posted: 10/11/2019 6:00:35 PM EDT
[#45]
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Originally Posted By SFENDER:

Great, thank you.
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No problem let us know how it goes.
Link Posted: 10/12/2019 9:15:38 AM EDT
[#46]
How can you tell the difference between a McDojo and a legitimate place that just recently opened? I've been at my place for a little over a month now and I'm getting the feeling that I should start checking out other places that have been around longer.

There are no black belts except the professor (3rd degree through Marco Ruas and Joe Moreira). Only 1 brown belt. There are a ton of white belts all from Brazil which I find odd (they seem like family/friends of the professor). Many times during class the professor will just speak Portuguese lol.

The place is only a year old but he has his loyal students that were at a different location with him before that.

(PM me for the professor/gym info, I won't put it out in public).
Link Posted: 10/12/2019 12:35:37 PM EDT
[Last Edit: navvet89] [#47]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
How can you tell the difference between a McDojo and a legitimate place that just recently opened? I've been at my place for a little over a month now and I'm getting the feeling that I should start checking out other places that have been around longer.

There are no black belts except the professor (3rd degree through Marco Ruas and Joe Moreira). Only 1 brown belt. There are a ton of white belts all from Brazil which I find odd (they seem like family/friends of the professor). Many times during class the professor will just speak Portuguese lol.

The place is only a year old but he has his loyal students that were at a different location with him before that.

(PM me for the professor/gym info, I won't put it out in public).
View Quote
If it feels a bit sleazy it probably is, I wouldn't stay anywhere where I don't feel 100% on point.

I made the mistake of enrolling in a new'ish school a couple years ago just because it was on the way to work and my previous school relocated 25 miles further away. Similar deal to yours, very few colored belts, massive body of white belts. The guy was OK during some trials classes but became a douche after the contract was signed.

Douche things:
-trash talked my old school during his classes (the old school was part of one of the top 3 largest/strongest BJJ schools in the world)
-got criticized for having white belts teach the beginner, women's and kids classes so he promoted a bunch of his favorite white belts (who obviously weren't ready) to blue+ so he could get more color on the mats
-was very insistent that his students compete (no promo without it) , then charged them a $20 "coaching fee" for him to show up and the meet and support them.
-pretty fucked up culture in his school imho, I felt bad for the new guys as they had no idea how fucked up he was since they hadn't trained anywhere else.

The things I look for in a school is good experienced professors and good students, the school can be multi-discipline (wrestling, muay thai, etc.) but if its full of "the next MMA legends" it's probably not my gig. A good school needs a diverse body of belts as well, all white belts is dangerous and you'll learn more from higher belts. I use white belts to practice fundamentals on and use higher belts to practice of technique against.

That being said, if you have options in the area I'd check them out, drop-in for a while and see if theres one that fits you better.
Link Posted: 10/12/2019 6:27:17 PM EDT
[#48]
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Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
How can you tell the difference between a McDojo and a legitimate place that just recently opened? I've been at my place for a little over a month now and I'm getting the feeling that I should start checking out other places that have been around longer.

There are no black belts except the professor (3rd degree through Marco Ruas and Joe Moreira). Only 1 brown belt. There are a ton of white belts all from Brazil which I find odd (they seem like family/friends of the professor). Many times during class the professor will just speak Portuguese lol.

The place is only a year old but he has his loyal students that were at a different location with him before that.

(PM me for the professor/gym info, I won't put it out in public).
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Yeah I’d start looking around. A lack of colored belts is odd. I’ve rolled with Brazilians I’m fairly certain “go light” isn’t spoken in Portuguese.

The portuguese  only thing would e enough to make me start looking.
Link Posted: 10/14/2019 10:31:10 AM EDT
[#49]
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Originally Posted By navvet89:

If it feels a bit sleazy it probably is, I wouldn't stay anywhere where I don't feel 100% on point.

I made the mistake of enrolling in a new'ish school a couple years ago just because it was on the way to work and my previous school relocated 25 miles further away. Similar deal to yours, very few colored belts, massive body of white belts. The guy was OK during some trials classes but became a douche after the contract was signed.

Douche things:
-trash talked my old school during his classes (the old school was part of one of the top 3 largest/strongest BJJ schools in the world)
-got criticized for having white belts teach the beginner, women's and kids classes so he promoted a bunch of his favorite white belts (who obviously weren't ready) to blue+ so he could get more color on the mats
-was very insistent that his students compete (no promo without it) , then charged them a $20 "coaching fee" for him to show up and the meet and support them.
-pretty fucked up culture in his school imho, I felt bad for the new guys as they had no idea how fucked up he was since they hadn't trained anywhere else.

The things I look for in a school is good experienced professors and good students, the school can be multi-discipline (wrestling, muay thai, etc.) but if its full of "the next MMA legends" it's probably not my gig. A good school needs a diverse body of belts as well, all white belts is dangerous and you'll learn more from higher belts. I use white belts to practice fundamentals on and use higher belts to practice of technique against.

That being said, if you have options in the area I'd check them out, drop-in for a while and see if theres one that fits you better.
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Wow, I'm glad I lucked out.
Link Posted: 10/14/2019 12:52:36 PM EDT
[#50]
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Originally Posted By denverdan:
Yeah I’d start looking around. A lack of colored belts is odd. I’ve rolled with Brazilians I’m fairly certain “go light” isn’t spoken in Portuguese.

The portuguese  only thing would e enough to make me start looking.
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Originally Posted By denverdan:
Originally Posted By RayFromJersey:
How can you tell the difference between a McDojo and a legitimate place that just recently opened? I've been at my place for a little over a month now and I'm getting the feeling that I should start checking out other places that have been around longer.

There are no black belts except the professor (3rd degree through Marco Ruas and Joe Moreira). Only 1 brown belt. There are a ton of white belts all from Brazil which I find odd (they seem like family/friends of the professor). Many times during class the professor will just speak Portuguese lol.

The place is only a year old but he has his loyal students that were at a different location with him before that.

(PM me for the professor/gym info, I won't put it out in public).
Yeah I’d start looking around. A lack of colored belts is odd. I’ve rolled with Brazilians I’m fairly certain “go light” isn’t spoken in Portuguese.

The portuguese  only thing would e enough to make me start looking.
I'm leaning towards sticking to it for 6 months before looking somewhere else.

There's 2 Renzo Gracie schools both about 15 min away from me.
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