BJJ Lineage and Styles

[DungeonWorks]

Being brand new in the BJJ stuff (starting next week), I notice that there are all types of BJJ styles. Are they all the same core of techniques or is one style any better/worse or different than the others? I mean, is the Machado style + or - than the Gracie's or....ect. Coming from a karate background, I have found that some styles are more suitable for my physical attributes...is it the same with BJJ or is it mainly politics?

Thanks.

PS

I am not trolling, this is a serious question. I asked a similar question about Combat Hapkido and Hapkido in the respective forum and about started the Armegeddon!

[Dennis Monk]

No, it is a very reasonable question. In fact Machado BJJ is basically Gracie BJJ. The Machados and Gracies are related. In the FitTV show on Machado's BJJ school, it shows Jean Jacques Machado giving a warm embrace to his uncle, Helio Gracie at a tournament. I can assure you that Cliff, or some of the others can fill you in on the differences and the subtle nuances between the styles. I will say that from what I can gather, all BJJ comes from the Gracie family. The rest is history.

[Cliff Hargrave]

You can read tons of stuff out there about how the Machados are different from the Gracies, or how Gracie Barra is different from Gracie Humaita, or how Carlsons guys are different from Helios guys, etc....

It's all the same thing. They all learn the same core techniques and principles. You can see as much difference in each instructor in the same team as you can between different teams. Everyone puts their own signature on it.

[Antares33]

Like Cliff said. Every instructor puts his own spin on BJJ, and has different teaching style. I'd say variations from school to school are more dependent on the individual instructor than his particular affiliation.

[Andrew Green]

The names are more business names then anything else.

Only the Gracie family uses the Gracie name, only the Machado family uses the Machado name, everyone else goes with the generic.

You'll see huge differences in style between people at the same school, it's a lot less "we punch this way" then karate, in the end its what you can pull off.

Some instructors are better fighters then others, some are better coaches, and the two aren't that connected. Find someone you can enjoy learning from, ignore the names and politics.

[Tony Dismukes]

I think his problem was that his instructor was involved with some of those soke councils and made himself a grandmaster in another style and started teaching that too. I guess he's mostly affraid of guilt by association. so how does he teach a lineage or list credential or that kind of stuff if he continues to teach taekwondo.

Exactly. One of the biggest differences you'll find is probably between schools that focus on competition and those which focus on self-defense. The core techniques are the same, but the focus will be on a different subset of the moves. Other than that, it probably just comes down to the teaching styles of different individuals.

[LJS93]

You know what guys I somewhat disagree on this one. I've noticed that Machado trained jiu-jitsu players focus more on fancy gi sweeps, while Carlson trained practitioners are more power oriented. Generally those who train under the Rorion, Royce, Rickson, Royler, Caique, etc... jiu-jitsu academies tend to be focused more on the basics of jiu-jitsu. I'd dare say those instructors focus more on a classical type of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu style, with less focus on fancy gi sweeps and more focus on solid techniques, those tried and true basics which are the essence of jiu-jitsu.

[Luebbers]

Like Cliff said. Every instructor puts his own spin on BJJ, and has different teaching style. I'd say variations from school to school are more dependent on the individual instructor than his particular affiliation.

I think this is pretty accurate. While I don't have much firsthand experience, I've heard a lot about the subtle differences between Machado style, or Carlson Gracie's styel, but I think it really comes down to the individual instructor. And it depends on you, also. If you're a small guy, fancy gi sweeps are probably right up your alley. If you're 220lb with a background in college wrestling, power is probably going to play an important part of your style.

[jwinch2]

And it depends on you, also. If you're a small guy, fancy gi sweeps are probably right up your alley. If you're 220lb with a background in college wrestling, power is probably going to play an important part of your style.

Very good points as usual!

[D Dempsey]

Gary,
Good luck training in BJJ. By the way who are you going to be training with.

[Antares33]

I think this is pretty accurate. While I don't have much firsthand experience, I've heard a lot about the subtle differences between Machado style, or Carlson Gracie's styel, but I think it really comes down to the individual instructor. And it depends on you, also. If you're a small guy, fancy gi sweeps are probably right up your alley. If you're 220lb with a background in college wrestling, power is probably going to play an important part of your style.

Good point. In my mind it becomes a bit of a Chicken or the Egg thing. People who have been around BJJ long enouh to be an instructor tend to gravitate toward affiliations that are in line with their own style of play. Naturally though, the style of a person's instructor has influence on his own style.