Carlson Gracie London

[Bong]

http://www.carlsongracie.org/home

Anyone train here, or have any views/info on it? Would you recommend?

Cheers

(sorry if this is in the wrong place)

[drew-jitsu]

not to be a nutrider here, but any legit affiliated gracie academy will offer good instruction. they take their shit pretty seriously.

[Bong]

Of course. Although I've heard that Carlson Gracie split from the mainstream Gracie system because of some diffrences. I don't know much about that, or even if it's true.

[The Man]

Yes, it is true that Carlson did split (sort of). Rumor has it that Carlson Gracie affiliates will give you better than training than most other people.

[datdamnmachine]

From what I've read, and again, this is what I've read from interviews and whatnot online from various people and Carlson himself. I believe you can find the interview on bjj.org. Some of the other Gracie family members thought he was "wacky" for teaching jiu-jitsu guys standup fighting. One example being Vitor Belfort, not to say that he is the best example of a great fighter but he has some great hands. I believe he was also one of the first to advocate strength training as well. I believe this was during the time when people had the idea that "GJJ was all you needed". If any one else can bring clarity or has any other information about this, please share it.

[Bong]

Carlson mentiones the diffrences in this interview: http://www.carlsongracie.org/carlson.php something about him believing strength is an important factor while the other Gracies don't.

Anyway, I trained there a few days ago. Good stuff. Will defiantly be going back for regular training.

[datdamnmachine]

That's where I recieved the information I had as well. It's an interesting interview. It showed just how progressive he was in understanding that BJJ was not the end all be all and that if you take a good big man/woman and put him up against a good little man/woman and they both have the same skills and technique then the one with the size and strength advantage is going to win. Nothing against the Gracies who believe differently but I think the Royce Gracie/Matt Hughes fight proved that point. Too bad Carlson wasn't alive to see that. He might have taken some perverse enjoyment in it.

[Spezza]

Carlson lived to see his students, many of them very poor kids he taught for FREE for years, beat other Gracies.

(examples: Wallid Ishamil choking-out Royce Gracie on T.V. & De La Riva beating Royler)

One thing that makes CARLSON Gracie's style different is that he learned his BJJ from his father, Carlos Gracie, Sr. Unlike most BJJ guys of his generation he didn't study with Helio and that was rare at the time.

This is according to Carlson himself.

He also put an emphasis on physical conditioning.

[Einar Fridgeirs]

Carlson was ahead of his time in many ways. He emphasised conditioning to a much greater degree than other Gracies, and not only did he incorporate stand-up fighting but he also crosstrained with the hated wrestlers!

Brazilian Top Team, of course is an offshoot of Carlson's school. Although they seperated from him due to a dispute over some money issues, they splendidly represent his training ethic and view on how BJJ should be.

Although I don't want to badmouth the achievements of Helio's lineage in bringing BJJ to the public eye, when all is said and done Carlson did more for MMA as a unified discipline in terms of pushing the envelope of how good elite fighters were, and is THE most important Gracie family member for the sport.

[Bong]

I also found this interesting:

http://sfuk.tripod.com/interviews_04...on_gracie.html
http://www.everythingwingchun.com/Sa...DVD-p/sk01.htm

As a Wing Chun practitioner its interesting he took somewhat of an interest in it when you wouldn't usually associate the two styles together.