Help my academy by signing this petition to the IBJJF

[TrumpetDan]

As a 2 stripe brown belt, I am unable to register my academy or have my students and training partners compete under our gyms name. This petition is to the IBJJF requesting that brown belts be allowed to register their school so my students may compete under our banner.

https://www.change.org/petitions/international-brazilian-jiu-jitsu-federation-ibjjf-allow-brown-belts-to-register-their-academy


The text of the petition is simple:

"Currently, the IBJJF does not allow students of non-black belts to represent their school in competition.

Per the IBJFF website:

"What are the requirements to register my academy?
As a requirement, you must have a black belt, and have a valid membership ID card from the IBJJF. If you are a black belt and not yet a member or have a valid membership ID card, you need to click on the link to request your membership. If you

 

[Murdoch]

Can they compete under the name of your instructor but wear your gyms patch? Just wondering.

 

[snoop dogg***]

ibjjf tournaments are trying to make their tournaments way more prestegious than they really are

 

[Balto]

I doubt that is going to help you because that rule was specifically made to prevent people from doing what you are doing. They don't want independent brown belts. The rule is specifically intended to punish the practice as you noted.

You will just have to sign up under a black belt you are affiliated with. That is a common practice, and they are fine with it.

 

[ILikeDogging]

Yeah to be honest they're not going to change the rules and I don't think the rules are a great injustice.
Either they register under your affiliate or wait 1-2 years till you become a black belt.

 

[Ninjamurf]

I think part of the problem is...what next? Purple belts wanting to register their team? Blue belts? Well, why not? If they are going to let a brown belt do it?

 

[deadlizard]

Isn't Beneil your friend? Why not just register under his name (with his permission of course).

 

[anaconda]

A black belt can certify your academy and then they can compete under your flag. I believe.

 

[Jagcorps_esq]

Just have your black belt register.

Until our instructor got his black belt, we competed under Rodrigo Vaghi's name and never had a problem.

 

[bjjaz]

I'll sign it for you, but do any of these online petitions actually work? I haven't seen any results from them.

 

[lechien]

If you are a brown belt instructor, how do you give stripes and belt to your students? Do you still get a IBJJF certified bb to sign their certificate?

 

[Championstuff]

http://www.ibjjf.org/graduation.htm

here in chapter 4 it says that you have to be a bb in order to give any belt promotions, so i'd have to assume that they would need an affiliated black belt in order to give promotions, otherwise they would be invalid. the only exception is that if you are in a country that does not have enough certified black belts that could come and give a promotion. if you were in a country where there were not enough black belts to stop by, you could in theory promote up to purple belt. otherwise you would need to be affiliated with a black belt that could come for a visit. if you were already affiliated with a black belt, it would be easy to ask him/her to allow you to compete under their banner i would also assume

 

[Allan san]

Dan, because of the genuinely good person that you are, I signed the petition for you. I do regret the feeling that this will fall on deaf ears (or blinded eyes in this case). I hope that you are able to find a way to get your students into the tourneys. Good luck

 

[TrumpetDan]

Can they compete under the name of your instructor but wear your gyms patch? Just wondering.

It is possible to do this. However, I think it would be nice if my students were to able to represent the gym. Also, at common weight classes you are only allowed 2 competitors per team.

You will just have to sign up under a black belt you are affiliated with. That is a common practice, and they are fine with it.

Yeah to be honest they're not going to change the rules and I don't think the rules are a great injustice.
Either they register under your affiliate or wait 1-2 years till you become a black belt.

I do not have an affiliate. I am an independent gym.

I think part of the problem is...what next? Purple belts wanting to register their team? Blue belts? Well, why not? If they are going to let a brown belt do it?

I think that people should be given the opportunity to register under whoever they wish. If their academy is lead by purple belt and not good at teaching, then they wont win. If he is a good teacher, then they probably will do well. These people still register their academies, but they just have somebody sign for them. I know you disagree with this point of view, but I understand why some feel this way.

Isn't Beneil your friend? Why not just register under his name (with his permission of course).

Yes. And we have other black belts who regularly train at the gym as well. Benny was going to register, but he decided to retire from jiu-jitsu competition to focus on his growing MMA career

 

[lechien]

Once your academy is IBJJF registered, I doubt they are going to check the annual membership of the bb that signed the original membership form. Especially when owners and instructors keep changing anyway.

 

[Balto]

I still don't see what the problem is.

It makes sense that only black belts can be head instructors. Otherwise, why not have white belts with their own gyms? There has to be a line somewhere, and black belt is the standard and reasonable line for a head instructor who gives promotions, certifies gyms, etc.

When Ryan Hall founded his own gym as a brown belt, he went through a black belt to do his stuff with the IBJJF. That seemed reasonable enough to everyone back then too.

I know it's not what you want to hear, but the IBJJF position is that you are not qualified to be a completely independent instructor as a brown belt. Personally I support that position too.

 

[bjjaz]

No problem man! Hopes it works out and you're doing a great thing over there.

 

[TheSubmissionCh]

Whether an individual is "qualified" to be an independent owner or not is really up to the student body of their instruction/membership. Bureaucracy is bullshit and anyone who is in agreement with is is probably a fatcat bureaucrat or beneficiary of convoluted bureaucratic nonsense. What are people afraid of? That a brown belt school owner will produce a purple belt world champion and show via competition results that some brown belts are indeed qualified to be independent school instructors/owners? I am signing the petition because I believe in the cause at a fundamental level, and because 'TrumpetDan' is one cool motherfucker, and because the Josh Barnett rule was the start of this absolute bullshit and it is about time we had less bullshit in our sport. Personally, I think anyone who sees it any other way is scared of something. - E

 

[Allan san]

Whether an individual is "qualified" to be an independent owner or not is really up to the student body of their instruction/membership. Bureaucracy is bullshit and anyone who is in agreement with is is probably a fatcat bureaucrat or beneficiary of convoluted bureaucratic nonsense. What are people afraid of? That a brown belt school owner will produce a purple belt world champion and show via competition results that some brown belts are indeed qualified to be independent school instructors/owners? I am signing the petition because I believe in the cause at a fundamental level, and because 'TrumpetDan' is one cool motherfucker, and because the Josh Barnett rule was the start of this absolute bullshit and it is about time we had less bullshit in our sport. Personally, I think anyone who sees it any other way is scared of something. - E

Shit just got real. lol

 

[Balto]

Whether an individual is "qualified" to be an independent owner or not is really up to the student body of their instruction/membership. Bureaucracy is bullshit and anyone who is in agreement with is is probably a fatcat bureaucrat or beneficiary of convoluted bureaucratic nonsense. What are people afraid of? That a brown belt school owner will produce a purple belt world champion and show via competition results that some brown belts are indeed qualified to be independent school instructors/owners? I am signing the petition because I believe in the cause at a fundamental level, and because 'TrumpetDan' is one cool motherfucker, and because the Josh Barnett rule was the start of this absolute bullshit and it is about time we had less bullshit in our sport. Personally, I think anyone who sees it any other way is scared of something. - E

I'm not down with people effectively promoting themselves to black belt just because they feel like they deserve to be recognized at that level. There are certain things that should be reserved for black belts, and I think you should have to wait until you are a black belt to do them. That's why I oppose it.

I believe that a black belt should have to promote you to a level before you are recognized at that level. Sorry if that seems like a radical view to you. It's normal to everyone else I know in BJJ.