Brazilian jiu-jitsu is not only one of the most effective martial arts, but also one of the most casual.
If you don’t believe me, go to a karate dojo. If it’s anything like the one I used to belong to, you will have to stand in a “hands front” position when a black belt is talking, and you would sooner stab your own mother in the back than address your instructor by anything other than his or her title (in my gym it was sensei, shihan, professor, or soke). Our instructors also yelled at us frequently, being that many of them were ex-military.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, however, is much different. My instructor usually addresses me as “brother” after he slaps hands with me. He also allows me to call him by his first name, although I usually still address him as “professor.”
Yelling is unheard of in my gym. In all honesty, I can’t even picture my instructor angry.
But apparently some Brazilian jiu-jitsu instructors don’t promote a casual atmosphere in their gyms.
A student at one of these gyms — using the pseudonym “Bob” — wrote to second-degree black belt Nick “Chewy” Albin about an uncomfortable experience he had with his BJJ instructor.
According to Bob, his coach used to be a relaxed guy, but lately, he has been growing “more authoritarian.” Bob greeted his coach and his coach responded with a stern, “Don’t talk to me like you know me.”
Bob broke eye contact and laughed it off. However, when he made eye contact again, the instructor said, “Don’t look at me.”
Bob wrote to Chewy asking what he should do.
You can listen to Professor Albin’s response below:
