Has anyone trained at the Gracie academy in Torrace? What was your experience?
I would love to train there some day after watching all the clips with Rorions sons and the Gracie combatves 
I just trained there last week for the first time. Great place. It's an awesome facility. The instruction is top notch. Very detailed. Everything is explained in an easy to understand way and questions are welcomed as well. Rener and Ralek walked around and watched everyone drilling the moves to make corrections or had people do the moves on them so they could feel if it was correct or not.
I got some good rolling in as well. It was a lunch class so the technique portion lasted the hour and then the people that had to get back to work left and half the people stayed to roll. Had some fun rolls and nobody acted stiff or put off by me as an 'outsider' (which has happened to me at schools I have visited in the past). The 'try to kill the new guy' attitude didn't seem to be present. All of the guys I rolled with a great fundamentals. Very good base, posture, and technique from everyone I rolled with or saw roll. Rener even called me over to roll with him which was cool.
Everyone there was very friendly and welcoming. Showing up as a higher belt that just moved to town (or is just visiting) can get some interesting reactions at some schools. I was treated like that had been my home school for the last 10 years and not the first day I walked in the place. As someone looking for a new school to train at I couldn't have asked for a better first impression.
I train there and you won't be disappointed. The academy is full of positive vibes, respect and you will feel like family. Hope to see you soon.. RESPECT!
I train there often when I'm up in the Torrance area, been doing so since 1998, though I train with the Checkmat team, I'll never give up also training at Torrance, most detailed instructions I've ever get. All the students are totally welcoming and there is a variety of people to train with from the serious to the business type.
Highly recommend training there.
Cool! Thanks for replying, hope to go there some day!
Would definitely love to spend a few months there. Big fan of Ryron and Rener.
I trained at the Gracie Academy for a year. I did the combatives and I loved it! The instruction is incredible and the atmosphere is very friendly and positive. The only reason I did not renew my contract was because it is so far away. It is over an hour away from my house and about 40 minutes away from my work. I used to train there after work and about a month after joining they changed the class times and it made it really difficult for me to get to class on time. Otherwise, I would train there forever. Trust me, if you train there you will love it!
The only negative that I can think of is the front office staff. Since it is such a large academy it definitely has a business feel to it. Do not expect them to remember your name. In fact, when I missed class for a month because my mother was on hospice and was dying, I got a call from the staff to see why I had not been there for several weeks. As soon as I started to explain, she immediately cut me off and told me that she was just checking to see if I was coming back. She made it very clear that she was not interested and was just doing a job that she was required to do. Left a sour taste in my mouth about the office staff.
Other then that, definitely one of the best academies in the world!!
"The only negative that I can think of is the front office staff. Since it is such a large academy it definitely has a business feel to it. Do not expect them to remember your name. In fact, when I missed class for a month because my mother was on hospice and was dying, I got a call from the staff to see why I had not been there for several weeks. As soon as I started to explain, she immediately cut me off and told me that she was just checking to see if I was coming back. She made it very clear that she was not interested and was just doing a job that she was required to do. Left a sour taste in my mouth about the office staff.'
sent ,that shit wont happend again.
sorry to hear about your mother.
From their website it looks like the max you can train there is only 2x per week.
I tried to set up a private with one of the brothers when I was in LA last year. Wasn't able to make it happen due to their schedules and mine, but the office staff was awesome, very cordial and responsive. I will definitely plan things better next time I travel to LA and train there for sure.
It's unfortunate the GA staff couldn't have been more sympathetic (having your mom die isn't easy) but they are aren't qualified grief therapists or paid to be. People who don't know you don't necessarily want to hear about your personal life particularly if it is bad and their isn't anything they can do about it.I'm not being critical or sarcastic, that's just reality. In other words, I wouldn't hold that against Rorion or his kids (not that you did, just saying). In a case like that, speaking for myself only, I would just say I had personal issues and couldn't make it in but I would when I could.
would love to go to that academy
keseki - It's unfortunate the GA staff couldn't have been more sympathetic (having your mom die isn't easy) but they are aren't qualified grief therapists or paid to be. People who don't know you don't necessarily want to hear about your personal life particularly if it is bad and their isn't anything they can do about it.I'm not being critical or sarcastic, that's just reality. In other words, I wouldn't hold that against Rorion or his kids (not that you did, just saying). In a case like that, speaking for myself only, I would just say I had personal issues and couldn't make it in but I would when I could.
its rorions company,he will look into it.all the girl had to do was listen for 1 min.its the right thing to do,she called him
i hear they rarely spar there (1x/week). is taht true?
ultimatestreetfighter - i hear they rarely spar there (1x/week). is taht true?
no
bfpsu - From their website it looks like the max you can train there is only 2x per week.
That isn't the max, that is the lowest level plan. They also have a 3x a week plan and an unlimited plan.
Oldcop - The only negative that I can think of is the front office staff. Since it is such a large academy it definitely has a business feel to it. Do not expect them to remember your name.
Do you mean do not expect the front office staff to remember your name or do not expect anyone to remember your name? The front office staff I wouldn't be surprised about, people rarely interact with them, but all the instructors seem to go out of their way to know who you are.
12 helped me attend a class when I was in town. Ryron taught and it was great. He also asked me to roll, and my feeling is that he will be surprising a lot of people at the upcoming Gracie tournament.
Before class I met Roriond, who was extremely friedly. When I told him that I began my training with Rickson, he smiled and said "Welcome home."
I have been training for 18+ years and have trained at several of the top BJJ academies in the US, Brazil, Japan, and elsewhere. The Gracie Academy was as good as any (and better than many) academy I have ever been to in terms of both instruction and atmosphere.
***its rorions company,he will look into it.all the girl had to do was listen for 1 min.its the right thing to do,she called him**
You're probably right. But when Rorion hires girls to do this by the numbers kind of telephone thing, he will then have to also specify, "if people start talking about their family members who are dying, you should (choose one) A-listen sympathetically for exactly one minute and then stop B-listen until they stop talking C-use your own discretion".
It is going to be hard to hire people to do this at the prices most businesses are willing to pay.
At minimum, he's going to have to pay more because not many people enjoy listening to other people's, let alone strangers', personal tragedies. Then, I suspect there would eventually be law suits over malpractice (not giving the right amount of listening, not offering appropriate advice, whatever), or counseling without a license. Or whatever a smart lawyer can think of.
The office staff, I guess, is probably paid near minimum wage, to do exactly as she is told to do and has no incentive to do anything more than that, and probably, an incentive to do exactly that, as improvising, if it turns out wrong, would cost her in some way without any compensating benefit (for being a good listener, for example).
Also (might not be the case here) a lot of these types of things are done by outsourced call centers, some based in India, where cultural expectations are different from in America. many people anywhere, for that matter, are at a loss when people start talking about deaths of their family members.
Of course, she could have just said "I'm sorry to hear about your mom. We hope to see you again when you are able to." That would be ok, but raises the possibility that the person would then want to keep talking, and then would have to be cut off, and would then feel slighted and would then complain.
I sympathize with anyone who has lost a mom, but I don't think the office girl or Rorion did anything particularly wrong in this case.
I'd have to admit the front desk staff isnt very welcoming can't say they do anything wrong. Lets just imagine Rener's Renergy and their the exact opposite !!!