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Hard Times: When to Expel a Student from a BJJ Academy

Hard Times: When to Expel a Student from a BJJ Academy

 

The life of a Jiu-Jitsu instructor has many ups and downs,just like in all professions. Being the leader of a team and to guide a group of fighters sometimes will put you on tough situations, where you have to take hard decisions. One of the cases I recently wrote about is promoting a BJJ athlete or not.

But on this edition’s article I’m going to approach a much more sensitive topic. The decision to either disconnect an athlete from the academy or not. It’s the kind of situation in which sometimes the instructor might have the support of some and some others might disagree with the decision. A significant number of instructors have already had to go through this kind of situation along their carreer. Certainly it’s a big impact in the relationship between the student and the instructor.

Many times the student doesn’t realize that the decision wasn’t completely decided just on the spur of the moment but based on a recurrent attitude which does not fit with the parameters of behavior expected inside the academy. The decision was based on many previous facts, which constantly kept happening inside and outside the academy and which ended up resulting in the removal of the student. Sometimes the student is warned several times by the instructors that tries to point out the flaws of his/her behavior, but when the decision is taken, the student always feel wronged.

 

Examples of BJJ players that were kicked out of teams for various reasons:

From Alliance: Leo Vieira, Comprido, Jordon Schultz , Dillon Danis etc….

 

Leo Vieira was expelled from Alliance

Leo Vieira was expelled from Alliance

 

An instructor takes time building his name and his team’s name and then sometimes a student can ruin everything. How many athletes has UFC president Dana white removed from the organization for bad conduct? Was he wrong? No.

As instructors, we have the right and the duty of not accepting in our academies students who don’t behave in a correct and honorable manner according to our beliefs. Their behavior can reflect on the academy in a really negative way.

Dillon Danis & Mansher Khera Suspended From Marcelo Garcia Academy

We, instructors, athletes and competitors carry the name of Jiu-Jitsu everywhere we go. This pride of being a member of a team sometimes is even tattooed by some fighters. The removed athlete should see this situation as a reason for self improvement, to think about their acts and to change this behavior. Jiu-Jitsu’s image is created by all its practitioners. Therefore, the removal of an athlete is a way of showing them and everyone else around that acts reflect consequences, be they good or not.

 

Written by Luiz Dias for Tatame Magazine.

Translated from Portuguese.