When the UFC looked to be in its death throes in the final years of SEG, after getting kicked off cable, MMA fans online helped keep the UFC alive. That vibrant internet community was closely related to BJJ, a sport which has greatly benefitted from the growth of mixed martial arts. The internet has also expanded exponentially over the last decade, meaning that BJJ now has a major presence on the world wide web. There are thousands of BJJers on a huge number of blogs and message boards, discussing the latest gossip, events, and of course, how to get better at jiu jitsu.
With the development of YouTube, it was inevitable that somebody would make the connection between an online community hungry for training resources and a business opportunity. As far as I'm aware, Jean Jacques Machado was the first to take advantage of this market, announcing his online program in late 2006. A few others followed, like the Grapplers Guide in 2007, but online training was still a niche interest.
That appears to have changed, most likely thanks to the advent of Gracie University, which hit the internet in March 2009. Machado's program was and is respected, but it didn't have the aggressive marketing tactics of the Gracie Academy to push it forward. Rorion and his sons may not have been the first to go online, but their widely advertised system demonstrated the viability of online training as a profitable endeavour.
At least, other instructors seem to think so. Tinguinha set up a program in October 2009, Marcelo Garcia in Action opened that December and most recently, Draculino launched his offering in early 2010. Those are just three of the bigger names: there is now considerable competition for your online subscription. They're even pitching their product in forum threads, addressing potential subscribers directly.
Another reason Gracie University arguably made bigger waves than Machado was because they offered rank. For the first time, a Gracie jiu jitsu student could earn their belts without ever stepping inside a school. Whether or not that belt really means anything is quite another question: I still don't feel online ranking is a good idea. Apparently most of the other online training providers agree. Draculino in particular has been explicit about his objections to online ranking:
The belt is something that really matters: it's not a joke. You really have to earn your belts and it's not something that you can give away easy. I sweat a lot, I had to work hard to get my belts [...] because of that, I'm not going to be giving away belts, online. I don't see how somebody can be awarded a belt online, especially if you never met the guy before.
Ok, they're going to show a couple of techniques, and they have to do correctly. Ok, but it's not just show technique, you know? The first thing with a belt, you have to prove time on the mats. [...] You have to see the guy live, you have to put a hand on him, you have to watch him.
The nature of the internet means that online training is quite different to older formats, like tapes, books or indeed DVDs. You can't ask Demian Maia a question as he runs through The Science of Jiu Jitsu: he is just a picture on a screen, which you can pause, rewind and fast-forward. There is no interaction.
By contrast, online training comes with the tempting prospect of having a conversation with those pixels, not just watching them. That is a particular attraction if it is a major figure in the sport, like Marcelo Garcia. I'm sure my old instructor Roger Gracie would do a roaring trade if he ever developed a similar product. An online training program can keep on growing and adapting to the needs of subscribers, though unlike a DVD, you are forced to rely on your internet connection and streaming videos.
Personally, I haven't been tempted: I already have a monthly subscription to a real academy, so lack any desire to pay for a virtual one as well. Still, I can see the benefits, if you have plenty of bandwidth and time. I'm happy working on the fundamental skills and asking my instructor questions, while using a few trusted DVD sets (like Roy Dean, Saulo Ribeiro and Cindy Omatsu) to refine what I already know. So for the moment at least, I'll be keeping my training on the mats instead of a keyboard.< Previous Article ::: Next Article >
Gene Simco also had a early form of online tuition. I still get the spam emails now!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, I completely forgot about him. Despite everything else he's done, worth noting that he saw a lot of business opportunities in BJJ before everyone else caught on (books, online training, a website with a url of 'jiu-jitsu.net' etc).
ReplyDeleteExcellent post Slidey,
ReplyDeleteWhat a lot of people forgot about online grading is that:
1. it takes longer to learn that way
2. it's not meant for everybody.
Yes it's available for everybody, but you'd be a fool if you chose to train with a buddy or two using the online format when you live within reasonable commute from an affordable reputable academy.
There are many peeps out there who don't have that luxury tho. I think of it in a different way. I think about the mid-90's when good-to-great BJJ academies weren't so available but you had two-three very dedicated, passionate people who wanted to learn and maybe one day teach. What did they do? They got together, got some mats and a few dv...ehm...I mean vhs tapes and did as many trips to the nearest instructor as they could afford. That's how people like Karl Tanswell and Richard Andersson and Pilo Stylin got their start and now they're BBs in the art.
Not to mention, I've had many periods in my life where I couldn't affor to train at a BJJ club (prices ranging at a minimum of £50/month) and this would've been a wonderful temporary solution.
I think that online resources are a double edged sword. On the one hand, I have benefitted from materials like Roy Dean's and Saulo's DVD's, however, it's important to note that all I have gleaned from them are details. The foundation of my game was laid by mat time, and in my mind there is no alternative. Something like Gracie University irks me because, if we're going to get real for a moment, how many beginners have enough self-awareness to be able to take a step back and ask if they're doing a technique right?
ReplyDeleteI undertook a significant portion of my early BJJ journey without a proper instructor. I am still unlearning bad habits I picked up during that time. In my mind, there is no substitute for an instructor and senior students constantly correcting and nudging you in the right direction.
@Part Time Grappler: I'd agree that for people in the middle of nowhere, online training is better than nothing.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also think that it is becoming quite rare (especially in the US, and even to an extent the UK) for someone to have absolutely nothing within an hour's drive/train journey: as the Bullshido meme goes, even if there isn't BJJ around, judo is "cheap and widely available."
Oh, and I feel I have to gloat at this point and remind you that I currently pay £40 a month to train BJJ. ;p
@Kalle: Yep, I agree. For a complex physical skill like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, it is essential to learn directly from a reputable instructor and roll with a broad range of training partners.
I've laid out my reservations to online ranking in detail, hopefully with some degree of objectivity, in my Gracie Combatives review. There's been a good debate over on Bullshido too.
I totally agree with the non-live training is totally different from live training. I know all the basic moves. However, it's a different story if I can pull them off with a resisting partner. Did you make that whole list of blogs yourself???
ReplyDeleteYeah, that is the essential problem with Gracie University: it's all dead training, practicing BJJ as if it was a TMA. However, there is apparently going to be sparring in the Master Cycle, which will hopefully rectify the problem.
ReplyDeleteI'm pretty geeky, so yeah, most of that blog list is from me browsing through blogger and Wordpress searching for BJJ.
However, I can't take full credit, as a good chunk of it comes from the list Caleb compiled a couple of years ago.