Worth travelling for GJJ over local Gracie Barra?

I'm fortunate to have two BJJ schools close by although one is closer than the other – the local one has a great reputation and has an MMA approach as far as I can tell from my visit, I've not heard much about the other and haven't been over yet. My question is this, is it worth travelling an extra 30 minutes to the Gracie Jiu Jitsu school over the Gracia Barra school?

I'm sure one style isn't 'better' than the other so let me explain what I'm looking for in a martial art and then I can hopefully get some advice.

1. I want to train in a style that is effective as a sport and as a self defence style – primarily as a sport is fine but I'd like to think that I could handle an SD situation if it came up. I'm aware that GJJ has more of an SD focus, especially in the first 6 months or so of training with them, and that GB has more of a sport focus but does GB offer anything that would be useful as SD?

2. I like the holistic approach of GJJ – the diet and everything else that goes with it (is this just good marketing or is it actually all a part of the training?).

3. I like that my local school also offers JKD, Mauy Thai, Filipino MAs as I would like to remain open to learning a striking art a little further down the line and it would be great to do this at the same school.

4. Strength and conditioning is important to me. Do either offer this as part of the training or is it generally separate?

The two schools are:

60mins drive: Marple Martial Arts

30mins drive: Impact Fighting Arts

 

I'm not qualified enough to answer this question. Sorry.

Don't buy into the "SD vs sport" benefits. Most gyms that claim to teach SD actually don't, because techniques are a small portion of the subject. Speak to jwt for better advice on this.

Mostly just a marketing ploy (like Crossfit/paleo).

Plenty of free guides on the net to teach you how to eat right (none of which authored by a guy called Gracie).

If things do get physical, no better SD move than a solid hook to the jaw. In my opinion anyway. But I was a bit of a thug who enjoyed fighting. Again, speak to jwt.

Depends on the school/gym. Whichever venue you decide on, just make sure whoever is in charge of S&C has legit credentials (idiot's guide: must be at least REPs level 3).

Christmas cracker answer: Visit both venues and do the one you enjoy the most.

 

Balls.

Forgot a part of my answer to Question 1: If you train in a proven sport style under legit, successful coaches, with sufficient intensity and resistance, you can more or less rely on that for self-defence.

If in doubt, stick to glass bottles.

 

I don't know a thing about BJJ, but I'd like to add that you're more likely to keep training (after the initial honeymoon phase) if the gym's closer.

 

Thanks guys. Both common sense answers.

Yes you are probably right about the distance and I think I might be getting caught up in the marketing dazzle a little bit.

 

Join karate today and you too can look THIS badass:

 

Haha!

 

How sad is it that I both 1) had a copy of that very magazine and 2) sat through that movie?

What are the teaching credentials of the people involved? I ask because the JKD/FMA school may have a teacher with less depth in his jiujitsu training (because he's dispersed his attention over multiple styles). If that's the case, then the question is whether you want to train with an expert in one thing or someone who's proficient in many things.

That may sound like a loaded response. It isn't. I chose the second of those two really. My background has been primarily the eclectic JKD/FMA route, which brief incursions into grappling.

In short, then, see what you can learn about the coaches involved.

 

That "Gracie Jiu Jitsu" place is run by guys whose main contact with their supposed instructors is watching videos and "earned' their "blue belts" by doing half-arsed kata on the internet. Dave Carnell still at Impact? If so he's a Lagarto black belt, the weakest and least deserving of which would would eat the souls of any internet-trained jokers in a handful of seconds.

Do not fall for Rener's marketing scheme, BJJ works if you spar, hard a lot against people who know what they're doing and the actual BJJ community has only contempt and/or pity for those who try to skip that step by mystical contact with Helio's aura and floppy uke's falling over for you.

 

JKD was taught by Sifu Dave Carnell I think, who sadly passed away recently. I'm not sure who is taking those classes now. Simon McGovern has a good reputation there too.

That's the local gym (Impact), not sure about the other.

 

Oh, that's a real shame.

Anyway, you'd be absolutely crazy to waste time with internet trained blue belts when there's an actual black belt with a real fighting record available.

 

After some more searching and reading, the best choice for me is Impact. There is so much knowledge and experience there it seams, like you say, I'd be crazy to go elsewhere.

Thanks for the pointers and advice.

 

As I mentioned on your intro thread, I trained at Impact and enjoyed it and feel it is one of the better clubs I have trained in...and believe me, I have trained in numerous clubs and in a few countries (4). It was a long time ago and things change. But I think you should at least check Impact out.

Edit: I don't know, but Simon was one of the assistant JKD instructors when I was there, so I guess he is teaching the JKD as well as the BJJ.

 

I know a dude who got his blue belt from Gracie Academy.

Hasn't won a single match yet in about 15 tournaments.

 

Yes I think that's the case. Will let you know when I know

 

Simon Mcgovern is a legit blackbelt, there's also david M in burton on trent whos a blackbelt too.

If blackbelts are nearer then internet bluebelts you would be crazy to travel past the blackbelts.

Gracie barra cover SD material too during their foundation classes.

 

Burton can be a bit of a drag though from Stoke.

But yeah, why go somewhere else when you have a BB plus other styles on your doorstep.

 

In BJJ, BB instruction still means something. Especially vs a blue belt and even moreso vs an internet blue belt. And the BB is closer? It's not even a close call.

 

No you are right, my mind is made up. Like I said, I got caught up in the marketing dazzle. The advice on here is clear and I appreciate it.

 

Just as an aside, but the Gracie Barra syllabus (which most GB gyms use in the UK now) contains self defense stuff too from the outset. So you will at least get some idea of how BJJ might work against say, someone throwing a punch at you. How valueable this stuff is depends, but it won't be any worse than the "self defence" stuff you'd learn doing GJJ.