What Happened To The Gracies?

[Mako]

Here are a few differences I see in both theory and application from Sak's style and GJJ ("Pure Water")


- Cartwheel guard passes (yes, I know other BJJ guys do
this)

- Jumping stomps over the open guard

- Giving the back in order to work other submissions

Also, there are very few BJJ techniques that weren't/aren't found in Kodokan Judo. The difference is in the fighting strategy (focus on ne-waza rather than tachi-waza), not application (armbars, chokes, positions are identical).

In the same manner, Sak doesn't pull a lot of different techniques, but the focus (not being afraid to "turtle", the focus on the Kimura lock, etc.) I think seperate him, markedly, from BJJ.

I totally agree though, the original stregth of BJJ (being open to combining the best aspects of Judo, JJ, Freestyle and GrecoRoman wrestling) made it a great art. Once visited by greatness, they (whether through marketing themselves into a corner, or arrogance) have now shut themselves off.
This has put them in the original boat of the arts they surpassed. The fighters that beat the gracies are beating them the same way that the gracies beat everyone before. Being open, and growing.

[Bau13]

DONT FORGET THE LETHAL WEAPON FIGHT SCENE!!

[stusskilla]

Royce is hard to beat, but the point is he also cant beat anyone else. They just end up battling for position the whole time, and by the time the match is over, I'm asleep

[Bahala Na]

Royce would probably kick my ass...

The significance of what the Gracie family contributed, and continues to contribute, is evidenced by just how much people try to build on, refine, and counter what they do. Let's face it, if there weren't something amazing to them, it wouldn't be such a big deal to beat one of them. You can say that a guy beat Vitor Belfort, or that Sperry lost, or that Ken Shamrock got beat, and while it's a big deal, it'll never get the press that a gracie loss will. That's because they are hard to beat, and everyone knows that.
Mike

[sccr06]

I have to ask this question...I always hear about "new" tecniques coming out of Brazil. I haven't actually seen any of them since most of the seminars I have been to are geared more towards basic or intermediate stuff but I have to ask if these are really<<<>>>techniques?

We all know that the Gracies evolved from Japanese Judo and really, how many ways are there, physically, that you can choke or armlock a person? Do you think there is really a body movement that a longtime practicioner hasn't done or thought of yet?

It just seems to me that grappling of any kind is somewhat limited since there are only a certain number of ways 2 humans can maneuver against each other.

[Bau13]

I think the "new " techniques are more like set-ups to get into a sub...y'know...series of moves to get into this and that etc...

[Tony10]

...or maybe just refinements, if the techniques themselves aren't necessarily "new." I hear you.

[sccr06]

yeah...that makes sense.

[Andrew]

I think Lac is right. At UFC 1, everyone expected one thing but saw another. Even that legend of the fighting world Jim Brown said "Fighting is not what we thought it was". That from no less an authority than Jim Brown!!!
Sak is good and has beaten 4 Gracies now and it would seem has the tools to keep going. He fights to his strengths and does it well.
Will this keep going? Who knows? But you can guarantee that the Gracie family will work harder on a way to finish him quicker than the time it took for himto beat Royce and Renzo.

Oh and Mako...The jacket Rocks!!