Gracie Jiu Jitsu questions

Hello all,
Brand new white belt here in GJJ. I have a question or two. I just found out the academy I am attending doesn't have a Black Belt. Then I found out that when it comes time for your blue belt test it gets taped and emailed to Gracie HQ in Torrance, then after (sometimes 3 weeks to a month) you get an email back saying if you passed or not. I tried to ask questions about it but I never got a real answer. Is this the norm at other GJJ schools? Thank you for your time.

@Moller757

Yes this is normal but you have some of your details wrong.

First, even black belt instructors can be required to have Torrance review video test of a student testing. CTC's start out as probationary, and while on their probationary periods they can not grade their students, including black belts. During probationary periods, the Instructor of your school will test you, film it and grade it themselves. THEN they will submit it to Torrance where it will be reviewed and graded. Then Torrance will compare their opinions to how your instructor graded you. This serves as a sort of test for your instructor. Obviously if your instructor grades you and you suck, and then sends it to Torrance he would be a shitty instructor. So this is a way for Torrance to have some quality control over the development of instructors under their banner. So a real instructor will not have submit anything until the student knows the curriculum properly, or else he'll look bad.

Second, once Torrance signs off on the passed test, they create the certificate and send the blue belt cert and belt to your instructor and then they will present it to you however they do it (normally at the end of class or at a special night at the gym, whatever).

Black belt run CTC's that are NOT in probationary are able to grade their own students without doing all this, but at some point even they had to. My instructor is a very legit black belt and still had to do this. But you better make sure when I was told I was ready to test, he really meant it. The whole testing process is very eye opening to how much you REALLY now, and how you perform when eyes are watching.

The only thing I can't tell you is if non-probationary schools run by non-black belts have to always submit to Torrance or not. I believe they always do, but obviously as Torrance sees them producing students who know the material impacts the blue/purp/browns future promotions as an instructor.

Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
Edison Carasio -
Thank you for the answer. It helped a lot. Thanks for taking the time.
 
wow
jiu jitsu is one of the few things we have in brasil that is like...million years ahead of what you guys in first world countries have

hey friend, go learn wrestling or boxing or judo...why bjj? because of royce and the ufc? jesus...
 
@Moller757

Yes this is normal but you have some of your details wrong.

First, even black belt instructors can be required to have Torrance review video test of a student testing. CTC's start out as probationary, and while on their probationary periods they can not grade their students, including black belts. During probationary periods, the Instructor of your school will test you, film it and grade it themselves. THEN they will submit it to Torrance where it will be reviewed and graded. Then Torrance will compare their opinions to how your instructor graded you. This serves as a sort of test for your instructor. Obviously if your instructor grades you and you suck, and then sends it to Torrance he would be a shitty instructor. So this is a way for Torrance to have some quality control over the development of instructors under their banner. So a real instructor will not have submit anything until the student knows the curriculum properly, or else he'll look bad.

Second, once Torrance signs off on the passed test, they create the certificate and send the blue belt cert and belt to your instructor and then they will present it to you however they do it (normally at the end of class or at a special night at the gym, whatever).

Black belt run CTC's that are NOT in probationary are able to grade their own students without doing all this, but at some point even they had to. My instructor is a very legit black belt and still had to do this. But you better make sure when I was told I was ready to test, he really meant it. The whole testing process is very eye opening to how much you REALLY now, and how you perform when eyes are watching.

The only thing I can't tell you is if non-probationary schools run by non-black belts have to always submit to Torrance or not. I believe they always do, but obviously as Torrance sees them producing students who know the material impacts the blue/purp/browns future promotions as an instructor.

Hope this helps.

Although it's the combatives belt now not blue. Or is it the same process for blue one you have your conbatives belt?
 
Although it's the combatives belt now not blue. Or is it the same process for blue one you have your conbatives belt?

Yes, sorry. I was in a hurry to reply. You test for combatives belt, then after sometime of studying the blue belt material the instructor will promote you to Blue belt at his discretion as is commonplace in Jiu-Jitsu.

So basically in my last post just replace the words blue belt with combative belt.
 
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