Take control of your finances and avoid gym fees with Rocket Money: RocketMoney.com/spangler

I'm a Gracie Barra Black Belt, got my Black Belt from them in 2019, had one Professor from day one of White Belt all the way until that same Professor tied a Black Belt around my waist in 2019. I left because of all of the politics and went independent and opened my own school in 2021. No fighting, no crap talking, no grudges, I just didn't want to deal with the politics and false ideologies or the control that they want over everyone there. Immediately afterwards, my Professor cut me off and till this day still won't talk to me and they told all of the students at all of the locations out here in NM that if they even visited my school that they would not be allowed to return to GB. Be that as it may, my school is very successful today and I have well over 100 students and I have had the opportunity to work with some big names in MMA and I have produced a lot of champions. Going independent was the best thing I could have ever done for my Black Belt career because Jiu Jitsu is freedom or it is nothing at all!

@TylerSpangler It was a pleasure having you!

An independent shitty gym is just a shitty gym. But a shitty gracie barra will make people think all gracie barra gyms are bad. Since they are the biggest franchise it means they will have more shitty gyms than any other team. I think this plays a role in the image they get online.

Hey this is my gym !! Been going there for almost 2 years. The professor and coaches are the main reason I keep going there. Also, everyone is really welcoming to new people.

My old GB in coral springs required everything from rashgaurd down to the condom they f*ck you with. The fees I don't remember but they charged you a month in advanced and forced you to basically explain why if you wanted to cancel. Oh and not to mention you needed to be competing in compnet or ibbjf or kiss promotions goodbye

The GB I train at is on par with prices at all other bjj gyms in the area. My gym gives you the GB gi for free when you sign up. We have a strong comp team and a ton of hobbyist. We do bow out to "grandmaster Carlos" at the end of each class though....lol

I’m a GB’s student and here’s the low down: it’s a great place for a white and blue belt to learn their craft in a structured and methodical manner. Mastery is about repetition under increasing load. GB’s gets this. You don’t roll until you get your third stripe so you understand the basics, the system is well embedded and you go through the weekly program methodically. You’re not having to deal with unknown, unpredictable environment and coaches who just teach whatever they want whenever they want. Simple BJJ, like Roger Gracie.

I started my jiujitsu journey at a local mma school. I moved to a GB about 6 years into my training and havent looked back. I really dont understand the hate GB gets. Every gym has team gear and i like representing my team so the uniform does bother me. The fees are actually cheaper than most other gyms in ny area. And the pool of knowlage to pull from is wayyyy deeper. Sometimes as many as 15-20 black belts on the mats. GB has 1000s of schools nation wide all independly owned so im sure there is some schools that are weaker than others. But in Texas every GB iv visited is super legit. As far as the respect and discipline rules… i started at an MMA gym that had none of that and the egos and disrespect among team mates showed. That has yet to show itself at GB. We are learning a martial art discipline and respect have always been a part of martial art so again not a big deal. If you cant bow to show respect you probably have ego issues.

I've only been to one GB, and it was in Charlotte, NC. The instructor and students were super cool, instruction was good, and rolling was fun. I grew up in very traditional martial arts, so having to wear certain uniforms doesn't seem like a cult thing to me. In fact, I prefer some standard. Having a curriculum of sound techniques being taught shouldn't be looked at as a bad thing either.

It seems like because there’s so many GB schools there’s such a large variety of opinions and experiences. I’ve trained at GB school from the start. I haven’t had any issues with cross training at other schools. My professors are big on leg locks and sparring every class. Only thing is they would’ve had Tyler wear a GB rash guard but they don’t charge for that at my school. They actually will give you a free gi with the rash guard once you’ve signed up as well. I’ve heard of people having terrible experiences at other GB’s, even ones here in my own state. If I were to move and find one of these GB schools that suck or are weird about stuff then I’d simply find a new school. But for now, I’m super happy with what I’ve got

I’m a GB student. I think our school gets a very bad wrap amongst other gyms, and sometimes rightfully so. But like many of you, I haven’t had a problem at my gb. My professor even recommended I try training at a MMA gym when I was thinking of doing only no gi and some striking. Long story short, if you have something in mass numbers, there’s bound to be weirdos. But I haven’t encountered any at any of the GB’s I’ve been to.

I started at a GB in Southern CA, white to purple. I had to move on due to a change in jobs but miss that place to this day. Hands down, the best gym I trained at.

Dude considering they are being seen by more than 5K people because of you, letting you take a $20 class for free is totally worth it!

That first guilly at 4:00 was fantastic. Made me want to be a better father.

Heard the Gracie Barra in Seattle WA which is the headquarters for all the GB's in the state is the strictest. I'll say that my GB gym is identical to Tylers. Everyone is super chill and you can wear your own rash. Not strict at all but people pushing each other to be better with a great community.

Coach seems to be a cool dude. Gives me that Micah Galvao vibes.

I find some of the misconceptions about GB to be almost laughably funny... even stuff like what you said here, "it's just about drilling mindless techiques." Where do people come up with stuff like this? It's just so insanely untrue I'm not even sure if I should be offended or just laugh. I know you are just repeating something you heard someone else say, but man... Come to GB Encinitas, CA sometime... preferablly the first week of every month. Classes run by our owner are live sparring only... no drilling at all. I could go on, but why bother. Love your channel Tyler, keep up the good work.

Go to Gracie Barra Arcadia in Arizona, it's the HQ and you can meet Flavio who is the North American leader and a great guy. That school is also the home of the competitors for AZ there's a TON of high level guys that train out of there. Might as well go in the winter since you're from MI and take a nice weather vacation. At GB there are regulars and then the very high level competitor teams, each school has to follow the franchise requirements that students wear the GB uniform of rash guard, shorts and Gi. You get a very disciplined curriculum that is used at all schools around the world so if you're traveling you know you'll be working on X. Most schools do the warmup, 3 techniques, situationals and then live training after. GB1/GB2 are beginner and then a little more advanced and then GB3 classes are for the instructors to teach as they wish. The professor at my school started BJJ 30 years ago and has been a black belt for 18 years, great guy, great techniques and competition proven.

Glad you had a chance to train at on of the GB gyms. Always come down to owners and instructors. Thanks much.

The fee's were high. I couldn't train on the mats unless I was wearing all branded Gracie Barra attire. If you weren't there as much as the other guys it would be mentioned why you missed the session yesterday/last week. I was a white belt and was easily beating most of the blue belt there at the time. It felt like you earned a stripe by the amount of times you attended and not your skill on the mats. Just my experience...oh and the gear was crazy expensive!

I always had positive thoughts regarding Gracie Barra esp since they had a great comp team with people like Romulo, Najmi etc

I feel that GB is the perfect environment if you have never done any martial arts or just done nothing but traditional ones. They take the GB for everyone seriously. The best place to begin GB may be to move to a GB that is more competitive or a competitive gym like Alliance.

Not all GB’s are created equal. Most of the time you’re not allowed to wear your own gear during no gi. Felt like I was shamed for wearing my own gear to even walk out of the gym with. I think it truly depends on the location. There is also a charge of a whole month if you want to leave.

You should totally check out another GB or two! It's a franchise so they do very from place to place. I train GB and love it. The price isn't particularly cheap and the gear is pricey. However, the instruction is extremely professional, the facility is excellent and the quality of the gear is very nice. We also got Braulio Estima to come in and give a seminar for very reasonable entry fee. No school is perfect but I do feel GB is great for learning fundamentals and for folks who aren't really into the MMA scene and just want Jiu Jitsu. That said, the GB competitors I have met are straight up killers! If you head out to California again, you should probably check out GB Northridge or GB HQ to get a full experience. In Texas, GB Houston under Draculino is a great option though the local schools around here all seem solid too! Enjoyed the video!

No, my academy used to be one, they only do simple basic techniques, ever since we changed we’ve learned and done so much more. They want to make instructors sign contracts to where they get in major trouble if they can’t handle 90 students first, 120 second and they have to match it for each month if they don’t they die, many mats can’t even hold that much which makes it very unfair for instructors and students.

You have to keep in mind that 90% of the GB out there are not competition school, it's marketed to the average hobbyist. A Gracie Barra school's pedigree depends greatly on the main instructor. One of, if not the best, BJJ school in southern Europe is a GB, I visited and was highly impressed. Roger was at Gracie Barra. Some of his black belts are at GB, I trained with one - Very good technically and tremendous pressure. Just very chill pace academy.

The first time I entered to a bjj gym was at a gracie barra. If you go for a trial class or as a visitor they'll give you a gi or rashguard for the session. The fees are quite expensive considering you HAVE to buy their gear which is also quite expensive. A gi is like 130€ minimum, short + rashguard is at least 90€ and considering i train 3x a week or more i need i few of them so i let you do the math. They have a good schedule, morning class, lunch class and 2 to 3 classes in the evening and free access to come drill or roll in between classes. More Gi classes than no gi classes tho so if you are more of a no gi person there might be better options out there. Good instructors nothing to say on that level, and they also have a global curriculum of themes and techniques they teach in every school. The place i was going to is quite of a big gym so unless you are what i call a "serious hobbyist" or a competitor it's not that much of a chill family vibe, but more of a well rounded and marketed business. I don't train there anymore as i almost only train no gi now but i wouldn't say it's a scam either, there are just some politics that you agree or don't agree with.

There is a suspicious amount of branded gear

You’re a black belt monster! Next you should venture into Atos jiu jitsu. And check mat gyms. Those videos are gonna be🔥🔥🔥

I train at gb, it definitely depends on what gym you are at I’ve trained at a few and it really depends on who’s running it, my first gym they didn’t care about rashguards really even during no gi , then my second gym had to buy shorts and rashguards, for no gi, gi you could get away with rashguards being whatever. But I’m sure at other places no chance. Do I wish it was different yes, but I love the people at my gyms and I’d really only leave if that was the bigger issue.

I've been with Gracie Barra for 4 years and it's just like franchise restaurants. Some are world class with nationally ranked students, some shouldn't even be in operation. What matters is the "chef and staff". I've trained at GB gyms from New Jersey to Florida and once in Cali and the difference between gyms is night and day.

I've attended a GB for four and a hakf months now. This one is owned by a father, and his two sons. His oldest son has been doing bjj for 25 years, and the dad 28 or so years. The youngest son is a purple belt, and won gold recently at a tournament. There are definitely some great jiujitsu people at this gym, even though it's small. The two sons put in a ton of work, and are always there, but the dad hasn't been here very much this summer. The dad hands out the belts and stripes. Last month, after doing bjj for three months, the dad told me that I had earned my first stripe, ans that he'd be giving me the stripe in three days, he hasn't given me the stripe yet, even though it's been over a month since he said that. I've been down about the stripe situation, but continue to show up. Also, one other issue, the oldest son signed me up, and told me a particular price, two months later it's like he forgot that he told me that price and kept telling me that I was under paying, his new price would be over $200+ more per month, more than a 50% increase. After he kept implying that I was under paying, I spoke with him one on one and told him that the price that I signed up for, was alreasy high for me, and that I would not be able to afford the "new price". He said not a problem, and that he looked back at his notes, and he had given me a discounted price. I'm huge on people keeping their word, so because of these two issues, along with one more, I have been thinking about leaving GB. P.s., notice how cocky the guy in this video is, he's doing no gi, and we have no idea what belt each person is that he rolls with, probably all white belts.

Spent years at gb academy as a brown belt tapped out and dominated one of the bb instructors mant times and never got promoted bc wasnt kissing a$$ so just left

Started at GB and still love the gym. Usually there is a promotion for free gi at sign up and things like that. Such a positive environment, with intense training. My kids are both loving it at 7 and 5 years old. Good gyms are great, bad gyms are toxic.

GB in Houston isn’t bad. The only issue is, some of the Brazilians tend to have a vendetta for you if you’re a higher belt, and if you roll good, but I didn’t have to buy any gear, I can talk and ask questions randomly to instructors, and even ask to roll, but it still isn’t my vibe, don’t mind it too much though.

I’ve travelled and trained A LOT, so I’ve trained in a bunch of GB as well as having a pretty decent sample size of other gyms for reference. Their BJJ is legit and all the cult things are very true. One thing I appreciate about GB is their general emphasis on S&C. All GBs I’ve been to do separate S&C work throughout the week and generally speaking their guys are in better shape than most gyms I’ve been to. I’ve never been forced to buy anything to drop in to a GB. I’ve always (I think) been charged a drop in fee.

Tyler in Wisconsin ??? Pedro Sauer gyms next 🙏

This gym looked like a great vibe. Would definitely visit if I'm ever around the area.

If you ever come to West Texas, we would love to have you train here at GB Odessa!

I'm at a GB and love it. Great culture. My gym doesn't require the uniform except on promotion days, comps or seminars though as a team we do tend to wear GB gear when training. I really think it depends on the individual gym.

I trained at the GB Flagstaff gym for a few years. I also trained at many of the other GB gyms in Arizona before moving to Oklahoma. It was a great experience. I haven’t found a gym in OK anywhere near as good. Great training and memories. MaxGoldberg and Flavio Almeda are awesome. 🤙🏻

I need you to come by Checkmat Portland or The Base Vancouver

That’s why you need a buddy that trains at GB so you get the drop in fee waived🙌

the gracy barra gym im at is really great with great people and there none of the conspires are applied to it

I go to a Gracie Barra and I love it. I’m glad we start from the feet and not the knees.

My gym isn't GB but we do bow to a picture of Helios, it feels pretty natural and isn't a big deal

Now I’m a white belt but I wrestle and I think if I rattle my opponent to wear them down that might be a decent strategy(My Jiu jitsu is basic as you’d expect but I do want to do more of it I think wrestling is just very helpful)

Their BJJ is legit all day, dumb uniform policy but if someone else wants to go then do it.

I remember when they used to have gracie barras in the UK ....

i've been watching some king of the streets, i realized that the 8 years i spend rolling would not be of much use in such situations

Classic franchise. The one near me had a bad rep for everything even paying for promotions

I want to get back into BBJ. I found Gracie Barra Birmingham UK so asked them for prices, for some reason they won't tell me anything. I asked a month ago about memberships and they're still asking me to come in for a trial, then we can talk prices. Why? I'm not going to pay for kit and train for x amount of days to find out it's more than £100 per month + other costs. No chance. Anyone in the UK know prices for memberships or are they set different for each club?

DO ATOS NEXT!!!!!!

You should have went to the actual headquarters. Gracie Barra Headquarters in Florianópolis.

That Homelander man...

"stuffed up like Lizzo" 💀

Ahh yes, bow to the picture on the wall... I remember that from my old gym 😅

The title is exactly what a cult would say

Oh dude hey how's your knee these days? I saw your kani basami video and didn't know you could still train.

I used to train at a Gracie Barra and it was quality. All this GB hate stuff is by ignorant sheep, it’s always been one of the top competition teams with some of the best champions in the world and it’s mostly just losers who’ve got an issue with the fact that it’s a successful business that makes money, they get people to buy uniforms and so forth because that’s what a savvy successful franchise business does, people gotta make money nothing wrong with that it’s what makes the world go round

I must say thar takes skill to do BJJ. But how well will people do being thrown down on rocks or a hill or 90 degree black top

Cancel your membership and you still need to pay 6 weeks. It's hard for gym owners because the franchiser takes a lot of money for the name

yikes when did $20 not become a crazy fee? inflation be real across the board 😭

If they are against wrestling I think I have more respect for them. This JIU-JITSU not wrestling

They made you bow to São Kano, São Maeda, and São Helio? For me, when BJJ is your religion, it's sus. I've been fed lies because of that religion, and it held me back. • Strength doesn't matter. •Wrestling is purely strength based, ( just ignore that singles and doubles are bread and butter in BJJ). •Jiu-jitsu is the greatest and every other martial art, aside from Muay Thai, is nonsense. Dumb religion, awesome martial art. I will say the instructor was very open and honest about all that stuff, and there seems to be a lot of talented people there. Thank you for sharing all of this stuff with us. Definitely interested in guillotine instructional.

I try before after some training at my buddy Watson's dojo, they didn't allow me to train and said I needed a gi one of there gis

How many will you need to visit to find the strictest GB in America?

Where is salt ben

Looks like you are rolling with white belts, trying to brag. 😂

IS it true that Gracie Baja uses attendance to determine rank like you show up 100 times and you get promoted ?

let's do it

No

Please train at a UFC gym

"This is totally a cult", said no cult ever

Go to the strickest

OMG it's pronounced "Bah-ha"? JFC.

Definitely a cult

Lots of haters round here

Hah, NERD!

Can’t believe I’m this early

It’s like cult more than a team. It’s very expensive. They have to teach only GB Program… they control IBJJF when you are Black belt since 10 years they don’t accept to put you in black valve list because in case you didn’t pay the license each year.

GB is a joke

Firr

I've hopped around like a whore but now the Gracie. You pay a little extra to have springs underneath the mats and super nice restrooms with showers.