Firas Zahabi on the Watering Down of BJJ

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  • Опубликовано: 26 ноя 2019
  • Taken from JRE MMA show #83 w/Firas Zahabi: • Video

Комментарии • 2,5 тыс.

  • @steveabraham3052
    @steveabraham3052 4 года назад +7274

    “You harm your student by giving them a belt they can’t carry.” - Firas Zahabi 🤙🏾

    • @SirFancyPantsMcee
      @SirFancyPantsMcee 4 года назад +166

      False confidence will injure you.

    • @brighteyes7606
      @brighteyes7606 4 года назад +11

      🔥

    • @steveabraham3052
      @steveabraham3052 4 года назад +8

      80% suicides are men but no one cares You mad bro? 🤣

    • @1winged136
      @1winged136 4 года назад +8

      @@steveabraham3052 he's definitely mad, bro. he's probably a dude who lives his life according to quotes said by beetle juice--the dude who appeared on the Howard Stern show.

    • @74261700002770825
      @74261700002770825 4 года назад +17

      I have a black belt in eating pizza and hot Cheetos.

  • @Irnt01
    @Irnt01 4 года назад +4173

    Got my blue belt yesterday after 3 years of being a white belt.
    Edit: 3 June 2022 got my purple Belt.

  • @AaronS3244
    @AaronS3244 3 года назад +1681

    Jiu jitsu: the gentle art of folding clothing whilst people are still in them.

  • @BobasLife
    @BobasLife 2 года назад +365

    I just started BJJ and I come from striking arts like TKD and Kickboxing. I’ve never experienced anything like BJJ. Every class we roll with others at some point going 85-90%. My first class which was a trial class I got chocked out by a blue belt. My whole experience is getting my butt handed to me but I’ve learned so much. Amazing art.

    • @vert619
      @vert619 Год назад +2

      Nice brother 🤟🤟

    • @chrisvillarreal2752
      @chrisvillarreal2752 Год назад +18

      That’s a horrible class 😂 you’re not suppose to be destroyed at 85-90% wtf you would never last to getting a black belt 😂 slow, smooth, steady, light sparring, and responsibility is what takes you the distance with martial arts. 85-90% Jesus Christ 😂

    • @BobasLife
      @BobasLife Год назад +7

      @@chrisvillarreal2752 yea it was a very competitive gym. Nobody ever wanted to tap.

    • @csyarid
      @csyarid Год назад +6

      And that is the problem with BJJ. When you are not given time to learn the move you were just taught it all goes out the window minutes later when you roll. It is pointless. You can't learn anything when you are just trying to survive. A VERY ineffective teaching method.

    • @MalleusIudaeorum
      @MalleusIudaeorum Год назад +12

      @@chrisvillarreal2752 you’ve definitely never trained and if you do you’re at one of the mcdojos Firaz is talking about.
      You go 100% in BJJ and it’s completely safe, rolling isn’t like sparring where you go easy unless you’re strictly practicing techniques.

  • @Enrique-peralta
    @Enrique-peralta 4 года назад +3177

    I gotta say the war medals i ordered online truly make me proud and feel like ive served my nation hell i might even go get a purple heart

  • @Drakotar
    @Drakotar 4 года назад +2102

    I would hate to earn a stripe or belt through this method. Actually earning a belt / stripe for my effort would be far more rewarding.

    • @mikeg4490
      @mikeg4490 4 года назад +25

      I don't do jui jitsu. Serra-longo is too far away from me but i can compare it to powerlifting, i would feel much more accomplished through gradual progression and benching x amount of weight on my own instead of having some bogus trainer lifting the weight for me when spotting me. That must be annoying af for guys who want to be rewarded for effort.

    • @lucrative6477
      @lucrative6477 4 года назад +19

      @@mikeg4490 difference being 500lbs is always 500lbs. in martial arts 1 brown belt doesnt equal another brown belt. it is all arbitrary, and at the end of the day all of these schools are open to make money. whether their selling point is our belts are easy or hard to get, it is all just marketing.

    • @1990sodapop
      @1990sodapop 4 года назад +1

      Sure buddy.....sure

    • @odabuu
      @odabuu 4 года назад +1

      They're made to make you feel like you earned it

    • @TheJohanningsmeierfamily
      @TheJohanningsmeierfamily 4 года назад

      Drakotar I finished my opponent with a really nice armbar💪 please go check it out, and leave a comment, and let me know what ypu think, thank you😊🇺🇸 ruclips.net/video/JkD0bulIi7k/видео.html

  • @mariuszpudzianowski1743
    @mariuszpudzianowski1743 4 года назад +1157

    I've trained for almost 4 years now, mostly no-gi. Still a white belt, but can tap bigger blue belts, purple belts in the same weight. Belts are nice, but skills are more important.

    • @Bravetowers
      @Bravetowers 4 года назад +50

      Mariusz Pudzianowski si why are you still a white belt then? I’m new to the BJJ world and I have lots of questions.

    • @mariuszpudzianowski1743
      @mariuszpudzianowski1743 4 года назад +85

      @@Bravetowers It's weird but our gym tends to promote people who train and compete in gi more often and much faster. I'm not the only person in this situation but nobody really cares, most guys need their BJJ for MMA anyway and getting belts is just kind of an additional reward.

    • @erasylnash6697
      @erasylnash6697 4 года назад +28

      Dude, you're ex strongman and a heavyweight. Which heavier opponents?

    • @mariuszpudzianowski1743
      @mariuszpudzianowski1743 4 года назад +5

      @@erasylnash6697 Only thing that is heavy are my punches when they hit someone.

    • @nevermindus9352
      @nevermindus9352 4 года назад +1

      You can desregard the promotion and still can compete

  • @tribunation
    @tribunation 4 года назад +170

    There are levels within levels.
    A purple belt under John Danaher or Andre Galvao would destroy a black belt at any typical average bjj school.

    • @darktermi1993
      @darktermi1993 4 года назад +30

      I think age and conditioning also plays a big part

    • @tribunation
      @tribunation 4 года назад +10

      @@darktermi1993 I agree. There are many things to account for. Understanding the body, control of breath, control of energy expenditure, understanding the body... its movement, structure, strength, conditioning and so forth. But most importantly... good top level instruction based on the instructors understanding these things.

    • @VoltedSoldier
      @VoltedSoldier 3 года назад +16

      @@darktermi1993 TRT is the great equalizer.

    • @plcoelho
      @plcoelho 3 года назад +17

      Of course. A high level world champion blue belt would tap Joe Rogan or Zahabi 2 or 3 times in a 5 minute roll. Does that make them watered down black belts? Of course not. There are levels inside levels.

    • @shrimuyopa8117
      @shrimuyopa8117 3 года назад +5

      Exactly. 99% of us do jiu-jitsu as a hobby and can't do jiu-jitsu full time or let it rule our lives. Either way, mad respect to those competitors that get out there and are killers at blue, purple, and brown that smash black belt hobbyists.

  • @OdinsHallsBrazilianJiuJitsu
    @OdinsHallsBrazilianJiuJitsu 4 года назад +2455

    I’ve got a student who started with me about a year ago, but rarely comes. He’s only got 1 stripe on his white belt. His buddies all started at the (insert big corporate bjj place across town), and they’re all blue belts now.
    They’re all making fun of him for choosing “the wrong gym,” because at their gym, he would be a blue belt too. Even if he only shows up once a month.
    This is what Firas is talking about

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +260

      That's funny considering the joke is on them..Not only are they wasting their money but they're being lied to in the process

    • @amazingGrace108
      @amazingGrace108 4 года назад +100

      My son rarely trains but but has one stripe white belt. During the seminar the demolished one guy who started training at the same time as him. That guy has blue belt two stripes and comes /pays regularly. We pay per training. Coach said that the guy who comes regularly will get promoted faster. But he is getting his ass kicked by one stripe white belt. Where is the logic in this? Of course there is none. Bjj standards are going down fast.

    • @alexkmoz
      @alexkmoz 4 года назад +178

      @@amazingGrace108 There are SOOOO many variables involved there.
      1) How big is your son compared to the blue belt?
      2) What kind of life did your son have compared to the blue belt ?
      - For example, was your son very active with gymnastics, football, hockey, rugby, swimming, or any other physically demanding sport?
      - What kind of life did the blue belt have? was he sedentary? Does he have a mental disability?
      - Because I'm one of those people that takes a LOOONG time to "get it". I showed up 2-3x more than anyone else, and still get caught by white-belts (I'm a blue).
      3) What kind of training partner is your son, vs the other guy?
      - Is your son spending hours reviewing videos and things, vs the other guy who just pisses about during training?
      - Also, is your son pushing himself harder against the other people, and being competitive vs the other guy who's just doing lazy rolls?
      4) Is your son a natural/gifted athlete?
      Different people require different coaching.
      - A regular competitor is going to be held back, and graded based on his performance at competition. Whereas, the Sunday hacker is going to be promoted quicker, because, he has less to prove. Some coaches are measuring progress vs performance - for example, a kid with Down's Syndrome will be promoted based on his/her ability to learn just the very basics. The purpose of grading someone this way is to give them encouragement. It's the coach saying "I acknowledge how much effort you're putting in, and I'm quantifying it, so that you don't feel discouraged".
      BJJ standards aren't necessarily going down, it's that there are a fuck-tonne more people training BJJ, and everyone is on their own journey, and for the most part, BJJ coaches have to grade according to the wide range of variables as a result of such diversity.

    • @as-sirat-al-mustaqeem
      @as-sirat-al-mustaqeem 4 года назад +46

      alexkmoz This is a very thoughtful post. Something you wouldn’t expect on youtube.

    • @conanthebarbarian7223
      @conanthebarbarian7223 4 года назад +9

      If your student rarely turns up well that’s his problem

  • @victorsouza4554
    @victorsouza4554 4 года назад +273

    0:33 Jamie runs down to cancel his BJJ gym membership upon realizing that the gym was shit the entire time

    • @b.g.3073
      @b.g.3073 2 года назад +1

      Hahahahahahaahahhhaha

  • @robertnewell4054
    @robertnewell4054 3 года назад +44

    “I got black belt. It hold up my pant. I don’t care about belt. I care about fight”
    Kru Paul ...with his Thai accent

  • @carsonsantos1154
    @carsonsantos1154 4 года назад +210

    The belt just ties the gi. Your jiu-jítsu wil talk for you

  • @117soci
    @117soci 4 года назад +2143

    This is why i love traditional Muay Thai. There are no promotions. You train hard and you gauge your improvement through sparring or competition.

    • @Saber23
      @Saber23 3 года назад +23

      In N Out there are no black belts in Muay Thai

    • @thepunishersequence291
      @thepunishersequence291 3 года назад +7

      @@Saber23 I don't know I think he's joking or something

    • @Saber23
      @Saber23 3 года назад +8

      The Punisher Sequence yeah I got that after I wrote the comment but I’m to lazy to delete it

    • @thepunishersequence291
      @thepunishersequence291 3 года назад +4

      @@Saber23 shouldn't you be in support duty right now?

    • @mrsozez
      @mrsozez 3 года назад +26

      @@Saber23 there is def belts in Thai tho, championship belts! Haha inside joke

  • @Arizona9001
    @Arizona9001 4 года назад +1816

    Nobody could beat my mom, she has a belt that could whup anyone.

    • @yomomma8972
      @yomomma8972 4 года назад +33

      I sure do

    • @vicn1349
      @vicn1349 4 года назад +53

      My mom was soft, I use to laugh at her when she would hit me... then my dad took over and I was fucked 😂

    • @isaklevy743
      @isaklevy743 4 года назад +15

      Maybe a BBC might get her

    • @MichaelP-ke1tm
      @MichaelP-ke1tm 4 года назад +13

      @@isaklevy743
      Your dirty momma knows all about that (;

    • @isaklevy743
      @isaklevy743 4 года назад +1

      @@MichaelP-ke1tm so a woman is considered dirty if she dates a black person????

  • @bunkaiking
    @bunkaiking 4 года назад +48

    Karate has been watered down for years. They took the grappling and throws out to make the bullshit sport karate we say today.

    • @rockysingh4090
      @rockysingh4090 3 года назад +1

      They even dont contact

    • @Jaya365
      @Jaya365 2 года назад +1

      I did it early 80s as a kid. The adults in the class were still doing full contact. Training was hard pressups on knuckles on hard floors, no mats.
      It took me 2 years to get yellow belt but i was beating up to brown belts in competiton - which was point sparring there were no black belts other than the sensei and hed been doing it 20 years.
      Saw it watered down though as i was there. It became about money. Now i see black belts in 2 years, grading every 3 months. Theres a kid in my home town who was about 8 and got his black belt nonpractical application anymore just kata and a few basic moves to get a belt.

    • @Ge.no.va13
      @Ge.no.va13 2 года назад

      @@rockysingh4090 Kyokushin karate is better

  • @finalcountdown3210
    @finalcountdown3210 4 года назад +90

    Doing Jiu-Jitsu at my gym here in the Midwest has been amazing. The instructors are purple and brown belts and really good teachers. I've been going for a solid 4 months now and I don't plan on stopping

    • @garybolenable
      @garybolenable 4 года назад +5

      Don't stop man. It only gets better!

    • @finalcountdown3210
      @finalcountdown3210 2 года назад +3

      @MACH WEITER Yeah, well they've since become brown and black belts. So, it doesn't really matter as long as you're a good teacher who can prove your worth on the mat. They are just as worthy to be coaches as they ever have been.

    • @perfectsplit5515
      @perfectsplit5515 2 года назад

      Hope your tournament opponents don't sandbag.

  • @thejkyle
    @thejkyle 4 года назад +1215

    TKD is bad for this. I know 11 year olds who have their black belt and believe you me they do not possess the skills to justify them having it.

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +109

      That is absolutely terrible..It's sad they would do that to kids

    • @PreciseGameplay
      @PreciseGameplay 4 года назад +64

      That was exactly the case at the first TKD gym I ever tried out as a kid, sad to see.

    • @nukanszn8237
      @nukanszn8237 4 года назад +60

      Truuue, i did TKD about 8 years ago and it took me about a year to get a green belt when i was just going to practice to bullshit with my friends and thats when i realized i was essentially paying for my belt. As a kid i was proud to say i was a green belt but looking back i realized it didnt mean shit

    • @CBPxXBallerxX
      @CBPxXBallerxX 4 года назад +39

      Lol got mine at 12 and quit

    • @parabel5437
      @parabel5437 4 года назад +22

      Yep also saw a lot of elementary school black belts on the tkd classes in my gym like wtf

  • @stefanagha3248
    @stefanagha3248 4 года назад +885

    For MMA insight, Zahabi has gotta be the best guest Joe has ever had on.

    • @mmaforever594
      @mmaforever594 4 года назад +40

      and john danaher

    • @flameracer93
      @flameracer93 3 года назад +11

      For everything else, I lose braincells listening to him talk. About MMA, I can't get enough.

    • @anti-derek8151
      @anti-derek8151 3 года назад

      @@flameracer93 who Joe ?

    • @flameracer93
      @flameracer93 3 года назад +1

      @@anti-derek8151 Zahabi

    • @MichaelH__J
      @MichaelH__J 3 года назад +17

      @@flameracer93 how?? He’s well educated on the topics he speaks on, and has no problem admitting he doesn’t know other things. We can learn from everyone.

  • @ChrisKsan
    @ChrisKsan 3 года назад +123

    When I was a kid, I started martial arts with my dad who was a black belt sensei in Karate Shotokan and Judo; in Africa and we were practicing martial arts for what they were meant to be and not for sports, which actually saved me in a couple of incidents back there and several others since I moved to Europe.
    A few years later after I moved to Europe, I was practicing my karate kicks and a buddy of mine saw me and he invited me to join his Olympic tkd gym.
    First off, I was quite surprised how light trainings were compared to what I was used to, but I was young, didn't think much of it, thought it's just because it's a style that I don't know and it's just different.
    Then I was registered for the first several belt exams, which was surprise nr. 2. Where I come from, you didn't just sign up for the exam, you had to work hard, prove yourself and earn your spot on the exam list. If you were good enough, maybe you were considered for the exam, if not, wait even years.
    Third surprise after I had a poor performance on my first 2 exams was that I had received my belts anyways. Again were I come from, that would have been impossible.
    I decided to stop at blue belt and refuse enter exams anymore. I felt ashamed for myself and it just didn't make sense to me. I felt that I am in no way to the level of a higher belt and decided that until I level up and improve my techniques and am able to hold my own with bigger opponents or at least handle myself, protect myself well enough, regardless of seniority and how good they were, I would refuse exams. Which I did for several years. My Sabonim (Sensei in Korean) would ask me twice a year to register and I kept telling him the same thing, that I can't, I am not on the level.
    Years later I had actually gotten so accustomed to my blue belt, that I failed to notice how much I had improved. I was now able to handle myself well and actually even beat multiple black belts. I was also one of the "examiners" for new members who either transfered from other clubs or claimed to have practiced other martial arts. I was used as a benchmark, since no one in my category could stand up to me. I was used to fighting much heavier and much more experienced guys. So that combined with my background, I would be the first several spars partner for newcomers with previous experience. Whoever could do full rounds with me or even land strikes and hold their own with me (happened only a few times), was considered good enough for our gym.
    So I waited many years until my Sabonim pointed out that I am at a black belt level already and need to get my belts. So I did and eventually got my black belt from a Korean master, excellent technician with great abilities despite his old age (he was in his 60s or something).
    That has been my path to the black belt, but even back then and sadly to this day, the standards and practices are the same in Olympic tkd... Exams are held and belts are handed for the money. Also I have never heard of a belt being revoked in TKD, although in Karate and Judo it was to be expected if you flailed to live up to your belt's standards.
    Which is why, in Karate and Judo, where I came from, you didn't even need to see practitioners wear their belts to know which one they were. It was obvious by looking at their skills and observing how they carried themselves and their whole attitude. You would look at a guy and know what belt he is.
    Sad to see that along the centuries and decades, martial arts have been watered down so much that in many cases, they are a sport at best or barely. There's a lot of fake clubs and associations which take money from students and teach them bs.

    • @chrisgeronimo123
      @chrisgeronimo123 2 года назад +3

      Wow write a book 🤣🤣📚

    • @ChrisKsan
      @ChrisKsan 2 года назад +2

      @@chrisgeronimo123 To be honest, I've considered it. But I'm too dumb to write a book.

    • @chrisgeronimo123
      @chrisgeronimo123 2 года назад +3

      @@ChrisKsan you really should their are cheap courses online that will help 👍

    • @ChrisKsan
      @ChrisKsan 2 года назад +2

      @@chrisgeronimo123 Thanks, man! I'll look into it.

    • @rrivera85
      @rrivera85 2 года назад +5

      @@ChrisKsan Too dumb? nah man, maybe too modest.

  • @wowfrosted13
    @wowfrosted13 4 года назад +106

    I had a buddy of mine that went to a mcdojo for a year, got his blue belt through attendance points. I went to a different gym for 7 weeks. We rolled and I tapped him 3/3 times. Sometimes it really is about the gym you choose

    • @SAMSARALIVEEEEEE
      @SAMSARALIVEEEEEE 3 года назад +7

      He got his blue in a year? lmao

    • @timothyjones2407
      @timothyjones2407 2 года назад +1

      So how does one who is new to bjj know if the gym he’s at is doing things correctly?

    • @wowfrosted13
      @wowfrosted13 2 года назад +5

      @Timothy Jones the atmosphere. If the instructor is open to questions and affirms his methods by no bullshit rolling, that's a good sign. Avoid gyms that award stripes/belts based off of attendance as well. Promotions should always come by getting better at technique, not just showing up. Talk to other students; if you start meeting a bunch of purple belts that have only trained for a year or two, somethings up

    • @stillwatercamargo9606
      @stillwatercamargo9606 2 года назад

      He trained for a year and you tapped him 3 times after less than 2 months? Lmao

    • @wowfrosted13
      @wowfrosted13 2 года назад +2

      @@stillwatercamargo9606 yeah, and this isn't some testament to my bjj. It was how poor his gym was actually training him

  • @archiehickox6518
    @archiehickox6518 4 года назад +1087

    I took a bjj class once. We shrimped for 30 mins and learned a kimura from the bottom for 30mins. I remember thinking "ahhhh this is why it takes 10 years to get a black belt"

    • @johnhughes9253
      @johnhughes9253 4 года назад +255

      But you’ll have that kimura in your holster always.

    • @idurisu930
      @idurisu930 4 года назад +33

      My first submission was also a kimura but it was complicated because you had to break the person's posture first. It was so fun though.

    • @archiehickox6518
      @archiehickox6518 4 года назад +96

      @@johnhughes9253 love this mentality! Thank you for that! You are correct my friend. It's been 3 years since that class and I still think I could tear the arm off a bear with it.

    • @humann5682
      @humann5682 3 года назад +95

      That's the elephant in the room with BJJ: the culture of inefficient teaching. In reality, if the teaching standards were more logical and cohesive, most people training 3 times a week could get a BJJ black belt in 6-7 years and still be just as good as they would be in 10 years under the current state of things. There's a lot more of a push now for structured learning in BJJ. It has a long long way to go, but I think it's on the right path.

    • @iamawuss
      @iamawuss 3 года назад +25

      @@humann5682 Well put. I think coaches like John Danaher for example are leading the way.

  • @ffbear8078
    @ffbear8078 4 года назад +625

    I just started jiu jitsu (no gi) at university at the start of October and asked them about belts and they told me they didn't hand them out which confused me cause I did Judo for 7 or 8 years when I was younger and it took me a couple of weeks to come to this realisation that you don't need a belt to verify your progress, cause if you have truly progressed to that next level, your skill should speak for itself

    • @ryang9973
      @ryang9973 4 года назад +4

      Good for you bro. Where you studying?

    • @ffbear8078
      @ffbear8078 4 года назад +3

      @@ryang9973 In the UK

    • @ThrashingBuddha
      @ThrashingBuddha 4 года назад +22

      In judo there are belts to master the throws, pins, locks, strangles, katas.
      You do the exam knowing everything you need to know to progress to more difficult techniques.
      Then you get to the black belt. For a black belt, here in Belgium, the only way to get it is to do fighting tests. You go on competition and get points for every win you get. When you get the necessary points (f.i.: 10 Ippons in competition (note: these competitions are usually only certain competition, f.i.: national competition(but yes also less hard comps)), you can go do the kata exam. You will not pass the kata exam if you don't perfect it. This is to show you have supreme control over every movement you do. Thus safewarding your opponent.
      It is clear to me you don't have a black belt in judo. And that's okay, i don't want to badmouth you..
      The thing with BJJ is; it's based on submission only. The more people you tap out, the faster you will get to a black belt. Simple as that. Judo is so much more than BJJ, and in my opinion you can't compare it to BJJ.
      Ofcourse Judo is also a self defense sport and in the old days it was harder than now. But now Judo is a high competition sport with a different point system then BJJ. Hence why it's an olympic sport and BJJ isn't.

    • @ffbear8078
      @ffbear8078 4 года назад +5

      @@ThrashingBuddha don't worry about badmouthing me, I did it from age 5 to 13 and got to green belt and I agree that the standards for a black belt are higher than most other martial arts, but I never competed in Judo, only trained and got to a pretty high belt for my age, you have to demonstrate you can do the techniques but not in a high intensity situation so you can go through most of the belts while being able to be beaten by someone at a much lower belt that is very good at the earlier "basic" techniques

    • @ThrashingBuddha
      @ThrashingBuddha 4 года назад +7

      Also the point with the grading system in Judo is the following: each color of belt has a certain age next to it. F.i.: yellow is 8 years old or so. The techniques are adapted to that. The age restriction according ti the belt is to make sure that an 8 year old does not learn a rear naked choke or a blood choke or something like that so that he in the future can not fuck things up you know. In judo there's a time for everything you learn.

  • @Shoegazebasedgenre0.
    @Shoegazebasedgenre0. 4 года назад +78

    Meanwhile at wrestling clubs...

    • @ruthlessinu626
      @ruthlessinu626 4 года назад +34

      chaos lord
      Haha. Wrestlers just grind. One of the best stamina and strongest around. Respect.

    • @Sultan-lv8sj
      @Sultan-lv8sj 4 года назад +6

      toughest martial art

    • @jamietherooster
      @jamietherooster 3 года назад +1

      @Luke Brown been doing bjj for 2 years and you are right. I am now considering quitting for judo+wrestling+boxing. I can count on one hand the amount of sessions we've looked at take downs. Instead, we spend 25 minutes at the start on a circuit training warm up because 'it's what we do'. Nothing within that first 25 minutes is revenant to bjj, it's half hearted press ups and sit ups. Martial art should not be confused with unnecessary rigmarole.

    • @tassmh7080
      @tassmh7080 3 года назад

      @Luke Brown From this comment I can understand why wrestling is a fighting style, but still having a hard time understanding what makes in a martial art. I guess it's because I've always understood martial arts to necessarily include mental training, and not necessarily be confined only to sparring or fighting. It's not that it needs to include a gi and a lot of bowing, but that's kind of the difference between just showing up and wrestling with your boys, which I would argue is not a martial art.
      This may just be me showing my pure ignorance of wrestling, but it seems to lack the consistent structure that would be important to me if I was going to consider it a martial art, even if it does seem like a useful fighting style.

    • @jonlong1269
      @jonlong1269 3 года назад

      🤣

  • @edwardhanch4128
    @edwardhanch4128 4 года назад +11

    I was a white belt 2.5 years & competed multiple times including the day I was promoted ( not a test, more a ceremonial in-house tournament). It was extremely frustrating but Im very grateful to have earned it that way

  • @meaty220
    @meaty220 4 года назад +618

    I love McDojo's. So many of their "fighters" get eaten alive by guys in the dank "hole in the wall" gyms.

    • @BorisBidjanSaberi11
      @BorisBidjanSaberi11 4 года назад +53

      There's a TINY Bjj gym nearby me, turned my cousin into a killer under 1 year

    • @INSanITyProductionz
      @INSanITyProductionz 4 года назад +36

      @@BorisBidjanSaberi11 natural talent probably has a lot to do with that. Good training can do a lot but becoming "a killer" in under a year is near impossible for the average person regardless of whose training them

    • @Twobarpsi
      @Twobarpsi 4 года назад +38

      @@INSanITyProductionz a "killer" against an untrained Tough Guy....

    • @INSanITyProductionz
      @INSanITyProductionz 4 года назад +27

      @@Twobarpsi fair enough but to me "killer" means a lot more than beating an untrained opponent. A "killer" would beat people who has trained much longer than they have. I've seen guys with natural talent come in and beat guys with four or five years more experience, no problem. when I say natural talent I don't mean someone who can beat someone with no training at all, but with a few months of good training and a lot of natural talent, it is clear that natural talent has a great effect

    • @Twobarpsi
      @Twobarpsi 4 года назад +3

      @@INSanITyProductionz yes! Well said!!

  • @artemlobov3685
    @artemlobov3685 4 года назад +154

    I noticed this a lot when I did Tae Kwon Do, so much emphasis on gaining a black belt rather than focusing on getting better.

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +13

      People are in such a rush to gain a belt instead of gaining the knowledge that should be associated with that belt

    • @Steven-cq1eq
      @Steven-cq1eq 4 года назад +10

      Wise words from the undefeated goat.

    • @realjaytruth
      @realjaytruth 4 года назад +3

      I do tae kwon do for fun with my daughter before I go to kickboxing class lol

    • @getonwithit.2847
      @getonwithit.2847 3 года назад

      Karate schools and TKD schools in the US are all about 1 thing: take your money and give you a false sense that you know how to fight.

    • @nathanblades3395
      @nathanblades3395 2 года назад

      I noticed that too i have no respect for belts i dropped black belts didnt even get to yellow belt yet😂 I had more of a kick boxing style
      This was in the 80s I went into boxing after that

  • @IrishCaesar
    @IrishCaesar 4 года назад +83

    The best experience I ever had rolling was with a guy about 100lbs heavier than me, brown belt, on my first day. He was built like the mountain from GoT and was terrified going in. But he was super nice and chill, and he told me what I was doing wrong and how to fix it, and he never used a single ounce of force. If that man wanted to he could have crushed my skull with one hand, and he didnt even use his muscle. It was amazing. He just flowed and did everything with utmost ease. Since rolling with him I've been hooked

    • @mre_man
      @mre_man 11 месяцев назад

      Sounds like you made love with a bear.

  • @nickchrappa
    @nickchrappa 4 года назад +180

    The art of folding clothes with people still in them. Or, involuntary yoga.

  • @MasterMalrubius
    @MasterMalrubius 4 года назад +245

    “There’s just nothing you can do”.
    Yup. Embarrassing when someone can just submit you at will.

    • @grahamvandyke
      @grahamvandyke 4 года назад +7

      It's the worst feeling in the world.

    • @Johnny-ke3qu
      @Johnny-ke3qu 4 года назад +23

      And that’s why you train more and more

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +14

      I used to get smoked as a white belt but it is an amazing learning experience

    • @parabel5437
      @parabel5437 4 года назад +19

      Got submitted 3 times by a girl on my first day.
      Weird feeling

    • @MichaelP-ke1tm
      @MichaelP-ke1tm 4 года назад +7

      BJJ guys would get their ass kicked by boxers and kickboxers on the streets.
      BJJ is not suitable for street fights or self defense.

  • @SKgyebaek
    @SKgyebaek 4 года назад +291

    Shame this happened to Karate and Taekwondo. Both were legit martial arts up til the late 70s 80s.

    • @kp8444
      @kp8444 4 года назад +43

      I think that also has a lot do with other martial arts becoming popular and exposing how inefficient those limited styles can be overall.

    • @k-dog495
      @k-dog495 4 года назад +54

      Unfortunately a lot of Karate styles seem to focus on point sparring. A legit Kyokushin school should still train you hard with proper contact sparring. It's not known as the hardest style of Karate for no reason!

    • @yomomma8972
      @yomomma8972 4 года назад +25

      Thank the karate kid movie for that

    • @nomaanalwi9495
      @nomaanalwi9495 4 года назад +1

      Karl Murphy I would argue that to be goju ryu

    • @BeachSamuraiStudios
      @BeachSamuraiStudios 4 года назад +14

      Kyokushin still has full contact sparring.

  • @CLOUD316
    @CLOUD316 3 года назад +5

    man i need Firas as a coach seems super chill and so knowledgeable

  • @thecommonkid3110
    @thecommonkid3110 2 года назад +4

    I have to say my piece on this, from experience.
    I am a student at a CTC for Gracie University in the UK, YES there is stripe promotions based on how many sessions you attend. The criteria is 1 stripe per 20 sessions attended, but as far as I know it in no way gives you actual belt promotions. Before you even get to touch or test for a Blue belt you have to demonstrate the 23 techniques to get a Gracie combative belt, then you move onto Master cycle where you will do live sparring with a partner, practice the techniques you have learned and then the more advanced moves are added. You carry on training, then you test for your Blue belt. Anything beyond that I am not sure as I am only a white belt. I sort of understand the people who say you have to roll to earn your belts but a lot of injuries and incorrect movements happen when being thrown in at the deep end. Gracie combative teaches you the techniques, allows you to drill them, then once you have demonstrated you can do these then you move into rolling/ sparring.

  • @jopo7996
    @jopo7996 4 года назад +871

    The belt system is how martial arts gyms make money. This just in, that's the business model

    • @iorekby
      @iorekby 4 года назад +12

      The other issue is that a belt, outside of a martial arts club, has zero value or meaning. It's not like getting a driving license or a Bachelors Degree. Those things have value in society and can be used and recognised outside of the confines of the DVA or a university. Black belts have no meaning outside of martial arts, so the value of them is much more subjective.

    • @dr.lyleevans6915
      @dr.lyleevans6915 4 года назад +5

      bob morane China didn’t accomplish anything (other than the largest genocide in known history) until America entered then into the WTO and Hooked them up with the World Bank under Clinton. They turned into a pseudo-capitalist nation and suddenly began to succeed. This was due to its large workforce and the assets of the capitalist West.

    • @andrewmurphy8154
      @andrewmurphy8154 4 года назад +10

      My experience with judo in Japan is that 'blackbelt' - shodan (初段) - simply denotes that you are a serious student who has learnt the basics. My wife always says that shodan is nothing, but non-Japanese seem to revere the 'blackbelt' as some sign of high-level mastery. In Japan (depending on the art (whether shogi, shodo, kendo. or jujutsu), I think yondan (四段; '4th degree blackbelt') or godan (五段; '5th degree blackbelt') is closer to what most Westerners think of when they think of 'blackbelt'.

    • @rohansprenger6902
      @rohansprenger6902 4 года назад +2

      @@lazydayB2B I think he meant socialism, but he is more or less correct anyway..... Socialist states usually operate a system of communism as a basis of economic management, as do all countries (including 'merica) that present themselves as capitalist.... Tax collection that does not go to an individual or oligarchy, but is spent on any kind of public infrastructure or service is a literal demonstration of a degree of communism and it can be found in any overarching form of governance (even something like a monarchy). I'm not sure how you can throw Cuba into there anywhere - they are crippled (rightly or wrongly) by the embargoes set to them by the US - which other nations tend to adhere to also to avoid the political tit-for-tat which would come from trading with them.... Oh and I assure you, ANYONE can butcher the (cough) Queen's English....

    • @rohansprenger6902
      @rohansprenger6902 4 года назад +1

      @@dr.lyleevans6915 China didn't accomplish anything. If you believe the world began in 1776....

  • @asceticsceptic6192
    @asceticsceptic6192 4 года назад +83

    The "watering down" of anything can easily become unattractive.

    • @BURRDAWG_
      @BURRDAWG_ 4 года назад +2

      It's happening everywhere tho martial arts video games movies everything is just a cash grab now

    • @MoooseBlood
      @MoooseBlood 4 года назад +1

      Once I got a watered down Sprite, it still hurts when I think about it.

    • @suf1an658
      @suf1an658 4 года назад +1

      PaseoDeLaEstrella the worst thing about those is that you can’t even tell because sprite is clear.

  • @grahamchandler8028
    @grahamchandler8028 2 года назад

    so true and so informative. Thanks for the motivation to keep pushing Firas!

  • @keentan2896
    @keentan2896 4 года назад +13

    Belts are just the icing on the cake: a reward for displaying a certain level of skill, they are not the actual reward themselves which is to acquire and develop new skills. With the commercialisation of martial arts, belts lost their intended purpose now, and it's really sad. This is true for both traditional martial arts like tkd and karate and mordern martial arts like bjj alike.

  • @erictko85
    @erictko85 4 года назад +77

    THIS GUY GETS IT. Firas just gets it

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +8

      He's gonna turn Kevin Lee into the fighter he was supposed to be

  • @tjo1984
    @tjo1984 4 года назад +306

    Firas is being kind and not naming names. There's a big name school in Montreal that uses a punch card to promote students, all the way to black!

    • @rustyshackelford9942
      @rustyshackelford9942 4 года назад +75

      The same way people earn free coffees and pizzas.... Nice... Stamp me up sensei

    • @treroney4720
      @treroney4720 4 года назад +9

      James Wagner I wouldn’t be nice about it. Those frauds are gonna get someone killed!!!

    • @chilibilly18
      @chilibilly18 4 года назад +5

      Doesn't the Gracie school of Rener and Ryron do that?

    • @greenwood-1426
      @greenwood-1426 4 года назад +9

      Chilibilly Yo they do worse. They let blue belts run schools following an online system here in Europe 🙄

    • @iorekby
      @iorekby 4 года назад +28

      @@greenwood-1426 In fairness, many legit schools in Europe were started by blue belts who attended some seminars and worked with some friends back in the late 90's or early 00's. And some of those schools would augment their training with VHS or DVDs. I'm not defending the Gracie University thing, I'm just pointing out how some of what we now consider legitimate BJJ schools in Europe today started that way. There's nothing that terrible about a sound blue belt running a class so long as they regularly check in with a more senior teacher.

  • @chrismason6796
    @chrismason6796 3 года назад +6

    So true! Trying to teach my young son this lesson now. He enjoys training tae kwon do and is 11. But I really stress him knowing his forms and trying to be perfect with his technique. Good video.

  • @raulnavarrete963
    @raulnavarrete963 3 года назад +81

    Imagine how the Japanese feel about the watering down of jiu jitsu.

    • @thepunishersequence291
      @thepunishersequence291 3 года назад +8

      As that one iaido master metatron has translated once said : "what is this? I didn't teach you this"
      Sauce:search metataron interviewing a iaido master

    • @shrimuyopa8117
      @shrimuyopa8117 3 года назад +3

      They keep watering it down. Judo is a shell of what it once was.

    • @MatheusLB2009
      @MatheusLB2009 2 года назад +1

      They probably are like "what watering down?"
      They dont care much for what happens overseas

    • @raulnavarrete963
      @raulnavarrete963 2 года назад

      @@MatheusLB2009 yea they probably barely speak English, for sure! “ what engrish” am i right….. Smfh

    • @MatheusLB2009
      @MatheusLB2009 2 года назад

      @@raulnavarrete963 you dont know two shits about japanese culture, how american companies fall short to their japanese competitors, how 75% of japanese dont want overseas fans, or how most of them can't even tell what's a suastica. your comment is full of arrogance and ignorance. Ask any japanese "what you think of the watering down of JJ" and they'll be like "what watering down?"

  • @ruggerREL
    @ruggerREL 4 года назад +259

    Been a blue for 5-7 years it be like that at times

    • @tookurjaerbs
      @tookurjaerbs 4 года назад +33

      You know, it ain't so bad. I've been a blue for a while now and I'm in no rush to get promoted. I'm skilled enough that I can concentrate on having fun rolling AND enjoy not being a white belt anymore. 😋😁

    • @darthkek1953
      @darthkek1953 4 года назад +39

      Blue means you should be able to toast anyone who is not trained. Better to have that belt and mean it than have a brown belt and blood on your face.

    • @jairbear619
      @jairbear619 4 года назад

      tookurjaerbs How long have you been a blue belt for? And do you train regularly? Just curious.

    • @tookurjaerbs
      @tookurjaerbs 4 года назад +6

      @@jairbear619 About a year and four months, now that I think about it. Felt longer than that. 🤔 lol
      I'd say I was training an average of three days per week before I injured my knee two weeks ago

    • @returnfreedom
      @returnfreedom 4 года назад +8

      sandbagging

  • @tennisjiujitsu
    @tennisjiujitsu 4 года назад +158

    Firas is a MMA genius. His RUclips live streams are very informative. He’s good at answering everyone’s questions.

    • @doom8274
      @doom8274 4 года назад

      he's an average coach lmao

    • @tennisjiujitsu
      @tennisjiujitsu 4 года назад +16

      @@doom8274 k

    • @PosyLubelak
      @PosyLubelak 10 месяцев назад

      100%. True coach, philosopher that like old school !

  • @moronicpancake8291
    @moronicpancake8291 3 года назад +10

    0:33 here we see young Jamie trying to escape captivity

  • @glc670
    @glc670 4 года назад +2

    I know a teammate that experienced this. He told me at his last gym promotions and stripes were more based on attendance and the class would only roll once a week. Rank should be based on rolling because yes you can grasp a technique when your partner isn’t resisting but the testament of progress is being able to use these techniques while rolling.

  • @drewjohn6847
    @drewjohn6847 4 года назад +32

    I took my 8yr old kids to a karate class and half the class was a black belt, including the knuckle-dragging 300lb "instructor", I don't understand why you would go back a second time..

    • @henryautumn37
      @henryautumn37 4 года назад +2

      My kickboxing class is half black belt. All the rest leave. Also my Shihan died, so we lost most students. The new Sensei is hardcore, and only has the real hardcore students left I love it. Sadly I'm moving and won't train Kickboxing again. After 8 years I want some mma.

    • @TheJohanningsmeierfamily
      @TheJohanningsmeierfamily 4 года назад

      Drew james I finished my opponent with a really nice armbar💪 please go check it out, and leave a comment, and let me know what ypu think, thank you😊🇺🇸 ruclips.net/video/JkD0bulIi7k/видео.html

    • @Powd3r81
      @Powd3r81 4 года назад +5

      Karate has always been like that

    • @MichaelP-ke1tm
      @MichaelP-ke1tm 4 года назад

      Put them through Wrestling or Boxing.

  • @fabiors10
    @fabiors10 4 года назад +292

    So It's like college graduation

    • @DStabs720
      @DStabs720 4 года назад +16

      Fabio Rodrigues da Silva no kidding haha. So many people with useless degrees

    • @joys8634
      @joys8634 4 года назад +10

      @@DStabs720 what was your degree? unless you're majoring in stem or nursing, you're a bum clown wasting loans lmao

    • @treroney4720
      @treroney4720 4 года назад +8

      Fabio Rodrigues da Silva imagine having a useless degree and black belt! lol

    • @iorekby
      @iorekby 4 года назад +1

      @@joys8634 Good points but would maybe throw a law or business degree in their too.

    • @richardpanini971
      @richardpanini971 4 года назад

      How could you say something so controversial, yet so brave?

  • @jackreacher4297
    @jackreacher4297 4 года назад +46

    I think No GI BJJ needs become more of a thing. Do away with belts all together and just have it be about the training!

    • @treiberTV
      @treiberTV 4 года назад +1

      Put belts away, and no one goes to this Dojo. All these people in the commentary section are lying. Everyone says "belts are not important" Blabla. OK then throw your belt into the trash and wear a white one! Nobody does that, because belts are super important to people. Belts are about power, respect, showing off. And for teachers/dojos, to make money.

    • @riandunneleavy4161
      @riandunneleavy4161 4 года назад +10

      Belts are important but they should be earned

    • @robcubed9557
      @robcubed9557 3 года назад +4

      Eh, I find the GI is actually pretty useful in teaching defense. I've rolled with and without GI and I notice that it's much easier for my opponent to grab me and drag me around (I'm a small guy) when I've got a GI so training with my GI has really helped my defense.

    • @theboiwhokraveskrave3416
      @theboiwhokraveskrave3416 3 года назад +1

      As a white belt in BJJ I can see why you I would say that but I think it's important to have belts as a marker of where you stand if you're a blue belt you're an escape artist if you're a white belly you're learning the movement you're learning the basics these things are important because overtime this helps create a steady curriculum

    • @cahallo5964
      @cahallo5964 2 года назад

      so luta livre? it's a dying art because the Gracies hated it

  • @edwardcrane7520
    @edwardcrane7520 4 года назад +6

    I remember when a blue belt was something. I remember when we first met pedro sauer in va. I remember when Gustavo Machado first came to va as a brown belt.

  • @What7641
    @What7641 4 года назад +151

    Just get rid of belts. In wrestling the baddest guys in the room dont need a belt to let everyone know how good they are.

    • @ek7404
      @ek7404 4 года назад +35

      It’s a tradition thing. Something as trivial as going no gi to make BJJ more applicable in a real confrontation was seen as taboo by some BJJ guys. Removing the belt system won’t happen, even though it should

    • @JokerL1000
      @JokerL1000 4 года назад

      Facts

    • @ButterBallTheOpossum
      @ButterBallTheOpossum 4 года назад +1

      they should but guys have too much pride for that happen

    • @ChristopherRockhill
      @ChristopherRockhill 4 года назад +3

      OG IT just go for it. Wrestling is a great sport to experience first hand. I wrestled for three years and loved it.

    • @preventablesuffering6239
      @preventablesuffering6239 4 года назад +4

      dont be discouraged! experienced wrestlers are chill and are ideal training partners, as their control will enable them to give you just enough work to make you earn everything. If they see you are committed to training, they wont mind helping. ya, when you go live, you might get styled on a bit, but most wont straight ragdoll you the whole time. and even if they do, atleast you are feeling what you are trying to work up to. most important is that you wont get injured training with an experienced wrestler. the collective goal in any wrestling room is to improve and be good partners for eachother. the more experienced wrestlers understand that on a deep level.
      actual live wrestling is a small portion of training, especially for beginners. you will mostly be drilling takedowns, first focusing on form then working on intensity and endurance as you start to get comfortable with your form. good luck! and prepare to get mat-burn on your knees that will be kinda painful the first few weeks, but your knees get used to it :)

  • @PhysicsXL
    @PhysicsXL 4 года назад +33

    Lmao Jamie running out for a piss knowing his pay getting docked😂

    • @TheJohanningsmeierfamily
      @TheJohanningsmeierfamily 4 года назад

      James Gorden I finished my opponent with a really nice armbar💪 please go check it out, and leave a comment, and let me know what ypu think, thank you😊🇺🇸 ruclips.net/video/JkD0bulIi7k/видео.html

  • @JohnOpheim
    @JohnOpheim Год назад +23

    I trained kung-fu very intensely for four years, had one situation in that time where I stiffened up and could not bring myself to throw a punch. What Joe says at 4:00 is exactly what I thought when I got my daughter started in ju-jitsu. Hearing him saying it here has really inspired me to start myself.

  • @nothing-to7iy
    @nothing-to7iy 2 года назад +7

    Hes speaking about Gracie Barra. It only applies for the first year, and its for stripes to keep newbies engaged and give them things to strive for. When you enter most gyms without curriculums, or any real idea of where things are going thats why soooo many people start and quit before learning anything. Theres still gradings and just because you get to the end of the first year doesnt mean youre getting the blue belt.

  • @clacicle
    @clacicle 4 года назад +37

    I laughed when they talked about their first times rolling and getting crushed. That’s exactly how I felt (probably most people), but then I wanted more. I was so blown away by how I was being controlled. Every class just got better and better even though I was getting my ass handed to me every time. I just wish I’d started years ago. The body can only handle so much.

    • @perfectsplit5515
      @perfectsplit5515 2 года назад +3

      When I started, I was demoralized and tempted to quit. Every class was a new bruise. I had to wait for the wounds to heal before attending another class.
      (I later won 8 tournaments and accumulated 18 years of training)

    • @vert619
      @vert619 Год назад

      Nice dude how old are u?

  • @andrewcoates4952
    @andrewcoates4952 4 года назад +106

    Thé problem is that newcomers to the martial art won’t know whether the place is good or not

    • @greenwood-1426
      @greenwood-1426 4 года назад +2

      Andrew Coates French keyboard ⌨️

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +7

      You have to make sure you do your research cause they're telling the truth with these gyms and their money grabbing

    • @greenwood-1426
      @greenwood-1426 4 года назад +6

      Logan Murdock as long as you train under a legit black belt you can get good anywhere.
      It’s a mentality thing keep coming be super motivated don’t miss training you will get your teacher attention no matter what id say

    • @John-xi1pt
      @John-xi1pt 4 года назад +3

      Most practitioners are quick to self assessment and whether the teachings are beneficial or bullshit. Karate, TKD, BJJ etc are the long drawn out clubs, to see progress its time consuming. Boxing and muay Thai regarding fitness will produce results so much quicker.

    • @greenwood-1426
      @greenwood-1426 4 года назад

      @Silviu Florin what belt are you brother? You should be careful with learning from RUclips you can really waste your time and slow your progress without a coach to supervise

  • @MooseVRGT
    @MooseVRGT 4 года назад +10

    I train at a Gracie Barra 4 -6 times a week minimum. Got my blue in a year and purple in 3. I also have done a few drop ins on open mats at other academies that are not GB (I'm in San Diego so no shortage there ), and I've done perfectly fine against other purples and submitted most blues.
    I dont notice a significant difference in quality between thier blues and purples and our blues and purples.
    Of course....GB unfortunately does do the ridiculous fixed promotion timeline. That means someone like me who trains literally every day and someone who comes the minimum 2 days a week will get promoted same exact time.
    This is, of course, utter Bs and I hate it. What can I do besides leaving my ver convienenly located GB ? Well just worry about myself and my progress
    and put in 101%, and also roll and train with the many others in my gym that train as much and as consistently as I do.
    The bottom line is this : you have no control over what others do, just what you do. I can go pay the $300 fee to train at Renzos and John Danaher but only train half as much as I do here at my local GB and I doubt I'll be any better.
    You get good at BJJ no matter where you train as long as you show up consistently and TRAIN.

    • @1977jelliott
      @1977jelliott 4 года назад

      Spoken like a true blue belt

    • @MooseVRGT
      @MooseVRGT 4 года назад

      @@1977jelliott the mats dont lie. Had I gone and sparred at very reputable academies and gotten smashed against other purple belts I would have questioned where I train.
      Of course there are outliers like against worlds and pans adult medalists. I do about what you would expect against people like that (I'm 38)

    • @rafaelsantiagosupportkingi9265
      @rafaelsantiagosupportkingi9265 3 года назад

      Amen. My Halleluja belongs to you sir

  • @berniekatzroy
    @berniekatzroy 4 года назад +8

    The early years of shotokan and kyokushin were serious times.

    • @BiggieSmalls946
      @BiggieSmalls946 4 года назад

      @therainman777 lyoto machida knew shotokan

  • @jamesleach6438
    @jamesleach6438 4 года назад +14

    Excellent discussion on the state of martial arts school today! It’s all about fundamentals and understanding the psychology of the fighting...Great discussion Gentlemen!

  • @jacobfarrell7171
    @jacobfarrell7171 4 года назад +20

    This guy has endless knowledge! And Joe and him have great chemistry. Very good interview

  • @tomboombo113
    @tomboombo113 3 года назад +3

    I’m a black belt in karate and I can say as well that the journey to black belt has been watered down. When I tested everyone passed and when I found out everyone passed I felt insulted. This was because I trained so hard for 8 years and I saw people there who couldn’t be bothered and took breaks over stitches. So I agree when this guy says it’s watered down and I think the achievement isn’t worth the same anymore.

  • @gordonstewart8897
    @gordonstewart8897 3 года назад +4

    It's the same for Taekwondo. I took Olympic style taekwondo for three years. I managed to attain a brown belt, but I never felt like I deserved it. I never talk about or brag about it because all I had to do is memorize and perform certain forms, go to class two days per week, broke some boards and never, ever had to spar.

    • @2kmichaeljordan438
      @2kmichaeljordan438 2 года назад

      I was a black belt in tkd when I was 11 after doing it for 6 years. All we did was exercise, spar, then forms for 2 hours. I think I advanced too quickly, but I was keeping up with adult black belts, I never felt my age was a problem. I’m glad I did tkd in that dojo, but I was disappointed to find out there was so many fake dojos

  • @musiclocate9357
    @musiclocate9357 4 года назад +247

    Gracie Barra that's what he's talking about it's bs.

    • @TheGodfather101
      @TheGodfather101 4 года назад +30

      I think its more the pedro sauer, gracie university guys

    • @derekbk9093
      @derekbk9093 4 года назад +40

      No its gracie barra montreal hes talking about

    • @Kosme88
      @Kosme88 4 года назад +22

      Yes, it's GB and they do this on their gyms around the world.

    • @clovisguillier7372
      @clovisguillier7372 4 года назад +4

      Kosme88 exactly, I’m French and they do this

    • @Accion_y_Pasion
      @Accion_y_Pasion 4 года назад +28

      Ik Gracie barras are sort of like a cult I’m a gb student but it also depends on the coaches cuz Ik white belts that have been white belts for almost 12 years at gb whenever other people go to my gym they do say it is different than other schools. It depends on the people running the schools

  • @showtime1235
    @showtime1235 4 года назад +10

    Firas is right
    The same thing happened to karate and it looks like BJJ is going down the same road

  • @joshuabrant3487
    @joshuabrant3487 3 года назад +2

    What it would it would take to genuinely revive karate as a combative form is something with a full contact format that doesn't end up looking indistinguishable from kick boxing, while also allowing punches to the face unlike kyokushin. Basically, if you could come up with a system of training that would mass produce Kyoji Horoguchis or Lyoto Machidas then we could generally say that old school karate is back. Full contact, knees, low kicks and elbows allowed, but fighters who move in and out in the blitzing style, sideways stances, sidekicks, front snap kicks over push kicks, old school karate style sweeps etc.
    You look at someone like Stephen Thompson and its not exactly it either. You can tell he has a karate background, but its in the same way Benny the Jet Urquidez has a karate background. The old long pants kickboxing style of the 1960s, which is fine, but is also distinctly its own thing imo. Kyokushin is also great, but it lacks punches to the face and tbh there is very little you can point to in a kyokushin competition and say hey that was karate.
    The other component is that you would have to actively acknowledge that alot of what is in katas is not actually practical and if you continued to practice it you would have to both bring back legitimate bunkai from how Okinawans try to apply it today, while also admitting that you are mostly keeping this in out of tradition. Remove things like the bunny hops added to shotokan katas, just so they can finish at the spot they started at and also remove kata as a competitive category entirely. Kata should be a means to an end not the end it self. Imagine if boxers had shadow boxing competitions ahahah. Then finely a lot of the old school conditioning stuff like makiwara training can and should be a part of it, but never done to such an extreme that it ruins people's dexterity.
    Something like karate combat is a step in the right direction, but the quality of fighters right now is very low imo. Also its a mistake to ban low kicks, knees and elbows. These are all techniques found in traditional karate kata and the distinction to muay thai should come from how people train and fight not through artificial restrictions on what techniques can be used.

  • @Eagle1349
    @Eagle1349 3 года назад +4

    I agree wholeheartedly with Firas, as one who was a Black Belt in a traditional martial arts in the 70s I have seen the ugly cheapened of many of the arts. I had to learn grappling etc, but this same martial art form today has been turned into a fancy sport, with no elements of the training that were used to teach soldiers hand to hand combat years ago. My first day of training was a test to see how close the instructor can get you to the breaking point. It was brutal, this concept is very foreign to most martial arts training these days

  • @amberlylove2847
    @amberlylove2847 4 года назад +24

    Hearing this makes me want to get into it.

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +10

      You definitely should..Just make sure you do your research and find a respectable gym with teachers that can show you credentials and real accomplishments

    • @joeyo9846
      @joeyo9846 4 года назад +5

      Amberly love id let you mount me if you want to practice

    • @godini69
      @godini69 4 года назад +8

      Ignore the assholes. Try it out.

    • @ffnovice7
      @ffnovice7 4 года назад +1

      GET
      AFTER
      IT

    • @hotcakesism
      @hotcakesism 4 года назад +4

      @@gussstavo fuck is wrong with you show some respeck

  • @katherinewolfert1714
    @katherinewolfert1714 4 года назад +5

    Saw the transition happen in my old dojos. It went from running a gym for fighters to training kids for pay.

  • @-CrampedStyle-
    @-CrampedStyle- 4 года назад +4

    I loved this segment, but it also made me super self conscious about my belt rank in BJJ.

  • @garybolenable
    @garybolenable 4 года назад +3

    I'm a 51 white belt. Between mandatory overtime and taking girls to soccer practice, I finally got a free Saturday not too long ago, so I thought I would get an extra day in learning technique at my gym, but my instructor decided that day was to be a conditioning day. I managed to hold on up until the very end, when we started doing the knee on belly drill. As I was gassing out doing the knee on belly drill, Professor Ruff was there to motivate me. "Come on Gary, don't stop. I'll call 911 for you. You need to eat less rice and pizza. It's the carbs that are killing you. Only 30 more seconds, Gary. Keep going Gary! I'll call 911 for you!".
    Professor Ruff knows that I'm 51, but he doesn't let me slack. Just recently, while doing guard break/passing "king of the hill" drills while getting ready for the Portland Open, I was physically exhausted trying to pass a blue belt's guard and prevent him from sweeping me (which he finally did). Professor Ruff was right there... "Get up Gary! Don't let them see you be tired Gary!"
    He promotes twice a year, in conjunction with a seminar. He will say "If you show up, some of you might get promoted, but all of you will get a hug."
    This is from Ruffhouse Jiu-Jitsu's Q&A page: "How long does it take to get a black belt?" Minimum of 10 years. With Professor Arthur, it will take closer to 20. Now that's legit. I've been at Ruffhouse for about 16 months now and there are purple belts, who help teach, that haven't gotten a stripe in that time.

  • @Bigburt-
    @Bigburt- 4 года назад +5

    Thats why I like boxing, no belts, only hands

    • @gussstavo
      @gussstavo 4 года назад +1

      You can get a belt but you need to win against a champ

    • @Bigburt-
      @Bigburt- 4 года назад

      @@gussstavo true true true, forgot about that because i'll never have one

    • @gussstavo
      @gussstavo 4 года назад +1

      @ricky gore thats not a belt you idiot

  • @macdaddytrevor1499
    @macdaddytrevor1499 4 года назад +52

    The same thing is going on in the military

    • @sunnykobe3210
      @sunnykobe3210 4 года назад +40

      Trevors Endeavors they’re giving belts away?! BASTARDS!!

    • @kp8444
      @kp8444 4 года назад +2

      @Bearded Beast of Burden WOOOOOOOOSH...

    • @Dakkaroni
      @Dakkaroni 4 года назад

      @Bearded Beast of Burden Sgt/USMC I concur.

    • @eazy1174
      @eazy1174 4 года назад

      Well all these stupid new regs is forcing out the experienced guys.

    • @lamolambda8349
      @lamolambda8349 4 года назад +1

      The military is just a welfare program for mouthbreathers anyway so who cares

  • @Bumpedfn
    @Bumpedfn 3 года назад +9

    Well im a 40th Degree Black Belt under Sensei Robby down at the Steamtown Mall and I've only been training for two full, long, rigorous, painful hours so i think im just better than y'all.

  • @fretbuzz6893
    @fretbuzz6893 4 года назад +6

    its a great shame what has happen to Karate these days. I trained at a Shotokan club during the '70's and 80's where Kumite was hard and fast but with controlled contact. Had a few years off due to work and family commitments, went back 15 years later with my son who was very keen to learn. I was very surprised at the changes in attitude to contact during Kumite.
    Though training was still at a high standard, and the introduction of sport science in warming up and stretching more controlled with emphasis on relaxation during stretches was and is a good thing. Kumite in competitions back in the '90's had got softer, just point scoring who can hit without being hit.
    These days it's even worse than ever, pads and mits compulsory.
    In the '70's and '80's even in comps you would expect to receive 'a dig or two' during a fight, often the local hospital A&E would have a few patients for treatment for broken noses or other injuries. No pads or mits permitted, gumshields were your only protection that and you own skills.
    To witness Karate competitions since 2000 is crap, just bouncy, bounce, bounce very few attacks made in a bout,
    nobody really goes out to win by going in hard, it looks a complete embarrassment to the Traditional Art.
    (just in case anyone says anything about Karate is about defence and counter attack, yes I am aware of that but that's not how comps were back then)
    Just check out youtube, for Kumite from the '70's and see real Kumite and compare it with todays version.
    Anyone learning today can be led into a false sense of security if they are training this way for self defence
    oss

  • @Effect360
    @Effect360 4 года назад +3

    I learned more rolling with former competition grapplers than I ever did in a class. I saw someone post this as well, you don’t need a belt when your skill speaks for itself.

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад

      You'd be surprised at the level some people are on when no one has a belt on

    • @Effect360
      @Effect360 4 года назад

      Yeah I think that the belt system is great if you’re looking to be part of a team or to meet people. Although I think that they should use a different color system to set them apart.

  • @johngutierrez8399
    @johngutierrez8399 4 года назад +59

    *He's talking about Gracie Barra. Look into it!*

    • @elperronimo
      @elperronimo 4 года назад +3

      it's true, I go to one of those. I live in a small town so everyone kind of sucks

    • @timmyadams234
      @timmyadams234 4 года назад +2

      I'm glad i never went back after the first time then.

    • @nickeldime1691
      @nickeldime1691 4 года назад +2

      You are right, I do not like Gracie Barra, no offense to anyone. I just do not like it period. I like the old school jiu jitsu from Helio Gracie. I train in a Marcelo Garcia School. Which is more sport. But being there for a while, most of the things I have learned are self defense. Its the way a individual can take what they learned and modified it to fit the streets.

    • @joepascarella5075
      @joepascarella5075 4 года назад +7

      I used to train at Alliance but I didn't enjoy the fact that what we drilled and covered for the day was completely based on what the instructor wanted to cover. There was no curriculum or structure to it. At Alliance, white belts were learning the same techniques as brown belts, with little exploration of fundamentals. I recently started training at a GB gym and I have to say that the guys at the GB gym have much more solid fundamentals than the guys at my Alliance gym. And as John Danaher says, fundamentals are the foundation of your jiu-jitsu practice. It's cool if you're running x-guard as a white belt, but if you don't know basic closed guard retention, there's a problem. Also, there are a ton of people that got their black belts from Carlos Jr. (founder of GB), including Renzo Gracie, who has one of the best schools in the world based in NYC. Additionally, John Bones Jones got his purple belt from GB recently, and he is considered to be the greatest pound for pound fighter in the game right now. GB gets a lot of hate and I don't see why. Their curriculum has been set by some of the best BJJ practitioners to ever do it.
      Also, as for the "time requirements," those are minimum time requirements for each belt/stripe. You have to go to at least x amount of classes to get a stripe or a belt promotion, etc. It doesn't guarantee if you go to your first 25 classes you'll get your first stripe on your white belt. It sets a minimum, and the actual awarding of the stripe/belt is up to the professor.

    • @garybolenable
      @garybolenable 4 года назад

      That was my first thought too.

  • @nawan4650
    @nawan4650 4 года назад +2

    Judo teacher told me 3 years in a row i wasn't at a brown belt level yet, when in competitions i saw all these brown and even blackbelts that i could take without too much to worry about. In retrospect i'm really grateful because damn that brownbelt actually meant something for me afterwards, i felt pride knowing i earned it.
    It's gotten to a point where in judo competitions i'd never get worried about a guy's belt because depending on the club it was just them starting katas at 16 to get their black belt asap at small regional competitions without too much effort.

  • @Reizermo
    @Reizermo 4 года назад +21

    This guy always speaks sense. He described my karate experience as a teen. After a while, there is a grading....everyone gets to do it regardless. Doesn't mean we could really have done shit. Got to early 20s and realised it was horse manure in reality. This was the time when karate was starting to come undone from it's 70-90s hayday. God when I think back to doing kata!! Didn't know any better as a teen

  • @starhawck
    @starhawck 4 года назад +135

    Jamie, Jamie, JAMIE?

    • @erictko85
      @erictko85 4 года назад +16

      SNAAAAAAAAAAAAKE

    • @TheJohanningsmeierfamily
      @TheJohanningsmeierfamily 4 года назад

      Конрад Дюселдорф I finished my opponent with a really nice armbar💪 please go check it out, and leave a comment, and let me know what ypu think, thank you😊🇺🇸 ruclips.net/video/JkD0bulIi7k/видео.html

    • @christianleeperrr7641
      @christianleeperrr7641 4 года назад +1

      Time stamp it

  • @rayciannello2268
    @rayciannello2268 4 года назад +8

    I train at a “Mcdojo” and I love it! Love all my coaches and teammates, 60 a month plus striking classes and regular gym equipment. UFC gym fam!! Plus get to watch all the pay per views there

  • @hogansheroes2793
    @hogansheroes2793 4 года назад +6

    I went to a club where all they did was spar. I really didn't learn anything in three years. That is the other extreme. I got a blue belt. I was tapping out blue, purple and brown belts when I was a white belt.
    WTF over!
    They would not let you learn from your mistakes either. You were not allowed to ask people what they just did to you. The instructor wanted the glory, I guess.
    I quit, I just kept getting injured, all they did was spar, and I really learned nothing new that I hadn't already learned from watching DVDs of jiu-jitsu.

  • @daleweymark9476
    @daleweymark9476 3 года назад +5

    Gracie Barra does it with the dots on the calendar you need to do min 2 times a week on your attendance card.. it doesn’t always mean you got it on the due date but it’s a decent chance if you attend

  • @gradydoran4738
    @gradydoran4738 4 года назад +8

    I literally don’t have a stripe on my white belt. That said I roll 3 to 4 days a week and hit private’s when I can. I am on the journey.
    In any event, blue belts come in from local schools from time to time and I demolish a lot of them. It shows how our school compares to others for sure. I can’t imagine regularly submitting one of our blue belts. I can catch many of them now and again if they’re being nice. That’s about it.

    • @gradydoran4738
      @gradydoran4738 4 года назад +5

      Ironically, hours after I posted this.... I went to class and got my first stripe!

    • @BDtheSniper
      @BDtheSniper 4 года назад +3

      Grady Doran Congrats man!

    • @gradydoran4738
      @gradydoran4738 4 года назад

      BDCSnipes thanks!

  • @biggeneral1628
    @biggeneral1628 4 года назад +4

    About time Firas Zahabi was brought back on

  • @supersaiyanjohn3012
    @supersaiyanjohn3012 4 года назад +3

    Watered down martial arts is a huge problem which is why I love judo so much , in judo your black belt isn’t awarded to you by your own Sensei or dojo , when you have your brown belt and you are going for your black belt grading you have to go in front of a small panel of judges and they ask you to perform random techniques throughout the belt classes in which you have to show and perform proper technique , it erases any scenario in which your Sensei hands out a belt in which you haven’t earned , so if you see someone with their black belt in judo it’s safe to say he is a legit martial artist and worked his way to the top , it’s unfortunate because I woulda really loved to have taken up karate or kung fu but nowadays you simply can’t find a legit dojo

  • @pikebasss
    @pikebasss 3 года назад +1

    My school has dudes who got their black belts in 8 years and dudes who took 13 years. Belt promotion basically comes down to time, skill, and knowledge. Some dudes win comps and never get tapped so they get quicker promotions. Other dudes are more chill, but they have been doing it a while and have demonstrated knowledge by teaching etc. I like this method.

    • @pikebasss
      @pikebasss 3 года назад

      I was going to agree with this but then I realized it’s my own comment from 4 months ago.

  • @jacesaces15
    @jacesaces15 2 года назад +3

    i got a blue belt curriculum 9 months into my white belt, i could have test for my blue belt 3 months later because i knew all the technique. That was a year ago and we havent tested for Blue again. I'm REALLY thankful i didn't get my blue belt a year ago, because i have learned so much since then and i feel like i have so much more to learn before i get my blue.

  • @richdome1
    @richdome1 4 года назад +3

    Old man BJJ still Rocking and Rolling at 62 as a Black belt you never stop learning.Be like water my friends!

  • @sbailey7334
    @sbailey7334 4 года назад +7

    I know of so many of these “schools” that do this. Especially tkd

  • @stav1369
    @stav1369 Год назад +2

    My first ever BJJ seminar was with professor Helio Soneca in 2014.
    He said that in 20 years (from that date) BJJ would inevitably go down the road a lot of eastern martial arts where most gyms will be watered down and good gyms will be few and far between in comparison.
    I didn’t want to believe him but it seems he was spot on.

    • @deebo1103
      @deebo1103 6 месяцев назад

      It is sad. Not sad that people want to train, its just sad that it has basically replaced Crossfit as the new workout trend. I have trained bjj for a couple years and we had a guest come in as a purple belt who all of us "newbies" just crushed. He had an attitude and little skill to back it up. Im 300lbs and he said he was going to "choke out my big ass" and I tapped him on pure power very little training used, which shouldn't necessarily happen.

  • @TheMountainKing_Loli
    @TheMountainKing_Loli 4 года назад +6

    Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu jitsu used to get a stripe every 10 classes lmao

    • @loganmurdock4679
      @loganmurdock4679 4 года назад +1

      😂😂😂

    • @pikebasss
      @pikebasss 4 года назад +1

      So blue belt in 4-5 months? lol that’s crazy

  • @lylechipperson3407
    @lylechipperson3407 3 года назад +3

    Fighters ten years ago: "BJJ is the best overall fitness routine for people in general, it's good for the mind and the body, we need more gyms, we need more shows, we need to talk about it more. I wanna see a gym in every burrough next time i come to new york."

  • @jeromeinthehousesowatchyam4237
    @jeromeinthehousesowatchyam4237 3 года назад

    Watched the clip...leaving to go watch the full interview💯

  • @SteveMe21685
    @SteveMe21685 4 года назад +4

    EVERYTHING gets watered down
    Martial arts, food, philosophy, history

  • @Vasiliosx2
    @Vasiliosx2 4 года назад +3

    As a 1 stripe blue belt, i slowed down my training to once or twice a week, i expect to never get another stripe. Not like this

  • @ManofSwords17
    @ManofSwords17 4 года назад +5

    I feel like this has happened through a tone of martial arts before amd now its coming to jujitsu

  • @international_sensei8320
    @international_sensei8320 3 года назад +3

    As a young karate instructor it gets frustrating how easy people want things to be . I’ve lost clients cause I refused to give someone a new belt cause they didn’t practice.

  • @MarcillaSmith
    @MarcillaSmith 4 года назад +21

    Sad to hear it's like this now. So glad I studied the art back in the 90's when you could still order the Carlson Gracie Jr Black Belt Course of VHS tapes out of the back of the martial arts magazines, the way God intended

  • @michealklee8844
    @michealklee8844 4 года назад +3

    Firas keeps it 100 and that’s he we roll in Chicago no giveaway belts at mission Mma

  • @caseymattison2238
    @caseymattison2238 4 года назад +23

    Maybe if MMA gyms didn't charge $179.00 a month.

    • @danielfrench1511
      @danielfrench1511 4 года назад +1

      That's not bad

    • @EcsMurphy
      @EcsMurphy 4 года назад +20

      @@danielfrench1511 wtf rich twat.

    • @ek7404
      @ek7404 4 года назад +6

      Fas Unio Do you expect it to be 50 dollars a month or something? At a quality MMA gym you’re (in theory) getting high level striking and high level grappling lessons, and on top of that you’re learning how to mesh them together. 150-200 a month is pretty standard for quality training. Some gyms will help you out if you fight for them and work hard.

    • @EcsMurphy
      @EcsMurphy 4 года назад +4

      @@ek7404 I do expect it to be 50 euro a month yes.

    • @pahwraith
      @pahwraith 4 года назад

      @@EcsMurphy that's barely 1 hour of personal training. After taxes and rent fees, the instructor would barely get 20 euros.
      You'd make more money working for tips at Starbucks.

  • @Atom.Storm.
    @Atom.Storm. 4 года назад +15

    I did Aikido and Japanese JuJutsu for years. The week we started the club added two new belts that the organisation didn't approve of. After a few years attendace started dropping so they started throwing away belts. We saw guys there 9 months having the same grade as it took us four years to get. One guy was TERRIBLE at everything and ended up being a brown belt and he could barely do the basics. Got there by being a nice, polite guy and showing up regularly. If we couldn't make training due to work commitments we were told that we had skipped a grading weeked and now had to wait another year.

  • @thewarrior6784
    @thewarrior6784 4 года назад +4

    The JJGF, Gracie University and Gracie Humaita are there to preserve jiu-jjtsu the way it is supposed to be.