Rener and Ryron Gracie both teach Gracie Jiu-Jitsu from their home base in Torrance, California and also through various seminars across the globe. Aside from jiu-jitsu, the Gracies also offer their Gracie Survival Tactics (GST) courses for military and law enforcement professionals.
The Gracies created a Facebook page called Gracie Breakdown where they breakdown various MMA fights and internet videos to point out various techniques, or lack thereof. As with most social media platforms, the comment section is full of all sorts of different opinions and perspectives, some with more merit than others. In the comment section of a Gracie Breakdown video, a man by the name of Fletch Fuller was compelled to express his distaste for the GST courses citing:
Opportunism by the Gracies. Ugh.
Not only will they teach this officer, but they’ll make him an instructor?
The problem is much deeper than that and cannot be solved with a cheap advertising trick.
Fletch Fuller went on to divulge his lengthy BJJ and law enforcement experience:
My point is that opportunistic advertising is cheap and at the expense of officers on the street being used to sell a program. I have never done it and never will.
Been a LEO for 27 years and a trainer for much of that. At one time, I was a true believer in GJJ/ BJJ as the gold standard for police. I no longer think that is true and I see the program driven by marketing and group think.
People can’t believe that I, as a BJJ BB can be critical of a program based entirely on an art I have practiced for twenty years. It comes from being a cop and teaching them and seeing the inherent problems in pushing it to the front line people have minimal time for H2H training and the limited time they DO have is better spent with other material.
As an art, a sport, a hobby or a lifestyle… it’s wonderful. As a police program is is lacking in substance and driven by marketing. That is my opinion.
Gracie Breakdown responded to Fuller’s comment:
Fletch Fuller I don’t know you, but I congratulate you on your dedicating so many years to BJJ. That said, the GST program and BJJ are as different as ping pong and golf. Two different worlds. Since you’ve never done the GST course, your current opinion has no merit. To resolve this, I have a proposal for you. I invite you to do the 5-day GST instructor course for free. If it’s the best d-tac course you’ve ever done, you pay at the end of the week. If not, it’s free. You’re the only judge, and with your combined law enforcement and BJJ experience, I have 100% faith in your assessment. How about it?
Fuller responded:
Gracie Breakdown Nice save. Worked with GRAPLE and GRACIE extensively and familiar with your format. Not a rookie and not a Sport BJJ fanatic. The Breakdowns are interesting for MMA. Not so much for police tactics. Sorry.
Gracie Breakdown retorted:
Fletch Fuller Unless you’ve done GST with me or Ryron, you haven’t done GST. The course is free regardless of whether you love it or not. Also, we’ll pay for your flight and your hotel. You have nothing to lose.
Rener Gracie took to his own Facebook page, with Fuller’s comment on full display:
‘A guy named Fletch Fuller (BJJ black belt and a police officer) made this comment (pictured) on my last Law Enforcement Gracie Breakdown. Here was my response 
??. Thumbs up if you think he should take the offer. 
??
“Fletch Fuller I don’t know you, but I congratulate you on your dedicating so many years to BJJ. That said, the GST program and BJJ are as different as ping pong and golf. Literally, two different worlds. Since you’ve never done the GST course, your current opinion has no merit. To resolve this, I have a proposal for you. I invite you to do the 5-day GST instructor course for free. If it’s the best d-tac course you’ve ever done, you pay at the end of the week. If not, you don’t pay a penny, and you walk away with a week of free training. You’re the only judge, and with your combined law enforcement and BJJ experience, I have 100% faith in your assessment. How about it?”
Fletch Fuller commented on Rener Gracie’s post:
‘Cheap shot. Really cheap. Juvenile marketing 101. Thanks for proving me right.’
Rener Gracie responded to Fuller:
New deal: The GST course is free regardless of whether you love it or not. Also, we’ll pay for your flight and your hotel (Ryron’s idea). We host up to 15 courses per year, so I guarantee we will find a week that works for you. You have nothing to lose.’
As of the time this article was written, Fuller has yet to respond to the all expenses paid 5-day GST offered up by the Gracies. Does Fuller make a valid point? Will Fuller accept the Gracie’s offer? Did the Gracie’s do the right thing by offering up their course for free?
My guess is the dude isn’t actually a Black Belt or even an LEO. Probably just a keyboard warrior wanting to feel important.
how many people do take your course rener? some people just cannot be convinced. either fuller is not legit or has never seen combat first hand. believe me. when you have sedn combat first hand you will want to try everything to either prevent it or be able to come out winning. haters will remein haters regardless. focus on the large group that tslk good about the class and forget the ones that dont.
I’d like to know what material is a better use of time? Paperwork?
imo fuller is fuller of bs anyone would go head first into such an offer unless theyre hiding something (not bb/leo)
Gauntlet thrown, challenge not accepted. If this guy was truly a law enforcement officer, and a bjj blackbelt, he’d jump at the chance to have himself proven right. He literally has NOTHING to lose, and he’s not putting out anything. I honestly think this guy is a keyboard warrior who wanted to put his two cents in, and didn’t expect to be called out.
Sounds about right!
He appears to be legitimate as a police officer, trainer in police tactics and a BJJ BB. (Google – although that is not always correct). He is entitled to his opinion and should be allowed to express it the same way the Gracie’s are allowed to sell their GST program. Just because he didn’t accept the free offer doesn’t mean he is lying or a fraud or any of those things. Maybe he just has a different vision of what is effective. The Gracie’s have never been law enforcement officers or military armed forces in an active war zone where they faced danger and conflict on a daily basis. It doesn’t mean that the GST Program is not the best thing out there for law enforcement. Fuller deserves the same respect the Gracie’s or anyone else would want in return. I would be interested in hearing the opinions of law enforcement professionals/armed forces personnel that have taken the GST course stating why it is very effective and the benefits they derived from the training.
Fletch is the real deal. He is a BJJ Blackbelt, a military and swat veteran and has nearly 30 years in LE training. He’s been a featured presenter on Police One and taught tactics to Police internationally. The Gracie’s don’t have a monopoly on ground tactics, especially in the LEO field. I’ve trained with both Fletch Fuller and the GST program. IMO Fullers program was far more functional for LE and I chose to train with him again as does practically everyone exposed to his training methodology. There doesn’t appear to be too many free thinkers re certifying in the GST program though, only those emotionally and financially invested who turn up to courses already wearing Gracie T-shirts.