Craig Jones recently stirred up controversy by criticizing the BJJ belt system, calling it a “marketing gimmick” – designed to keep people committed to the sport.
During a podcast appearance, Jones made his stance clear, suggesting that the black belt is more of a tool for keeping practitioners engaged than a true reflection of being an actual “black belt” in the sport:
The black belt is honestly just a trick.
It’s like a marketing trick to keep people hooked.You know, it’s the reason why people do Jiu-Jitsu longer than they do kickboxing or boxing classes.
It’s a hook to keep you invested.
He had more wisdom to share…
Implying that a BJJ practitioner shouldn’t be aiming for the belt, but skill acquisition instead:
You could be a s*itty black belt.
A black belt doesn’t prevent or mean anything at the end of the day.You’re only as good as how you could train and perform.
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