When Andre Galvao dismissed BJJ promotion standards: 'They promote people for nothing today'

In a resurfaced interview, infamous Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu star and instructor Andre Galvao expressed his discontent with the current state of promotions in the martial art.

Galvao, a multiple-time world champion and founder of Atos San Diego, believes that instructors are promoting students too quickly and without sufficient merit, simply to attract and retain more students.

Galvao lamented that the once-cherished tradition of earning a BJJ belt through dedication, hard work, and mastery of techniques has given way to a more commercial approach.

According to Galvao, the root of the problem lies in the financial incentives driving instructors to promote students prematurely. With many schools and instructors relying heavily on tuition fees, the pressure to retain students can lead to undeserved promotions.

“I think that change is already happening, all this is a change. And always where there is change, there will be criticism. I think if the changes are positive to sports, then great. I think competitions with different rules is nice, I see no problem with that. But what denigrates the sport must be neutralized. I do not agree with the way they belt promote people for nothing today.”

“That I do not agree, but if these teachers want to have more students and think that’s the way, what can you do? What will count in the end is the knowledge of each. Without knowledge there is no credibility. The more this happens, the better for my students.”

Galvao explained, citing the fear of losing students as a primary motivator for instructors to hand out undeserved promotions.

Galvao’s concerns are substantiated by the rapid growth of the BJJ industry. With the rise in popularity, the sport has become a lucrative business. As a result, some instructors prioritize profits over preserving the art’s traditional values.

Galvao is not alone in his critique. Many within the BJJ community share his concerns, arguing that the devaluation of promotions undermines the credibility of the sport as a whole.

Previously Kron Gracie and Lucas Lepri made similar statements.

Gracie told Tatame:
“I’ve already lost students in the past because I didn’t promote them. I’ll promote them when I think I should. It has nothing to do with asking for a promotion. It does not change anything, it’s just a demonstration of their progress.”

“In my gym, there are guys with blue belts for five years. There, when an athlete comes from another team, he wears a white bar on his belt until I think he deserves that belt. This is to show that the belt can not be treated as a sandwich, that you pick up and drop when you want.”

“It’s a shame the way the Jiu-Jitsu is being sold. I am ashamed to say that Ryron and Rener teach classes online, and that you can get a belt from a Gracie over the internet. I am sad to know that it’s happening now. ”

“Unfortunately, I can not do anything. I do not own the world, I can only control what I do. Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art. You need to put your blood in the gym, hang out with your teacher and earn the belt. It’s something you do not get with time, experience for money and friendship.”

Lepri added:

“It’s a delicate situation (promotion), but it is something important to discuss. There are many teachers today who give belts for fear of losing students, just thinking about business, several others who hold the students for a long time, afraid of the students open gyms near them. There are many interests at stake, it is hard … it’s a lack of confidence from the instructor.”

“I think there’s room for everyone, and it depends on whether you do a good work or not. The lack of trust creates this problem, and the way that many promote as well, it’s complicated … To get a black belt in three, four years, means that you are selling out Jiu-Jitsu. ”

“If everyone start selling the sport that way, it will end. It will not be a martial art, but a product that can be sold online, and even that happens. you lose the desire to go to the gym, do an exercise, meet people and everything. That’s why with online promotions, it is the way to lose the essence of Jiu-Jitsu.”