Christian Graugart has launched a scathing critique of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu’s time-based black belt promotion system, calling it
“absolute bullsh*t”
and arguing it creates unhealthy hierarchies that trap practitioners in unwanted relationships. Speaking on The Grapplers Perspective Podcast while at camp in Germany, Graugart explained his controversial stance on BJJ’s dual belt system.
“Jiu-jitsu has two separate belt systems,”
he stated.
“There is the colored belt system which is based on performance or whatever. And then once you get to the black belt that kind of stops. Then there’s a new belt system that takes over based purely on time, based purely on staying alive.”
The Danish black belt argues this system is worse than traditional martial arts.
“It’s even worse than in like traditional martial arts because there at least you have to do like a kata or something to get promoted to some new black belt degree. In ninja, at the fifth degree black belt ninja, you have to dodge a wooden sword with your eyes closed. In jiu-jitsu, you just have to not d*e.”
Graugart believes the time-based system serves primarily to maintain hierarchical control.
“If you want to build a hierarchy in a sport, it’s a pyramid, right? The problem is that when too many people after 10-15 years, everybody becomes black belt level. It’s too crowded at the top. So you have to build another pyramid on top of that.”
His criticism extends to how this system can trap students in toxic relationships.
“Having these hierarchies can force people to stay in relationships they don’t really want to be in,”
Graugart explained.
“Someone might not even like their instructor, or they could even be accused of all kinds of things, very bad. And then you say, ‘Yeah, but I’ll stay until I get my black belt, then I’m free.’ After your black belt, you need to wait another six years to get two stripes so that you can also give someone a black belt.”
“Once you’ve been a black belt for long enough, the community will say, ‘Hey, you are now completely verified that you’ve been a black belt for three years. You can now apply for your degree.'”
This approach has already resulted in hundreds of degrees being awarded, representing what Graugart calls
“a lot of cancelled seminars”
and a direct challenge to the traditional business model of BJJ promotions. Notably, the IBJJF itself sells time-based promotions online to practitioners who maintain their membership, making the logic behind Graugart’s position difficult to dismiss.
