I hear Gracie Barra is changing up how they Franchise and open schools.
Good = Bringing BJJ to more people
Bad = McDojo with less quality control.
Thoughts?
Wrong about quality control. If you don't follow the rules, they rip the franchise. There are different levels of franchise, with premium being the best. Premiums must have at least 1 brown belt instructor.
I dont know all the ins and outs, but my room mate owns one so I could get all the info you'd like. 
They will also be serving delicious hot and cold coffee drinks at every location. Sign up for unlimited BJJ and Vendi cups now.
dustyaguas - Wrong about quality control. If you don't follow the rules, they rip the franchise. There are different levels of franchise, with premium being the best. Premiums must have at least 1 brown belt instructor.
I dont know all the ins and outs, but my room mate owns one so I could get all the info you'd like.
I would love some details.
But since when does belt rank = quality?
Seems like Plenty of guys like Barvo, Shields, etc... will just pay and be GB schools now.
So you can open a Gracie Barra premium school now and not be a GB BB?
They're basically 7 - 11.
I was under the impression that before you had to at least be a GB brown or black to own a GB school.
12SixElbow -dustyaguas - Wrong about quality control. If you don't follow the rules, they rip the franchise. There are different levels of franchise, with premium being the best. Premiums must have at least 1 brown belt instructor.
I dont know all the ins and outs, but my room mate owns one so I could get all the info you'd like.
I would love some details.
But since when does belt rank = quality?
Seems like Plenty of guys like Barvo, Shields, etc... will just pay and be GB schools now.
So you can open a Gracie Barra premium school now and not be a GB BB?
They're basically 7 - 11.
I was under the impression that before you had to at least be a GB brown or black to own a GB school.
You actually may be right that you must be ranked under GB. I don't know if this is an official or unofficial title, but there will be regional/state directors. For instance, Fabio Costa takes this role in GA. I doubt he would allow Barvo to own and operate a GB.
I'm pretty sure Barvo was a Checkmat (I think?) affiliate at one point...bad people sometimes creep in but I don't think that makes Checkmat a 7-11 nor a bad team.
I am here in Southern California where GB has hit the hardest. The changes have streamlined the way they do business where each school follows the exact same guidelines, gi rules and promotions standards. Where GB enthusiasts may see this as a positive thing, I don't.
The thing that bothers me the most is the automatic belt promotions based on attendance. Not only do students get promoted based on attendance of minimum of 2x/week, it's extremely fast. 8 months to blue belt, exactly 2 years after to purple on a path to get you to black belt in 5.5 years with regular attendance.
So, even though you may be 'ranked' under Gracie Barra, it does not mean that your skill level is the same as your peers. I noticed a major gap in skill with the students because of this issue. You may have a LEGIT brown belt who trains 6x/week, twice a day on a similar promotion path as a casual Dad who trains 2x/week.
You are misinformed about "automatic" promotions. The attendance/time guidelines are a minimum requirement. Meaning after x amount of time, a student is eligible for the next promotion, not guaranteed a promotion.
mjm345 - You are misinformed about "automatic" promotions. The attendance/time guidelines are a minimum requirement. Meaning after x amount of time, a student is eligible for the next promotion, not guaranteed a promotion.
Exactly. The promotion is at the instructors discretion. The attendance is just a good way to keep track. Not to say it can't and won't be abused, but the attendance card doesn't hand the belt to the individual.
mjm345 - You are misinformed about "automatic" promotions. The attendance/time guidelines are a minimum requirement. Meaning after x amount of time, a student is eligible for the next promotion, not guaranteed a promotion. <img src="/images/phone/apple.png" alt="Phone Post" border="0" style="vertical-align:middle;"/>
I have friends who train at local Gracie Barras and I've seen them get their blue belts at exactly the 8 month mark because of their attendance. They knew exactly when they were going to get promoted and notified me beforehand. I understand that not ALL Gracie Barras are the same but many do follow the 'guidelines' exactly.
I can tell you that if there is an instructor pre scheduling or guaranteeing promotions like that, it is actually violating the GB rules and not what the attendance cards are intended for.
mjm345 - I can tell you that if there is an instructor pre scheduling or guaranteeing promotions like that, it is actually violating the GB rules and not what the attendance cards are intended for.
mjm345 is laying domination. I think 12SixElbow is attempting a small smear campaign.
I'm sure nobody wants to admit that there are automatic belt or stripe promotions, based on attendance.
Even if GB guidelines do not specify this sort of practice, it is clear that more than handful of GB schools do it.
In fact, it would seem completely plausible that this sort of timeline is encouraged, especially given a franchise type model, where you want to get as many students as possible.
I have been told by a very well known and respected black belt (in the GB lineage), that the major reason why his academy blew up in size was that students were able to approximate when they were going to get their next stripes and belts.
Caique has something similar, but it requires a MINIMUM of 1 year to blue, with 3x week attendance of basic classes. You also can get attendance taken away for missing multiple classes, being tardy, etc. You can also attend advanced, but they dont count towards your white belt. Every thirty basic classes you are eligible for a stripe, doesnt guarantee you anything, but at least it gives you a timeline to blue. Im not so worried about it, i just want to learn jiu jitsu from a black belt, and I am happy.
kying418 - I'm sure nobody wants to admit that there are automatic belt or stripe promotions, based on attendance.
Even if GB guidelines do not specify this sort of practice, it is clear that more than handful of GB schools do it.
In fact, it would seem completely plausible that this sort of timeline is encouraged, especially given a franchise type model, where you want to get as many students as possible.
I have been told by a very well known and respected black belt (in the GB lineage), that the major reason why his academy blew up in size was that students were able to approximate when they were going to get their next stripes and belts.
Thank you! I don't look like a crazy person anymore. Lol.
I was more concerned / interested in the allowing non GB folks to open GB gyms.
I am not denying that it is happens. In fact I believe you are 100% telling the truth. I can name several other associations in my area that have done some seriously unscrupulous shit as well with promotions, but I don't think that it is the overall policy of those organizations, just isolated events.
My point is that, while it may get abused, it is not the intent of the attendance cards and minimum requirements. To come on here and make a blanket statement that GB guarantees promotions based on attendance is simply false.
Don't know why I keep debating this everytime it gets brought up. Even though it is in black and white in the GB guidelines and says repeatedly MINIMUM requirements, people continue to twist that to mean anything but what it actually does.
" Carlos Gracie Jr goal is to have a GB school in every city in the world."
LOL @ you coming on here and slagging other instructors and then being part of the biggest McDojo franchise in BJJ.
Everyone wants to be cunty and hate on something. It's not worth discussion.
I now work for GB, about a week or so now. I have been in charge of processing attendance cards. I have been instructed to notify our head instructor when people are eligible, and he decides. He has turned down the overwhelming majority so far, especially the adults.
Actually, we had a Judo BB come up for his purple. The guy is a beast and has well over the minimum time. He deliberated for a good while before he was sure.
At our GB, we follow the guidelines and promotions are still very much at the instructors discretion. 
TalkShowOnMute - I have been instructed to notify our head instructor when people are eligible, and he decides. He has turned down the overwhelming majority so far, especially the adults.
Just out of curiosity - if a person is denied promotion at first eligibility, when are they considered up for promotion again?