Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt and former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub had to wear a white belt when he trained at Gracie Academy.
Schaub told Joe Rogan on the Joe Rogan Experience:
That happened to me when I first got to Gracie Academy. They made me wear a white belt for a long time. I got a brown belt from someone else, I was a white belt for a while.
Rogan was shocked by what Schaub told him. After all Brendan is a brown belt under one of the most respected names in BJJ, Amal Easton:
“Wait a second,” Rogan said. “Amal Easton gave you a brown belt and you had to wear a white belt? That is insane!”
Schaub didn’t seem to bothered by the incident, though, telling Rogan that it was only for a few weeks and that he had to do the same thing in Brazil.
I had no issue with it. I literally didn’t care. But I would tell guys I’m not a white belt, like, I’m not a white belt, I know what I’m doing brother.
Rogan, however, still insisted that it was disrespectful.
What do you, the Jiu-Jitsu Times readers, think? Is it disrespectful to make a brown belt wear a white belt at another academy?
Sound off below or in this article’s Facebook thread.
You can also watch the full video of the Joe Rogan Experience below:
Brendan Schaub Clarifies He Wasn’t Demoted From Brown Belt To White Belt By Ryron and Rener Gracie
Different school, different curriculum. Not a big deal short term.