Gracie Bullyproof - Review (Part 1)

Gracie Bullyproof Review, Part 1



My Background: I am a purple belt. I have been training for just over 2 years. I began my training and received my blue belt from Daniel Thomas in Monterey, CA. I received my purple belt from Leandro Torres and Christian Grimaldo in Lima, Peru in September 2010. As a point of reference for this review, I assisted with a kids' jiu jitsu class in Monterey for about 6 months as a blue belt.

This review is based on my experience. After watching the videos, I actually wish I could contrast the following review with what I'd think as an inexperienced parent, but I can’t really do that.

Also, for the record, this review is as objective as they come. I am under no obligation to the Gracies to promote, validate, or even enjoy this series of disks. When they sent me the disks, I was simply asked to provide an unbiased review. Any fawning or effusive exaggeration is my opinion entirely.

This review will be conducted in 3 parts. The first part will deal solely with the Parent Preparation Disk and the website. The second part will discuss the "Gracie Games." And the third part will discuss the "Junior Combatives" part of the series.

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT:

Since we’ve started Bullyproof, my 7-year-old son begs me to do jiu jitsu with him. We are bonding, and he’s learning solid BJJ techniques because of this series.

OVERVIEW

The Gracie Bullyproof series was developed by Ryron Gracie (5th degree black belt and son of Grand Master Rorion Gracie) and Rener Gracie (4th degree black belt, also Rorion's son) to "empower your child with the verbal strategies to stand up to bullies with unshakable confidence, and a series of non-violent self-defense techniques to keep them safe if they are physically attacked." From my perspective, it works backward from the Gracie Combatives concept and makes the techniques applicable and fun for kids. Starting as young as 3 or 4, these games - and the successive techniques - are intended to provide a base of knowledge from which kids can gain strength, confidence, and awareness.

Here's a clip about the series in the news.



I don't claim to know a thing about bullying in schools. It's big news these days, but I have no experience whatsoever. I wasn't bullied, nor did I do any bullying.

I have no rational or statistical basis for saying this, but on a personal level, I subscribe to the idea that bullies pick on weaker people. If you show some self-confidence, bullies tend to leave you alone and go for the easier target. With that in mind, I think that Bullyproof - and any other form of discipline and physical fitness - has the ability to give a child some self-confidence. And that’s what the Gracies claim is the main point of this series.

The series begins with a disk devoted to Parent Preparation, which I will cover in this first review. It then has 10 "Gracie Games," which orient the kids to some basic techniques through games (as an example, they teach the "upa-and-roll" escape from mount in a game called "Shark Bite"). The third and final part of the series is the "Junior Combatives," which is the majority of the existing Gracie Combatives series, minus a couple techniques that require a little more control.



PARENT PREPARATION: WATCH THIS IF YOU EVER ASPIRE TO TEACH KIDS (YOUR OWN INCLUDED)

I'm totally serious: ANYONE WHO TEACHES A CHILDREN'S JIU JITSU CLASS SHOULD WATCH THIS VIDEO. Not even the rest of the series if you don't want to. But definitely the Parent Preparation Disk.



The idea of Parent Preparation is pretty basic - that you may have some parents who have experience with jiu jitsu (probably the majority, in my uneducated opinion), but you'll have a bunch that don't. I think the series is probably a tiny bit more effective if you have a parent who's got some jits experience, but you don't NEED it.

Ryron and Rener do a fantastic job of explaining the vagaries of what they're trying to teach so that even if you don't quite understand the reason, you can still do the techniques right. And you’ll see in the later reviews that they go out of their way to explain some safety points to parents who’ve never had their wrists jacked when someone rolls on top of it doing an upa-and-roll.

FUN

Ryron and Rener make the point that above all else, jiu jitsu is a lifestyle. It’s one that they, obviously, were born into, but it’s one that you can start your child on the path toward easily enough. The key to this entire series is to make it fun. It shouldn’t be a training regimen, it shouldn’t be set up as a Cobra Kai school in your basement. It shouldn’t be punishment. And you shouldn’t use it as punishment (by taking it away). You just do the course with your kid and keep it fun.

Additionally, they discuss the idea of challenging your child over the course of several years in doing these games.



For me, there were two emphases in the first disk that supersede everything else in this regard. These concepts are more child psychology than jits, but that’s okay.

EXPECT NOTHING – PRAISE EVERYTHING

The concept of having no expectations SOUNDS easy, but in reality it’s tough. Who DOESN’T want their kid to succeed, to be the next Cobrinha, the next Ryan Hall, the next (name your favorite jits superhero)? And really, who DOESN’T want to make sure their kid has the confidence to not get beat up at school?

So when you’re doing these techniques, it’s tough to not get frustrated that your kid isn’t picking it up quickly, or that they’re having difficulty understanding something. If you can contain yourself, though, your child benefits. Because you don’t get upset when they don’t get it quite right – you didn’t expect anything to begin with. Anything they do, therefore, has to be positive, right?

And when they do it right (with some correction, which I’ll talk about in a minute), you praise them for it. This is basic psychology, almost Pavlovian in nature. It’s human nature to continue to do the things you get positive reinforcement for. Not only that, it stays FUN.



Like I said, this SOUNDS easy. It’s not. Which is why Ryron and Rener emphasize the hell out of it.

TRANSFER TEACHING – MY FAVORITE PART

I’m not kidding when I say the concept of transfer teaching is my favorite part of this disk. The Gracies use what they call the “perfect correction.” The idea is that when your child is doing a move, they don’t necessarily get it right. You (gently) physically move their arm/leg/body to the correct position, then say “perfect!” You didn’t say anything about them being wrong (even though they were), you only said something about them being correct.



This is as simple as they come, but it’s a way of thinking that I personally had never considered. I’m no child educator (or an educator in any sense, really), but my wife is a Special Education teacher, and she said this is how she corrects her Special Education kids. Aren’t I the idiot here?

My point is that this isn’t a new concept, but based on my own experience, I’d have to say it’s pretty foreign to most parents. And it shouldn’t be.

DOES IT WORK?

Georgette recently wrote a snippet about her own forthcoming review of Bullyproof. In the comments, there were some musings about whether or not any trained academic specialists have commented on the effectiveness of the Gracies’ teaching methods. I’ve done some searching online, and I can’t find much.

Slidey also made the point that it’s dangerous to follow the “well, it worked for my half-brother’s cousin’s stepsister’s roommate on his father’s side” argument. I agree. Just because it works for my kid, and even though I think it SEEMS effective, is that enough?

Here’s what I can offer. As a purple belt in BJJ, I can tell you that after ONE lesson (Spiderkid), my 7-year-old son has a better crossface and mount retention than most adults I’ve rolled with. The techniques are sound, and teaching method is at least as effective (if not much more effective) than most of the kids’ classes I’ve seen or helped with.

My wife, who has a degree in Education, says that the educational principles used in the videos are sound, and proven.

MY ONLY COMPLAINT

If I'm being completely honest, about the only complaint I have about the first disk is that the guys tend to beat a subject to death. The Parent Preparation disk is, in fairness, about 30 minutes of SUPERB information crammed into about 75 minutes. It's excellent, and it's absolutely worth your time to watch the entire thing. Just realize you're going to hear every point several times. But let's be realistic - if that's the worst thing I can say about these videos, they have to be pretty impressive.

THE WEBSITE

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the excellent website that accompanies the Bullyproof Series, graciekids.com. Just like the video series is an extension of the Gracie Combatives set, the graciekids website is an extension of the Gracie Combatives website as well.

After signing up (free), you register your child (first name and basic information only, which I appreciated) and then you can start inputting the classes you do with them. It automatically tracks your progress and lets you know when it’s appropriate to give them stripes or when they should test for a new belt.

Additionally, they’ve got a few (not all) of the Bullyproof classes online. And it’s all free. From what I can tell, they make their money from the initial DVD sale ($100 for 10 disks) and then there’s a testing fee for new belts. But aside from that the curriculum is basically free.

The website is simple and easy to use, even for a web neophyte like me. But in case you’re even worse off than I am, they’ve done a tutorial on Youtube on how to use the site:

Guided Tour of graciekids.com, part 1:



Guided Tour of graciekids.com, part 2:



BOTTOM LINE:

1) If you have a child between the ages of 3 and 10, and you want a jiu jitsu-based activity to do together, BUY THIS SERIES.

2) If you are going to teach, or are teaching, a kids’ class at your academy, I ABSOLUTELY recommend you watch the Parent Preparation disk.

3) This series is more effective if you have a parent with some jiu jitsu experience. But you don't NEED it.

Parts 2 and 3 of this review will be coming soon, but I wanted to get this out before Christmas. Sorry it was so late – I hope they have express shipping.