Anyone who has paid attention to the BJJ media this week is familiar with Joe McCaffery, the coach at One World Jiu-Jitsu who shocked the BJJ world when he promoted himself from purple belt to brown belt.
If you are not, you can read about it here.
The Jiu-Jitsu Times caught up with Coach Joe McCaffery earlier this week.
This is what he had to say about his philosophy and self-promotion.
The Jiu-Jitsu Times: Your self-promotion has caused a lot of outrage in the BJJ community. Have you read any of the criticisms others have written about you? If so, how would you respond to those critics?
Coach Joe McCaffery: I have read most of the comments. Respectfully, you call it outrage. I call it blind Rage. I did not cause this. The rage already existed and this is evident in a majority of the comments. These are not critics. This is an angry mob hell bent on mob violence, intimidation, and outright thuggery. There were many very insightful and wise comments and those people were more eloquent than I can do justice. One gentleman summed it up best by saying, “I was the Ying to their Yang.”
How do you respond to an angry mob in blind rage? You don’t’. I would suggest they go back and read what I wrote and what I said. I am not training or teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Gracie Jiu jitsu. I am teaching Jiu Jitsu. Most of the comments contained profanity and threats of violence were mostly inarticulate and deserve no response at all. They do deserve rebuke and clearly show that the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community has lost its way and this may include some of its founders. The community presents itself as a culture of violence and mayhem. Many comments were simply misinformed or ignorant of the qualifications that I do hold and those people wrongly assumed that I just put the belt on and do not know anything about the art. In the end, what I saw mostly was nothing more than a bunch of angry bullies and thugs.
The main prerequisite for creating One World Jiu-Jitsu – a school of martial arts and, more specifically, jiu-jitsu – is to promote health and development of children, spiritual education of youth, and the involvement of and introduction of martial arts and Jiu-Jitsu to people of all ages. Because only the martial arts and, in our case, jiu-jitsu, harmoniously combines spiritual and physical development of a person. Here, children learn to interact with their partner and with the team and with themselves. Jiu-jitsu is NOT training for brutal fighters. Jiu-jitsu teaches people self- defense. It is the gentle art.
A famous Russian educator Makarenko formulated the basic principle of the education of man: based on the principle of the unity of the three social units: the human society – team – person. The individual is not so much the object of education, as full-fledged participants in the educational process, the Creator, and companion adult.
The anger I saw was also based on a simple misperception. It was that first I was advancing myself in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I was not. This was clearly stated. I am not interested in that culture or its hierarchy or belief system. It is bankrupt and dead as I stated. Secondly, people were obsessed about the belt itself. That somehow I had misappropriated something that belonged to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They need to study what the belt history of all martial arts was and is. Some arts had no belt at all. Some return right back to where they started. Once there was just white and black. The colors of most martial arts belts, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Karate, Tae kwon-do are the same. The only distinct characteristic of the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu belt is the red intersect on the black belt. And that is a stretch. The rest was borrowed or stolen or copied for Judo and the other martial arts. The belt brown belt I put on is common to all martial arts. It belongs to no one martial art. And it is appropriate to wear in the art of Jiu-Jitsu. To claim ownership of the colors that make up a rainbow is pure folly. These people are backwards in their thinking.
JJT: How have your students reacted to your self-promotion? What do they feel about your school’s promotion system?
CJM: They understand my concerns and they knew from day one this was my academy and what my intentions were along the way. I have always been honest about my credentials and how I would advance in rank. They are supportive now, especially the parents of the kids and the kids themselves.
Those people who accused me of causing harm to the kids have no idea what they are talking about. They are all as dedicated as I am to show the world what a little jiu-jitsu school in the country can do. Our Jiu-Jitsu will be 10,000 times better now that we realize what we may face in the world.
As for the promotion system, it empowers them. They like it. It makes them work harder and feel as if they are the ones reaching the goal and that it does not depend on my decision. Everybody still has to show up and does the work. Many people ignorantly commented that this was a joke because people could just put a belt on. If they watched the video they would know it is exactly the opposite. In most schools, their minimum standard is how well did you do in the competition. What medals did you win? How many trophies do you have on the wall? This is the opposite of the maxim that the best fight is the one that is never fought. Everybody including me must meet minimum technical standards which in my opinion far exceed those of other schools including those in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We teach self-defense where your life may be saved by what you know and do. There is no higher standard.
JJT: Here is an interesting question (paraphrased) from one of our readers that we would like you to respond to:
“If you don’t care about hierarchy, what is the point of a belt system?”
CJM: I care very much about hierarchy and how it disempowers people. That is why it should be torn down. Teachers should teach not rule. The belt system has nothing to do with the hierarchy. In fact those that expressed outrage cared more about the belt system and who they got it from than anything else.
Those that were insightful knew that the belt is just a talisman. A symbol of what has been accomplished. Others view it as hierarchy. I do not. I don’t look at a black belt or brown belt and say he or she is above me. I wonder where they are on their own journey.
The belt is simply a reminder to yourself of where you are on the journey and how much work you have put in. Anybody that does not get this is misguided. If you wear any color belt and see it as a rank in a hierarchy then you have a problem of perspective and understanding. I prefer the term changing colors to promoting or advancing.
JJT: What specifically did you not like about the “Brazilian priesthood” or the people you trained under? Can you give specific examples (without using their names, if you prefer) of their “bad character.”
CJM: First, let me explain I mean by the phrase “Brazilian Priesthood.” And even before I do that I would like to state that I have the highest respect for Rickson Gracie. I know his story and I get a sense of where he is in his journey and he is a great warrior and philosopher. There are others like Caique Elias and from the younger generation Renor and Ryron. Of course there is Helio Gracie. They are about the art and about self-defense and what it really is about.
One must know the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I will presume that anyone reading this has studied the issue carefully. I have and I will not repeat it here. As in any religion, the Brazilian Priesthood arose from the arrival date of Jiu-Jitsu from Japan. It evolved over time to become what it is today. As in any religion, the priesthoods were the keepers and interpreters of knowledge and very seldom after corrupted by the power that brought did anything more that use it to control others.
The Gracies are the main part of this but it includes many other priests. They are the black belts and coral belts and red belts. They made the rules and you must follow them. You may never disobey them and you may never exceed their authority. Often times they will use their power to divest you of time energy and money giving you something and making you think they are the only ones you can get it from. And if you believe it you are one of the sheep.
Upon its arrival in America it began a great incline in power which now is waning and will soon be gone. The internet has taken care of that. It used to be you had to go to a school and train, but even now they are giving belts away over the internet. And if you do not want a belt you can just study the knowledge and use and train with it if you are serious. Once people realize they don’t need what you are offering, you are done.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu itself is also way off the path of self-defense and more interested in competitions and marketing and wardrobes and logos. Although the sport Brazilian jiu-jitsu of today is useful in self-defense on the battlefield or in combat, you would be killed very quickly against someone who is versed in the true art of Jiu-jitsu. And very quickly I might add. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is sport Jiu-jitsu and without the self-defense and all the tools of true jiu-jitsu it is nothing. That is because it is devoid of spiritual content and teaching. Like all religions, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is now a business. And that is why I say it is dead. Even though it may function, it has no soul.
Finally, to take something that belonged to another culture and call it your own is the height of arrogance and ignorance. Jiu-jitsu has been around since the beginning of time and was passed down through our ancestors until the Japanese migrated and brought it to Brazil. If you calculate true human history you are going back hundreds of thousands of years if not more. The Brazilians did nothing new with what the Japanese were doing event Helio recognized that. But now somehow history is forgotten and it is now Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or even worse Gracie Jiu-jitsu where only the highest ranks are reserved for the Gracies. It has been in America now for nearly five decades. Why not call it American Jiu-Jitsu. Or any other country’s Jiu-jitsu or any other persons last name jiu-jitsu.
I do not subscribe to any of it. It is just Jiu-jitsu and it belongs to the people and it is contained within them. It is about the self. It is about self-defense and self-realization. And so I say the Brazilian priesthood and maybe even Brazilian jiu-jitsu and most certainly the concept of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is dead as is its hierarchy and all of the hierarchies of the world that proceeded it. And just in passing I would ask, where are all the high priestesses of the art? There are not too many. Used to be in ancient times the woman ran things. Now look where we are.
As for my particular experiences and the Brazilian priests that I trained under they were children and not men. Both were in their early and late 30’s. I will not mention their names here but I have elsewhere. The first was not even Brazilian, but pretended to be. He had not identity of his own. He was a child in a man’s body and still is. He was a drug addict and practiced black magic. He was violent and attacked students. He refused to speak English and was unintelligible most of the time. In short, he was a mental case. He solicited money from students and tried to scam them with business deals. His jiu-jitsu, it turns out, was mediocre at best.
As for the second experience, that was a Brazilian who was very intelligent and used it to manipulate others. He was very fit and healthy and very charming. But he was dishonest and all about the money. He also preyed on female Asian students and the school to the detriment of his marriage and family life. I learned nothing about jiu-jitsu from him. Everything I picked up was on my own. He was violent and also negligent with students and their physical care. Injuries were common. He claimed loyalty but was really disloyal. He also preyed on students for investment money in future Gracie Barra franchises and including myself and made it clear he wanted no homosexuals as members in the academy. Ultimately he was just another child in a man’s body. Competition was the focus for him and not self-defense.
Gracie Barra itself was also a cult. It contained idol worship, symbolism and methodology that I would associate with cultism. The academy itself had the black and white checkered floor of free-masonry, and the required uniforms and logos were free masonic as well the pyramid with the red circle.
JJT: You said in the video that you used to train in Japanese jiu-jitsu. Did you have similar negative feelings about their hierarchy. In what ways is it similar or different to the heiarchy you saw in BJJ?
CJM: There was no hierarchy and so that would be the only comparison to make.
JJT: What advice would you give to any student of any martial art advancing through the ranks?
CJM: Know Thyself. View it as a journey and not advancing through the rank and keep training and remember always Jiu-jitsu is about self-defense and self-realization.
Coach Joe McCaffery also included an autobiography:
I will be 51 years old in 2 months. I have been studying the Martial Arts since childhood. I boxed in grade school boxed and wrestled both in junior high school and high school. He received formalized boxing training in1980-81 from a golden gloves boxer. I began training in Judo and Jiu-Jitsu 1982 studying Judo and jiu-jitsu with a member of the Olympic Judo Team. In 1987 I continued this training at the Degerberg Academy in Chicago 1988 at the Jiu Jitsu Institute of Chicago and continued for approximately two years training in both Jiu Jitsu and Judo under his Japanese Master Sunichi Namba. It is then that I earned the Rank of Yellow Belt in Japanese Jiu Jitsu and Judo. I have has also made an academic study of and engaged training in other martial arts including Kung Fu, Aikido, and Muay Thai and Tai chi, Wing chun and Jeet- kune do. I also practice Yoga.
I began coaching in high school at the local YMCA youth basketball league and continued that passion from 2004-2009 Coaching youth basketball from kindergarten thru the High School level. I am a certified coach earning his Coaching Certificate through the American Sports Education Program (ASEP) and have coached hundreds of kids.
I began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in October of 2011 at Yobe Jiu Jitsu under Professor Mike Rose who is the protégé of Master Caique Elias who is Rickson Gracie’s student. I left Yobe in May of 2013. I have competed in both gi and no gi competitions as both a White belt, blue belt and purple belt never being submitted and has always placed in the top two positions in all of his competitions. He has trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu all over the United States and internationally in Cancun, Mexico, in Lima, Peru and in the Amazon Rain forest teaching local natives the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
I arrived at Gracie Barra in Downers Grove to train in June of 2013 as a blue belt. I was promoted to purple belt in December 2014 and was promoted twice in six months receiving the second stripe on my Purple Belt by Professor Carlos Lemos Jr. a third degree Black belt in July 2014. I left Gracie Barra in October of 2015. I started my own academy One World Jiu jitsu in July of 2015.
I have taken the Gracie Barra Association ICP4 instructor’s certification program which is a 10 week course which also involve approximately 40 hours of actual mat training time to both children and adults. I regularly attend Jiu Jitsu Seminars and currently train and teachs 6 days per week twice a day. I have and doe train regularly in both Gi and no Gi jiu jitsu. I have trained and taught over 1500 hours of Jiu jitsu since opening up my own Academy in July of 2015.
I currently am the owner and operator of One World Jiu-Jitsu in Sugar Grove Illinois. This is where I teach train and coach Jiu-Jitsu.
Certifications
Gracie Barra ICP4 instructor’s Certificate (2014-2015)
American Sports Education Program (ASEP) Coaching Certification (2006)
Competitions
Hoosier Open 2012 Silver Medal (Gi) white belt
Michigan Open 2013 Silver Medal (No Gi) blue belt
IBJJF 2015 Summer International Open Masters 4 Heavy Champion- Gold Medal (gi) Purple belt
IBJJF 2015 Summer International Open Absolute Class- Bronze Medal (gi) Purple belt
Seminars
Master Caique Elias (2012) Yobe/Lombard
Grand Master Helson Gracie (2013) Yobe/Lombard
Professor Marcio Fautosa (2013) Gracie Barra Downers Grove
Professor Salvatore Pace (2014) Gracie Barra Downers Grove
Professor Tusa (2015) Cancun
Professor Ulpiana Malachias (2015) Gracie Barra Downers Grove
He presents interesting points, some of which are definitely true: Some aspects of BJJ are tainted with cultist behaviors, this website and others have written about it very often… Although highly credited, I think he still cannot explain how come his change of colors is justified: If we are all on the path of self-improvement, how do you know what is best for you with little to no guidance/supervision from someone who has gone further the path from where you are?
This becomes the ultimate question for the self. Sooner or later one must graduate into the school of life and rely on their intuition. This can only come from honest reflection. Yours was a great question and very insightful.
He’s is nothing but a bad check! Bouncing around the question while trying to look like he Is worth anything!! All while having zero value!
Seems like he never achieved the rank of Black Belt in any of the belted systems he’s trained in. Now, he’ll get to eventually promote himself to Black Belt. Interesting …
I have actually earned a black belt in Jiu Jitsu, Jung Fu, and Western Tae Chi. I have also earned a brown sash from a Shaolin monk training in the Kunyu mountains at the Chan Buddhist temple. It is one of the most respected ranks. We most void ourselves of the hierarchy and broken system of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Please read the article again, I am not a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu brown belt, I don’t want to be associated with that system.
If you have a black belt in traditional jiu jitsu, then what did you just give yourself a brown belt in? If it wasn’t BJJ or traditional JJ, then what?
Sorry, I’m confused. You have a Black Belt in Jiu Jitsu, only two years ago you got a Purple belt from Gracie Barra, then decided you were going to go off on your own and you promoted yourself to a brown belt. You call your school One World Jiu Jitsu and you say you aren’t a BJJ brown belt. . . so you are teaching Jiu Jitsu, which you have a black belt in, but only after two years you feel like promoting yourself to a brown belt that is not a BJJ brown belt, but you are teaching Jiu Jitsu, which you have a black belt in. . . See where I am going with this?
This is the real coach joe and for the record somebody is joe having fun with you by impersonating me
Not the real coach joe an imposter
Skill speaks for itself. A belt does not perform technique for you. You are always welcome to come see for yourself. My students are able to see my technique and understand where I am coming from. It is an ego-less environment.
Not the real coach joe do not respond
I think this man has brilliantly presented ideas that many people agree with. While the mainstream of BJJ may hate what he is saying, I find it inspiring. I have been training in martial arts for 23 years and BJJ for 9 years. People hated on Bruce Lee for his “Attack” on the status quo. People like this keep of thinking and growing instead of floundering in stagnation.
Thank you Alex
Way to weather the storm coach. Keep doing what you’re doing. Your students are lucky to have such a thoughtful and brave instructor. Taking on the entire internet is no easy task.
I would love to train with you and meet you someday. Your words of inspiration are perfect inspiration for extinguishing any conflagration.?
Such an obvious sock puppet account. Exactly the kind of guy that would use “Morningstar” as a non de plume and think himself clever.
I don’t know Alex and have never met him why would you feel the need to denigrate someone who is being thoughtful and supportive? Where is your humanity and your soul?
Look Joe,
Humans are very hierarchical. This is just the way we are. They did studies in the 70s on if there was hierarchy in the Hippie Communes and there in-fact was.
You can’t intellectualize your way out of life.
Find out what your passionate about, and go do it. Go join a bjj academy and follow hierarchy, go back to law and follow hierarchy. Find what you like and go have fun. Go get some friends ultimately.
And stop bringing Freemasonry into this. Freemasons don’t give a shit about some poor Brazilians and there Gracie Barra gym. Your “Morningstar” account is very obvious to anyone that’s read the internet on freemasons or seen that Lucifer tv show.
Go get some friends, and I pray you don’t commit suicide.
Dudes, woah holy shit! I am an academy owner and my name is Alex Morningstar! Stop attacking this guy for my name being my name lol!
i can see why you remain anonymous.
Lol, its my name bro! Also, what’s with the attack? I like what this guy had to say in his interview. I think ideas should have room to breath
Didn’t like the system so decided to work around it. Purple to brown in 1 year… not exactly high standards. Not sure how he thinks his BJJ school is going to be “10 000x” better. I’m sure he’ll be red belt in no time.
Your first comment is nearly correct. It was two years not one. The promotion to purple was in December 2014. Your sarcasm about improving myself relates to being challenged by other who possess lethal skills but are deprived the intellect to use them correctly.
Just watched the vid again…. this guy is epic buffoon. A lot of bragging and ego. All crying like babies, but not my great uncle, is just insulting. I don’t care who you claimed to talk to, unless you can back that up with their testimony. Of course using the “focus on self defense” to avoid actually having himself, or students, be tested against other schools. No doubt there are some bad schools/individuals out there but there are many many great ones. This is nothing but arrogance. Nothing more than an excuse to open a McDojo and cash in.
Your mcdojo reference is misplaced. Gracie Barra is the McDonald’s of jiu jitsu
I’m sure they’ll give you every opportunity to back that up.
Actually three of my students already have competed in the Hoosier open. One got a gold. One went unsubmitted even though brutally attacked and one fought 3 matches against an NCAA collegiate wrestling champion. He won one match lost one by points and was submitted in the last seconds of his final round after fighting valiantly. As for my great uncle those are the facts reported in the official record. Your statements are now revealed as fully uninformed.
And I once won my class in a 5km race…. but I was the only one in that category.
Non responsive. your question about going up against other schools with students that i trained was addressed and answered and that is your reply? Why do you even post here? I give you a detailed answer about difficult multi contender matches and you respond like your not even paying attention. I am pretty sure at this point you should not be taken seriously and deserve not serious attention
Yes I’m sure you’re relative was the only marine fighting and all the rest were crying like babies… You’re an idiot. You insult American heroes.
You then reward yourself with a belt you didn’t earn. Not a real big accomplishment to “earn” something when you set the standards.
I earned my legitimiate brown belt and I earned the title Marine. You post a video of you insulting both and wonder why people are angry with you? You really are an idiot. Try living up to a real standard one day, earn something properly.
I
You earn nothing if somebody else has to give it to you. Being a marine is special to you not to me. Especially after talking to one of your fellow marines who ragged about killing innocent Iraqis and good it made him feel and how easy it was. What have you done to protect your family and your fellow countryman from the real tyrants? Nothing is the answer. Your not angry at me. If you are angry put some thought into why? And stop worrying about something so trivial as a belt and what I am doing. Worry about yourself. A true man a try marine and a true soldier would understand these concepts.
There are many many associations out there. Just because you felt burnt or ripped off by your former instructors doesn’t mean that that is a uniform problem throughout all of the american BJJ community. It is just jujitsu absolutely but the Brazilians brought a work ethic to the sport. They took a martial art that was more or less being trained like Karate where it was more important to feel good about yourself than it was to have an actual observable skill. The Brazilians said if this is legit then it should work against the biggest toughest guys out there. They put themselves into that environment and out of that I believe we have witnessed the rediscovery of a martial art that actually works against athletes.
And out of that we have a universal belt ranking system designed to offer a level of quality assurance. See the problem with deciding for yourself when you are ready for promotion is that a good solid blue belt should be able to handle most people who walk in off the street no problem. A purple belt should be able to handle most blue belts no problem. That is the thing about studying a martial art that is observable. You can get so good that you can line up everyone in the room and tap them one by one and there will still be people out there who can beat you like a child. If you own your own gym you very likely may have created an artificial environment that has fed your ego and made you believe that you are better than most associations would rank you. Are you rolling with black belts on a regular basis?
There is a lot of nonsense out there right now and most of it is money related. These guys may have the loudest voice due to marketing but it’s definitely not the majority of BJJ practitioners out there. The people who really matter are the people who are on the mats with you.Those are the guys who you come up with. Find the best guys you can find and train as much as possible. Don’t worry about your belt. Train no-gi. Learn to leg lock. What we are all really learning is a specialized knowledge. You will probably find that recognition by other people isn’t that fulfilling compared to having an actual demonstrable skill.
Let me interject…No he’s not rolling with higher belts and therefore his “promotion” is useless and value less. He wants to quote stuff about what so and so says about self promotion but bottom line is…if he’s not learning from someone of a higher rank, he’s not qualified to be advanced in ANY martial art. Now if he went back and taught the jiu jitsu he says he has the black belt in, incorporating his personal twists to it while still teaching all of their basics and everything else, I’d have little to no problem with it but he’s not. I mean, if he’s starting a brand new jiu jitsu version where he is the grand master, when have you EVER heard of the grand master starting off at purple or brown belt? To even contemplate that is ridiculous and laughable.
You Really are clueless. It’s just jiujitsu dude. How do you know who I am rolling with? You really know nothing about everything. The more you talk I am pretty sure you do not even know what the word jiu jits means.
Your statement is one of the best I have read yet. Thank you.i would say no to the ego part and even at Gracie Barra there was only one blackbelt assigned to roll with me. His name was Sergio costa and he was excellent. I have rolled with quite a few in The recent past over the years but is not as easy as you might think. Since the video I have had lots of offers but they are insincere and state that they want to me harm. I would always welcome that opportunity to learn and to train especially with higher belts. Any blackbelts who are sincere and who genuinely wish to offer their knowledge and skill I would gladly accept the offer.
Self-entitled bitter Bernie Sanders voter grants himself a title, causes brief displeasure on the Internet, goes down in history as a side note under “McDojo instructors”.
Why would I vote that’s silly? You are on the wrong universe.
So you are NOT a brown belt in BJJ?
Yet you recieved a BJJ purple belt – have continued to wear it even as you left your old BJJ club, and are wearing it in the video just before you put the brown belt on.
If you say you are “advancing yourself in rank” – that means you are stepping from_one_rank_to_another.
Your previous rank was a BJJ purple belt. So if you are “advancing yourself in rank”, and giving yourself a brown belt, it suggest you’re are advancing from purple belt in BJJ to brown belt in BJJ.
Yet, you mean you “advanced” from purple belt in BJJ to brown belt in “jiu-jitsu”, which you claim IS NOT bjj? So from purple belt in one art – to brown belt in another art?
And you are surprised that people find this inconsistent and react negatively?
If you claim to not be a BJJ-practitioner, but simply do “jiujitsu”. Why wear the BJJ-belt that you recieved from GB in the graduation video? Why advance with the BJJ-belt as a starting point, if you are doing a different art?
Why was it necessary to give yourself a brown belt, which excactly mirrors the BJJ belt progression – if you’re not doing BJJ anymore?
Why not simply “advance yourself” by giving yourself a blue belt in “jiu-jitsu”, to make sure to distance yourself from the BJJ hierarchy, instead of following it? Or maybe a golden belt? Or a pink belt?
Since you made sure to follow the BJJ belt rank in your progession, and are wearing a BJJ-belt at the outset, it suggests you are trying to use the name brand and reputation of BJJ, even as you shun it.
That makes this look extra petty.
There comes a point in time that I refer to as the awakening, when you see outside the horse blinders. My skill speaks for itself. Think of it as me transferring my skill into One World Jiu Jitsu, a form of Ju Jitsu. I have given 30 years of my life to being a martial artist. True freedom comes from within and is a state of mind. My skills speak for itself, and it is with this knowledge that I pass it unto my students and award myself a brown belt. We have an open door policy. All schools are welcome.
Amazing how your “true freedom from within”, means you awarding yourself a new rank – that happens to be one step up on the BJJ belt system, with a typical BJJ belt with a black bar. It seems One World Jiu Jitsu has the exact same belt system as BJJ.
So much for seeing “outside the horse blinders”. This is just you giving pseudo intellectual rationalizations for doing what is almost universally frowned upon – for good reason.
If your skill speaks for itself. What is the need for the belt?
I would gladly have stayed at purple when I had it, but my instructor gave me the brown when he (with far more experience than me) believed I was ready.
Why would I gladly have stayed at purple? Because I wasn’t interested in the belts any longer, only in growing. You however, seem to need your belt to play sidekick for your skill.
For the record this is the real coach joe and I did not write that comment. But whoever it was knows me pretty well. thank you to ever is now impersonating me but being cool about it .
Coach joe imposter not me
Please fill me in about the part “He has trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu all over the United States and internationally in Cancun, Mexico, in Lima, Peru and in the Amazon Rain forest teaching local natives the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.”… I’m living in Manaus in Amazonas and are a black belt (the only gringo in these parts of Brazil with that grade) under Henrique Machado. Here you state you teach (or at least teached) bjj for the “local natives”. You know some of the worlds most experienced jiu-jitsu fighters comes from the Amazon right? Btw – I do have black belts in traditional jiu-jitsu and high grades in other martial arts also and have a great focus on defesa pessoal so it’s interesting you say bjj fighters would very easy be defeated by a “real” jiu-jitsuka. That is not really my experience more than said from people that has no experience at all of sport fighting and/or real life encounters of fighting/self defense.
Feel free to tell more about your contacts in The Amazon and when, how and where you instructed bjj in these areas of the world. Waiting to you to show me credibility on this. I don’t agree about your idea about self gradings and have a lot to say about your a little simple way of thinking about the dan system in martial arts but hey – maybe you have found something that a lot of the rest of us never saw about traditional martial arts and the traditions there…
About 12 hours upriver from pucallpa on the Ukayale river with the shipibo Indians. Ever been there? I doubt it. Maybe six hours south of cashibo territory.
That’s Peru by the way but close to Brazil any other questions i was down there twice. Jungle survival and jiu jitsu also earned the title of rokotoro from the tribe for treating a child’s traumatic foot injury.do you know what rokotoro means in shipibo? You guys think you are so clever. You think I would make that up?
hang on… *puts fishing waders on*
Any other questions?
Cashibos are head hunters by the way. Ever run into any? We came as close as anyone in the world.
Thanks for your answers. You might have been there, you might have made some impact by helping treat a injured foot but you for sure have not trained and instructed any jiu-jitsu groups here. I guessed it was not inside Brazil so Peru sounds true (but with saying teaching bjj in the Amazon that would normally mean on the brazilian side because it’s here the real jiu-jitsu exists).
And no – I don’t know what rokotoro means in shipibo. There are sort of a lot of different groups of indians as you know and actually a lot of them were headhunters once. Most tribes still out there are protected by a reason and more or less it’s always a very stupid idea trying to get in touch with any.
Never been to Peru but I live sort of close (by brazilian distances so to say) and have friends in Peru so who knows – maybe I one day have the chance to meet some “local natives” and also get the honour to become a rokotoro… Until then training and instructing all kinds of people here is alright for me. If you want to learn more about how bjj looks like here in one of the most traditional dojos of Brazil you are welcome. You will have a chance to actually see high grade black belts (also faixa coral) compete here so it might be an inspire for you. Let me know the day you come but be prepared that the faixa pretas here do know self defense as good as any sport jiu-jitsu and that it is used both by military and police daily for what it was invented for… Good luck in your future life.
I think you are correct that this would be a great inspiration and trip. Only interested in self defense not sport. Thank you for the invite. I will look you up if I am down that way and thank you for the questions.
Coach Joe is a master in the Chewbacca Defense.
Always placed in the top two in competitions yet lists third at the IBJJF 2015 Summer International Open Absolute Class- Bronze Medal. Possible medal due to four people being in the division?
IBJJF 2015 Summer International Open Masters 4 Heavy Champion- Gold Medal (only one in the division).
Michigan Open 2013 Silver Medal (No Gi) blue belt (only two people in the division).
Nothing is ever good enough for you bjj sport guys. You know nothing. What is your competition record? As if any of this matters.
I’ve heard from people that trained with you that you rarely rolled in class and when you did you got spanked by almost everyone. I’ve also heard your purple belt is suspect because of how bad you were. Those metals most of those could have been by default especially considering your age. I do think that you should get leeway in your ranking due to your age since our bodies aren’t the same the older we get.
Promoting your self to brown belt is disrespectful to all of your previous BJJ instructors since in the natural progression purple goes to brown. You claim a Japanese Jiu Jitsu black belt you might as well have just given that to yourself or more realistically just said you have a JJJ BB.
I did agree with a lot of what you said but you’re going about it the wrong way. You would get less heat if you made a red belt for yourself in your own style. You could even call it disbarred lawyer jiu jitsu or lawyer that steals your money jiu jitsu.
You have been dishonorable for many years and you talk about other people? Google yourself and see the dirt on yourself before you try to sound holier than thou.
youmake me laugh thank you! Why would I google myself to find out about myself? I would not. Is that how you learn things about yourself, on google? You miss the whole message. I know myself. Know thyself. If need to go to google for that than I am moving in the wrong direction. And how would I have ever learned about myself before this google thing you speak of was ever created. You are special and the archetypal golom
Name the people you heard this from. I rolled all the time two twice a day minimum hour per day. There were 200 students at Gracie Barra and o rolled with everyone at least once. And if my purple belt was suspect you have just made my argument for me but it is not. But if it is then who is the one who should be criticized for that. Maybe the one that gave it to me? What do you have to say about him? He was a bjj 4 th degree blackbelt. The more you talk the more you reveal who you are and what you know.
You are a walking contradiction. You agree with nearly every thing I say but then judge me as dishonorable. You really should google yourself and find out everything you can
Just answer this once and for all…..Who were you rolling with 6 days a week twice per day that gave you the notion to promote yourself? For you to believe you were worthy of a brown belt, they had to be at least brown belts themselves…at least. And I can’t imagine you would have a school where others outranked you so they had to have come from or are currently attending another school. So again, who were these higher level jiu jitsu people? And PLEASE, just answer that and nothing else..no extra explanations.
please read grans master hello gracies statement on this topic where he specifically lists the criteria for promotion. His statement is my statement. If you would like to come and roll with me you are welcome. Rank and experience please. And in case you did not watch the video I am beholden to no man, including you.
“Come and roll”? Thought you didn’t accept challenges. Now you do? I see now…..
That is not a challenge it is an invitation. Rather than make conclusions about somebody you never met I invite you to find out for yourself. We don’t have to train or roll. Just come and watch. We welcome you.
And you are pretty arrogant thinking I have to answe to you. Who do you think you are anyway?
The person to whom you replied lol.
Did you read grand master Helios words?
You are just a goof.
Who gave this fool his Blue and Purple to begin with???
the bigger the sport grows, the more frauds and crooks we will see sadly, (guys like this old man who realized 50 yrs into his life, that they were selling the wrong martial art, are becoming more and more common. Since his ego is poisoned with fear to lose money, it is no surprise that you rewrote the rules of bjj in order to help your wallet. )
You Joe are a crook and a fraud, the more you defend yourself, the more you make a fool yourself.
I feel so sorry for you students and their parents for being victims of a crook like you.
Next time we hear from you will probably with some sexual assault issues with your students (to whom I would recommend changing gyms ASAP). People like you have been liars and crooks on and off the mats since day 1. hopefully Karma will catch up with you and bite you in the ass
Your Ex teachers must be so ashamed of having tried to teach you our art, they too are victims of your bullshit…
Also, you cannot hide behind your ancestors or your students parents who “like you the way you are”. Those poor people never asked to be involved with a snake like you and are VICTIMS…
Good luck to your students who want to discover the REAL ART, and who have the brain and will to drop your crook ass
As far as the art I am teaching rather than voice your uninformed opinion I invite you to come observe what we are teaching
We are teaching self defense not sport
Old man???? you must be young then. Be a man respond or post under your real name. Let’s have a real genuine dialogue. Have courage young man.
I have zero concerns about money young man if I did I would not be offering 3 free months to kids and 1 free month to adults. Anybody that cannot pay and can demonstrate financial hardship can train for free. I am way past being concerned about money.
The sport of Brazilian jiu jitsu has become a business just as grand master helio prophesized. Competition fees, registration fees, promotion fees, seminar fees, retail strip mall locations, $180 fees and up for his and all sorts of other hidden fees. Monthly credit card billing and all the issues that go with that and you contract.we have none of that.please go to the top of the thread and read what your founder grand master helio Gracie said about the very position you are taking. You and he are at odds.
$180 for gis
I know exactly who wrote this by the use of one word and I won’t bother mentioning your name but I know who you are. You are the fraud. You are not who you say you are but a hypocrite without any credentials. You preach about Jesus but don’t follow what he says. And I know you have zero ground skills. Pray you never end up there. You call yourself a coach but you are not. You pretend to be a man but hide in the shadows. Your first name is a street in Chicago and your last name rhymes with a cheese. I got your number.
And the word that gave you away was “fool”. That word was used only one other time. You are the fool. Someday you will find out your whole life was a complete waste. By the way the age of picses is over and you messiah is a myth from the zodiac. Everyday you get on Facebook in your car and proselytize about a cartoon character. There is only one fool in this conversation and you are it.
My blue belt was given to me by professor mike Rose of yobe jiu jitsu now affiliated with relson Gracie the highest ranking jiu jitsu practioner in the world. Master caique Elias student under rickson Gracie was in attendance. My purple belt by master Carlos Gracie jr’s protege and 4th degree black belt Carlos lemos jr.
As for the rest of you comments you are just one of the many anonymous frustrated cowards pounding away at your phone like a child. Identify yourself and be a man or a woman. Take credit for and substantiate your claims. I am authentic to the core and can tell by you ad hominem attack that you are a slave under mind control. Good luck with that.
Your personal attacks are ineffective and week. Pure tripe.
He doesn’t teach “Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu”, but he teaches “Jiu-Jitsu”? “Jiu-Jitsu” is Portuguese. This man doesn’t know what he’s talking about from the start.
What ridiculous, dishonest, and drawn out non-answers for why he’s defrauding all of his students. This guy is clearly a whackadoodle with 2 separate accounts on here and keeps pretending not to be himself. He’ll be exposed eventually. All the frauds fall eventually.
You can keep giving these long explanations for your actions but you are wrong. You’re lying to yourself. Going into all of this philosophy is fun for a bit, makes some interesting points. But the proof is on the mat. Can anyone vouch for your claims and abilities? WHEN they beat you, will you just say they are better at Brazilian jiu jitsu and you’re doing “jiujitsu”. Because that’s bullshit and a weak excuse for not being very good. I call bullshit on your never being submitted claim, and if it’s true then you need to find better tournaments. There’s nothing wrong with a purple belt head coach who’s honest with themselves and is aware of their place among jiu jitsu practitioners. But you sir… gave yourself a belt… which you can’t do because your assessment over yourself is always biased. Be humble, admit you shouldn’t have done it, and move on. But trying to talk everyone into believing your nonsense makes you look dumb. Your students will one day find truth in their abilities.