Klay Pittman - a critical look at his system

**DKJr** · Posted On: 4/09/2012 5:47pm

Originally Posted by john gillespie

ill wear my belt. whatever itis when i go, and i have no clue, but itll be with one of the gracies. a buddy of mine here is a brown belt from royce. he kills it. hes the one who said i could go with him this summer. and its silly to ask why carlos doesnt adopt klays system. carlos taught klay. makes no sense. now you're just toying with me. i think ive done what i intended here. thanks for the feeback, and listening to and being gracious to a noob. Train hard.

I'm not toying with you at all.
Let us know how Brazil goes.

**Naszir** · Posted On: 4/09/2012 5:58pm

John, I think what DKJr was saying was that Carlos doesn't use the same promotion system as Mr. Pittman. I know Mr Pittman was one of Master Machado's first black belts in the US, but he is still using a non-standard rank structure. I know he didn't get it from Carlos Machado because neither Carlos, nor any of his other black belts that I or any of my friends/acquaintances from the BJJ community use it. Please do not confuse tolerance of something for endorsement.

**DKJr** · Posted On: 4/09/2012 6:00pm

Originally Posted by Naszir

John, I think what DKR was saying was that Carlos doesn't use the same promotion system as Mr. Pittman. I know Mr Pittman was one of Master Machado's first black belts in the US, but he is still using a non-standard rank structure. I know he didn't get it from Carlos Machado because neither Carlos, nor any of his other black belts that I or any of my friends/acquaintances from the BJJ community use it. Please do not confuse tolerance of something for endorsement.

Bingo!

I'm trying to hold back my tongue, however I bet you'll rip off your brown belt a week into your Brazil trip. Especially if you go to Gracie Humaita (which is just a guess based off what you said).

How do you match up against your Royce brown belt friend?

**265lbsfist** · Posted On: 4/09/2012 8:09pm

Be careful in Brazil, dude.

Having a brown means people will go harder on you. They might not realize it until it's too late so tap early and often.

Oh, and especially don't ask higher ranked guys to roll. Some gyms treat that as a challenge. Wearing a brown would mean doubly so.

**john gillespie** · Posted On: 4/09/2012 11:21pm

thats actually a very good question. and an interesting story, the times i have rolled with him i was blue and purple. i frustrated him the first round, he called me an armadillo and got me in knee on belly and underhooked my neck with one hand, and grabbed an ankle with the other, basically folding me in half the knee being the fulcrum. last month, after ten years of training he got his red bar from pittman. . .brown to red bar is a big jump in the academy, but after ten years, and lots of experience in brazil, it is very well earned. he annihilates me.

Originally Posted by David Koresh Jr.

Bingo!

I'm trying to hold back my tongue, however I bet you'll rip off your brown belt a week into your Brazil trip. Especially if you go to Gracie Humaita (which is just a guess based off what you said).

How do you match up against your Royce brown belt friend?

**john gillespie** · Posted On: 4/09/2012 11:22pm

Originally Posted by 265lbsfist

Be careful in Brazil, dude.

Having a brown means people will go harder on you. They might not realize it until it's too late so tap early and often.

Oh, and especially don't ask higher ranked guys to roll. Some gyms treat that as a challenge. Wearing a brown would mean doubly so.

the guy knows people and will be able to brief me as how to present myself in brazil. i just hope i dont get in any street fights. it gets rough down there...

**265lbsfist** · Posted On: 4/09/2012 11:31pm

Don't street fight.

Run like crazy or if it's impossible surrender whatever you have to.

They generally end with some kind of weapon usage.

**DKJr** · Posted On: 4/10/2012 12:08am

Originally Posted by john gillespie

thats actually a very good question. and an interesting story, the times i have rolled with him i was blue and purple. i frustrated him the first round, he called me an armadillo and got me in knee on belly and underhooked my neck with one hand, and grabbed an ankle with the other, basically folding me in half the knee being the fulcrum. last month, after ten years of training he got his red bar from pittman. . .brown to red bar is a big jump in the academy, but after ten years, and lots of experience in brazil, it is very well earned. he annihilates me.

So similar ranked individuals with vastly different requirements in skill level, is that what you're telling me?

Also what do you think of Nazir's post?

**john gillespie** · Posted On: 4/10/2012 10:20am

yeah, i think that he did so much training in brazil, he gets promoted down there too. its a wierd one. unfortunately, i dont know the whole story, but yes, that is pretty strange to me too. and naszir's post, all i know is klay told us that his instructor (machado) approved it before he implemented it in his academy. all this discussion has really peaked my intrest as to how i would measure up againts, for instance, 265lbsfist, cuz hes a brown under thetraditional system. i dunno. i really need to go to the next naga. . .

**DKJr** · Posted On: 4/10/2012 10:24am

Originally Posted by john gillespie

yeah, i think that he did so much training in brazil, he gets promoted down there too. its a wierd one. unfortunately, i dont know the whole story, but yes, that is pretty strange to me too. and naszir's post, all i know is klay told us that his instructor (machado) approved it before he implemented it in his academy. all this discussion has really peaked my intrest as to how i would measure up againts, for instance, 265lbsfist, cuz hes a brown under thetraditional system. i dunno. i really need to go to the next naga. . .

With one year training dude, I think you'll be shocked by the discrepency. Unless you've been training 3 times a day six days a week.