Gracie Academy Master Cycle: Blue Belt Stripe 1 DVD Official Test

Master Cycle: Blue Belt Stripe 1 - Official Test

Beyond blue belt, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu® consists of hundreds of advanced techniques, all of which have been organized into a clearly defined, systematic curriculum called the Master Cycle® . The Master Cycle is broken down into three levels: purple belt, brown belt, and black belt. Advancement within each belt level requires successful completion of four stripe courses, each of which features 50-60 lessons which are divided into seven positional chapters. On this DVD, Ryron and Rener explain the entire Blue Belt Stripe 1 testing process and they demonstrate all 160 techniques that must be perfected for promotion consideration.

The Six Drills
The Blue Belt Stripe 1 Official Test consists of six drills, three Technical Drills and three full-resistance Sparring Drills. On this DVD, Ryron and Rener Gracie discuss the parameters of each drill as well as demonstrate all 160 techniques in the exact order that will be expected of you. The brothers also explain the grading criteria that will be used to grade your performance.

Drill 1: Mount & Side Mount Techniques
Drill 2: Guard & Half Guard Techniques
Drill 3: Back Mount, Leg Locks & Standing Techniques
Drill 4: Gi Sparring
Drill 5: No-gi Sparring
Drill 6: Fight Simulation Sparring

The Evaluation Options
When confident in your ability to perform all six drills, you can test for Stripe 1 promotion via Live Evaluation or via the Video Evaluation Process. When you pass the test, the Gracie Academy will send you your stripe and an official promotion certificate in the mail.

Bonus Section: Brotherly Battle
As a special bonus on this DVD only, you will get to watch Ryron and Rener Gracie go at it in a 25-minute fully-resistant sparring session! To ensure that you get the most out of this dynamic grappling match, the entire session has been fully narrated - by both brothers individually - and you get to choose which one you listen to while you watch!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is this an instructional DVD? Can I learn all the Blue Belt Stripe 1 techniques from this DVD?
No, this is not an instructional DVD. Even though most of the Blue Belt Stripe 1 techniques are demonstrated on this DVD there are several variations that were not included in the test. During the test demo, the brothers quickly present the techniques to demonstrate the test sequence; they do not present sufficient detail to learn the techniques. In fact, they do not speak at all during the demonstration.

2. Can I test for Blue Belt Stripe 1 if I am an "unverified" blue belt?
No. Due to the linear nature of the Gracie University curriculum, in order to test for Stripe 1 promotion, one must first have their blue belt "verified" by completing the Gracie Combatives course - either at a Certified Training Center, on DVD, or online through Gracie University. Since Gracie Combatives is the core of the entire Gracie Jiu-Jitsu curriculum, earning a stripe on your blue belt is meaningless if you haven't first perfected the Gracie Combatives techniques since the street applicability of your techniques will be questionable.

3. Will the Blue Belt Stripe 1 test also be available on Gracie University?
Yes, the test demonstration will also be available online through Gracie University in the future. But, the bonus sparring session between Ryron and Rener will only be available on the DVD. Furthermore, the online version of the test will be lower quality video and can only be viewed where there is an active internet connection. With the DVD version you can prepare for the test more effectively, since you can watch the test in a room, Gracie Garage, and training center where there may not be an active internet connection.

This DVD is region free (NTSC) and is formatted to play on all DVD players.

Approximate Run time: 120 minutes