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It’s Happening Again: Children Promoted to BJJ Black Belt In Maine

It’s Happening Again: Children Promoted to BJJ Black Belt In Maine

It’s a recurrent theme. Every few years, a random BJJ academy, usually in the USA, is exposed because of its unusual grading system for children, outside of the  Federation rules , where they promote minors to the rank of ‘Junior BJJ black belt’.

This has happened twice since 2015:

BJJ Academy in Texas Promotes Children to ‘Junior BJJ Black Belt’ Rank

&

BJJ Instructor Awards two Junior Black Belts

Now the same thing has happened at a BJJ kids academy located in Maine, USA,, Stonecoast Brazilian jiu jitsu for kids

Reddit BJJ member Fakku MMA noticed the unusual belt promotion.

The instructor who promotes the kids is a legitimate black belt with a lineage that traces back to the respected Renzo Gracie:

Renzo Gracie -> Amal Easton -> Jay Jack  -> Shaun Durfee

Renzo Gracie will for sure not approve. A few years back he commented on a past case of junior  black belts:

“What is a black belt? It is a tool that can influence people in a positive way, and a child is not ready for this. Unless the child is a Buddha or Jesus Christ. “

 

 

This practice happens in other martial arts such as Karate and Taekwondo where Instructors sell belts in order to keep students and make money at the same time, but is NOT part of BJJ tradition and rules.

In BJJ, there is no such thing as ‘junior black belt’. It has never existed. There are well defined belt rankings that should be followed, according to Federation rules:

 

ranks

Jay Jack (Shaun Durfee’s instructor) made a statement where he explains why he supports him:

Interestingly enough, some people are against junior black belts:

Why you should never have ‘Junior Black Belts’ in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

While some are all for it:

BJJ Black Belt’s Point of View: ‘Junior Black Belts Make Sense’