Belt Lineage in BJJ Doesn't Matter

Does your BJJ belt lineage really matter if you plan to teach?
Of course this is my opinion, but assuming that your belt lineage is legitimate. I really don't think it matters as many people think.
As a young coach who was a brown belt. I had an obscure Brazilian Jiu-jitsu lineage for most. But I was still able to be successful in competitions and as a coach.
I've grown a gym that's nearly 10000 sq ft and has hundreds of people training.
I accomplished this not with my really cool belt lineage. But because I was very much invested in the success of my students and my drive to help them.
Now, all that said, I think lineage can be important in a few cases. But if you're someone who is looking to become a Brazilian Jiujitsu coach or instructor.
I think your belt lineage is less important when compared to who you are as a person and how you teach your students.
-Chewy
-----------------
Free Ebook: www.chewjitsu.n...
Video Courses and Products: www.chewjitsu.n...
T shirts: www.chewjitsu.n...
/ chewjitsu
/ chewjitsu
/ chewjitsu
Intro/Outtro Music : bknapp.bandcam...
If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville,KY.

[@GJJPete]

Helio Gracie > KZbin > Instagram > Me

[@mansondevil33]

I can trace my turning side kick directly to Joe Rogan.

[@oscarmendozaiii6769]

DAM!

[@juanmejiagomez5514]

That’s crazy man, my Dmt traces directly to Joe Rogan as well

[@balooojeffersong4234]

Right on

[@bobnewman6196]

I can trace my pulling that up directly to young Jamie

[@sdaiwepm]

Blasphemy. If I can't trace my wrist locks back to Jigoro Kano, who am I in this world?

[@Vee4481]

🤣🤣🤣

[@Nick-vg1gu]

I can trace my wrist locks back to the Steven Seagall.

[@jreneau6441]

I'm Batman

[@scottmcbeth5731]

I'm sparticus

[@FR-ty5vn]

Les IsMore you guys are hysterical 😭

[@karmanyngje4907]

As a student you just have to ask yourself one question. Is my jiu jitsu getting better? If the answer is yes, then your coach is doing their job.

[@davidg.5891]

karma nyngje I started 8 months ago and was tapped out 100 percent of the time Now I only get tapped out 80 percent of time I tapped out blue belt with guard Kimura last week

[@davidg.5891]

I will never get beyond blue as I am over 40 with zero grappling exp but due to great coaches , ytube , practicing on my own with my invisible man I am happy from being the worst white belt to a now average white belt!! I feel by end of 2020 I can reach blue level as my commitment is 95 percent . My prior Martial arts was 4 years of Krav and MT

[@davidg.5891]

Rukh I appreciate that but I just don’t have the ability to get beyond blue

[@lionmartialartsacademy276]

I always ask myself just one question...”Do I feel lucky? Well? Do you punk?” Then I’m ready to go!

[@tommytaylor2799]

I agree, I hope I am fortunate to find a good coach.

[@stanchen6726]

Anytime he says "lineage" take a shot of acai.

[@gjahmato8704]

"Açai"

[@SatoshiEK]

@@gjahmato8704 "Açaí"

[@aaronrichardson5619]

*takes several shots *

[@denisesuastegui263]

As long as they are a good coach and are legitimate then who cares

[@iansinclair6256]

How do you know if they are legit without knowing the lineages?

[@AstralS7orm]

If you know what to look for, then look for it training and cleaning, next the technique or fight evidence. Lineage check is for when something else is weird or wrong or you don't know anything martial.

[@cjohnson3836]

@@iansinclair6256 If they are skilled, and if their students are skilled, then they're legit. Lineage means fuck all to legitimacy.

[@ndshreddermn]

My name is also Randy and I approve of this message.

[@NeanderthalRadio]

Here's the thing though, bjj is becoming more popular and theres big tkd and karate schools all of trying to rebrand themselves as MMA and BJJ schools. I'm a blue belt from a competition school in L.A., and when I traveled to a town in texas I stopped by the only bjj school they had (rest were karate), and I tapped everyone. The thing was, I wasnt being an animal, I was being respectful and flowing, but I couldn't not catch a submission. I caught a brown belt 4 times before I just played defense. I had the only black belt in lockdown for 3 mins just seeing what he would do. Honestly, I could've marked him, but didn't have the heart. It was like he'd never experienced that in his life. Afterwards everyone was like, hey you're incredible, blah blah blah. Now, I more less always place in competition, but I didn't have the heart to tell them that I struggle with my schools purple belts, the brown belts whoop my ass, and black belts play with me... lineage matters, especially if its some affiliate mcdojo shit... I get what your saying, you're legit, so your students dont have to worry if the lineage traces to helio, but if the black belt has never competed and got his belts from a traveling "affiliate instructor" putting on a $150 per person seminar, then you better look into that shit.

[@brandonbelew]

“Randy”, is a name I can’t help but to pronounce with a Brazilian accent.

[@jehrycomiranda2211]

brandonbelew lol 😂😂😂

[@AbdulHakim-rk7df]

'Haandy'

[@0MG.Youtube]

This is really helpful to hear. We are having issues of this nature at our current gym and this is reassuring advice

[@brandonwarren4349]

thank you for this I'm in works to open my open gym I'm a 4 stripe purple belt my brother is going to be doing it with me he is almost a black belt I like your outlook on this.

[@slimelord314]

Renato Tavares is my professor's professor! That's so cool man I didn't know you were under him

[@Chewjitsu]

I received my Black Belt from him. I'm currently under Shawn Hammonds.

[@slimelord314]

@@Chewjitsu right on brother. Love the channel!

[@kaikkimoi]

You guys are almost relatives :)

[@slimelord314]

@@kaikkimoi uncle chewy haha

[@thebluecollarhero]

My schools under him, he gave my coach his BB 🤙🏻

[@bodhitree33]

Renato Laranja lineage is no joke...

[@yusuffparak2033]

Do not take the name of uncle henatch in vain

[@bodhitree33]

Porra

[@mr.h4880]

The legend himself!!!

[@leocostigan6961]

Thatch a trutch rightch there. He hab chwenty cheven win. Dats a good teacher

[@codyshields92]

Fuck caralho watch it bud

[@s216674]

Good video. I do think that lineage can be important, particularly if someone is looking for a particular style of jiu-jitsu. Having said, that, I totally agree with the spirit of your video that the quality of the coach and the vibe of the school is more important. The first place I really trained was exactly like you described. Perfectly pure lineage, but the instructor was on the phone texting half of the class, never had a plan or followed a curriculum, etc. Every night it was just sort of "what do you guys want to work on tonight?" So yes, I would definitely take the better coach as well, and happily I have that now.

[@thekingofwristlocks5894]

If you want to know if your belt is legit go and do a few comps you'll soon find out

[@NeanderthalRadio]

This is the truth right here.

[@leoncomino4638]

Disagree, the true way you will find out if you're belt is legit in BJJ is when you get jumped in the street, and you have 5 seconds to close distance and nullify the situation with your Jiu Jitsu whilst the attacker throws hail Mary's...until you've been in this situation you truly have no idea how legit your martial art or your belt is. Peace bro

[@thekingofwristlocks5894]

@@leoncomino4638 that's miles easier then competing against your peers most white belts in bjj would wrestle fuck the shit out of 99% of people throwing haymakers

[@thekingofwristlocks5894]

@Rukh have you wrestled most bjj guys? Otherwise how would you know and It generally depends on the gym tbf

[@handsomeawkward1822]

I don’t do jujitsu and I have no desire to ever start, but I could listen to this guy talk about it all day.

[@supernalbjj]

as a former gym owner and coach, and a veteran of intergym politics, my advice is this. train at a place with active competitors that do well, they dont have to be the best, but if they are active you will be learning things that work from people who use what they teach whether bjj or mma, thats it, brands dont mean a thing, as long as you like the vibe where you train, and they are legit sportsman who compete, the rest is up to you, have fun. that said if you are a serious competitor then the right coach who gives you all his time and energy and a bunch of world class training partners is invaluable if you can find it. lineage is nothing but a gimmick results are everything.

[@Skycop24]

This video really puts alot into perspective for me. I'm new in jiu jitsu and was kind of curious about the lineage of my gym's black belt. Now I see that as long as he has my best interest and progression in mind it really doesn't matter.

[@Jmnp08]

Another fantastic post. Chewy is a beast! Amazing skills and philosophy. Too bad everyone in BJJ isn't at this level as a human and instructor.

[@sammydanger7287]

I joined 10th planet in Portland Oregon. Not only is it modeled after Eddie bravos style, but he has an amazing lineage himself with Jean Jacques machado. That’s not why I joined though. The atmosphere and learning style is what made me chose that gym. It’s nothing but love, laughs, and hard work. Chose the gym that is going to motivate you to show up every day that you can. It’s not work if you enjoy doing it

[@mrarturmeireles]

Talk about Fadda jiu-jitsu... So people can learn about this amazing Lineage too

[@Crystals10000]

i respect a good attentive professor ( like my own) who makes sure we learn correctly thats what matters to me

[@gojuboxer4224]

Chewy, First of all let me say...YOU ARE AWESOME. I love your content!!!! As a life long, but former traditional karate practitioner, I have found with Jiu-Jitsu that the authenticity of an instructor, or practitioner, can be determined by simply rolling with the person.

[@SuperKayable]

Reason why I picked the school I did was because it is a Royce Gracie school. My instructor learns directly from Royce and Royce visits our dojo a few times a year. I just liked the clarity and background of where my education was coming from.

[@sanshoryu]

SuperKayable JW is this in magnolia Texas?

[@SuperKayable]

@@sanshoryu Illinois

[@0713mas]

According to Matt Serra, Royce is not even a black belt! Apparently he's just a really good bluebelt.

[@ryanrizley2955]

@@0713mas 😂

[@Judothrow5]

Legit, i didn't know that was a thing people cared about.

[@jjpop24]

I trained with a blackbelt that has a very well known and great lineage but he wasn’t a good coach and I ended up leaving his gym along with others. It’s all about the coach and if you connect with their style and you will change it to fit your style as you progress.

[@clantonaw]

Lineage suggests credibility and skills, but it doesn't guarantee it.

[@jesusthroughmary]

But 20 years from now people will be legit if they can trace their lineage back to Chewy.

[@therewill1584]

they can now, he's a legitimate instructor. what's your point?

[@jesusthroughmary]

@@therewill1584 But he doesn't yet have black belts under him who have black belts under them who have black belts under them.

[@therewill1584]

@@jesusthroughmary what that have to do with legitimacy?

[@jesusthroughmary]

@@therewill1584 That's... kind of the point of the video?

[@rickya9206]

@@therewill1584 it has to do with lineage which is the point of both the video and original comment

[@saitama8571]

You can't have a belt lineage if you don't use belts. Nogi for life!

[@Jimmy-iy9pl]

Instructor lineage.

[@EazyAdland]

Starting BJJ in a few months when I move to the city thanks to you. Great video, dude. Loving it.

[@Banetheshelterdog]

Me and my brother start Thursday

[@EazyAdland]

Madison Wallen Good luck. :)

[@Toolbox138]

In a few months? Start now

[@davidg.5891]

BEERSCO 138 Few months is nothing I started at age 42 !!!!

[@Toolbox138]

Ive always worked as if your ever going to do something start working on it now.

[@mikeclark1727]

Agree 100%, great advice.

[@TapPaires]

The gym I used to train at previously was very much about their lineage. To be fair, it was a nice place to train at. The environment was very good (people would be more than happy to help you out figuring out technique) At my current gym, I have no idea about the lineage nor do I care. All I know they're really good at competitions, and the teaching is top notch. What does it matter WHO taught your coach? What should matters is how good they got, and how good they are at passing that knowledge forward to you.

[@jav.angel1205]

Really enjoyed this video and your perspective! As a aspiring instructor I really appreciated your thoughts. Made think of what really matters. Thank you..you are awesome!

[@samuraisteve2775]

Lineage means a lot in terms of what is being taught and does say a lot about the style. At the same time, nothing is more important than a coach who cares and I agree.

[@colinwaring5249]

Fortunately for me I’m getting my belts these days from Leo Vieira so I don’t need to lose any sleep over this, but having a coach that is knowledgeable and caring is incredibly important. Said coach doesn’t need a fancy name or a lot of hardware. Teaching and coaching are an art on their own, and I’ve seen plenty of “lineage” guys who suck at both.

[@Daniel5225BR]

Back in 2012, my professor left Brazil to live in the US. I was about 13. As a yellow belt, I felt unmotivated and could not enjoy the new teachers class. I was weak. I quit BJJ. That, to this day, is my biggest regret. That change my whole perspective about the way I live my life. Now, after getting the gynecomastia surgery, I’ll get back on the mats, no matter what, and I’m getting my black belt.

[@davidg.5891]

Daniel Albert Yes you will , you’re only 18 !! I am 42 and my goal is only blue

[@Amoudasi]

Just a heads up in the description it says you had a 10 sq ft gym. Anyways good stuff keep the videos coming!

[@Chewjitsu]

😂Our gym is HUGE! We've got one mat in there and have to take turns rolling. Thanks for the heads up on the typo brother.

[@a053303]

My coach was a third degree black belt under Flavio Behring, one of the few red belts out there. So I guess lineage was pretty ok. Two years ago my coach quit the affiliation as he was sick of the over-commercialized BS (you have to attend this and this seminar, you have to pay such and such, you have to buy the gis and rashguard, etc...) It's all business and politics. Train where you feel good, where you are supported, where the level of teaching and technique is good, where you see both hardcore competitors and recreational training alongside, where there are woman and kids classes etc.... that's worth a whole lot more than a piece of paper on the wall with fancy stamps and signatures. So relax guys, it's not a Harvard degree and the 'professor' is not really a professor. Agree with Chewy here

[@mariomartinex9843]

Marshall - Bravo - Machado - Gracie 💪 That heavy lineage....

[@bjjjudo7415]

This post is certainly going to rub some people the wrong way. Thanks for speaking the truth on the matter.

[@Jbzero999]

I have a ton of stories about "big names" in jiu jitsu doing half assed privates, and generally being bad coaches and worse human beings. Doesn't matter how many gold medals someone has, or what their last name is, or who tied on their black belt. They're either a good coach or not.

[@denisl2760]

Right. Just because you have top notch elite skills does not guarantee you'll be a good coach. It's completely possible that someone can earn a black belt but have 0 coaching experience. It's rare, most black belts like teaching and are good at it, but some aren't. You see this alot in universities. Professors who are mostly focused on their own research but are forced to teach some classes, and you can tell they don't want to be there.

[@Mendleson]

Thought that chewy broke that down nicely.

[@AlexWehpunkt]

Don't know if it is your prefered way (or even a option) to ask a question here, but there's something that keeps me awake. I moved from a bigger city (>1 mio.) to a small community, 70k People, only one gym. Me, as a blue belt with about 6 years of experience, happened to find myself highest ranking in the gym and suddenly, I'm coaching. I love it, to digg deeper and deeper into the moves I know, to teach them another detail here and there. I love to share my little knowledge. And here is the thing: How do I become better at BJJ if I'm not the student anymore? OC, I get better and better at the moves I know, and there is always a Video (for example from you) that brings new possibilityies into the mind, but what about the "big picture"? Hope you understand my problem, looking forward to your suggestion (and to those of the community too, of course!) Thanks a lot, Alex from germany

[@martysanchez8894]

How far are you from the closest gym with higher belts? You might want to visit other gyms just to roll and learn from other people, even if it's only once in awhile or when you have the time to do it.

[@brucewilliams464]

I love you channel, always great stuff on here. If you answered this in the past I apologize. I know you covered should you lose your rank/belt at a new gym but what if I haven’t trained in like 15 years. I was a purple belt under Relson Gracie and due to multiple surgeries I had to stop training. None of the surgeries were because of jiujitsu, mostly lifting weights. 2 torn rotators and a hip replacement. Anyway I want to start training again at a different gym and I know I can’t roll at purple belt level and I would be totally fine starting at white belt. I’m not in it for the belts anyway but I don’t want to wear a purple belt and get smoked by blue belts or even white and people talk shit cuz I have a purple belt on. Thanks for all you info on your channel.

[@gustotron]

I love all the beats playing in the beginning of your videos and podcasts! Who is the artist?

[@RyanJamesOfficial]

Belts don’t matter. They only matter to people who can’t handle the emotional stress of not having a progress marker. We are obsessed with seeing our progress represented in physical means when really… You should just train.

[@davidg.5891]

Ryan James I do no gi only and will always be a zero belt

[@RyanJamesOfficial]

David G. There is a lot more humility in the gyms that don’t have belts I find. The ironic thing is that in Brazilian jujitsu practitioners act like they’re monks, until you have a lower belt than them and you give them a run for their money. Then the ego comes out in full effect. I’ve seen it time and time again in Brazilian jujitsu. I have 10 years in kickboxing gyms, and 10 years in a Bjj club and there is far more humility amongst the people who punch and kick each than the grapplers who wear the belts

[@davidg.5891]

Ryan James Do u train Bjj , too ???

[@RyanJamesOfficial]

David G. Yessir 😊. And I’m by no means hating on belts, I’m just commenting on something I’m noticing about the psychology around them in the gyms

[@humann6831]

@@RyanJamesOfficial Spot on! I remember being on forums and in gyms when these BJJ monks would say "belts don't matter" and the tired old " a belt only covers 2 inches of your ass blah blah blah ...." Then when Gracie university started giving out belts for online training those same BJJ monks were "WHATT!?? THE BELT IS SACRED!! HOW DARE THEY! MY BELT CAME DIRECTLY FROM ZEUS!! ITS MORE PRECIOUS THAN MY FAMILY!!" 😭😭😭😭 I'm not condoning the whole online belt thing btw, it's just funny to see the faux-zen mentality you see in some BJJ folks. Do something that they don't like and that veneer slips very quick and they can become emotional, hypocritical wrecks lol.

[@stevepriest7341]

Lineage is important to insure the person is an actual Black Belt in Brazilian Jujitsu. There have been fake Black Belts in the Kempo Community. There is even a Kempo system that is "fake" made up

[@breedingpitmetal]

well that shit don't roll in BJJ because we actually fucking spar and compete and when someone is fake he will get bundled up and exposed in no time

[@stevena3333]

The right answer is that it depends on Ryan’s opinion of wether or not the lineage matters. If you have one, you’re proud of it and happy to have one, if you don’t, then your answer is “flat out, no, it doesn’t matter”. It matters to a lot of people for sure. It’s subjective I think.

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

I LOLed at this one. I know two names in BJJ, Gracie and Chewjitsu. (I find these Q&A vids interesting, even though I clearly don't know squat about the world of BJJ!)

[@fabioverissimo1033]

I have a great lineage, My coach is alexandre machado he was a carlos gracie student and is a 4th degree BB under him

[@OneNvrKnoz]

Totally agree, however I think that verifiable lineage is important. There are a lot of crooks out there! As long as I can research and see where my professor got his black belt and/or competed, that should be good enough.

[@iorekby]

I also remember about 8 or 9 years ago there was all this commotion about who gave Chris Brennan his black belt. As if a guy who subbed 19 people in pro MMA matches and tapped out UFC fighter Mac Danzig (who himself had subbed numerous BJJ black belts) in a submission match wasn't legit.

[@JMOLINA131313]

Lineage has lost some importance as BJJ has matured, but it was important in the beginning. It still matters is some parts of the country where you have a lot of schools. If I was in large metropolitan area where I had many options and one of them was with a black belt under Rickson for example, guess where I am going. The other factor would be how successful the instructor was in competition. Good lineage + good competitor are a huge plus for selecting a school.

[@gratificationgaming4314]

This video makes me feel so lucky. I know my lineage and it's not a bad lineage, my professor is a 2nd degree jean jacques BB. But he doesnt just stick to Jean jacques he brings other BB from all over to offer their moves and he still learns just like we do. The bond is great the people are great and the professor doesnt goof around on his phone he tells everyone to get off their phone. He spends time on the Matt with his students and he targets what ever we need to work on. Like for awhile our ground game was going really good but then we realized our takedowns were like non existent. So now we do pure take down drills. Like it makes me happy to know I dont need to seek out some Gracie place or a 10th planet studio. Like I think it's cool to visit but once you find an HQ that's home baby.

[@theodorewurz8424]

In my case, in my art of Catch Wrestling, I'm so lucky that I have both a direct lineage to great Catch Wrestlers (Karl Gotch, Gene Lebell, Yori Nakamura, Larry Hartsell, Erik Paulson) directly through my coach but also a great coach who is a great guy and I love to train with. I feel like I hit the jackpot, makes me feel guilty if I miss a session because I appreciate how great our gym is.

[@davidg.5891]

Theodore Wurz You are a master of neck Cranks , spine locks and leg locks

[@theodorewurz8424]

@@davidg.5891 I'm not a master of anything, but yes I used a lot of neck cranks and toe holds. Those are my main submissions.

[@davidg.5891]

Theodore Wurz Cache wrestling is scary stuff We never do those moves ever !!! I have watched several videos on toe holds like “toe holds galore “ great stuff

[@davidg.5891]

Bjj its a ton of chokes , shoulder and arm and I guess that is enough for me as I don’t want my neck to be cranked or my knee being broken

[@theodorewurz8424]

@@davidg.5891 It's not so scary, but it is rougher than you're average Bjj class. It is wrestling, basically. Erik Paulson likes to call it "Jiu Jitsu on steroids". It is kind of like that. It is meaner and more aggressive, but not more so than High School wrestling. Basically it is like High School wrestling but with submissions. Its pretty intense, but we don't go 100% every single time, unless we are training for a competition. We're an MMA school, so our gym is already more intense than a Bjj place. I love all the grappling arts and I cross train a lot in Bjj. Its just another flavor. Some like Jazz, some like rock. Both Bjj and Catch can make you an effective grappler. Bjj in my experience, makes people slicker, Catch, makes people more direct and go for the kill. Both arts are still position before submission (regardless of what people say), but they tend to focus on different positions and Catch, like HS wrestling, is more about riding, pinning and breaking someone down than it is about taking the back with the hooks in or securing the mount.

[@lionmartialartsacademy276]

Yes. Yes. Yes. 1000000 times yes! And the blue mats look AWESOME!

[@Hekilikaua]

I understand what you're saying, but I think we need to be careful with the way it's being said. And what I mean is that as students of jiu-jitsu, it's our job to ensure that we are gate keepers so that jiu jitsu doesn't become watered down like so many other popularized martial arts before us. This means only giving rank when it's truly earned, kicking out the knuckleheads, and knowing where you came from (lineage). I'm just concerned that more people heard, "fuck lineage" than they did the part where you said, "as long as it comes from a legit instructor." Legit is defined by the work and rewarded by your professor. Anyway, great content as always Chewie!

[@faber8251]

As long as BJJ competitors continue competing in MMA and sport BJJ, that seems unlikely. Other traditional martial arts allowed space for BS teachers because of the decline of full-contact competitions. That's why some karate disciplines, like Kyokushin, still produce legit kickboxers and others, like generic American strip mall karate, do not. It's also why Judo has remained a legit martial art through the decades. It gives teachers incentive not to give unearned belt promotions, because it's not a good look if another school's blue belt (or whatever the karate equivalent is) is tuning up your black belts. As long as there's a widespread platform where people test and display their skills against other people who are actively trying to beat them, the art is alive and well.

[@Hekilikaua]

@@faber8251 Really well said! Asterisk on Judo though, as it is becoming watered down with the fairly recent rule changes where you can't grab the legs, etc. But, as you mentioned, it in no way resembles that of TKD or Karate.

[@humann6831]

Lineage can be useful too in helping new students detect frauds. There was a guy a while back from Illinois I think who promoted himself to black belt lol. The guy had some previous training, but to a brand new student it might be very hard to tell if you are in a legit school or not straight away. As stated I think lineage can help with that. I also think for a new student lineage can help identify the BJJ culture in a certain school before hand so they can find the right place. For example: *Gracie Humaita school* : Probably going to be a lot of self defence focus. *Carlson Gracie School* : Probably going to be very competitive and a focus on comps. *10th Planet School* : Probably going to be entirely no-gi. I know that's generalising a bit but it can be helpful for students to get an idea of what they are in for.

[@m5a1stuart83]

@@humann6831 every school has their own focus.

[@humann6831]

@@m5a1stuart83 For sure, as I'd mentioned. For anyone starting out it's good to find a school that matches with your goals.

[@LenonFordMMA]

Maeda through Bravo.. The RIGHT lineage matters

[@grubbster69]

hell yea Kentucky wish i lived closer to ur gym

[@peacefulmind319]

In jiujitsu, lineage is important to a degree. If you look at just the lineage from those that were Carlos Gracie trained and Helio Gracie trained, you can see a big difference. In everyday fashion, no lineage does not make any difference, except if the school is a real self defense aspect school or a sport school.

[@mannyclav]

Lineage “should” matter, but unfortunately sometimes it doesn’t guarantee great instruction.

[@lewisb85]

There's a gym in the city I live in, the guy who runs it his lineage isn't too great (background in judo, combat Jiu Jitsu and BJJ as well as catch wrestling) however it's not his lineage that gets people through the door it's the fact his fighters are on UFC and other MMA and Grappling promotions like polaris smashing people, I think people are more interested in the results he's getting than where he came from. Or to use an american example, does Greg Jackson have a pure BJJ lineage? No because he's worked with so many different people over the years before he got his black belt, but do the results of his gym speak for themselves?

[@lewisb85]

@Frankie Jenkins Jackson's gym has a Gracie Barra affiliated BJJ program at his academy, not referring to MMA more reference to the person walking in off the street wanting to learn BJJ. I was making more of a point that most BJJ schools are MMA attached so the lineage doesn't really matter or mean anything to the casual hobbyist, I mean the amount of fellow BJJ students I've met including myself who have said "i like mma, I want to learn similar skills but i dont want to get punched in the face".

[@NeanderthalRadio]

Exactly what Frankie said. They bring in legit ass bjj instructors

[@cjohnson3836]

Lineage means nothing. Its no more than a name-drop circle jerk. The only thing that makes a martial artist legitimate is fighting ability. The only things that make a coach legitimate are fighting knowledge and the ability to teach. Legitimacy is something that you have to earn, not something that can be bestowed.

[@nickyryan777]

I agree, with that being said Rickson black belts are built different

[@straightedgerick]

I just want to train under Fadda jiujitsu black belt. Love the philosophy behind why he taught.

[@sonicfx5431]

My man is Chris Mize who was under Pedro Sauer who was under Rickson Gracie

[@VincentMMALife]

Hi sir! Can you maybe do a video on how to keep someone's posture down when you have him in full guard in no gi? Thank you in advance

[@jamescook2366]

It's everything. Carlson Gracie for life

[@angusroewl7206]

Are the Carson gracie schools good? I'm wondering whether to join one of his gyms in hull

[@hardtokeepitchill7864]

Great content Chewie! I just started watching several of your vids, and you do not shy away from all questions, I appreciate that greatly! I also noticed that often sometimes the background noise (motorcycle, train, ambulances, etc.) Then it made me have a question for you... A teacher friend of mine has created a program, that brings at risk kids from his school, face to face with law enforcement there (BEFORE they meet on other terms) but with the common ground of martial arts. Was wondering if you ever had the time to play around with that thought.. I really appreciate your content and the way you speak openly and honestly, with your personal experiences and your demeanor is very friendly, but knowledgeable. Thank you for what you do!

[@lewisdring4460]

new matts look sick bro

[@ReisterJP]

Judoka have been telling Y'all that for years, and I studied under Risei Kano student Shigeyuki "Ace" Sukigara from the Kodokan but nobody ever cared.

[@thunderskid934]

Hey chewy, love the video man and I’m a huge fan of the channel. I started jiu jitsu almost 4 months ago (10 planet) and I love it so much. I’m competing for the first time in a super fight this Friday and I’m so excited. Any tips?

[@graciescottsdale]

Neither lineage nor competition wins necessarily equates to being a good teacher.

[@oroe415]

Big Chewie, Do you know a good school in San Francisco train at? I'm dead ass interested in learning bjj.

[@grantnagle4375]

I respectfully disagree, but would never put anybody down for their lineage. I was fortunate to have stumbled into incredible lineage and am very proud of my coach, teammates and affiliates. Im also very fortunate that my “professor” lives to pass on his knowledge and see us succeed.

[@markd2797]

People don’t care about how much you know, they wanna know how much you care.

[@primoluciano7852]

Very well said

[@johnhagebeuk8]

I train at a Gracie gym but that wasnt my goal. The team is great and the coaches are down to earth and clear in explaining. And they listen to me if i have something to say and they remember who i am. Our team of bjj super hero’s is 45 heads big and they take their time for everyone.

[@samuraisteve2775]

Kinda disagree. I get your point, but... If I see Gracie Barra or RMNU I know that is a competition based gym. If you see Gracie Jiu Jitsu, Pedro Sauer, or Rickson Gracie’s name you know they teach the self defense. Some of us are interested in winning real fights, so butt scooting, pulling guard, and zero striking awareness on the ground is not appealing...for me. If someone wants to be a grappling World Champion, have at it. Very valid, but a different goal than mine at 50.

[@graciescottsdale]

Yes.

[@keyboardwarrior5175]

A better athlete or a better practitioner doesn't always equate into a good coach some great athletes is only good in focusing on them selves and some great coach are not the best athlete but have a great mind and talent at teaching....

[@graciescottsdale]

Exactly.

[@iFlowWithTheGo]

Does anyone question lineage? From what I can see lineage is only questioned when a dubious training gym pops up and no one seems to know the person.

[@NeanderthalRadio]

Ibjjf questions it when you try to compete. Not sure if they still do it at low level belts, but it's there at bb level... or so I've been told, I dont compete in IBJJF tournaments

[@Jo-ym6id]

lineage can help with marketing not gonna lie. students often consider it.

[@SINdaBlock411]

BJJ people: "belts don't matter", "size, weight or strength don't matter", "lineage doesn't matter" ... also BJJ people: "I'm a blue belt, you have no chance against me", "Sneako is 7 inches taller than me, therefore I don't feel like I'm a bully for challenging him to a fight" (Mikey Musumeci), "He was trained under Rigan Machado, therefore he's a bad madafaka, when Rigan Machado gives you a purple belt, you're a fn purple belt" (Joe Rogan) ... I can't even with those people ...

[@SevenRiderAirForce]

Lineage is another word for reputation. It's a shortcut for determining whether your coach/gym is good. What does lineage come from if not the worthiness of the practitioner?

[@humann6831]

I've seen one Brazilian guy based in the UK claim to be a black belt and a purple belt "world champion", even though the year he claimed he was a champion, there was no sign of his name in the IBJJF mundials results. The guy came over for a seminar, at a gym I attended, refused to roll with anyone and then gave a purple belt to the gym owner even though the guy had white belt level jits at the time. You would think this would go without saying in 2019, but just because someone is from Brazil does not mean they are good at BJJ lol. I see so many BJJ hipsters making a big deal about having a Brazilian coach. Don't get me wrong, there are many excellent Brazilian coaches, but there are some amazing non-Brazilian coaches too.

[@michaelspoto8720]

i have no idea if the lineage of my gym is famous or not. it's not a gracie gym but the coaches know their shit. they're straight from brazil and they're very good at teaching you and motivating you to keep learning. they're also patient with white belts like me.

[@onimizuchi3297]

I agree it doesn’t matter it’s about the people how they teach just like you said but this video got me wondering about the lineage of the school I will start learning at next week and came across some shocking discoveries that I did not expect and thanks to your video peeking my interest even tho it doesn’t matter this is what I have found out and seems to be legit. Down the line of teachers to students to my teacher. Mitsuyo Maeda > C. Gracie > Helio Gracie > Carlos Gracie Junior > Vinicius Magalhães > Samuel Braga > Terry Chandler to me and his students if I can make it to the end which is really just the beginning But what is really the most important thing to note is not the line but how they treat you as a student they are like family the treat you like family and not just like some guy off the street paying them money for classes like from the sounds of it the way chewy does 😊.

[@JohansenGaston]

I think that the only part where lineage is important, is to maintain a certain standard on how a practitioner of say graduation should be performing. But again, that is going to depend mostly on how your coach teaches

[@mr.jawshh443]

Firas Zahabi and John Danaher and great examples of what he’s talking about

[@luisprieto3480]

I like to think of jiu jitsu as universal no matter leanege or origin like "one mat" "one love" kinda thing. I spent 6 years at my home motherland gym in miami fight sports the falls then moved to oregon and joined another completely diff team ribeiro five rings even to think that ribeiro and cyborg compete against each other and each others team bjj is still universal jiu jitsu I should be able to take it with me anywhere and apply it positively to another gym or team as a whole it's extremely hard making a change like that but at the same time it opens up a view of diff style like that east coast west coast style thing I get it and its real cuz style does vary but it should never matter nor leanege should matter or get in the way of any team gym or jiu jitsu athlete from working together tourds pushing jiu jitsu forward in a positive way as a whole btw ima fan man watch your vids alot and alot of awsome advice and direction thanks I'm just a blue belt since one year was green for about 2.1/2 years and white for about 2.1/2 I plan to one day open and run a gym and make it very universal and "one mat" type of environment to help ppl and change their lives like bjj was their for me right now I'm one month out post acl and maniscus surgery and it's been tough but I'm keeping my head up and moving forward Osss brother

[@Mr.Nogijiujitsu]

I needed to hear that. Thanks

[@tommytaylor2799]

I think this is sound advice. I think this advice can help with my situation. I will share with any who will read my comment. As a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, I have been stuck at white belt for 20 years. I met one teacher who I learned was a fraud. Life circumstances prevented me from continuing with two legitimate teachers and when I thought I found a legitimate teacher about two years ago he got himself in trouble and did not seem to care about his students prior to getting in trouble. This experience gave me a negative view about Jiu-jitsu but I kept reminding myself that there are good Jiu-Jitsu practitioners. The only honest thing I can say is that I have a submission wrestling background with a coach who cares. I do not want to turn this into a debate about styles. In fact, it was my goal to unify and compensate any weaknesses of both. As a wrestler my only objective is to make sure that I know what I am doing when facing an opponent. I do not have to worry about belt colors I just better know principles and concepts to help me do well against an opponent. If there are any Jiu-Jitsu practitioners who read my message. I think you should just simply make sure you have a legitimate and good instructor who will make sure to guide you in the principles and concepts to help you get better. The belt will come. I will follow this same advice when I can find a good teacher and unify what I learned with wrestling.

[@surajshaw9703]

Be the one to start the lineage...

[@mannyclav]

Amen, nobody knew the Gracies before they put the work in.

[@metalmayfantasy]

I'm gonna visit your gym one day.

[@betotamu]

Agree that lineage is not that important, I recommend to do research on the gym. In my case I do Jiu Jitsu for self defense and I had the luck to get my basics from the Valente Brothers in Miami, now I’m in Georgia at Tiger Academy, same principles. If you want to do sport and tournaments then you need a sport oriented gym.

[@graciescottsdale]

You're in good hands.

[@TheOldKevin]

I never learned what cows my belts come from.

[@roonieramshaw929]

Are all "R"s in Jiu Jitsu pronounced as "h" because I'm not being called Hoonie Hamshaw

[@MoooseBlood]

Both names are ridiculous no offence.

[@craigmeyers9137]

Right on.

[@lordgrizzle]

Tell'em Chewie! Jiu-Jitsu is the lineage. At some point everybody gets to a Gracie, to Fadda, França, then to Maeda, Yano, Satake, Isogai and ultimately Kano. Jiu--Jitsu is constantly evolving, so people shouldn't worry so much, as long as its good training that isn't watered down.

[@artesuave8018]

Those blue mats look way better