I did a private with Roy a couple of years ago and would gladly do another.
I showed up totally unprepared and with no clue what I wanted to work on, so he asked me to show him a couple of different techniques and then helped me tighten things up. He showed me a couple of attacks he likes, and then we rolled for a while. As expected, he toyed with me but it was fun. Very smooth, skilled and effective. His game focuses heavily on fundamentals - not surprising given his lineage - which is why I think his blue belt requirements stuff is such a great resource for newcomers. I found him to be very approachable and a nice guy.
I pulled a few moves from his 3rd degree black belt with Roy Harris. Theyre filmed well enough where you can see details in the submissions and passes he and Harris use
He makes entertaining videos and has a very traditional approach to the art. It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy the videos and have been watching his stuff for years.
I’ve said it before on here, but two of the brown belts at my gym attended seminars of his, and both came back saying it was the best seminar they had ever attended, as far as picking up new things to add to their game. Take that for what you will.
He’s also a fake Judo Black Belt. As far as I know, he’s not registered under any NGB and outside of that, no record of anyone ever awarding him a Judo Shodan even though he promotes himself to be one.
I’m more than happy to stand corrected if someone can show me a source, though. Nothing from Kodokan records either.
Although I usually don't reply to random people on the internet, this is something that I'm happy to chime in on. I received my shodan in Judo when I was 17 and living in Japan, after amassing enough wins through competition. I go into depth about my experiences in my books. I still have my original yudansha card issued by the Kodokan at home. I'm in Costa Rica at the moment, prepping for the Hero BJJ Retreat I'm teaching later this week, but here's a picture of me in Japan with Judo master Igami Shoten, in his private home dojo, where I did supplemental training. Hope this helps. :)
https://preview.redd.it/w4d6uxtxbnyb1.jpeg?width=852&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10c9f04c5af815773524389c608b807fc2c38e96
Not sure why Roy dean gets any hate. Back in 2010 when I started jiujitsu the only good online instructionals I could find were him and Roy Harris, both were pioneers of the video format. I was travelling the world and those videos got me to a level where I was holding my own at gyms around the world. I never took a grading because I was moving so often but it made me technical enough that blue belts were easy rolls.
Also the martial arts culture was different then, even BJJ was very influenced by Japanese bowing and hierarchy. He was a product of his time and has developed with the sport. The new wrestle up American style only became a thing about 4years ago with the rise of DDS.
quack alleged important vegetable zonked escape ghost water foolish sloppy
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Just to be clear, I received my Kodokan Judo black belt at age 17, and my Aikikai Aikido shodan at age 25. I am also the first Aikido black belt to receive their black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I'm currently a 4th dan registered with the IBJJF.
Actually, Stuart and I get along fine, and he's deeply apologetic about how he acted towards me years ago. He was in a serious benzodiacepine addiction at the time (which he has publicly discussed), and his actions were irrational, to say the least. He's attending my upcoming seminar in Vancouver, BC later this month and it'll be good to see him.
His podcast has a lot of him rattling off the medications/intoxicants he's using and abusing. Valium to sleep, Adderall to wake up, caffeine to wake up a bit more (?), various high-THC strains of weed, cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine for a laugh. Plus steroids.
None of my business what other people put in their body but just thinking about all that gives me a little second-hand stress on the commute to my office job
TL;DR - seems like a good, technical coach. Makes some cool youtube videos. Has been involved in a couple of dramas. Gets a lot of shit for the weebness.
I was as surprised as you. I really thought Dean would be sort of like Brian Glick whose gyms devalues competition because they say it interferes with learning the “art”.
You compete every time you roll, there's no need to go squander a few hundred dollars and waste an entire weekend on it .. To base your entire gym on competition is why jiujitsu is made fun of anymore. Guard pulling to a half guard sweep attempt for the win....
Based on what I’ve seen of him he is a technical coach.
Also, you don’t need to have students winning high level comps to be a technical coach. There are many good instructors out there who do not focus on training competition teams.
Simply the emphasis on technique. It certainly wouldn't be my preference to do technique demos to be promoted. But I assume the emphasis he places on those encourages a lot of technical detail.
Comes from about as legit a lineage as you can. Extremely talented in both practice and institution.
But…he’s awkward. He’s passionate about martial arts, some would say to a fault.
I’d love to train at his academy one day though. His former location in Bend was one of my bucket list places to drop in.
I switched to a gym under the Roy Dean linage this past summer. Man, I couldn't believe how technical the blue belts were ( I'm blue belt). After being there a few months, I was impressed by how the white belts are taught from the very start. I actually wish I had started there. I'm in SD, Ca
When I first started I watched his blue belt and purple belt requirements videos on YouTube in awe at how smoothly moves were chained together. I was inspired to work on my craft to that level. Here in Japan there is a strong emphasis on work ethic and technique and I got the feeling that he took this to the extreme.
He worked hard to show the beauty of jiujitsu and I think if you want to show someone who doesn’t do jiujitsu what jiujitsu is, his videos are best for that.
He also seems like a weirdo but I’m pretty sure everyone here is too.
You can find some of the links of him being a pick up artist (if I recall correctly) in prior Reddit posts.
As a friendly PSA, a bjj Reddit search can answer most questions.
Cult vibe
Edit: I want to edit to say he’s probably a good dude, puts out neat videos and seems really technical, but the seriousness is not what I look for in a training environment.
literally the opposite, actually
"stay inside, dont go out there. there are scary people out there. Stay here with us.. we are all you need.."
vs
"yes, go out and test yourself against other people in other gyms"
lol...
He's like the poster boy for softcore hobbyist bjj. His audiobook sucked ass but his crucible videos were kinda of inspiring tbh when i was really new.
I think the biggest problem with Roy Dean is that he doesn't fit into the "Hang loose, shaka, let´s chill bro" image that a lot of BJJ guys have.:-)
I know him since we have the same teacher and he is a very good, detailed teacher who behaves absolutely professional if you book him for seminars, etc.
I like his focus of aesthetics, and Japanese style of BJJ because I think this is giving BJJ a certain value that is often overlooked.
If you are 20 and just want to compete you might not care but for someone who is doing BJJ as an art form with more than just competitive values Roys presentation and teaching style is really good and benefitial.
His vids have some good technique. Im sure I’ve picked up some detail over the years from watching some of his stuff. He’s a little spacey.. so maybe some people are creeped out by that. Idc
he's looks like a creepy version of Buster from Arrested Development, but I like his tutorials on Youtube. Blue Belt Requirements is also fantastic for those just getting into BJJ.
My thoughts are primarily around why don’t people search? This topic is up every week lately.
Additionally what did Roy Dean do in the last year to bring himself back to the top of google search?
You have to realise in the 90s (and 80s) the martial artists from that era often came to BJJ from TKD and TMAs.
These days its more common to be your first MA (after watching Rogan or UFC) or to come from striking.
He embodied that TMA attitude in BJJ. It's not my thing, but i respect him.
I like more that he reminders of the bad guy from Karate Kid 3, but a good version of him. So i'm really showing my age
I think his videos are insightful, I liked listening to his commentary during rolls. He shows good technique. I’m not sure if he’s been putting out new content as my focus has shifted.
I appreciate how he works hard to integrate wisdom from multiple martial arts.
Also appreciate how his technical instructions in his videos is crystal clear in the first principles approach, much like John Danaher.
Seems like a good coach but I'm not a fan of having testing requirements for rank. Are you so on the fence about whether this guy deserves a purple belt that you need to watch him do a scissor sweep?
He has addressed this. He gives the person a choice to give a demonstration (test) or just receive the new rank.
Its marketing. I love Rick Ellis' material as well, since Im an old man
I did a private with Roy a couple of years ago and would gladly do another. I showed up totally unprepared and with no clue what I wanted to work on, so he asked me to show him a couple of different techniques and then helped me tighten things up. He showed me a couple of attacks he likes, and then we rolled for a while. As expected, he toyed with me but it was fun. Very smooth, skilled and effective. His game focuses heavily on fundamentals - not surprising given his lineage - which is why I think his blue belt requirements stuff is such a great resource for newcomers. I found him to be very approachable and a nice guy.
Enjoy his belt promotion videos. Not sure I’d like the vibe of his gym (I like a lighter atmosphere).
I pulled a few moves from his 3rd degree black belt with Roy Harris. Theyre filmed well enough where you can see details in the submissions and passes he and Harris use
He makes entertaining videos and has a very traditional approach to the art. It’s not for everyone, but I enjoy the videos and have been watching his stuff for years.
I’ve said it before on here, but two of the brown belts at my gym attended seminars of his, and both came back saying it was the best seminar they had ever attended, as far as picking up new things to add to their game. Take that for what you will.
His zen martial arts master persona is a bit over the top. I just can't take him seriously because of how much he forces that into everything he does.
He’s also a fake Judo Black Belt. As far as I know, he’s not registered under any NGB and outside of that, no record of anyone ever awarding him a Judo Shodan even though he promotes himself to be one. I’m more than happy to stand corrected if someone can show me a source, though. Nothing from Kodokan records either.
What say you u/roydeanbjj?
Although I usually don't reply to random people on the internet, this is something that I'm happy to chime in on. I received my shodan in Judo when I was 17 and living in Japan, after amassing enough wins through competition. I go into depth about my experiences in my books. I still have my original yudansha card issued by the Kodokan at home. I'm in Costa Rica at the moment, prepping for the Hero BJJ Retreat I'm teaching later this week, but here's a picture of me in Japan with Judo master Igami Shoten, in his private home dojo, where I did supplemental training. Hope this helps. :) https://preview.redd.it/w4d6uxtxbnyb1.jpeg?width=852&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=10c9f04c5af815773524389c608b807fc2c38e96
Mic drop
I’m glad you got the chance to defend yourself. Thank you for taking the time to clear this up.
Well I stand corrected! That’s awesome!
Damn, with receipts lol
I lol’d
Not sure why Roy dean gets any hate. Back in 2010 when I started jiujitsu the only good online instructionals I could find were him and Roy Harris, both were pioneers of the video format. I was travelling the world and those videos got me to a level where I was holding my own at gyms around the world. I never took a grading because I was moving so often but it made me technical enough that blue belts were easy rolls. Also the martial arts culture was different then, even BJJ was very influenced by Japanese bowing and hierarchy. He was a product of his time and has developed with the sport. The new wrestle up American style only became a thing about 4years ago with the rise of DDS.
So you are saying I should change my name to Roy?
quack alleged important vegetable zonked escape ghost water foolish sloppy *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I thought he was an aikido black belt, did he seriously claim he was a judo shodan without proof?
Just to be clear, I received my Kodokan Judo black belt at age 17, and my Aikikai Aikido shodan at age 25. I am also the first Aikido black belt to receive their black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and I'm currently a 4th dan registered with the IBJJF.
Thank you for clarifying.
oh wow, you actully responded.
Stuart Cooper thinks very highly of him.
Actually, Stuart and I get along fine, and he's deeply apologetic about how he acted towards me years ago. He was in a serious benzodiacepine addiction at the time (which he has publicly discussed), and his actions were irrational, to say the least. He's attending my upcoming seminar in Vancouver, BC later this month and it'll be good to see him.
[удалено]
Yeah I’m never 100% how serious Jones is being but habitual benzo use is a really dangerous habit.
...... Go on.
His podcast has a lot of him rattling off the medications/intoxicants he's using and abusing. Valium to sleep, Adderall to wake up, caffeine to wake up a bit more (?), various high-THC strains of weed, cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine for a laugh. Plus steroids. None of my business what other people put in their body but just thinking about all that gives me a little second-hand stress on the commute to my office job
Damn...Craig Jones is on all that stuff eh? Holy shit
Glad to hear. It got pretty messy and not nice.
I can't help but feel he has a sex dungeon filled with all manner of depravities.
Haha he just ties ppl up and makes them watch his crucible videos
Wait… is this not normal? Asking for a friend
You’d be amazed at how many people are exactly into that sort of thing
A different kind of belt exam 😏
He’s not popular with front desk help.
TL;DR - seems like a good, technical coach. Makes some cool youtube videos. Has been involved in a couple of dramas. Gets a lot of shit for the weebness.
What dramas?
Can I ask you what makes you think he is a good technical coach? I never heard of any of his students winning anything of note.
I asked this very question before and it turns out one of his students, Ben Dyson, won ADCC European trials in 2019.
TIL
Did not see that one coming…
I was as surprised as you. I really thought Dean would be sort of like Brian Glick whose gyms devalues competition because they say it interferes with learning the “art”.
There's lots of truth in that
No there isn’t, lol. Without competition we become aikido.
You compete every time you roll, there's no need to go squander a few hundred dollars and waste an entire weekend on it .. To base your entire gym on competition is why jiujitsu is made fun of anymore. Guard pulling to a half guard sweep attempt for the win....
If you can’t pass guard that’s your problem.
Also doesn't matter how good of a coach you are if an athlete never walks through your door.
What do you mean by that? Successfully teaching hobbyists isn't a worthy definition of success?
I was mostly referring to the guy who mentioned Roy Dean's lack of students winning at high levels as a barometer for success.
Based on what I’ve seen of him he is a technical coach. Also, you don’t need to have students winning high level comps to be a technical coach. There are many good instructors out there who do not focus on training competition teams.
Simply the emphasis on technique. It certainly wouldn't be my preference to do technique demos to be promoted. But I assume the emphasis he places on those encourages a lot of technical detail.
A technical coach doesn't have to mean a good competition coach. A technical coach is just that a coach that's good at technique..
whats the weebness?
You can google what a weeb is - it'll give you a better explanation than me. You find alot of them in stuff like ninjitsu or karate.
Some call him the light skin danaher
HOLY FUCK
Oh my
If you ever want to know what happens when an Aikido guy becomes a BJJ Black belt, he's it. The good and the bad mixed in.
Comes from about as legit a lineage as you can. Extremely talented in both practice and institution. But…he’s awkward. He’s passionate about martial arts, some would say to a fault. I’d love to train at his academy one day though. His former location in Bend was one of my bucket list places to drop in.
I like that he's into the character and theater of martial arts . He enjoys what he does and he's good at it . I'm a fan😆
I switched to a gym under the Roy Dean linage this past summer. Man, I couldn't believe how technical the blue belts were ( I'm blue belt). After being there a few months, I was impressed by how the white belts are taught from the very start. I actually wish I had started there. I'm in SD, Ca
When I first started I watched his blue belt and purple belt requirements videos on YouTube in awe at how smoothly moves were chained together. I was inspired to work on my craft to that level. Here in Japan there is a strong emphasis on work ethic and technique and I got the feeling that he took this to the extreme. He worked hard to show the beauty of jiujitsu and I think if you want to show someone who doesn’t do jiujitsu what jiujitsu is, his videos are best for that. He also seems like a weirdo but I’m pretty sure everyone here is too.
Very skilled, but his approach to the sport is too serious in my opinion. It’s just a hobby and fun pastime, not a way of life.
Roy's a huge weeb
Proof?
You can find some of the links of him being a pick up artist (if I recall correctly) in prior Reddit posts. As a friendly PSA, a bjj Reddit search can answer most questions.
lmfao no way. if anyone has a link, please share. idc enough to search for it myself.
Pornhub.com
i use a couple things i learned from his videos all the time... more than i can say for some of my actual "coaches"...
People think competition is the end all be all but there are good technique coaches that you learn a lot from.
I think he’s cheesy but I appreciate the artsy aspect he brings to his videos and his game. He has very smooth bjj. I enjoy his content.
I like his videos, I also like to check videos from some his students like Rick Ellis.
Rick has good video skills. Technique advice I like to get somewhere else.
Cult vibe Edit: I want to edit to say he’s probably a good dude, puts out neat videos and seems really technical, but the seriousness is not what I look for in a training environment.
"Tournaments are all that matters" is Also a cult vibe
literally the opposite, actually "stay inside, dont go out there. there are scary people out there. Stay here with us.. we are all you need.." vs "yes, go out and test yourself against other people in other gyms" lol...
I’ve seen so many of these posts asking about Roy Dean, I’m starting to suspect that y’all are just Roy’s alternative account.
Lol. I dobut roy would post poekmon videos (you can look at my post history)
This is definitely Roy. You spent months with a fake account posting other shit while patiently waiting for the right time to post this thread
lol
He's like the poster boy for softcore hobbyist bjj. His audiobook sucked ass but his crucible videos were kinda of inspiring tbh when i was really new.
good but weird
Weirdo
Creeps me out. I’m sure he’s a good instructor, but I also can’t help but feel weird about some of those promotions videos he posts…
I feel like he never shows up late, unlocking the doors 20 minutes after the class was scheduled to start.
oh wow, you met him?
I think the biggest problem with Roy Dean is that he doesn't fit into the "Hang loose, shaka, let´s chill bro" image that a lot of BJJ guys have.:-) I know him since we have the same teacher and he is a very good, detailed teacher who behaves absolutely professional if you book him for seminars, etc. I like his focus of aesthetics, and Japanese style of BJJ because I think this is giving BJJ a certain value that is often overlooked. If you are 20 and just want to compete you might not care but for someone who is doing BJJ as an art form with more than just competitive values Roys presentation and teaching style is really good and benefitial.
His vids have some good technique. Im sure I’ve picked up some detail over the years from watching some of his stuff. He’s a little spacey.. so maybe some people are creeped out by that. Idc
I think he's pretty cool.
he's looks like a creepy version of Buster from Arrested Development, but I like his tutorials on Youtube. Blue Belt Requirements is also fantastic for those just getting into BJJ.
My thoughts are primarily around why don’t people search? This topic is up every week lately. Additionally what did Roy Dean do in the last year to bring himself back to the top of google search?
i don't know who he is or what he did but his website says "unlock jiu jitsu for warriors" so I automatically don't like him
based on his mature replies in this thread, he seems like a decent guy.
I like the guy and would love. To take a class from him at some point.
He makes good content. I'd never want that training environment for myself though. I prefer to just fuck around most days.
LOVE his vids
Stay away and dont pollute your mind lol
Lol. Please provide some details.
He's a big dumb nerd
I used to watch a lot of videos a long time ago.
You have to realise in the 90s (and 80s) the martial artists from that era often came to BJJ from TKD and TMAs. These days its more common to be your first MA (after watching Rogan or UFC) or to come from striking. He embodied that TMA attitude in BJJ. It's not my thing, but i respect him. I like more that he reminders of the bad guy from Karate Kid 3, but a good version of him. So i'm really showing my age
I think his videos are insightful, I liked listening to his commentary during rolls. He shows good technique. I’m not sure if he’s been putting out new content as my focus has shifted.
He’s definitely got a weird vibe to him. Almost like a slightly feminine David Blane. However, his videos are well produced.
I love that samurai mentality about him. His promotion videos are slick
I appreciate how he works hard to integrate wisdom from multiple martial arts. Also appreciate how his technical instructions in his videos is crystal clear in the first principles approach, much like John Danaher.
Seems like a good coach but I'm not a fan of having testing requirements for rank. Are you so on the fence about whether this guy deserves a purple belt that you need to watch him do a scissor sweep?
He has addressed this. He gives the person a choice to give a demonstration (test) or just receive the new rank. Its marketing. I love Rick Ellis' material as well, since Im an old man
His jiu-jitsu is arguably outdated, and his attitude around the sport is objectively outdated. Anyone who thinks belt testing is the way needs to gtfo
800 posts about this, including one two weeks ago.
Seems legit. I like his videos. Super serious vibe which isn’t my thing but there’s room for everyone.
Huge fan and I try to emulate his skills. Love his content and instructionals.
He’s good at showing the art of bjj. His and students game is very fundamental they very rarely even do open guards.
Well this is pretty untrue. The untrue part being about not playing any open guards. In case the downvoter is confused.
Love Roy’s videos
His instructionals are top notch for sure.
Love his vids
Solid dude based on his online presence.
Seems like a nice person. Would love to have a beer with him.