When it comes to learning Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, there are lots of variations. Perhaps two of the most popular types to learn are Gracie Jiu Jitsu and 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Both have their own style and unique taste, and they’re also pretty different. Of course, they both ultimately fall under the umbrella of BJJ, and at the end of the day, it’s still grappling.
So, what is the difference between the two? Read on for more information.
Table of Contents
Gracie Jiu Jitsu emphasizes self defense
It’s no secret that Gracie Jiu Jitsu is influenced by Helio Gracie, the founder of BJJ. He basically had a set vision of BJJ which was that it should only be trained with self defense and fighting in mind. Remember, during his life time BJJ was used in street fights and his family even took it into early MMA with great success.
At this time, the face of BJJ looked very different compared to today. This meant no modern techniques such as berimbolos, 50/50, or even leg locks. Back then, even stuff like X-guard wasn’t even done. As a result, it’s common for Gracie Jiu Jitsu gyms to focus on the basics, such as Closed guard and fundamental submissions.
10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is no gi
Whilst Gracie Jiu Jitsu primarily takes place in the gi, 10th Planet is a strictly no gi affair. Founder Eddie Bravo may not have been massive on self defense, but he did develop his system for MMA. This is why he ditched the gi as obviously they aren’t used in MMA.
Funnily enough, Bravo did train in the gi earlier in his training days. However, if you train 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu, don’t expect to be wearing a gi anytime soon. This is different from Gracie Jiu Jitsu which mostly trains in the gi, but also many Gracie gyms also teach in no gi these days.
Ironically, when Eddie Bravo first created no gi gyms – he was scoffed at by traditional BJJ Brazilians, including some from the Gracie family. Now it seems, this is the most popular form of training.
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10th Planet encourages submissions over positions
One of the oldest principles of BJJ is the idea of ‘position over submission’. This means slowly but surely enhancing your position until you can submit the opponent. It also means that you don’t go for submissions until you’re fully in control.
An example of this could be starting from a guard, sweeping the opponent, passing them, pinning them, taking their back then finishing them. There’s a clear hierarchy of positions to be followed. Generally, this is taught by Gracie Jiu Jitsu and traditional schools of thought.
However, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu differs significantly. For instance, typically 10th Planet practitioners may drop back for leg locks from a top position – thus disregarding the hierarchy. They may also avoid conventional positions such as mount because it’s arguably harder to submit from in no gi.
In short, 10th Planet is still BJJ, but it certainly has a different feel towards it. As a result, you could argue that 10th Planet BJJ is less controlled than regular BJJ. However, it also has a quicker pace and more submissions due to the relentless pursuit of attacks.
10th Planet has its own moves
You may have heard of moves such as the Lockdown and Rubber guard. These are both moves developed by Eddie Bravo which weren’t really used before. Furthermore, he also popularized submissions such as the Twister and Vaporizer. These are moves that aren’t used too commonly, especially outside the world of 10th Planet.
This differs drastically from Gracie Jiu Jitsu where submissions typically include triangles, armbars and chokes. As well, the guards are very conventional and even the names used for certain moves aren’t modern. You could argue that both systems are poles apart when it comes to terminology and their philosophy on moves and submissions.
10th Planet has a conspiracy theory and weed culture
If Gracie Jiu Jitsu is very traditional and reserved, 10th Planet is the complete opposite. If you train in a 10th Planet gym, you can expect members to be stoners who partake in wild conspiracy theories. Whilst this is a cliche, it’s certainly true for a lot of places. Of course, these members are friendly but this may be off-putting for some. Remember, Eddie Bravo is a renowned pothead himself with a love of conspiracies, so it’s not too surprising.
Even in terms of style, the culture of 10th Planet is different. For instance, many of the 10th Planet logos are flamboyant and loud with color. This differs massively from the typical plain white colored gis used in Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
In short, not only are the physical styles of grappling different, but the individuals that train there are very different too. This may be a bit of a generalization, but there’s also an element of truth behind it too.
Who would win between Gracie Jiu Jitsu Vs. 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu?
As mentioned, there are quite a few differences between 10th Planet and Gracie Jiu Jitsu. To sum it up in brief, a Gracie Jiu Jitsu practitioner would probably win a BJJ match in the gi whereas a 10th Planet practitioner would probably win in no gi.
If the gi match had typical IBJJF rules, then this would nullify a lot of attacks from the 10th Planet fighter. Also, if you’ve never trained in the gi then it can feel quite alien in terms of grips which would massively advantage the Gracie fighter.
Having said this, if it was in no gi match with EBI rules, then the 10th Planet practitioner would win. Obviously, this setting would suit their style and submissions like heel hooks would prove very effective. This shows that both styles are useful within their own rulesets yet struggle in different settings.
Is 10th Planet more realistic than Gracie Jiu Jitsu?
One of the biggest issues with Gracie Jiu Jitsu is that it is unrealistic at times. One example of this is that its gyms often don’t let people spar until blue belt. Usually, this means at least a year of training before sparring which is a bit strange compared to regular BJJ. This differs from 10th Planet, where you can literally spar from day one.
Arguably, you need to spar to test your skills in a real setting. You may struggle early on which is to be expected, but later you’ll benefit from this in terms of sharpness and timing. Without this, it means your skills may be lacking. In this sense, you could say that 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu is much more realistic compared to Gracie Jiu Jitsu.
Summary
Overall, there’s a lot of differences between the two disciplines. Ultimately, they still revolve around grappling so there are lots of similarities. Still, 10th Planet is more modern in both its techniques and culture, whereas Gracie Jiu Jitsu is more traditional. If you’re thinking about training at one or the other, it’s probably best to check it out yourself.
One thing worth noting is that each gym has its own distinct feel. With this said, this article is based on generalizations so if you’re really curious, then check it out for yourself.
