A Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructor in the UK has drawn attention after publicly announcing the demotion of one of his students, stripping him of a brown belt he had recently earned in competition, allegedly because the student declined to take on an unpaid coaching role at the instructor’s new gym.
The student, Benjamin Zarif, is a masters-level competitor who had been training under Tony Ferreira of TFT BJJ Academy. According to reports, Zarif was competing in the adult division at the Brighton Spring Open when, on the podium, he was awarded his brown belt.
It was a moment he described as entirely unexpected. He later thanked his instructor via text and received what seemed like a warm response: “You deserve it, my man.”
Shortly after, Ferreira asked Zarif to teach two to three no-gi classes per week at a new gym that had not yet opened. Zarif, a father who runs his own business, said he needed to discuss compensation before committing and politely declined the unpaid position.
He was separately offered a paid coaching role at a different gym, which he also turned down to avoid any potential conflict. One of those gym owners accepted the decision without issue. The other did not.
What followed, according to Zarif, was a threat. Ferreira allegedly told him he would be demoted for refusing the unpaid role. Two months later, a post appeared on the TFT BJJ Academy Instagram account:
“The TFT BJJ ACADEMY hereby informs you of the dismissal of coach and athlete Ben for violating the rules and regulations. He is no longer a brown belt and returns to a 4th-degree purple belt.”
Zarif disputed the existence of any such rules. “He just straight made up that I was part of his team to dismiss me for some non-existent breach,” he told.
It is worth noting that during this period, Zarif had been teaching Ferreira and his son elements of modern no-gi grappling, wrestling, and leg locks.
When Ferreira was reached out to for his side of the story, he replied: “Please don’t publish anything about this matter. It has already caused too much trouble and stress. I’m tired of people trying to use me for their benefit.”
TFT BJJ Academy’s Instagram account has since been set to private.
