ROGER GRACIE TV REVIEW

Monthly subscriptions £14.99 / $19.99  www.rogergracietv.com 

It’s been a long time coming, but Roger Gracie, one of the most decorated grapplers in history, has finally launched his own online instructional website. For a man who’s been notoriously camera shy during his fighting career, Roger Gracie TV offers fans an insight into the mentality and training habits of a sporting great.

The website architecture is simple, but extremely easy to use. Videos are organised in categories such as mount, closed guard or side control, but the inclusion of novel groups like escapes and concepts are welcome additions. As we all know, Roger has never been submitted in competition since his blue belt days, so the escapes category was a real favourite of ours, while the concepts menu includes some excellent content surrounding Roger’s approach to dealing with certain positions, as well as addressing general fighting mentality.



When it comes to the actual content, there are some absolute gems to look forward to. Roger’s game is often described as ‘basic’ or ‘simple’, but his attention to detail in explaining technicalities behind seemingly ‘simple’ positions is second to none. There’s an excellent chain of videos covering half guard passes that we found extremely useful, as well as his mount retention concepts.

As with most instructional websites, some of the most popular videos are those of sparring, and it’s amazing to be able to sit back and watch Roger rolling with his students away from the competition mats. There’s a ton of sparring footage, with Roger facing off against varying levels of opponents– from purple belts to multiple world champions.



Another great addition to the website is that Roger’s father, Mauricio Gomes, a coral belt and legend of the sport in his own right, has added his own techniques. Mauricio covers a range of self-defence principles and ‘old school’ guard passing, as well as his patented attacks from knee on belly - a welcome addition in the era of berimbolos and 50/50 guard.

The database of techniques (which, at the time of writing, sat at around 360 videos) is added to at least every other day, so you can rest assured there will be plenty of fresh content for you to get stuck into. There is also a 'guest instructor section, which currently includes an open guard series with Charles Negromonte, but we are told this will be updated with further guests in the future. The website is also fully responsive, so it looks fantastic on mobile phones or tablets and makes for ideal viewing while commuting to work or sitting in the dentist’s waiting room. Another detail worth noting is that users are able to ‘favourite’ videos, which will then be accessible under their own unique playlist from the main menu; a great addition to the user experience!



The price point of Roger Gracie TV is really appealing: £14.99 ($19.99) a month, or with a 25% discount if you buy the annual membership. Refreshingly, you’re not tied into a contract with the monthly option and can cancel at any time from within your own account.

Roger’s style of jiu jitsu and his tutorials at Roger Gracie TV reinforce what we should all be learning if we want to build a game that will stand the test of time. Ideal for beginners and experts alike, it’s a fantastic resource that is only set to get better as more content is added.

For more information visit www.rogergracietv.com/