Its a Sad Day Part 2 - 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu Online Training

**datdamnmachine** · Posted On: 7/31/2009 10:34pm

So I was browsing MySpace and saw a post for Eddie Bravo's upcoming seminar in Seattle. He also said his new website was almost finished.

I decided to go by and check it out (http://www.10thplanetjj.com/) and what did I find? Possible Bullshido. Specifically, plans to do online ranking up to purple belt (hence the title "Its a Sad Day Part 2). It's was shown on a promo video promoting the website's grand opening. I've attached a screen shot below. Also here is a link to the Brandon Quick fiasco as I feel it relates.

Indeed, it is another sad day.

Click image for larger version.

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**migo** · Posted On: 8/01/2009 12:02am

10th Planet JJ Purple is already a questionable rank since Ari Bolden was given a purple rolling in person with Eddie. Technically the original sad day thread should have been part 2, since part 1 was Eddie's apparently lax grading standards.

**ggddcc** · Posted On: 8/01/2009 5:28am

So wait- Eddie Bravo took something that the Gracie's made up, put new names on it, and is advertising it as his own? Get out of town?!?

I actually like his stuff....but someone had to make that joke.....

Greg

**Crushing Step** · Posted On: 8/01/2009 7:28am

I've noticed something about online college courses if I can make a side bar here. I've noticed that accredited engineering degrees are not offered online anywhere. I think there is a lot to be said that if something is actually worthwhile attaining, you have to put in the required effort, and not take a shortcut.

In the case of an online MA ranking, I want to sympathize with the guy who lives 500 miles from civilization on some mountain, but that doesn't mean that rank should be given away by video.

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 8/01/2009 7:31am

Yeah, I saw this coming. After Gracia University, why wouldn't every one else jump on the wagon. BJJ is the fastest growing martial art in the world (in my opinion). So everything they do will be copied and redone. No reason why online grading wouldn't.

Seems like people have been waiting to see if it would be accepted or not. Since it pretty much has, everyone will throw their card on the pile.

This is when the fine wine of BJJ gets more watered down and a wal-mart brand created.

**Diesel_tke** · Posted On: 8/01/2009 7:33am

Originally Posted by Mantis_Fist

I've noticed something about online college courses if I can make a side bar here. I've noticed that accredited engineering degrees are not offered online anywhere. I think there is a lot to be said that if something is actually worthwhile attaining, you have to put in the required effort, and not take a shortcut.

In the case of an online MA ranking, I want to sympathize with the guy who lives 500 miles from civilization on some mountain, but that doesn't mean that rank should be given away by video.

Yeah, you also notice that there is no online collegiate wrestling teams? Or online collegiate swim team.

**migo** · Posted On: 8/01/2009 8:32am

With regards to online college courses, I've found some to be better quality than "real" courses. I haven't done any through actual online colleges, that would be too much money, but The Teaching Company puts out some very good courses, and one thing I notice from the lectures is that there's much more effort put into the one shot that's being recorded by audio than when a professor has to go every week 2-3 times to lecture about the same 101 material that they've been lecturing for 10 years. Some boredom is bound to set in. You're also going to be getting the 1 best lecturer doing the recording while at an actual college or university you'll have 3-6 different lecturers to choose from for the same course and there's no way each of them is good.

This is of course the case only with courses that provide credit for attending lectures and reading text books, and writing a few tests. In such a situation it makes no difference if you got it online or in person, and in some cases the quality of education could be better, particularly given the ability to go over lectures exactly as presented as many times as you need to. If a course requires hands on experience or discussion, showing actual practical application of the knowledge in a way that wouldn't be presented by constructing your own essay then of course it makes no sense to have an online course for credit. BJJ is one of those things that also doesn't make sense to have ranking given out based on online testing. An art where it would be appropriate would be some versions of Karate that are heavily based on Kata and have no-contact sparring. That's something that could reasonably be graded by a video submission, but it also speaks to the style not being that effective if a video grading is no inferior to an in person grading.

**cyrijl** · Posted On: 8/01/2009 9:14am

Let me chime in with what I know.
The idea of having online grading is due to the lack of affiliates across the country. On the UG, Eddie explains how he takes people at their word as far as grappling experience. So, if you tell him you are a blue and then send a vid demonstrating your 10p technique, he might grade you to purple. It is quite a naive view of things if you ask me, but i do understand. At the two schools I train at and the one I visit, I am the only 10th planet player. The school I drop by at has one guy, but his understanding is very shallow. He can do the technique but doesn't understand the underlying strategy.

Part of the problem is that Eddie seems to believe "hey if they want to lie I don't care". I don't think he sees people taking his grading as another way for some disingenuous person to take advantage of others. For example, my last time out there I had thought about how affiliation/ranking works. I have been doing jits since 2001, but since I am only officially a blue, I thought it'd be a bad idea. Others in my situation just don't care, they want the rank and the ability to scam others.

Eddie has always said jits comes 2nd to his music. I know that bothers alot of people. He teaches to support his music career. You have to keep that in mind. It is up to the person taking jits to put the time and reps in. For all the **** that he gets, both times I have gone out to study with Eddie, he has been down to earth, focused on the fundamentals and open to new ideas.

I have often compared his classes to a science lab or a directed open mat. You have one set of techniques to work on for the week and you try to improve them everyday. On thursday you have mastered what you started on monday.

Sorry this is a bit rambling. I have been reading the UG since the Brandon Quick situation, but I don't post there. I have been building up quite a bit of annoyance at people and my wife is sick of hearing about it. I think competition should weed out those distance learners who suck. I know that if I hadn't trained with Eddie, I wouldn't have competed in my last naga and I wouldn't have won my match.