Helio Gracie developed Jiu-Jitsu, through experience in real fights. His son Rorion showed the world that it worked, through on putting real fights in the UFC.

His grandsons Rener and Ryron too are active in the field, but their best-known contributions are very nearly the polar opposite of actual fighting. The brothers are best known for their Gracie Breakdowns, where they talk on video and explain what happens in actual fights, and for giving out belts in Jiu-Jitsu via their distance learning Gracie University.

In an interview with Brazil’s Tatame, Rener said that video learning is in fact a superior alternative to learning BJJ in an actual academy.

“Some people do not understand that online study is even more effective than learning in the traditional classroom,” said Rener, via Google Translate. “In a live class, there are students of all stripes, and the teacher gives the same lesson for everyone. Online, each has its specific class. Some people tried to learn in the classroom, but the lessons were random, and some students had difficulty learning. And what did they do? Resorted to Gracie University!”

Rener and Ryron are not paper tigers. They can fight, and train some of the top fighters in their divisions. Still, they are figures of considerable controversy, and most recently were subject to criticism from their uncle Royler and from Robert Drysdale.

Royler is an extraordinary martial artists, winning the mundials four times, and placing in the open division. He also fought all over the world in MMA, the last one at age 45, and did Vale Tudo fights in the gym. Robert Drysdale has won both the ADCC world championship and the Mundials, and is currently signed with the UFC.

The pair are not impressed with the Gracie University.

Rener said he thought GU up when he was injured and could not train for 10 months. He said in December that Gracie University had 119,775 members. At $35 per month, that is a lot of revenue. But the wording is ambiguous. Is that 119,775 active members? That would be $4,000,000 per month. Is that 119.775 members that have tried it, including free trials?

The University originally awarded belts through brown via video. After pressure from the family, they now only award a blue belt via video. Subsequent belts have to be in person.

Rener recently did a Gracie Breakdown on his uncle Royce’s fight with Ken Shamrock in the main event of Bellator 149 on Friday. Royce appeared to hit Shamrock in the groin, and followed up with a knee to the head. The ref missed it. Shamrock dropped to the mat clutching his groin, and the bout went to Royce.

Royce, and Royler, maintain that the knee did not hit the groin. Rener said it did land illegally low – which it appeared to – but that Shamrock did not react.

Royler took issue with that, via Facebook.

Rener then got into a discussion with a fan, and Royler again commented scathingly.

Then Drysdale slammed the pair, via Instagram.

“I am so happy i am not the only one who feels this way,” wrote Drysdale. “To see @roylergracie stand up for his family is truly refreshing in this day and age where money and popularity seem to have kidnapped the essence of everything Jiu-Jitsu stands for: humility and dedication. I remember Helio Gracie wearing a blue belt to protest people getting their black belts too soon.

“If only his grandfather could see his own grandchildren using his name, image and legacy to make a quick buck. He would feel shame. This is not a personal attack on @renergracie i never met him. He should give it some thought and stop dragging his grandfather’s name and legacy in the mud. There are ways to make money in this world. Selling out the art of Jiu-Jitsu should be condemned by all who love it.”

The idea of developing a physical skill solely via video is remarkably unlikely, albeit not entirely beyond the realm of possibility. If someone promised to make you a competent swimmer by watching you wave your arms around on video, and charged you $35 a month, it would not get many takers. It is the sad nature of martial arts that claims that would get laughed at in any other field are given credibility, and $35 a month.

Bruce Lee famously said if you want to swim, you have to get into the water. The Gracie University students need to get to a legitimate academy, and roll with people at their belt, and see if they are comparable. If they roll and fail, and are told that is because the moves they are learning are for the “real world” and this is just mere sport, then Rener has fallen into the despicable pattern that martial arts schools have employed on suckers for generations – “these moves are so deadly that you can’t use them, so ignore all the people training for real in the rival gym.”

Again, Gracie University may work well. But words alone will not prove it. Those days are dead, thanks to the Gracie family. It would be a tragedy if younger members of that same family tried to revive a time when all martial artists did to prove their effectiveness was talk.

Gracie University students need to actually try it. Hopefully they do well.