20 years ago they were still bashing Rorion and the the Gracie Academy... 
liuk3 - 20 years ago they were still bashing Rorion and the the Gracie Academy...
20 years ago....we were just bashing Rorian! :p
12 -EvilGumby - Bottom line, GU doesn't make people think more highly of Torrance. Instead it makes the general community think less of everything Torrance. By definition that is tearing down the brand.
And as CUO mentions, the Ari scandal made the general community think less of 10th Planet. Only in the last year or so with a few of those guys making an impact on the scene and doing well in tourneys has the brand recovered (in my eyes at least and from what I notice in convos within BJJ groups).
Personally, with all the CTC's and Torrance BS I read I find the notion of training there laughable. If I relocated to the area it wouldn't even make my list of academies to drop in and sample. Now, whether or not I'm waaayy off base for reaching that conclusion, the fact remains that that indicates how far the brand has dropped in my opinion.
My view there is not unique, btw. I've been party to a number of conversations where I've overheard similar sentiments. So the point becomes that the value of the brand has diminished. Having an "official Gracie affiliation" with Torrance is not as valuable of a thing with experienced BJJers as it once was. Newbies who have no clue will always be drawn to the Gracie name as a stamp of legitimacy though. So, the CTC/GU train is best at bringing in money from uneducated or inexperienced consumers.
lets be honest, 99% of this board has thought less of Torrance for the last 20 yrs.it's not a school that any of you would think about signing up at.and that's before this shit storm.
btw ,I don't see anything that has been posted that I could argue.
12 what happen to the students that started at the Gracie Academy in the 90's and earned their black belts before the formation of the Gracie Combatives and the CTC programs. Do these people have to get certified in Gracie Combatives and can they use the Gracie Academy name if they have not gone through GC or instructor program.
I'd hazard a guess that most of those students who started in the 90's with the Gracie Academy who went on to receive their black belts ended up getting their black belts from associations other than the Gracie Academy.
Sgt. Slaphead -LOL. Probably true.liuk3 - 20 years ago they were still bashing Rorion and the the Gracie Academy...
20 years ago....we were just bashing Rorian! :p
Like my friends at Carlson Gracie London say. Best use these CTC knitting groups as feeder clubs. As soon as the right people learn more about the art they will naturally end up at the best schools.
The rest can stay and to their LARPing at the CTC's.
I would like the idea of sending my kids to the Gracie Academy of i lived in the area. 