In a social media post that has sparked debate within the martial arts community, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt Tom DeBlass voiced concerns about children receiving black belts in traditional martial arts like karate and taekwondo.
“Someone recently asked me what I think about Karate and Taekwondo schools giving out black belts to children,” DeBlass wrote. “Honestly? I don’t like it and believe they should change their belt system. There are 100% some legit Karate and Taekwondo black belts, who are adults. However, 7 year old kids aren’t it.”
The controversy echoes sentiments expressed by podcast host Joe Rogan, who made similar comments during an episode featuring comedian Greg Fitzsimmons. When Fitzsimmons proudly mentioned his 11-year-old son’s taekwondo black belt, Rogan’s skeptical response generated significant online reaction.
DeBlass clarified that he supports children participating in all martial arts disciplines but takes issue with the ranking system. “I think it’s great when children train in all martial arts, I simply think giving a child a black belt is a huge false sense of security,” he explained.
The BJJ practitioner’s main concern appears to be the potential misconception about skill levels that could arise when comparing different martial art disciplines. “You cannot compare a jiu-jitsu black belt to a karate or taekwondo black belt. It’s just not the same at all,” he stated in a video addressing the topic.
Critics of what some call “McDojos” claim these schools dilute the significance of belt rankings by making them too accessible, particularly to young students. Defenders argue that junior black belt programs focus on age-appropriate skills, personal growth, and confidence building rather than combat effectiveness against adults.
“Little Susie and Johnny aren’t at a black belt level when they are 7, sorry,” DeBlass concluded in his post.
In BJJ, black belts are rarely awarded to practitioners under 18 and typically require 8-12 years of dedicated training. Meanwhile, some traditional martial arts have developed separate youth ranking systems that allow for earlier recognition of progress while maintaining different standards for adult black belts.
Many martial arts instructors emphasize that regardless of the belt system used, the focus should remain on the positive impacts of training: discipline, respect, perseverance, and physical fitness.
