Brazilian Jiu Jitsu exploded into the international scene in the 1990s, demonstrating its effectiveness in MMA. Most other combat sports didn't have a solution for Jiu Jitsu's strategy of going to the ground. As a result, Jiu Jitsu is now one of the fastest growing systems in the world and remains a key foundation of MMA training. 

But success and popularity has come at a price. It has lead to the commercialisation of the martial art. It seems like every instructor wants to build their own empire and live of their students. Jiu Jitsu has taken second place to profit making. With this has come greed, jealousy, and egos.

In 2019, we chose to turn our back on the corruption and greed. We wanted to put the focus back on Jiu JItsu and to prioritise decisions that benefit the students our dojo instead of being "cash cows for instructors who don't even train with us.

There is no single organisation that represents Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in a global sense; there are actually many. 

The oldest, the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) is a commercial, for-profit business with a reputation for bullying, toxic politics, and excessive fees. Their primary focus is on maximising profits for the owners. It's probably no surprise, then, that in Mexico few instructors / dojos choose to join.

As a result, several rival organisations have been created to try and address the shortcomings of the IBJJF. Unfortunately, all they have done is replicate the same bureaucracy and problems. 

We realised many years ago that there was no benefit to belonging to these organisations. These organisations aren't interested in grass-roots level martial arts; they want to control the top levels since that is where the money is. So until a democratically elected, non-profit organisation comes along we'll continue as we are.

Since there is no international body that represents all Jiu Jitsu there is therefore no such thing as "official recognition". Instead there are a multitude of competing bodies, all certifying there own members under their own promotion systems. 

In fact, at the highest levels of the sport there are now many elite grapplers who have no affiliation with any international bodies! Such athletes are invited to compete based on the merits of their skills. No one cares what belt they are because their ability speaks for them.

In a general sense, belts and degrees are only relevant in the dojo or franchise you are a member of. For this reason, Defiant Jiu Jitsu has its own system for promoting students. Waiting times are based on norms within the Jiu Jitsu community.

By default, Defiant Jiu Jitsu recognises the rank of all non-members providing they accept and recognise the rank of our students.

In recent years there has been a lot of criticism of the belt system in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This is because there is a huge variation in the skill level between athletes at all levels. 

The criticism is unfounded and ridiculous because a belt is no guarantee of ability in combat. Yes, someone with a higher belt would be expected to dominate a lower ranked athlete but in reality it is not that simple. 

Instead of focusing on the rank of an athlete we should focus on their skill level. Belts are arbitrary. In fact, many dojos specialising in submission grappling and nogi Jiu Jitsu don't even use ranks. 

A good example is Helena Cravar from New Wave Texas. She is only 16 years old and yet she dominates competition at the highest levels. She is only a Blue Belt at the time of writing this. Does that mean that all the Black Belts she beats should be demoted to White or Blue Belt? Of course, not. It simply highlights the need to focus on performance rather than rank. 

Jiu Jitsu students get older. Instructors become less athletic. Should we demote coral belt instructors because they can no longer match the strength and aggression of 20 year old athletes? Again, no. We should respect their experience the same way other traditional martial arts respect their senior instructors.

One of the observations we've made after 13 years of training is that time on the mat is the great equaliser, particularly at the amateur level. Compare any two students from two different dojos who have been training the same amount of time and they are very similar in ability. 

What usually makes one better than another is their level of athleticism. Some students are natural athletes. Some have a greater drive to win. Age and gender can make a difference, as can the curriculum they are training under. But in general, it comes down to time on the mat; experience in other words.

Our belts and degrees are based on experience. Promotion eligibility is based on accumulating classes (to ensure training is regular and consistent) and completing the mandatory time at each rank (to ensure we follow normal practise with other Jiu Jitsu dojos).

All of our students follow the same system. There are no shortcuts for athletes. There is no favouritism nor discrimination. Our belts simply represent experience not combat ability. 

Our students hold their own, or exceed the level of guest students. This tells us that our system produces students of equal standing with students from other dojos. 

Under our system it is our organisation that provides the authority for promotions. This is across all belt levels, including Black Belt. If a student has completed the requirements they are eligible for promotion. Simple.

Belts have never been a guarantee of a student's ability to submit opponents; that's why there is so much controversy over the traditional system. Our belts simply represent experience, regardless of whether you're a competitive athlete, an aspiring teacher, or a weekend warrior.

Belt degrees are awarded in class and are free of charge. There is no demonstration requirement. This follows the traditional practice of "old school" Jiu Jitsu.

Belts are awarded following a demonstration. This can be based on combat, techniques, or a combination of both. Combat matches are semi-competitive and of 15 minute duration. There is a fee to cover the additional rent of the dojo but the amount is minimal.

Although we train nogi we always wear our belts. This is to remind others of our level and to remind ourselves of our own progress. Belt rank dictates which techniques are permitted as well as our responsibility to protect the safety of less experienced opponents.

We let students buy their own belt from whichever supplier they want. It can be as cheap as a 100 peso "karate belt" or as much as a 1000 pesos imported brand-name belt.

There is no obligation for other dojos to recognise our ranks, just as we aren't obligated to recognise the rank of non-members. In practice, the dojos we interact with respect our belts and we respect theirs with no problems.

The majority of our students are mature (30+) and have no interest in competing. Most students in Mexico don't have access to comprehensive medical insurance so getting injured is not an option. No work, no income!

For this reason we do a lot of rolling in class. This provides balance and gives our students an opportunity to explore technique and test themselves in a safe, friendly environment. As a result, injuries are very rare and we have full participation. 

Our matches are usually 10 minutes long. Aggression and dangerous conduct is forbidden. We do not use points or advantages. 

Longer match times promote "intelligent" Jiu Jitsu; combat is more chess-like and strategic. It also allows students to work on defensive cycles as well as offensive phases. 

Longer matches also make combats fairer for mature students. They can rely on endurance and strategy to overcome younger, stronger, faster opponents. Our approach to combat means that all students develop their combat skills rapidly.

Any student who really feels the need to test themselves at a higher level is welcome to compete in external events or roll in open mats offered by other dojos.

Because we are not a full-time "professional" Jiu Jitsu business, we train as guests in dojos owned by others. This means we don't offer open mats since we would have to cover the additional rent (open mats are always free by tradition).

Instead we welcome guests to join us for free for the combat component of our classes. As long as you respect our values and can follow our rules you can participate with us. This provides a new challenge for our own students and allows us to maintain a safe, friendly environment. 

Participation by non-members requires prior approval so you can contact us if you are interested in joining us for a session.

Most dojos focus on Sport Jiu Jitsu. We prefer a broader definition so we teach Jiu Jitsu as a martial art; competitive Jiu Jitsu is simple one aspect of the whole. Values such as respect, commitment, fairness, humility, and safety are all very important in our dojo. Jiu Jitsu without underlying values can produce arrogant, dangerous students. 

Our modern nogi approach provides techniques and strategies that work for both sport and as a martial art. In fact, most of the techniques we cover are easily adaptable and can be applied equally well in gi as well.

Jiu Jitsu should be considered a personal journey for each student. Too many students, instructors, and franchise owners are obsessed with rank, winning, power, and money. That's fine but it's not our approach. 

First and foremost, we train because we love Jiu Jitsu; it's fun, friendly, and immensely satisfying. There's no end to the challenges it provides! Students who share our values fit in well with us. Luckily, for those who don't there are many alternative dojos to train at.

Our decision to be independent of franchises is based on our experiences when we were part of the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu patronage system. That system has become unfair at best and corrupt at worst.

• we don't think it is fair that some students are held back from promotion just so they can win more medals for their dojo. We think this practice is dishonest.

• we don't think it's fair that older or less capable students are held back just because they don't compete or can't submit everyone on the mat. Should Coral Belts be demoted when they can't perform?

• we don't think it's fair that some students are promoted faster just because they're close buddies with instructors and franchise owners. 

• we don't think it's fair that Black Belts are promoted as soon as the mandatory waiting times are achieved while their students have to pay their way through a series of syllabus exams. This is a double standard. 

• and, finally, we don't think it's fair that the IBJJF bullies members into following their rules when it isn't a democratic organisation. Even worse, members have to pay ridiculous fees just for the privilege!

Our dojo is much more democratic than is typical. It exists for the benefit of our students so they get to have a say in the decisions we make. We're non-profit but our teachers are paid for the time they share.

In keeping with the spirit of democracy, we all participate in a student's demonstration when they are ready for a new belt. All participants sign their promotion certificate since it is a community activity that benefits all of us.