Black Belt Definiton
- Thread starter Martial_Kumite
- Start date
Headhunter
Senior Master
Well he sounds like an idiot. Sure there are bad katate black belts but there's also bad bjj black belts. It doesn't mean all of them are.
Headhunter
Senior Master
I thought you didn't teach anyone...
Mou Meng Gung Fu
Purple Belt
I don't teach Mou Meng Gung Fu to anyone outside the family. The family includes only those who are related by DNA, through marraige or personal relationships or through living arrangements and long-term family friendships. It's a closed-door system, in orther words. I do not teach the public.
Last edited:
TSDTexan
Master of Arts
I had heard that. Looked into it, and it's true, but Pat Morita character as written by Robert Mark Kamen was modeled and named after Chojun Migagi... so yes I agree with you.
At least for now you aren't going to find any bad BJJ black belts. Anybody who has earned a black belt in BJJ didn't earn it by being bad. Sadly that might soon change, the way more and more schools claim to teach BJJ and how the style is becoming more and more commercialized.
Mou Meng Gung Fu
Purple Belt
I don't keep up with the BJJ/MMA politics, but I witnessed a wrestling match between a Japanese Hawaiin judoka and a Japanese Brazilian judoka. Both were really talented in stand-up grappling and ground wrestling, but the smaller Hawaiin judoka showed more expertise. On the other hand, I trained with a few BJJ practioners from the Machado lineage who were not only very talented, but also very fluid and adaptable. They were submitting MMA stylists during sparring matches within seconds. So I guess it just depends on what your exposure is. Some are better than others. That's all I know.
Of course some are better than others. That goes with any skill. Any person who has a black belt in BJJ would firmly be considered an advanced player/expert of the art. But then that also spans up to those who are elite which many are not. Judo is another grappling art which is the same. You can find judo, sambo, catch wrestling, etc practitioners that can beat a BJJ black belt if they've put in the mat time themselves.
Headhunter
Senior Master
Does Gracie University steel send out belts in the mail if you record yourself doing techniques, or has that stopped now?
JR 137
Grandmaster
What about Rigan Machado's "flow- jujitsu" where celebrities train and earn BJJ rank without actually rolling? How long will it be before it's offered to the general public and by other BJJ schools?
Rigan Machado Designs Jiu-Jitsu System without Sparring for Celebrities
TSDTexan
Master of Arts
Where's the pressure testing?
How much does he charge said celebrities?
Ed O'Neill (Al Bundy) earned his BB after working on it 22 years under Rorion Gracie.
He never showed up on camera looking so wrecked that "makeup" could not make him camera ready.
Sounds like a cop out.... and I have lost respect for Vin Diesel for going to this "no roll" bjj program.
Last edited:
JR 137
Grandmaster
If they're smart, they'd charge celebrities nothing or minimally. The whole "Vin Diesel trains here, so it must be great" mentality.
I've seen Ed O'Neil rolling in videos. He's legit. While I don't think he'd tear up the BB divisions at tournaments, I'm quite sure he'd hold his own against anyone his age, physical condition, training methods, etc.
As far as loosing respect for the actors, I don't. They've got to protect their livelihoods. A dislocated elbow could mean missing out on a movie roll. I can't definitely say I'd be any different, although I'd like to. The blame is on Machado on this one. Then again, he's increasing his and BJJ's popularity as a whole. Sacrifice a few for the good of the whole?
A belt is just a belt but the big uproar initially was that they were handing out blue belts which should signify a significant milestone in one's BJJ journey. They initially changed it to a "technical" blue belt and then it changed it again to a "combatives belt" which is a white belt with a blue-gray stripe I think.
KenpoMaster805
2nd Black Belt
a black belt is a white belt who never gives up
TSDTexan
Master of Arts
This is the dilemma of grappling / striking arts. Dr. Jigaro Kano simplified, and removed the more dangerous techniques for his Judo.
The karate of Gitchin Funakoshi was also abbreviated.
But without aliveness, or pressure testing there remains considerible doubts in the mind of many practitioners whether the will be able to actually perform under a real world fight.
Kano's judo while argued to be safer than the jujitsu arts it was derived from, still lead to injurits.
For example:
Techniques like Kani Basami have perma-crippled athletes in competition ( see Yasuhiro Yamashita v. Sumio Endo ) and were sanctioned out of use.
Bjj does have dangerous techniques, but if you don't roll, how will you learn control?
Let's argue that Vin Diesel learns how to apply the techniques, but has not learned how to control power in application..
In an event where bodyguards were absent...
He could open himself to a wrongful death, or bodily harm lawsuit, from the perp (or surviving family members) who lost, but knows someone who is good at chasing ambulances, and arguing cases.
Yes, he would probably win the lawsuit, but at a financial cost, and a loss of time, and emotional distress.
In the end, if BJJ such as this, allows itself to discard rolling, it risks facing the same criticism that other TMAs face.
Last edited:
Headhunter
Senior Master
Yeah that's total garbage...it's not like it's even a striking art where you could get away with that by showing your combos
Headhunter
Senior Master
Ah okay I get it that way you get only positive reviews because your family wants to be nice
Mou Meng Gung Fu
Purple Belt
Exactly! Lol it's kind of like how you only get good reviews in bed because your wife wants to be nice.
