Who is authorized to promote in BJJ?

[pknox]

I was asked this question today, and unfortunately I did not have the answer, so i figured I'd ask here.

Is there a hard and fast rule as to what rank level is required to promote a BJJ student to the next belt level? I know black belts can promote anyone from white to brown, but do they have to be a certain degree of black to promote a brown to a black? Or, does it instead work by number of ranks above the student (i.e. a purple can promote a white to blue, but not a blue to purple), or is there another type of criteria?

In my experience, I've seen browns promote people in their clubs up to as high as purple, but I don't know if that rank is considered "unofficial" until it is verified by a black belt. I've never seen a blue or purple promote anyone, but I honestly don't know if it may in fact be allowed.

 

[arnisador]

I've also seen in-club promotions but I thought that technically it was black belts only.

 

[pknox]

Originally posted by arnisador
I've also seen in-club promotions but I thought that technically it was black belts only.

That's kind of what I thought too, but I was wondering if there was an "official" policy on it. I've often seen people get promoted during seminars where black belts come in, and I figured that was why.

 

[lvwhitebir]

As with any MA, it's up to the school and the association or affilitation. Some, although few, allow Brown belts to promote as long as the instructor "blesses" the privilege of promoting and the promotion itself.

WhiteBirch

 

[pknox]

Originally posted by lvwhitebir
As with any MA, it's up to the school and the association or affilitation. Some, although few, allow Brown belts to promote as long as the instructor "blesses" the privilege of promoting and the promotion itself.

WhiteBirch

Interesting. In your experience, how far would the brown belt usually be allowed to promote to -- purple or brown?

 

[JDenz]

Well ask Kyle he posts here often I am prety sure he would know.

 

[lvwhitebir]

Originally posted by pknox
Interesting. In your experience, how far would the brown belt usually be allowed to promote to -- purple or brown?

Most definitely not to brown. I would not expect above a blue, personally.

WhiteBirch

 

[pknox]

That makes sense. Kind of reminds me of an assistant instructor in a karate school, who is usually able to teach beginners the basic techniques so as to get them ready for the class with the main instructor. The main instructor then "signs off" on the techniques the student was taught, and allows them into the regular class.

I have noticed that almost every academy around me is affiliated with a black belt (here in central NJ it's usually Royler/David Adiv, or more rarely, Renzo) - my guess is that's not only to help train the instructor (mostly browns and purples here), but also to verify the ranks the instructors have given to their students are in-line with what is expected. That could also be why so many promotions here are given at seminars where black belts are invited. It really does seem to vary by the school, though. I've seen brown belts promote all the way up to purple, but I've also seen brown belts that don't promote anyone -- they wait until seminars even for blue belt promotions, and have the black belt do it.

I guess some of it is also people's perceptions. If I was a brown belt, and you were my student, would you rather tell people you were promoted to blue by me, or directly by Royler Gracie? Regardless of the fact that I would have been the one training you day after day, most people would evidently take the latter, even if Royler only knew them for 2 hours at a seminar. Because there are so few black belts here, most people who own academies list who promoted them to each belt; they don't always list who they trained under, however. My guess is that having the Gracie name associated with your promotion could also help bring in students.

 

[Kyle]

The general consensus is that usually only black-belts promote. Sometimes a brown-belt is given permission to promote by their black-belt instructor. I am in that situation myself where I have permission to promote to blue-belt, but not to purple-belt or higher.

- Kyle