Are 1st Degree BJJ Black Belts commonly allowed to hand out black belts?

**C0WB0Y** · Posted On: 4/19/2011 12:11pm

Originally Posted by Tenebrous

You have a hard on for this guy. Mind telling us the story?

Meh, there's just this lard-ass that got his gym shut down by one of my BJJ coach's more successful gyms up North. So lard-ass moves to my State and tries to take over my gym behind my back. (I run my program out of a well-known gym franchise.)

He fails, moves to a kids karate gym. He fails again and they kick him out. Now he suddenly has his BB and some little strip mall place. In truth, I could give two shits about his program. He mostly teaches little kids, which I do not.

My only concern is that some people will waste not just their money, but more importantly their time chasing after promised BJJ rank when it's really all just bullshido. I searched the IBJJF website and couldn't find his name on the BB list. Is it possible that the list isn't updated, or am I onto some serious shenanigans??

**Tenebrous** · Posted On: 4/19/2011 12:46pm

I am not sure how their database works exactly, but from what I gather you have to be an "ibjjf school" or register with them. I looked for a couple prominent black belts, and a friend who was promoted to black a while back, and couldn't find them.

Maybe that database will be as definitive as the judo orgs' eventually. It doesn't appear to be at the present.

**C0WB0Y** · Posted On: 4/19/2011 1:32pm

Could be. As much of a BJJ McDojo this guy is a part of, his instructor is on the IBJJF list. I suspect that the promotion is legit, even if the skill set is not.

**BKR** · Posted On: 4/19/2011 2:56pm

Originally Posted by C0WB0Y

I know in Judo, you can only promote up to one rank below you. But I know some people who've recently been promoted to 1st degree BJJ Black Belt by other 1st degree Black Belts.

Is this legit??

In Judo, that all depends, it's not a hard and fast rule. In the USA, it will depend on the organization you belong to.

Ben

**NaplesBJJ** · Posted On: 5/09/2011 4:30pm

It's important to understand that, different from other martial arts, BJJ first awards a Black Belt with no degrees. After a BB has three years he qualifies for his First Degree...so in BJJ, a 1st Degree BB has been a BB for at least three years per IBJJF.

IBJJF also says that a BB must be a 2nd Degree or Higher (six years as a BB) in order to promote a Brown to Black.

Many schools go by the old Gracie Barra method of 1st Degree being able to promote and some are stricter still and won't allow anyone less than 3rd Degree (nine years as a BB) to promote.

Technically, a new BB cannot promote another student to BB unless it is somehow authorized by a senior instructor which would be the case of any promotions given by a senior student (i.e. a Purple or Brown authorized to Promote to Blue or Purple).

Just got my Black and figuring all this crap out.

www.brazilianjiujitsunaples.com