Fast Track

The Gracie Jiu-Jitsu program is the first distance martial arts program of its type. Students can attend regular schools, called Certified Training Centers, or learn totally from online material.

In either case, rank examinations are done in a very original manner. The test is broken into 5 parts. Each contain very particular material, which the student goes through with a partner. The test parts are recorded on video. When all are done, they are submitted for evaluation.

As it is quite possible to re-record any parts that are unacceptable as many times as desired, the standard is also very high. The feeling if that if you can't do it almost perfectly with unlimited do-overs, you shouldn't pass.

When I did mine, it took 51 days from the first pushing of the record button. That's over ten days per section. This is very typical.

Today, Tobias started the very first part of his exam recording. We started with the shortest one. The instructor declared it a keeper after the very first attempt. We went on to another. It also was great, first time. Two in one day is unheard of around here. Tobias went for a third.

This one was pretty good, but not as good. The instructor thinks Tobias could do it much better, and that it might be wise to record it again. The instructor is going to review the recording to see how it looks.

In one day Tobias did two, and possibly three, parts of the test in one day.

It is his goal to finish in just over a month. I thought he was being overly ambitious.

Shows how much I know.