Klay Pittman - a critical look at his system

**downtime** · Posted On: 4/10/2012 11:43am

Originally Posted by David Koresh Jr.

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.

What he said. Have you competed at a NAGA or GQ event yet? if so in what division and how did you do? I train 5 days a week sometimes 2 times a day and try to devour anything I can that higher ranks want to teach me..and we've been training probably about the same time frame and there's no way I would think to compete with Browns or even Purples on an even playing field and earn a submission.

**john gillespie** · Posted On: 4/11/2012 2:59pm

yeah, i average six days a week, two hours a day, one on saturdays just sparring. it really is a question i cant answer about competition in my rank, because i have never been outside the academy, i hear lots of people sandbag, however everyone who has gone has medaled in either nogi or gi, sometimes both, so idunno. i have trained exactly a year and two months come the 28th, should i just go as a white belt? isnt there a two year and under class?? maybe novice? i dont know. . . .

**DKJr** · Posted On: 4/11/2012 3:52pm

See this is one reason to follow a more widely accepted belt system because if you train in vacuum you'll have no clue where you stand.

I would say compete as a blue or ask your instructor.

**265lbsfist** · Posted On: 4/11/2012 4:52pm

Go compete!

It's the best experience and feedback a grappler can get.

I had my first as a white belt after training 1,5 years and got demolished. I did not train 6 times a week however. I was 350 lbs and could barely survive two trainings a week.

**DKJr** · Posted On: 4/11/2012 5:21pm

Originally Posted by 265lbsfist

Go compete!

It's the best experience and feedback a grappler can get.

I had my first as a white belt after training 1,5 years and got demolished. I did not train 6 times a week however. I was 350 lbs and could barely survive two trainings a week.

Jesus you were were like 3 of me. I got owned all through white belt comps. There is the Dallas Open in may compete there.

**downtime** · Posted On: 4/12/2012 6:17pm

Originally Posted by john gillespie

yeah, i average six days a week, two hours a day, one on saturdays just sparring. it really is a question i cant answer about competition in my rank, because i have never been outside the academy, i hear lots of people sandbag, however everyone who has gone has medaled in either nogi or gi, sometimes both, so idunno. i have trained exactly a year and two months come the 28th, should i just go as a white belt? isnt there a two year and under class?? maybe novice? i dont know. . . .

Novice for Naga is 6 months or under no wrestlers. Beginer is 2 years and under no wrestlers.

**KalEl81** · Posted On: 4/20/2012 4:00pm

Helio had his own belt system long before the IBJJF: white, light blue (advanced students) and then dark blue (for instructor). The IBJJF was formed by Carlos Gracie Jr., and they adopted a belt system that was comparable to the belt system created by Kano.

Helio often wore dark blue belt, even after the new "ranking" system.

Royce Gracie discusses the history behind the belt system that included the dark blue belt, in an interview at ADCC. Simply go to Youtube and type: Interview with Royce Gracie - Part 1/4, in the search box, if you would like to watch it.

I can tell you that most of the people I know at Pittman’s Academy, that compete or go to other schools, often ask Pittman what belt to wear that would be in accordance with the belt system of that school or competition. I also know that some people will wear a belt to a school or competition based on their competitive success (e.g., you wear a black belt, sans red bar in the academy, but you compete successfully in the brown belt divisions, then when you go to another school you will likely wear a brown belt). I have been training for 3 years and I wear a red belt with a black stripe all the way down the middle (advanced red), but if I visit another academy I will wear my purple belt. I wear purple based on my success in training against those that have successfully competed at the purple belt level and because our programs director, a red bar black with whom I train privately two hours every week, in addition to my regularly scheduled training, instructed me to wear the purple belt when appropriate (i.e., competitions, visitations to other schools, etc.).

Mr. Gillespie is absolutely right about the reason behind Pittman’s belt system (i.e., maintain motivation of the students and allow the visual manifestation of progress). People believe that the IBJJF belt system is the only one that matters, but it was a deviation from the system implemented by Helio and has been considered almost revolutionary. It seems to me that Pittman simply believes he has created a belt system that is beneficial to BJJ students, and it may be something that is adopted by other academies in the future.

Pittman should not be barred from advancing the art, including the belt system, simply because no one else is doing it. For all I know, his belt system could be the system used internationally and people will say he was a pioneer in revolutionizing the way BJJ practitioners viewed progression in the art.

I think the bottom line is that Master Carlos Machado supports him and I truly believe that Master Machado would not hesitate to remove his endorsement of Pittman’s academy if he believed there were something inappropriate taking place.

Pittman is a great instructor and we have a wonderful team with outstanding competitors. Every day I am able to test my skills against gold medal winning grapplers, and it is a wonderful way for me to test my progress. I also have the opportunity to attend seminars hosted by Draculino, Carlos Machado, Royce Gracie, and of course, Professor Pittman (who by the way is a fourth degree black belt not a fifth degree, and you can see a picture of Master Machado awarding him his fourth dan on Pittman’s Facebook page).

As was made clear by an earlier commentor, not everyone has to agree with or approve of Pittman’s belt system, but there is no denying his skill as a martial artist and his desire to create black belts, the kind that embody everything that belt means to a true martial artists.

All the best, and I wish you all years of long, injury free, and highly developmental training.

**DKJr** · Posted On: 4/20/2012 4:48pm

Have you been to another academy besides Pittman's? Or even to the Machado gym in Dallas?

Seminars don't count, I mean train day in day out. Also I'm really interested which competitors Klay has right now. As the only one I know of was Brandon Mullins but he left a few years back.

**KalEl81** · Posted On: 4/20/2012 7:01pm

I think I'm a bit confused by the comment, "seminars don't count . . . ", maybe you could clarify, because I never asserted that they "counted" for anything. I was simply stating that Pittman brings in great practitioners to host seminars and in a place like Lubbock, Texas it is a bit more of a treat than if we lived somewhere like Los Angeles.

I have been to Master Machado's gym, and I enjoyed training there. While visiting the DFW are I have also trained at: Danger Academy, X-Factor BJJ, and Zero Dojo. I try to go to other schools when I'm in the DFW area.

As for competitors, some of our more active competitors include: Sky Wheat, Joel Coolbaugh, Jesse De La Rosa, Davis Smith, and that is just to name a few. Last year at NAGA Pittman's Academy, as a team, placed fourth in No-Gi, second in Gi, and 3rd overall. I know for a fact that Jesse De La Rosa, Joel Coolbaugh and Davis Smith have competed in a variety of other tournaments outside of NAGA, I just couldn't tell you exactly which ones. I'm pretty positive last year or the year before Davis Smith took third place in the BJJ U.S. Open in California, and I'm pretty sure he recently placed third in IBJJF Pan Jiu-Jitsu Championships. I also know that Pittman spent many years on the "competition circuit" and spent a great deal of time training in Brazil. Master Machado has also shared stories with us about he and Pittman traveling around the world training in different countries all over.

I must admit, I don't focus a lot on what competitions our academy members win, I simply congratulate them and acknowledge there accomplishments when they are victorious in competition. Unlike some schools, we are not competition driven; however, we never discourage our students from competing.

I personally have not been in a BJJ tournament, and sure some people may immediately assume I am somehow less credentialed or capable, but I get to train with people that go and win the tournaments I would be competing in, so I take that as a gauge of where I would be if I were to compete. Much like Helio, Carlos Sr., Royce, etc., I don't train to win a tournament, I train because I love the art. Who knows, maybe one of these days after law school, I might just go win a tournament or two.

Please feel free to respond with any other questions you may have. God Bless.

**It is Fake** · Posted On: 4/20/2012 7:08pm

Originally Posted by KalEl81

I must admit, I don't focus a lot on what competitions our academy members win, I simply congratulate them and acknowledge there accomplishments when they are victorious in competition. Unlike some schools, we are not competition driven; however, we never discourage our students from competing.

You are an assistant or an instructor at the school?

I personally have not been in a BJJ tournament, and sure some people may immediately assume I am somehow less credentialed or capable, but I get to train with people that go and win the tournaments I would be competing in, so I take that as a gauge of where I would be if I were to compete. Much like Helio, Carlos Sr., Royce, etc., I don't train to win a tournament, I train because I love the art.

Uhmmm they all competed extensively.