Back in 2015, there was a spate of gyms being exposed for promoting children to the rank of “junior black belt.” The rationale of these gyms was that in doing this, one could motivate kids better and retain students. Of course, in BJJ one isn’t eligible for the rank of black belt until the age of 18, junior or other, so there was controversy surrounding this topic.
This topic seemingly remains unsettled, and the Jiu-Jitsu Times recently caught wind of yet another gym offering their junior-most students the opportunity at the coveted black belt.
On February 9th, Stone Coast Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in Portland Maine made this post on their Facebook page:
Stone Coast’s head instructor is Shaun Durfee, whose profile on the website states that he received his black belt from Jay Jack. A quick Google search has revealed that Jay Jack’s instructor is Amal Easton, who is a Renzo Gracie black belt. Renzo’s opinions on junior black belts was made clear with his statement in Tatame Magazine:
“What is a black belt? It is a tool that can influence people in a positive way, and a child is not ready for this. Unless the child is a Buddha or Jesus Christ.”
What do you think of Stone Coast’s decision to award the “junior black belt”?
