In a recent video statement, renowned Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Tom DeBlass clarified his stance on the controversial belt promotion tradition known as “the gauntlet,” emphasizing that while he personally disagrees with the practice, he respects other academies’ choices.
“I don’t care what you do at your academy. I don’t care if you do the gauntlet. I literally don’t care what you do. Your academy is your academy,” DeBlass explained in his video message.
This follows his earlier social media post where he had strongly criticized the gauntlet, describing it as “the most idiotic sh*t ever.” The gauntlet is a tradition where newly promoted students must walk between two lines of practitioners who strike them with belts, a practice that reportedly originated in California during the 1990s at the Machado Jiu-Jitsu Academy through Chris Haueter.
In his initial post, DeBlass had emphasized his preference for more celebratory promotion ceremonies, stating, “When my student or teammate gets promoted, I want to hug them, not beat their a$$ with a belt.”
However, in his latest statement, DeBlass acknowledged that respected figures in the BJJ community continue the tradition, specifically mentioning Cyborg’s academy: “We can’t question Cyborg’s skill or his academy’s skill, right? Like, his skill is world class. I just don’t agree with the gauntlet. Who cares? There’s stuff I do that he doesn’t agree with.”
The discussion around gauntlets remains active in the BJJ community, as evidenced by recent high-profile promotions such as UFC heavyweight Alexander Volkov’s black belt ceremony in December 2023, where he participated in the traditional gauntlet under professors Marcelo Nunes and Ronny Markes.
DeBlass concluded by requesting that people not target him for his opinions: “Don’t get upset with me because I just gave my opinion. I still got love for it. I know people who do it.”
