Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in France is facing its most significant institutional crisis in years as practitioners and instructors push back against the French Judo Federation‘s authority over their sport. The conflict has come to a head in 2025, with the Confédération Française de Jiu Jitsu Brésilien (CFJJB) publicly breaking ties with France Judo and seeking independence for the discipline.
In a strongly worded three-page letter signed by David Giorsetti, the CFJJB outlined its grievances and announced its decision to end collaboration with France Judo. The organization emphasized that Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu must develop “according to its own standards, its own rules, its culture and its exclusive connection with the IBJJF” to guarantee international recognition of grades, professors and the authenticity of their art.
“This new plan is part of the continuity of our values: requirement, respect, transmission and excellence. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lives in our academies, in mutual respect, sharing and the quest for progression. It is transmitted through passion, sweat and the camaraderie forged on the mats.”
The organization describes BJJ as “above all a culture, a school of life and a united community,” thanking clubs, professors, athletes and partners for their “countless messages of support and loyalty.”
Nicolas Renier, an ADCC veteran, recently met with the vice-president of the French Judo Federation to discuss the situation. In a video posted to social media, Renier shared key information about how the French sports federation system works.
According to Renier, the Fédération Française de Judo is officially titled “Fédération Française de Judo, Jiu-Jitsu, Kendo and Associated Disciplines.” The French state has authorized—or perhaps mandated—that judo oversee all jiu-jitsu disciplines, including jiu-jitsu combat, traditional jiu-jitsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Crucially, when the French Judo Federation awards a black belt grade, it carries official state recognition, stamped by the French government. Not all federations in France have “délégation” status, meaning the authority to organize state-recognized training, award state-recognized grades and hold official competitions. Only delegated federations can organize championships recognized as “Championnat de France.”
This institutional structure creates a fundamental problem: How can Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu develop independently when France Judo has legal authority over jiu-jitsu disciplines, while the CFJJB operates outside the delegated federation system?
The CFJJB statement reveals that in 2021, the federation joined France Judo “in a spirit of collaboration based on trust, with the promise of preserving the autonomy and singularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, while benefiting from a larger institutional framework.”
Thanks to the “collective engagement of professors, volunteers, athletes and clubs,” the discipline experienced remarkable growth with more practitioners, more competitions, structured training programs and growing recognition.
However, in 2025, an “imposed upheaval” called these initial commitments into question. New decisions directly threatened “the independence and identity” of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, including attempts to absorb BJJ, create grade equivalencies between judo-jiu-jitsu and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, open sections led by instructors not trained in the discipline and other measures.
The CFJJB states that the federation president was recruited by France Judo to bring expertise, but he “refused to participate in a project without real dialogue, without budget transparency, without integration into strategic meetings, with centralized decision-making, and above all refused to be associated with a project that was in reality only an attempt to denature Brazilian jiu-jitsu and seize control of the CFJJB,” with transfers of licenses and forced integration into the France Judo structure.
“Faced with this drift that we could not tolerate, we made the decision to end our collaboration with France Judo. Refusing to validate a trajectory contrary to the values of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was a necessity. It was not possible to become the gravedigger of our discipline. This retreat aims to preserve its independence, its integrity and its dignity.”
Adding symbolic weight to the conflict, BJJ practitioners are particularly frustrated that French Judo insists on using “Ju Jitsu” rather than “Jiu Jitsu” in its official designation. While seemingly minor, this linguistic distinction represents the broader issue: French Judo’s desire to classify Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as simply another variant of Japanese jujutsu rather than recognizing it as a distinct martial art with its own culture, technical system and governing bodies.
The CFJJB outlined its vision for the future of BJJ in France:
- The CFJJB will maintain its framework, licenses, competitions and grades
- The 1,000 trained professors maintain the benefit of their instructor certification (CAF) within the new welcoming structure
- The federation now relies on a solid partnership with the ASPTT Federation, recognized by the Ministry of Sports
- Actions are supported by the Île-de-France Region, a sign of institutional recognition
- A new professional training program designed for BJJ instructors will soon see the light of day to reinforce their competencies and legitimacy, marking a major advance for recognition of the profession of BJJ instructor in France
The statement emphasizes that “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu should not be dissolved into a larger ensemble, but continue to develop according to its own standards, its own rules, its culture and its exclusive link with the IBJJF.”
David Giorsetti, president of the CFJJB, is a fifth-degree black belt under Carlos Gracie Jr., founder of both the Gracie Barra academy network and the IBJJF. The IBJJF, while operating as a for-profit organization, has established itself as the sport’s most recognized international governing body with clear belt ranking guidelines and a global competition circuit.
The CFJJB’s stated commitment to an “exclusive link with the IBJJF” signals its intention to align with international BJJ standards rather than French governmental sports structures. This creates a direct conflict with France Judo’s state-delegated authority.
The tension between judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in France has deep roots. When BJJ arrived in the country, it encountered an already established judo infrastructure with significant institutional power.
The conflict extends beyond stylistic preferences to questions of legitimacy and recognition. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has benefited from superior marketing and media visibility, with figures like Joe Rogan consistently promoting “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu” during UFC events, even when techniques originated from luta livre or catch wrestling. This created a perception problem where all ground-based grappling became synonymous with BJJ according to Nicolas Renier.
The institutional challenge also involves France’s sports federation system and tax structure. The 20% VAT rate on private gyms, compared to association-based clubs with delegated federation status, creates economic barriers. This tax structure, combined with the established judo federation’s influence, makes it difficult for independent BJJ and grappling schools to compete fairly.
Recognition issues manifest dramatically in belt ranking systems. The question of whether a luta livre black belt should wear a white belt in a BJJ class—or vice versa—symbolizes the broader struggle for mutual respect between disciplines.
The CFJJB’s statement makes clear that maintaining control over belt certification is fundamental to preserving the integrity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in France. With state-stamped judo federation black belts on one side and IBJJF-aligned CFJJB certifications on the other, French BJJ practitioners face a choice about which system carries more legitimacy in their eyes.
The conflict reveals fundamental questions about how martial arts should be organized, recognized and governed in modern nation-states. Should a sport’s institutional structure follow governmental federation systems with state recognition or align with international sports organizations that transcend national boundaries?
The coming months will determine whether Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in France can achieve true independence or whether the power of state-delegated sports federations will ultimately prevail.
Full statement:
To all those who make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu live:
Ladies, Gentlemen, Club Presidents, Professors, Licensees, Practitioners, and Volunteers,
I am writing to you today to clarify the situation, establish the facts, and speak to you directly — with transparency and trust.
For more than twenty years, the CFJJB has worked to make Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu grow in France, in respect of its identity, its culture, and its values.
In 2021, our federation joined France Judo in a spirit of collaboration based on trust, with the promise of preserving the autonomy and singularity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, while benefiting from a larger institutional framework.
Thanks to your collective engagement — professors, volunteers, athletes, and clubs — our discipline has experienced remarkable growth: more practitioners, more competitions, structured training programs, and growing recognition.
In 2025, an imposed upheaval called these initial commitments into question. New decisions directly threatened the independence and the identity of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: a desire to absorb Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, grade equivalencies between judo-ju-jitsu and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the opening of sections led by professors not trained in our discipline.
Recruited by France Judo to bring them my expertise, I myself refused to participate in a project without real dialogue, without budget transparency, without integration into strategic meetings, with centralized decision-making — and above all, I refused to be associated with a project that was in reality only an attempt to denature Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and seize control of the CFJJB, with transfer of licenses and forced integration into the France Judo structure.
Faced with this drift that we could not tolerate, we made the decision to end our collaboration with France Judo. Refusing to validate a trajectory contrary to the values of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was a necessity. It was essential not to become the gravedigger of our discipline. This retreat aims to preserve its independence, its integrity, and its dignity.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu should not be dissolved into a larger ensemble, but continue to develop according to its own standards, its own rules, its culture, and its exclusive link with the IBJJF, guaranteeing the international recognition of grades, professors, and the authenticity of our art.
Our discipline is today one of the most dynamic in the world. This boom inevitably attracts covetousness — sometimes motivated not by passion or transmission, but by political or financial interests.
Confusion is maintained by some, in order to make people believe in a legitimacy that they do not have. For example, by making people believe that the French Judo Federation would have a delegation for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, the French Judo Federation has never received an official delegation for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. This remains strictly limited to judo and traditional ju-jitsu, as confirmed by official texts.
All actions in support of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are the fruit of the dedicated work of the CFJJB — and not of France Judo, which never proposed the practice of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu before our arrival.
The Future of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in France Is Clear and Promising:
The CFJJB maintains its framework, its licenses, its competitions, and its grades.
The 1,000 trained professors maintain the benefit of their CAF (instructor certification) within our new welcoming structure.
It now relies on a solid partnership with the ASPTT Federation, recognized by the Ministry of Sports.
Our actions are also supported by the Île-de-France Region, a sign of institutional recognition.
A new professional training program, designed for JJB instructors, will soon see the light of day in order to reinforce their competencies and their legitimacy — marking a major advance for the recognition of the profession of JJB instructor in France.
This new plan is part of the continuity of our values: requirement, respect, transmission, and excellence.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu lives in our academies — in mutual respect, sharing, and the quest for progression.
It is transmitted through passion, sweat, and the camaraderie forged on the mats.
Let us continue to preserve the spirit, to honor it through our practice, and to make the flame grow with sincerity, courage, and pride.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is, above all, a culture, a school of life, and a united community.
I also want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the clubs, professors, athletes, and our partners for their countless messages of support and their loyalty.
Together — professors, students, and volunteers — we will continue to make our discipline shine, in respect of its authenticity, its history, and its spirit. Together, we will continue to write this adventure with freedom, passion, and integrity.
Le Président CFJJB
David Giorsetti
