Chris Crossan, a respected figure in both catch wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has openly criticized the BJJ belt ranking system – labeling it a “money grab”.
Specifically, Crossan – who holds a black belt in BJJ – argues that the system is excessively commercialized and detracts from the martial art’s true essence.
In a recent video, Crossan depicted the pursuit of higher belt ranks within the BJJ community as a “cult”, with practitioners paying hefty fees for seminars in hopes of promotion.
Furthermore, and highlighting the lack of uniform standards across BJJ schools, Crossan pointed out the subjective nature of belt promotions – which he claims are often influenced more by financial gain than by genuine skill advancement.
He further added that if BJJ was more like catch wrestling – that is, if there were no grades nor belts awarded – that this would make life much easier for everyone involved.
Check out the video on the following link. What do you think of it?
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