Creonte!! Mixing Jiu-Jitsu schools

[GoldCoastDojo]

Hello everyone again

I have a short story and a question for all.
When I started learning about BJJ I had bought a tape from a Qi-Gong Magazine it was a Vitor Belfort 6 VHS tape set that had all kinds of Vale Tudo/BJJ drill and stuff on it.

Now I come from a Gung Fu school that is great because it mixes ALL kinds of arts which is a whole other thread. If you are in Gung Fu then you know there has always been a fierce competition between the styles from dif. arts (Karate, Tae Kwon Do) if your from one school than you DON'T train with other schools.

Now it wasnt long after entering the BJJ world that I learned there still exists a very similar form of segregation within the BJJ familys. Carlson Gracie coined the term Creonte when Vitor Belfort left his school to train somewhere else.(don't remember where)

I think a technique is a technique. Give the guy who made it his respect everything else is water under the bridge , let the sport or style evolve and that brings me to my point!

Do any of you mix your BJJ?? I personally am all for it.

I met Jean Jacques and Rigan Machado at a Gung Fu celebrity fund raiser called Dragon Fest.

Moved to Las Vegas, trained with Amilcar Cipili Team Mica. Trained and became friends with Eduardo Telles and Terere formerly from TNT.

Now I live in California where a student of mine gamed me up about Eddie Bravo, smoked some of that 10th Planet krack with Eddie at a seminar last year and now I'm addicted.

From Jean Jacques and Rigan to Team Mica and Telles all the way back to Eddie and all the 10th Planet Family. I believe in Synchronicity does any body esle have a mixed heritage??

[AJ]

Out of necessity I have mixed my BJJ although now I just consider it all as "grappling". I first got addicted to BJJ at Renato Magno's gym in Santa Monica but moved and quite for a few years.

When I moved to the Midwest the small town I live in did not have any kind of training facility. I rolled a few times with local MMA fighters but nothing substantial to build from. Then a Shingitai Jujitsu gym opened up across the street from me. Though they are more focused on Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Sambo, and wrestling; grappling is still grappling and I've been there since.

The only major ideological difference is that we don't have the presumed context of using moves within in a BJJ tournament.

[GoldCoastDojo]

that's awesome bro. Are you getting better at your new school? If your training feels right that's all that matters for you right? thanks for the reply!!

[AJ]

Yes... one of the downsides of training at a sports BJJ school in Los Angeles is that your takedowns are a mess due to a lack of mat space.

Judo and wrestling are major components of my new gym so though there might be a lack of modern BJJ newaza finese at my gym it compensates with the inclusion of takedowns and Sambo.

[Ghosted3]

I have not had the pleasure of training under so many different instructors and schools, but it would have to be a good thing. Look at it like this. Machado is a master of the basics, Telles is the master of the turtle guard, sounds like a match made in heaven right there. Add in some Bravo ground game, and the others you listed and you will be golden.

Times have changed and "school jumpers" are not frowned upon as they were 10+ years ago.

[Otto]

Speaking as a "school jumper" or a style jumper, it has it's good points and it's bad.
I think anyone lucky enough to have a good dojo and really good instructors for a long period of time is so far ahead of the game it's not even funny.
But just enjoy the journey, that's all that counts.

[ATrain11267]

I think any time you have the chance to learn at a new school go for it. Training with new people really exposes the holes in your game. As far as mixing styles, the more tools in the tool box the better, right??

[AJ]

Speaking as a "school jumper" or a style jumper, it has it's good points and it's bad.
I think anyone lucky enough to have a good dojo and really good instructors for a long period of time is so far ahead of the game it's not even funny.
But just enjoy the journey, that's all that counts.

Agreed... I hope to do some traveling via martial arts. Using a short stint at a gym as a way to look and experience a new city or town.

[Otto]

Agreed... I hope to do some traveling via martial arts. Using a short stint at a gym as a way to look and experience a new city or town.

It's a fun journey, you'll have great experiences and learn a bootload. I haven't kept track in many years, and I don't travel like I used to, but I've trained in well over a hundred dojos.
Got a friendly ass kicking in most of em'. :)

First thing I always did traveling through a new place was grab the Yellow Pages and look up Martial Arts.
Met some great folks, shared lots of laughter, and learned different approaches to a lot of things.

Only wish I had collected school patches or t-shirts. Would've been fun to look back on.

[younwha]

I've heard so many different opinions on this and all sides have their merits... Personally I think it's important to learn as much as possible, but keep sure that you practice your base as much as possible when it comes to mixing styles. As far as training at different schools I think that's a must. A lot of people recommend tourneys ... personally I think it's even better to train at another school from time to time.

A lot of instructors will tell you to be good at what you do, and eventually that's all you'll need. Look at some of the BJJ guys, years and years of practice, with no other martial art training, and that's all they need, it works for them. I think the same can be argued for a striker - however it's a dangerous situation when you come upon someone who is really good in many aspects. So in this day in age, I personally find it important to mix styles. And again I emphasize on not forgetting your base. Be comfortable with other arts, but let your own be part of your body.