Keenan Cornelius: "Rickson Gracie...tough purple belt"

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"....BJJ is kinda like that (Turkmenistan- an autocratic country ruled by an egomaniac dictator). If you say anything about Helio or Rickson, like if you say that their Jiu-Jitsu wasn’t good. People will be like “are you kidding me? Rickson is the greatest black belt of all time”.

I get that you have to show respect to pioneers who came before you but their Jiu-Jitsu was definitely not as good as it is today. Their level was probably tough purple belt level…"

https://www.bjjee.com/bjj-news/keen...e-their-level-was-probably-tough-purple-belt/
 
Keenan making click-bait statements; is normal.

Got me to click on this thread too (aint getting me to give newsites my clicks though, that's what archive.is is for :^))
 
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Keenan making click-bait statements; is normal.

Got me to click on this thread too (aint getting me to give newsites my clicks though, that's what archive.is is for :^))
tbh with certain old school guys hes kinda right about
 
I've heard plenty of BBs talk with great reverence about Ricksons game, usually from first hand experience, so keenan may be off the mark there. However I think it's probably generally true about that generation.

Back then, the half guard was seen as fancy new tech, but it's absolute standard bjj these days. The game has evolved. As it should.
 
It's tough to hold reverence based on reputation alone.
 
Didn't Kron, who's only been submitted once or twice in his career, say that old-man Rickson with a busted up back who hasn't trained in years submitted him pretty quickly last time they rolled? Come on, bro. Keenan's just mad that Rickson shits on all the new sport jiujitsu stuff that doesn't translate well to real life. Let's see Keenan vs Kron on the beach. Keenan can berimbolo and get his skull caved in.
 
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Didn't Kron, who's only been submitted once or twice in his career, say that old-man Rickson with a busted up back who hasn't trained in years submitted him pretty quickly last time they rolled? Come on, bro. Keenan's just mad that Rickson shits on all the new sport jiujitsu stuff that doesn't translate well to real life. Let's see Keenan vs Kron on the beach. Keenan can berimbolo and get his skull caved in.
Well...

Maybe the word of someone with the last name 'Gracie' should be taken with a grain of salt on this topic
 
Didn't Kron, who's only been submitted once or twice in his career, say that old-man Rickson with a busted up back who hasn't trained in years submitted him pretty quickly last time they rolled? Come on, bro. Keenan's just mad that Rickson shits on all the new sport jiujitsu stuff that doesn't translate well to real life. Let's see Keenan vs Kron on the beach. Keenan can berimbolo and get his skull caved in.


Even if that were true, 'sensei effect' is big (people semiconsciously second-guessing or 'pulling punches' when going up with someone in a position of status over them, especially if they are otherwise venerable; his own old man no less).
 
I've heard plenty of BBs talk with great reverence about Ricksons game, usually from first hand experience, so keenan may be off the mark there. However I think it's probably generally true about that generation.

Back then, the half guard was seen as fancy new tech, but it's absolute standard bjj these days. The game has evolved. As it should.

hell the hg wasnt even used in most places till around 2012 i was a purple in 2010 and most schools id visit only used hf to hip escape back to closed
 
BJJers know MORE techniques but the old schoolers had more DEPTH to their techniques. Rickson has way better BJJ than the best purples. Nowadays there is more specialization than there was in the past. This leads to huge holes in people's BJJ. Rickson might not be as current on the latest techniques,but he has way more depth to the other 1,0020383746454 aspects about BJJ (Base,Pressure,Leverage, Frames, etc etc). Kron seemingly doesn't train with anyone known for new school cutting edge BJJ but seems to be doing well. The more I learn about BJJ,the more I realize that the basics of BJJ is so important. Even if you don't see it translate into the rolls right away, your understanding of the basics will give you a foundation to adapt to almost anything.
 
Even if that were true, 'sensei effect' is big (people semiconsciously second-guessing or 'pulling punches' when going up with someone in a position of status over them, especially if they are otherwise venerable; his own old man no less).
This is something I'm consciously battling, in both directions.

I often second guess myself in to paralysis when rolling with black belts because they're so good, and then roll like absolute dog shit with white belts because they're not.

I'm trying to consciously apply my bjj the same way, regardless of the skill of the opponent (whilst not just smashing noobs obviously).
 
It's a meaningless statement. Sport evolves, people get older.. and Keenan says random, out of context, controversial stuff just to provoke a reaction.

Besides, I'm sure Rickson's basics were extraordinary back in the days and are still top today as a teacher. He'll won't teach you squid de la worm wrapping upside down guard, but I'm sure that his general control, his mount, his escapes and stuff like that are still something special.

Anyway I find a bit ironic that Keenan talks about persona worshipping when he does have a small army on reddit and on his socials that would probably worship any fart that comes from his mouth. Bet he doesn't dislike that a bit lol.
 
"....BJJ is kinda like that (Turkmenistan- an autocratic country ruled by an egomaniac dictator). If you say anything about Helio or Rickson, like if you say that their Jiu-Jitsu wasn’t good. People will be like “are you kidding me? Rickson is the greatest black belt of all time”.

I get that you have to show respect to pioneers who came before you but their Jiu-Jitsu was definitely not as good as it is today. Their level was probably tough purple belt level…"

https://www.bjjee.com/bjj-news/keen...e-their-level-was-probably-tough-purple-belt/
Meh. I don’t think he’s exactly wrong but you’re not supposed to say it. :-/
 
I hate the term basic techniques. For the most part they are all basic. Grab here post here pull that.

What skillset you choose to focus on is has a lot to do with your coaching. All moves in bjj work. It's just a matter of do they work for you.

Example I hate kamuras I know they work and are battle tested just not my jam.
 
Meh. I don’t think he’s exactly wrong but you’re not supposed to say it. :-/
A bit of disrespect towards won't hurt Rickson, he has plenty of retards worshiping him to keep him happy.
 
No disrespect intended, but Kennan's opinion of Rickson is as valid to me as an olypmic Taekwondo guy's opinion of Andy Hug.

And that's ignoring how silly comparing athletes to each other across generations.
 
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Helio didnt even know the triangle for decades til Rolls found out on some judo book.

The gap between Helio gen and Rickson gen is huge.
 
I've heard plenty of BBs talk with great reverence about Ricksons game, usually from first hand experience, so keenan may be off the mark there. However I think it's probably generally true about that generation.

Back then, the half guard was seen as fancy new tech, but it's absolute standard bjj these days. The game has evolved. As it should.

I have heard the same things from second hand experience of high level black belts.

I think your statement is probably closest to the truth. Keenan is a modern outlier and would likely destroy most old school black belts. Rickson, however, is also an outlier and in his prime would have likely destroyed most new school guys.
 
In an MMA fight Rickson would have eaten Keenan alive.
in a pure sport bjj context its another story.
 
I'm not getting into it re Rickson. But for reference, here's what a BB looked like in 1997, a good black belt for the time, apparently. I'd say a lot of purples these days move better.


EDIT: My point is that CONAN'S BJJ was BB at the time but not so great now. He has no defense once sak passes.

 
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