accepting rank from non-black belts

[GracieMMABarra]

I'm in Northern California. There's a Gracie Barra black belt that opened his own gym, but as a Ralph Gracie affiliate. In this area, Ralph's name carries a lot of weight. There are no Gracie Barra schools up here, but Ralph's other academies are just an hour or so away. It makes sense if he's trying to attract students who want access to Ralph, Kurt, etc and they take trips to visit all the time. Staying Barra wouldn't allow that even though Gracie Barra has a bigger reputation because the nearest GB school is like 7 hours away.

If you're talking about manny ( who has been posting here for a long time) that's not exactly the reason but yeah, I'm sure he enjoys training with Kurt and crew.

 

[lts5025]

If you're talking about manny ( who has been posting here for a long time) that's not exactly the reason but yeah, I'm sure he enjoys training with Kurt and crew.

Yeah, I don't know what the personal or private reasons are, just that it would make sense from a business perspective to have those resources nearby. From the students' perspective, they'll never know why so-and-so left such-and-such, nor will many care. They will care that they can have access to Ralph and Kurt et al.

 

[bob]

I started in 2001.

At the time, it was acceptable for a Carlson Gracie student to promote up to the level below their rank.

My coach was a brown belt and he promoted people to purple.

This was common!

They were supposed to "ask" for permission but it was more like

"Valo, Dave who is the new blue belt guy?"

"Oh, hey Carlos! I promoted him. That cool???"

"Yeah that's good! Imma sure he strong guy! When's lunch????"

Simple.

Gracie Barra even stated on their website that lower belts could promote to the rank below if there were no black belts in the area. This was back in 2007.

Now everyone just assumes that it's always been black belts promoting, ignoring the fact that America was a bjj wasteland a decade ago, not to mention all over Europe.

I actually miss those days, because now we have people being promoted to black belt level too quickly to facilitate sales in an open market. If some guy in Nowhere Kansas opens a school in an area with rich parents and no competition that dude will get promoted to black belt ASAP no matter how he grapples because he is a cash cow. There is no incentive to be a better grappler anymore.

That's because people would rather get promoted by a terrible black belt then a more skilled purple.

THANK YOU. This is how I do things and how we were graded. Hell our intructor was a purple and he had purples underhim... his instructor was refusing to grade him to brown because he smoked pot and the BB dosnt aprove of him being so open about it. He was as good as the browns from interstate that got promoted to black... and his instructor trusted his judgement.

He ended up ripping off me and few other guys for a large sum of money and I was graded to purple by my team mates because I kept winning at blue and tapping the purples at our gym... that was in 2007... and I havent been graded since because I became somewhat of a ronin after the rip off...

now I got students and I grade them accordingly based on a combination of their consistency... dedication... competition results... I could give a fuck what ibjjf says. I know my guys and ive been involved in bjj for 13 years.
Im still a purple belt. Because I refused to be graded by a black belt who wanted me to learn the pronunciation to ten judo throws and do arm bars and triangles a specific way for the "test" we had to fly him out for a week for. Everyone else I came up with did it and were "promoted" ... I didnt feel right about a guy promoting me who rolled with me for 2mins once... tried to sell me a gi for $200 that was two sizes to big and needed me to learn judo throws I didnt do.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

I started in 2001.

At the time, it was acceptable for a Carlson Gracie student to promote up to the level below their rank.

My coach was a brown belt and he promoted people to purple.

This was common!

They were supposed to "ask" for permission but it was more like

"Valo, Dave who is the new blue belt guy?"

"Oh, hey Carlos! I promoted him. That cool???"

"Yeah that's good! Imma sure he strong guy! When's lunch????"

Simple.

Gracie Barra even stated on their website that lower belts could promote to the rank below if there were no black belts in the area. This was back in 2007.

Now everyone just assumes that it's always been black belts promoting, ignoring the fact that America was a bjj wasteland a decade ago, not to mention all over Europe.

I actually miss those days, because now we have people being promoted to black belt level too quickly to facilitate sales in an open market. If some guy in Nowhere Kansas opens a school in an area with rich parents and no competition that dude will get promoted to black belt ASAP no matter how he grapples because he is a cash cow. There is no incentive to be a better grappler anymore.

That's because people would rather get promoted by a terrible black belt then a more skilled purple.

I haven't been training as long as you, but things were similar when I started.

My coach was a brown belt when he gave me my blue belt. I didn't think it was strange at all. And I saw him promote people two or three guys to purple back then, too.

After another one of my coaches got his brown in Brazil, he came back and promoted my coach to brown belt. Barbosa was okay with it. He went over to Brazil a few months later and did well in competitions over there.

 

[kpoz12]

I would only accept rank from Masters the Barber sisters or Master Seth. Or Master Austin.

 

[Dogstarman]

i believe there is either a rule or a unspoken rule in bjj that you have to be at least two ranks above the person your promoting to promote them if you're not a black belt.

i.e. a brown belt couldnt promote someone to purple.

I think a brown belt giving someone their blue belt is totally reasonable.

That's how it was back in the early days. Late 90s to early 00. I remember when there were only a handful of American black belts.

 

[Deathnever]

My school owner is a brown belt and gives out blue belts.

 

[Mbetz1981]

In my opinion a BJJ black belt should have a very solid understanding of Judo. In the sense that their throws/ clinch work/transitions from standing should be very solid.

 

[Ryo]

In my opinion a BJJ black belt should have a very solid understanding of Judo. In the sense that their throws/ clinch work/transitions from standing should be very solid.

There would be alot less BBs right now, if that were the case. Even several champions...

 

[lechien]

There would be alot less BBs right now, if that were the case. Even several champions...

I am working on that.

But being a judo bb is hard.

Maybe brown belt level would realistic but there is not enough time for people to cross train and compete in both arts.

Well for the guys married with kids and a full time job

 

[freakroor]

ive seen a brown belt promote students to blue.. i thought it was ok at the time and i still do.

 

[EGDM]

there is not enough time for people to cross train and compete in both arts.

There's not enough time to train and compete in ONE art.

 

[CFGroup]

Weird, BB's promote, 4th Dan+ promote Dan rank.

From the old Japanese standard.

Seems like BJJ has rank promotion all over the place.

Seems to me all students preping for comp/promotion should make the chief instructors classes for at least a month for lower belts and at least 6 months for higher ranks to maintain standards.

Weird how you can even open a school with less than a BJJ BB and at least not have a certified affiliate instructor within driving distance to oversee promotions.

 

[lechien]

There's not enough time to train and compete in ONE art.

It also really hard to reprogram for cross training as

Weird, BB's promote, 4th Dan+ promote Dan rank.

From the old Japanese standard.

Seems like BJJ has rank promotion all over the place.

Seems to me all students preping for comp/promotion should make the chief instructors classes for at least a month for lower belts and at least 6 months for higher ranks to maintain standards.

Weird how you can even open a school with less than a BJJ BB and at least not have a certified affiliate instructor within driving distance to oversee promotions.

It is because of money and Bjj popularity.

You can make money and you can find any level of bb willing to affiliate for a certain amount of money. Some are more expansive than other and their requirement varies.

Like ari bolden decided to affiliate a bb that lives in a foreign country and would not train with a bb that lives in his town.

 

[Tchoker]

I train at a tiny gym, only about five of us. After about a year I received my blue belt from the blue belt that runs the place. I guess he figured since I went 11-3 in my two tournaments I was no longer a white belt. Never really thought if I was a legit blue belt or not. Who the fuck cares, just play BJJ!

 

[kpoz12]

I promoted myself, is that ok?

 

[Tchoker]

I promoted myself, is that ok?

Only in Akido, so long as you watch an instructional video.

 

[EGDM]

Only in Akido, so long as you watch an instructional video.

Believe me, Aikido is WAY more anal about promotion than BJJ.

 

[Welshdanny84]

I think that the issue of stripes should be performed by your club instructor even if lower than black belt rank as these encourage the student that they are headed in the right direction. But a full belt should always be given by a more senior prof. at a grading upon the recommendation of the club instructor

 

[Mbetz1981]

There would be alot less BBs right now, if that were the case. Even several champions...

Perhaps... but in my opinion it is embarrassing when a bjj guy has poor takedown skills. At the black belt level this shouldn't be the case. I don't think one has to be a Judo bb per se, but should definitely have a solid understanding of throws/clinch work/takedowns/etc.

If all you can do is pull guard, and butt scoot, then you probably shouldn't get past purple imo.