Black Registration under IBJJF

[Al Kohalic]

I originally for my black belt in 2019 and have been thinking of registering now that I am due for my first degree. Looking at the iBJJF website if I am not mistaken they will not retroactively recognize me as a white stripe black belt with my original certification date in 2019. Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there any other reputable organizations that would recognize my first degree other than the iBJJF? The only reason I am looking into this is because it seems that my instructor will not promote us if we do not get registered.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

If you want to have your degrees recognized by the IBJJF, then you must register every year as a “competitor” even if you don’t compete.

The fee is like $30.00.

If you don’t pay a year or registered only your first year and then stopped renewing, IBJJF won’t recognize the years you did not renew.

Likewise, if you never registered, then they won’t count any time towards your degrees until your first date of registration no matter how long you’ve had your black belt.

After you have paid your dues every year at black belt, then you can apply for your first degree ($150) after three years. You will also have to certify your black belt at this time. You have to take a refs course, do a background check, and pay a fee.

Next year I’m coming up on my second degree. I’ve paid my dues every year, so I’ll apply for two degrees and certify my belt. I have students I want to be able to sign off on.

Also, if you never competed at brown you will have to register as a “provisional” black belt. I competed at brown, so my registration was straight forward. My friend never registered at brown and he had to jump through a few more hoops.

Hope this is helpful.

 

[Al Kohalic]

Great info thanks!!

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

If you want to have your degrees recognized by the IBJJF, then you must register every year as a “competitor” even if you don’t compete.

The fee is like $30.00.

If you don’t pay a year or registered only your first year and then stopped renewing, IBJJF won’t recognize the years you did not renew.

Likewise, if you never registered, then they won’t count any time towards your degrees until your first date of registration no matter how long you’ve had your black belt.

After you have paid your dues every year at black belt, then you can apply for your first degree ($150) after three years. You will also have to certify your black belt at this time. You have to take a refs course, do a background check, and pay a fee.

Next year I’m coming up on my second degree. I’ve paid my dues every year, so I’ll apply for two degrees and certify my belt. I have students I want to be able to sign off on.

Also, if you never competed at brown you will have to register as a “provisional” black belt. I competed at brown, so my registration was straight forward. My friend never registered at brown and he had to jump through a few more hoops.

Hope this is helpful.

We are in a similar situation. I competed for IBJJF since blue belt (no registration required) then all the way to brown when they started requiring registration. I registered to compete at brown for a few years, got my black belt in 2016. Registered and competed every year since then, as an athlete. I have never registered myself as an instructor or my school since I register under my instructor's school. I am coming up on 6 years as a black belt. When I reach the 6 year mark, can I register and attempt to get my 2nd degree straight away with IBJJF? Or will I need to pay $150 for my 1st degree, then another $150 for my 2nd degree?

 

[Knock Out Ned]

Registered and competed every year since then, as an athlete. I have never registered myself as an instructor or my school since I register under my instructor's school. When I reach the 6 year mark, can I register and attempt to get my 2nd degree straight away with IBJJF? Or will I need to pay $150 for my 1st degree, then another $150 for my 2nd degree?

Yeah, I just register under my instructor’s school, too. We’ll have to pay $150 per degree and also pay for the certification.

You’re fine as long as you paid your dues every year (I guy I used to train waited until he had enough time for his second degree and applied for both of them at the same time).

The instructor that has been signing off on you every year will also sign off on your degrees.

Good thing is once we complete everything, we don’t need anyone singing off on our renewals for our competition cards anymore. We will also be able to sign off on black belts.

Edit:
You can also look at “General System of Graduation” on their website. Everything for us is under “Article 4”.

I just took at look, and it looks like it’s been updated. It’s very straight forward and easy to understand compared to the past.

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

got it, thanks!
Just to clarify, if I wait (another 3 months) till my 2nd degree to apply, will I need to pay $150 for 1st degree and 2nd degree ($300 total) or just $150 straight away for my 2nd?

 

[Knock Out Ned]

got it, thanks!
Just to clarify, if I wait (another 3 months) till my 2nd degree to apply, will I need to pay $150 for 1st degree and 2nd degree ($300 total) or just $150 straight away for my 2nd?

You’ll have to pay $300 ($150 per degree). Also, you’ll have to pay for the black belt certification, too. Last time I checked it was around $500.00.

 

[BJJ Coffee Drinker]

ok got it, kind of what I was expecting. I was hoping I could just apply for 2nd degree and just pay that

 

[Einheri]

I registered with the IBJJF for my black belt and first degree. They only recognise your time in grade from the date you register with them. So, better to do it sooner rather than later if you think you'll ever want to be certified by them.

 

[Matsukaze]

So your instructor promoted you to black but will not give you degrees unless you sign up under IBJJF?
That sounds a little strange or maybe I misunderstood

 

[shunyata]

Been brown for two years and was just told they're bumping me up to black soon.

Never registered with IBJJF before though, so I'm looking over all this stuff and it seems like I'll have to register as provisional black.

Then in either 2 years or 3 years (their site seems to say both at different times) at provisional black I can certify the black belt and apply for the first stripe.

Anyone have any experience with the provisional belt system?

 

[rmongler]

These jumped up bureaucracies are like barnacles; spawning almost like magic to attach themselves to the hulls of something with vitality and suck the life out of it.

 

[Einheri]

Anyone have any experience with the provisional belt system?

Yeah, you're provisional for a year before you can apply for full certification. It's so they can check that your grade is legitimate, you're in good standing, not a convicted rapist/paedophile, et cetera. They don't want to give their rubber stamp if your grade is suspect or you're some kind of degenerate criminal.

These jumped up bureaucracies are like barnacles; spawning almost like magic to attach themselves to the hulls of something with vitality and suck the life out of it.

The IBJJF is certainly not above criticism, but registration does what it is intended to do. You can't really question a jiujiteiro's grade if they've the IBJJF certification to prove it, and all you need to do is search their database to verify. I also think, or rather hope, that the IBJJF will morph into an actual international governing body like FIAS in the coming decades.

 

[Matsukaze]

I originally for my black belt in 2019 and have been thinking of registering now that I am due for my first degree. Looking at the iBJJF website if I am not mistaken they will not retroactively recognize me as a white stripe black belt with my original certification date in 2019. Does anyone have any experience with this? Are there any other reputable organizations that would recognize my first degree other than the iBJJF? The only reason I am looking into this is because it seems that my instructor will not promote us if we do not get registered.

So your instructor promoted you all the way to the Black Belch but then will not give you degrees if you don't register? AM I missing something? Seems kinda strange... but it's a money grab from the IBJJF for every Black Belt that has to register

 

[shunyata]

So your instructor promoted you all the way to the Black Belch but then will not give you degrees if you don't register? AM I missing something? Seems kinda strange... but it's a money grab from the IBJJF for every Black Belt that has to register

Yeah, it's a cash grab.

But it's also the only real recognized system of verification and ranking for black belt and beyond.

You don't have to participate, but if you ever want to open your own gym, or quit your day job and teach full time as your new day job, that verification can help.

At the same time, it's not the only professional organization in the US where I've had to pay to play. I've paid others by way of paying for board exams and new license fees, renewal fees, etc.

 

[Knock Out Ned]

got it, thanks!
Just to clarify, if I wait (another 3 months) till my 2nd degree to apply, will I need to pay $150 for 1st degree and 2nd degree ($300 total) or just $150 straight away for my 2nd?

To follow up on this, I just applied for the first time and just got my black belt certificate (two degrees recognized).

I was charged $400.00 (was not charged for degrees).

I applied on Saturday, and it was approved on Monday.

Also, I was considered an “active member” even though I had some gaps where I was late renewing my membership.

I hope this is helpful for anyone on here wondering about the process or anyone Googling it.

 

[Romulas]

I took the IBJJF referee course in like 2003 with a bunch of guys from my gym. Bjj was really obscure back then and we were told that we would be called to ref when they had the one ibjjf tournament a year in NY. We never heard from them.
I'm pretty sure it was a cash grab for someone from the ibjjf that was here in NY on vacation.

It was such a clown org back then used to fleece Americans of their money. Seems like it got even worst.

At least their tournaments run on time...lol