ADCC bronze medalist Dan Manasoiu is making waves with his unfiltered take on instructor entitlement. During a candid conversation on the Jits and Giggles Podcast, Manasoiu challenged what he perceives as problematic power dynamics between instructors and students.
“Too many Jiu-Jitsu instructors think that they’re God or that they’re entitled to some s*it just because some d*ck had decided to spend 10 years doing Jiu-Jitsu,” Manasoiu stated bluntly, cutting through the reverence often automatically granted to black belts.
The New Wave Jiu-Jitsu team member, who has trained under John Danaher for approximately six years, argues that the practice of Jiu-Jitsu itself doesn’t inherently elevate someone to a superior status.
“Jiu-Jitsu isn’t really useful for anything to be honest – you’re not saving lives, you’re not fixing cars, you’re not building things, you’re just kind of rolling around on the floor with somebody else,”
he explained, challenging the sometimes inflated importance assigned to the martial art.
The Business Relationship
At the heart of Manasoiu’s argument is the fundamental business relationship between students and instructors.
“If I pay somebody to do something for me and I’m paying for a service, I’m paying you a service – I don’t owe you s*it,”
he asserts, framing the relationship primarily as a transaction.
This perspective stands in interesting contrast to teammate Garry Tonon‘s comments cautioning against purely transactional attitudes in BJJ. Tonon warned that when students treat their membership as simply a commercial exchange, it can create toxic environments where instructors respond by doing the bare minimum:
“Okay, I’m going to teach my techniques and I’m going to get the f**k out of there.”
When Loyalty Is Warranted
Despite his criticism of entitled instructors, Manasoiu does acknowledge circumstances where students may legitimately owe loyalty to their coaches.
“If your instructor goes out of his way to make sure that you’re straight… doing things for you outside of the realm of the s*it he offers everybody else at the Academy, then you probably owe that guy something,”
he clarified.
This nuance in Manasoiu’s perspective actually aligns somewhat with Tonon’s view that BJJ academies thrive when both sides contribute beyond the strict parameters of payment for instruction. The key difference appears to be who bears the responsibility for initiating this deeper relationship – the instructor through exceptional service, or the student through gratitude and community participation.
Challenging Traditional Hierarchies
Manasoiu takes particular issue with instructors who demand students address them as “master” and maintain an inflated sense of self-importance simply for achieving black belt status. He suggests this behavior often stems from insecurity rather than earned authority, challenging traditional martial arts hierarchies that sometimes place instructors on pedestals regardless of their actual contributions.
His own journey in the sport reflects someone who values genuine expertise over ceremony. Starting at just 17, he took 4:15 AM bus rides from Pennsylvania to New York City to train with Danaher at Renzo Gracie Academy, later following the team through relocations to Puerto Rico and ultimately Austin, Texas. This dedication suggests Manasoiu respects earned knowledge and skill, even while rejecting unwarranted entitlement.
