# Should i go to this Gracie Barra school?



## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

It's called Gracie Barra Hollywood. the only thing that concerns me is that, the head teacher there (or the only teacher there) is a blue belt. And when i called him, he said his teacher was taught under Carlos Gracie Jr. I still don't understand why he's a blue belt and he teaches? Isn't he supposed to be a black belt? Even if he's skilled doesn't he have much more to learn?


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## LizaG (May 12, 2008)

Blue Belt's can teach even if they are not of Black Belt grading yet. My understanding is they can't grade up to Blue Belt level (or any level for that matter). 

I've trained under Blue Belts before and to be honest he may have more knowledge than he's being given credit for. He may have just not got round to taking any grading to go any higher.

Just get your wallet out, book a session or two and see if he's any good.


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## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

LizaG said:


> Blue Belt's can teach even if they are not of Black Belt grading yet. My understanding is they can't grade up to Blue Belt level (or any level for that matter).
> 
> I've trained under Blue Belts before and to be honest he may have more knowledge than he's being given credit for. He may have just not got round to taking any grading to go any higher.
> 
> Just get your wallet out, book a session or two and see if he's any good.


I heard it takes around a year to get a blue belt. Is this a joke? Unless you're BJ Penn and can get a black belt in around 3 years


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## AmdM (Apr 13, 2010)

Gracie Barra blue belts can easily beat most of the black belts out there. These days there are black belts being given inside cereals boxes.


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## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

AmdM said:


> Gracie Barra blue belts can easily beat most of the black belts out there. These days there are black belts being given inside cereals boxes.


His teacher was taught under Carlos Gracie Jr. Alberto Crane. Still isn't a year too little to be opening up your own school even if it's part of Gracie Barra?


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## El Bresko (Mar 12, 2010)

MCDOJO101, in future when you want to make a thread, please do it in here: MMA Newbie Section


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## Toxic (Mar 1, 2007)

MCDOJO101 said:


> His teacher was taught under Carlos Gracie Jr. Alberto Crane. Still isn't a year too little to be opening up your own school even if it's part of Gracie Barra?


Google is a wonderful tool. Its Alberto Cranes gym and he is the head instructor.


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## AmdM (Apr 13, 2010)

MCDOJO101 said:


> It's called Gracie Barra Hollywood. the only thing that concerns me is that, the head teacher there (or the only teacher there) is a blue belt. And when i called him, he said his teacher was taught under Carlos Gracie Jr. I still don't understand why he's a blue belt and he teaches? Isn't he supposed to be a black belt? Even if he's skilled doesn't he have much more to learn?


I just had a look at your background in one of the threads you have in the newbie section. 
So having read that, i don't think it's a good idea for you to join a BJJ gym, since you have a boxing background and aspire to a future in mma, i think you should join a proper mma gym. 
Gave you my full opinion over there, check it out if you're willing to.


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## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

Toxic said:


> Google is a wonderful tool. Its Alberto Cranes gym and he is the head instructor.


Alberto Crane owns the school and franchises in california. But he personally doesn't train. He assigns his students to teach


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## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

AmdM said:


> I just had a look at your background in one of the threads you have in the newbie section.
> So having read that, i don't think it's a good idea for you to join a BJJ gym, since you have a boxing background and aspire to a future in mma, i think you should join a proper mma gym.
> Gave you my full opinion over there, check it out if you're willing to.


Im planning to get my black belt in jiu jitsu first and do boxing as well until i get my black belt. Then i will move onto MMA maybe Legends MMA i have to check it out because i live close to there


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## Scarecrow (Mar 20, 2008)

MCDOJO101 said:


> Im planning to get my black belt in jiu jitsu first and do boxing as well until i get my black belt. Then i will move onto MMA maybe Legends MMA i have to check it out because i live close to there


Why place so much importance on something like a belt when it comes to training? If you want to get into MMA, get into that now and pick up your Jitz, Boxing, MT and Wrestling along the way. Check out the pedigree of many of your current and past champions. You'll find that many received their black belts well after they found success within the UFC.


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## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

Scarecrow said:


> Why place so much importance on something like a belt when it comes to training? If you want to get into MMA, get into that now and pick up your Jitz, Boxing, MT and Wrestling along the way. Check out the pedigree of many of your current and past champions. You'll find that many received their black belts well after they found success within the UFC.


Because if i go into a MMA gym right now, i won't be focusing on grappling alone. When i master Jiu Jitsu or become extreme skilled at it, then i will work on my knees, elbows, kicks, clinches, and transitions. but for now this is all i have access to and i feel like punching and submissions are the crucial part of MMA


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## El Bresko (Mar 12, 2010)

If you have good Boxing then TDD and Sub Defense are all you really need to learn. 

This is what you need to do though: You don't have the income to support going to more than one gym as it appears, so leave your boxing gym and join an MMA gym, you will still learn punches, kicks, knees, elbows, tds and groundwork. It's just a lot smarter to be a well rounded fighter.


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## Life B Ez (Jan 23, 2010)

MCDOJO101 said:


> Because if i go into a MMA gym right now, i won't be focusing on grappling alone. *When i master Jiu Jitsu or become extreme skilled at it*, then i will work on my knees, elbows, kicks, clinches, and transitions. but for now this is all i have access to and i feel like punching and submissions are the crucial part of MMA


Ask Demian Maia what being a master of BJJ has done for him.


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## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

MRBRESK said:


> If you have good Boxing then TDD and Sub Defense are all you really need to learn.
> 
> This is what you need to do though: You don't have the income to support going to more than one gym as it appears, so leave your boxing gym and join an MMA gym, you will still learn punches, kicks, knees, elbows, tds and groundwork. It's just a lot smarter to be a well rounded fighter.


Well to be honest i would like to stay at my boxing gym and also attend the MMA gym at the same time. However, Legends MMA has an abnormal policy to me. You have to make an appointment before you go, you share lockers with pole dancers, and I've heard of people getting charged more money than what they were supposed to do, that's why some left the gym


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## AmdM (Apr 13, 2010)

MCDOJO101 said:


> Well to be honest i would like to stay at my boxing gym and also attend the MMA gym at the same time. However, Legends MMA has an abnormal policy to me. You have to make an appointment before you go, you share lockers with pole dancers, and I've heard of people getting charged more money than what they were supposed to do, that's why some left the gym


Man, wrestling is probably the most important skill to have in modern mma. You have to embed that in your skill set, ate least TDD if you wanna to aspire being someone in mma so imo you should start working on that aspect asap.
Besides it's not fair to judge on "hear say".
Give it a try before accusing them of bad policies.


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## MCDOJO101 (Dec 31, 2011)

AmdM said:


> Man, wrestling is probably the most important skill to have in modern mma. You have to embed that in your skill set, ate least TDD if you wanna to aspire being someone in mma so imo you should start working on that aspect asap.
> Besides it's not fair to judge on "hear say".
> Give it a try before accusing them of bad policies.


Hmm, i would really like to learn 10th planet jiu jitsu, but after reading 4 negative reviews on yelp, I'm not too positive. I might have to go with the Gracie Barra but not sure if they're as good as Eddie Bravo's....


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