How many BJJ black belts do you think there are?

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

I was thinking about this after I watched a TED talk from UNLV. This guy was saying we should give jiu jitsu to under privileged kids to increase the black belts in the US and we would have a better country.

How many Black Belts do you think there are in America?

If you are not from America, how many Black Belts do you think there are in your country?

 

[lechien]

That is such a demeaning statement.
Give jiu jitsu to people to make a better society and more bb.

Bjj is not the source and answer to problem

What you need is some Bjj instructors that are willing to be good role model and teach Bjj for non profit.

That means it is OK to have a normal job and teach Bjj for free and encourage your students to replicate such effort.

Get a job and be a role model in your community.

The athlete part is different of course.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

That is such a demeaning statement.
Give jiu jitsu to people to make a better society and more bb.

Bjj is not the source and answer to problem

What you need is some Bjj instructors that are willing to be good role model and teach Bjj for non profit.

That means it is OK to have a normal job and teach Bjj for free and encourage your students to replicate such effort.

Get a job and be a role model in your community.

The athlete part is different of course.

So how many Black Belts. The TED Talk actually addressed BB donating their time to teach underprivileged children. But I really want to know how many BB there are in America and in your country?

 

[Uchi Mata]

In America? I live in Colorado and we have probably around 50 BBs in the state with about 5.3MM residents, extrapolate that ratio to the US population of ~320MM, add a few for higher BB dense areas like SoCal, SoFlo, and New England, and I'd guess there's between 3000 and 3300 BBs in the US.

 

[sen2two]

Better question. How many of those people deserve that ranking?

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

In America? I live in Colorado and we have probably around 50 BBs in the state with about 5.3MM residents, extrapolate that ratio to the US population of ~320MM, add a few for higher BB dense areas like SoCal, SoFlo, and New England, and I'd guess there's between 3000 and 3300 BBs in the US.

That's damn good math my friend. That's approx what I was thinking but was not sure

 

[Russky]

How many Black Belts do you think there are in America?

2743

 

[Uchi Mata]

Better question. How many of those people deserve that ranking?

Probably almost all of them. 97%+. I've met a hell of a lot of black belts, and only three didn't deserve that rank. One you could make a case for, one clearly didn't even though he was awarded it legitimately, and one was probably faking it so count him if you want.

 

[lechien]

So how many Black Belts. The TED Talk actually addressed BB donating their time to teach underprivileged children. But I really want to know how many BB there are in America and in your country?

You can just go on the ibjjf website and see how many are certified.

You could ask the ibjjf how many bb are paying their annual membership but I doubt they will reply.

You cannot really count the rest anyway but it is likely they will be majority.

For every ibjjf certified bb, there will 100 bb that are not certified.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

You can just go on the ibjjf website and see how many are certified.

You could ask the ibjjf how many bb are paying their annual membership but I doubt they will reply.

You cannot really count the rest anyway but it is likely they will be majority.

For every ibjjf certified bb, there will 100 bb that are not certified.

I went on the Gracie Academy Web site they have just over 100 listed. That is one of the oldest schools in the US. Safe to call this a mega school? If there are 10 mega schools in the US (I'm just making that up) od schools that have 100 or more blackbelts does that give some perspective. I would think Jacare and Renzo probably have the most black belts if you include their students who give out black belts. As well as Gracie Barra in the US must have a lot of black belts

 

[AnotherOldGuy]

Better question. How many of those people deserve that ranking?

Black belt is an arbitrary standard, and different styles have different ones. Which is some combat sports (wrestling and boxing for example) do fine without it, using instead absolute standards (level of competition wins etc).

When Kano brought the belt system to judo (it was used for other things in Japan before that), he decided first degree black belt meant having enough of the basics that you were ready to be a student - that's why there's 10 degrees of black belt in judo. In Japan a sixth degree black belt (the red and white paneled belt) means you're an expert, which kind of makes sense given the ten degrees.

For some reason Europeans and North & South Americans decided that judo black belt meant expert (why in the world would you have 10 degrees of expert???), and so judo people from there often think it should be a much higher standard than "ready to be a student". That was passed on to BJJ, where the idea is that getting your first degree black belt means you're an expert. But its arbitrary - it's just colored cloth, it means whatever people want it to mean.

If a wrestler wins Olympic gold you know he's good. No belt needed.

 

[NateTx4112]

I'm guessing there are near 100 in DFW alone at this point. I'm guessing the 3000 number is honestly low at this point.

 

[freaky]

http://ibjjf.org/list-of-black-belts/

You are quite close.

2743

 

[lechien]

I went on the Gracie Academy Web site they have just over 100 listed. That is one of the oldest schools in the US. Safe to call this a mega school? If there are 10 mega schools in the US (I'm just making that up) od schools that have 100 or more blackbelts does that give some perspective. I would think Jacare and Renzo probably have the most black belts if you include their students who give out black belts. As well as Gracie Barra in the US must have a lot of black belts

Lot of those bb are located in Miami fl.
I would assume they are valentes brothers bb. I doubt those rich dudes will ever teach poor kids for free.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

Lot of those bb are located in Miami fl.
I would assume they are valentes brothers bb. I doubt those rich dudes will ever teach poor kids for free.

We know you teach for free. Good on you. I just want to know how many bb there are in the US and the world

Be careful when you assume. It could make an ass out of u and me.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

I'm guessing there are near 100 in DFW alone at this point. I'm guessing the 3000 number is honestly low at this point.

What are the big schools in DFW with a lot of BBs?

 

[Calibur]

What are the big schools in DFW with a lot of BBs?

I went into Carlos Machado's gym and saw 5 black belts on the mat. That was 2003!! Since last time I've went there there are probably people who were white belts there who have gotten black belts and begun giving others black belts. 100 in the DFW area is probably low balling.

 

[Daniel Fox]

A lot! In some ways it is good, 20 years ago there were so few black belts so you had schools charging $200 a month which would be equal to about $315 a month today. With a larger supply of black belts prices should go down. The down side is you have a small percentage who don't deserve it, even if the percentage is 2%, 2% of 3000 is 60, that is a fairly big number.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

I went into Carlos Machado's gym and saw 5 black belts on the mat. That was 2003!! Since last time I've went there there are probably people who were white belts there who have gotten black belts and begun giving others black belts. 100 in the DFW area is probably low balling.

I'm not sure that math adds up. Yes he has a good school and lots of black belts but only a very few people who start jiu jitsu actually ever get their black belts. The Gracie Academy has been there since the 90's. They include the Miami academy and they have just over 100

 

[lechien]

I'm not sure that math adds up. Yes he has a good school and lots of black belts but only a very few people who start jiu jitsu actually ever get their black belts. The Gracie Academy has been there since the 90's. They include the Miami academy and they have just over 100

Pretty sure they made more bb but only list the ones that have not creonte them.

For what it is worth, my ex instructor that been teaching for the past 14 years only made less than 10 bb and he only retained maybe two under him. And most of them trained with another instructors before.

Some other bb promoted their own students to bb before they were 2 degrees which is not kosher but no one cares because none of them are ibjjf certified.

Basically, Bjj is notorious for not promoting paying customers because of the dollars.