White belt instructor

Discussion in 'Brazilian Jiu Jitsu' started by Timmy Boy, Jul 5, 2012.

  1. Timmy Boy

    Timmy Boy Man on a Mission

    Hi guys, wonder if any of you have any thoughts on this.

    I'm currently locked into a contract with a local martial arts school. The particular programme I'm on focuses on grappling, and it entitles me to two mixed grappling classes plus one dedicated BJJ class per week. I'm quite happy with the mixed grappling class (which primarily focuses on gi groundwork anyway), but the BJJ class is run by a white belt, which concerns me a little (though I will emphasise that the guy is still a much better grappler than me and competes in tournaments), and they seem to learn a lot of their techniques from the association head's instructional video series.

    Is it common for BJJ classes to be taught in this way? If so, do you think it's a problem? Currently I'm swaying towards just using the BJJ class for extra mat time to roll with what I learned in the other class, but what do you guys think?
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2012
  2. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    My understanding is that you can instruct at Blue Belt - he could be a "ringer" white belt (ie won't face real competition at blue so stays down just for the shiny medals) but he should not be instructing as a white belt at all IMO
     
  3. Southpaw535

    Southpaw535 Well-Known Member Moderator Supporter

    In some very rare circumstances I can see a white belt being adequate. Taking my club as an example, for some reasons I can't be bothered to go into we don't grade from our instructor. We had a couple when a black belt came along a few months months back but there were guys that were white belts there that I would happily recommend to people who were happy to have mid-high blue belt level instruction. That's rare as hell however.

    If he has a decent level of knowledge then he can probably learn from the dvds well enough and depending on the org there could be an acceptable level of quality in them. I'd do what you say and use it for mat time. Keep an open mind and you'll probably stick some stuff up but obviously the class is going to have a limit
     
  4. Smitfire

    Smitfire Cactus Schlong

    It was common about 10 years ago but now not so much. My old BJJ coach was a blue belt when I started and often classes started up with a white belt when there's no BJJ in the area.
    But now BJJ is more common so being a white belt is less acceptable IMHO.
    I think he should at least be blue if he's charging for classes.
     
  5. Hannibal

    Hannibal Cry HAVOC and let slip the Dogs of War!!! Supporter

    Unless he is "covering" a class when the regular coach is away of course
     
  6. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    If the guy is good it shouldnt matter, BUT really blue belt is the minimum you should have teaching.
    If there not graded they havnt really the right to call it BJJ.
     
  7. Mangosteen

    Mangosteen Hold strong not

    unless they run it as an open mat/ drilling forum, theres no real reason a white belt should be teaching.

    i run an open mat at my uni. even though a couple guys are involved in BJJ, most of the drilling is in wrestling or judo or miscellaneous "MMA" but it's mainly run as open mat and we dont teach anyone and we dont claim to be able to.
     
  8. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    Im pretty sure ibjjf rules state purple belt is the minimum for teaching in the uk.
     
  9. Gripfighter

    Gripfighter Sub Seeker

    blue belt instructors are fairly common in this country were bjj is still fairly developing, there usually people with proper grappling chops but that are just getting up the ranks in BJJ, but I don't know about white belt, it is possible he is just the same as the blue belt instructors I mentioned, some one with enough grappling experience to teach people just not the credentials in BJJ but then it could be debated as to whether he should be selling his class as BJJ. The best thing to do is ask him who teaches him ?
     
  10. Gripfighter

    Gripfighter Sub Seeker

    his club might have no affiliation with the ibjjf
     
  11. Kwajman

    Kwajman Penguin in paradise....

    I've known a few people who refuse to test, they just want to roll/train and so they've stayed at white belt unless their instructor promotes them w/o any formal testing. My son's BJJ class has no testing, he just calls you up at the end of the class and gives you your next belt when he feels you've earned the next rank.
     
  12. roninmaster

    roninmaster be like water

    My opinion is noooooooooo.

    I'm sorry but I've never heard of a white belt teaching. I've only been blue for almost a year and I've never even considered being good enough to teach, and only a handful of the guys In our gym who are blue could do it either. they were all high level blue's/ about to to be purple too.

    have you seen the guy compete? have you rolled with him? have you seen any of the blue or high students roll with him?

    personally i would not feel comfortable learning extensively from white belts. maybe passing a technique or two down but not teaching.
     
  13. february

    february Valued Member

    Seconded.

    White belts teaching isn't common practice in BJJ, nor should it ever be.

    It's not difficult to mimic moves on a video and pass them on, but fundamental things like base, posture and balance are required in conjunction with any technique to make it work. You only learn these 3 things through time on the mat, time which a white belt isn't going to have put in yet (otherwise they wouldn't still be a white belt).

    Of course there'll be exceptions to the above, but they will be few and far between. BJJ classes shouldn't be run by white belts and I can't think of any legitimate high ranking (brown/black belt or above) BJJ practitioners in this country that would condone their white belts formally teaching classes.
     
    Last edited: Jul 5, 2012
  14. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    Mine isnt but its still the closest we have to a governing body.
     
  15. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    Most places dont do formal testing anyhow.
     
  16. Timmy Boy

    Timmy Boy Man on a Mission

    There are only white belts in the school because the specific BJJ programme was only added recently. I have rolled with him and he's certainly better than me at this stage. Another BJJ club opened in town recently but I'm already locked in at this place for a few months!
     
  17. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    So a proper teacher runs other bjj classes?
     
  18. Timmy Boy

    Timmy Boy Man on a Mission

    Well yeah, but for now I'm stuck in this contract - it only happened after I signed up! I will probably switch once it's finished so it's not a big deal but I was curious as to what people's thoughts were.
     
  19. Dead_pool

    Dead_pool Spes mea in nihil Deus MAP 2017 Moi Award

    no I meant at your current school.

    Definatly check out the other school.
     

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