voted him up

Thanks so much for the vote!

Hey folks, how are you all doing? I'm Dimitri Andrei, and I lead the @origins.bjj team over on Instagram. My journey with Jiu-Jitsu started back in April 2016 with @equipehjjt in Brazil, and it's been quite the ride ever since. As a white belt, I found myself lending a hand to my instructors in a community project, which sparked a passion within me to pursue Jiu-Jitsu as a career. Beginning my Jiu-Jitsu journey at the age of 31, I knew I had to put in the work to reach the coveted black belt level. So, I dedicated myself to training three times a day, six days a week, striving for excellence. Even amidst the challenges of the pandemic, I was fortunate to have a coach who guided me, alongside my girlfriend, on our home mat. After almost six years of dedication, I proudly achieved my black belt. Shortly after, I embarked on a new chapter, moving to Ireland (Limerick), where I co-founded the Origins Jiu-Jitsu School with my partner. In just over two years, our school has flourished, with nearly 150 students, and I believe we're making a positive impact on their lives. If you're interested in following my journey, you can find me sharing insights and experiences on Jiu-Jitsu on my personal Instagram account @dimitriandreibjj. When it comes to competitions, I've always believed in testing myself at every belt level, ensuring I truly earned each promotion. While my journey to black belt focused on building our team, I'm eager to return to competition soon, not only to challenge myself but also to inspire my students. Even though competition is just one aspect of Jiu-Jitsu, it's an opportunity to grow and learn. OSS.

Hey guys, I appreciate the platform and all that voted for me. I could write my heart out about Jiu Jitsu. But how many of us really have time to read these days! If you’re traveling through NC. Hit me up and let’s drop sweat on the mats!

Hey guys,

I’m David. I’m new to belt checker. I’m a newly promoted purple belt. I work on ICBMs in the USAF. I’m 1 of 2 coaches for a Jiu Jitsu program on base at Malmstrom AFB, MT. We’re affiliated with Archimedes Jiu Jitsu Shreveport, LA under our head coach Chris Velez. Chris runs his academy under Professor Carlos Santos First BJJ Carlson Gracie Team SLC, UT. I've been training Jiu Jitsu since Jan of 2018. I started training under First BJJ at MAFB in Nov of 2018. I earned my blue belt under Professor Suyan Queiroz 20 Feb 2020. I earned purple belt this past weekend (27 Apr 24) from our head coach during a seminar he put on for us. I’m originally from Grand Rapids MI.

I'm Robert Whitney. I started training in 2011 under Nino Schembri in Los Angleles. I started BJJ late in life at 41, but kept plugging away until I got my Blackbelt at almost 53. I started BJJ for a form of exercise and self defense based on the recommendation of a force instructor. I really knew very little about the art but fell in love quickly. I'm now training at Carlson Gracie South Bay under Andre Vasconcellos. For most of my BJJ career I was also running my own business and volunteering on the side. So I really never had the time to compete. Now that I am retired, perhaps I will compete with the rest of the seniors:) Anyway, happy to be here and appreciate the support.

Hello everyone. My name is Steven Jones. I’m currently a 1st degree black belt out of The Forge BJJ in Edmond, Oklahoma. I’m 45 years old. I have been an instructor at The Forge for ten years. Check us out if you’re ever in central Oklahoma! I haven’t been verified yet, but I’m happy to be a part of the group.

Edit: Thanks to everyone who took the time to check out my profile, give me their vote and help me get verified. Much appreciated!

Hello everyone!

My name is Jorge, I’m from Mexico and I work as an engineer for a medical device company, in my little spare time I took BJJ as a hobby starting in January of 2017. I have been training consistently ever since with only 2 rest periods: A rib injury which left me out of the mats for 3 months and the 2020 pandemic which let me out of the mats for 6 months.

I have been a BJJ coach/professor in the past and although I enjoy it there is no particular need for me to be one at the moment. From the very start I try to compete as often as I can since I believe it leads to direct improvement after each tournament and keeps my skills sharp.

I wanted to thank anyone who took the time to review my profile and vote! My best wishes for for everyone in this community; to keep your disciplined training and continue to be injury free !

Hey everyone. I'm Alex from a little redneck town in NY. I've been training a little over 8 years and just got my purple belt last month. Looking forward to being more active in this community, especially since IBJJF presence can be pretty sparse in rural areas.

Black belt from WI USA. Most folks don't know my actual name - but lots of local people know me by my nickname (nemo). Coming up on my 20 year BJJ anniversary this year.

Any local folks I'm always up to have drop in by our place or swing by your open mats - also always interested in travelling for seminars (especially if you like flashy low percentage moves, leg locks, or catch wrestling).

I also got my first non white/blue/black gi after 19 years grappling.

Hello and welcome all!

Hello all! Perpetual white belt here. Tried out a few gyms over the past 5 years and never found a great fit - got a bit discouraged and always stopped training. Jumped back in again last month because I found a great group of people at a gym with a totally different vibe and I'm happy to be back on the mats!

Hi folks,
I'm a 49yo ex MMA sub wrestling guy that runs a club up in the isle of Skye in Scotland.

Got my blue belt after years of training/fighting and coaching because I at least wanted to get rid of my white 🤣

Never bothered after that as I was rarely ever in a gi.

I now coach a small group of 10-15 people in a non profit club helping people stay away from drugs and boredom.

We are growing slowly and funding ourselves steadily to grow our mat space in a community hall.

I'm slowing down physically but just trying to pass on what I know.

Our club is a fun environment that feels like hanging out with family.

Hey Everyone !

Name’s Angel and I recently started training consistently for the first over the last month. Transitioning from a career where i wrestled for ~5 years at a semi-competitive level and running track, im loving the grind the journey provides.

Having a ton of fun in room & on the mat with my fellow members & professor, super thankful to be in environment where everyone’s willing to help. Feels like im progressing day by day, but more than anything it’s the mental growth that has come along with it. Never was able to work through this in my other sports and i credit it a lot to both mentality and environment.

Tourney Coming up in August so just working through the grind till then, Oss! 🙏🏽

Warm welcome and enjoy Your journey!

Hello from London England, I’m Adam.

I started training in MMA 15 years ago but due to medical reasons I had to stop, fast forward to nearly 2 years ago and I was given the go ahead to train Jiu Jitsu.

After trialing a few gyms I found Backstreet Dojo and haven’t looked back, it’s a family run gym with 3 generations of martial artists leading the charge.

Though I only focus on BJJ they offer karate, MMA and K1 for all ages with a friendly atmosphere.

Hello everyone,

I’m excited to introduce myself as a fresh blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu! I initially started training to learn self-defense, but quickly discovered my passion for the sport. What drew me in was not just the practical applications of BJJ but also the intricate technical aspects that challenge and excite me.

As I dive deeper into the world of jiujitsu, I’ve decided to pursue it as a sport and start competing. The blend of strategy, skill, and physical conditioning in BJJ is something I truly love and am eager to continue exploring. Looking forward to growing and learning more in this incredible journey!

-Weeda T.

Congrats on earning Blue! That's a hard one, just keep grinding.

Nice to meet you, and congrats on your blue belt! :)

Thank you John!

Thank you Anthony!

Thank you Pat!

Hi everyone. My name is Neil. I started Jiu Jitsu a little late in life. I am a blue belt and will turn 65 next month. I train at Team Rhino in Meridian Idaho. Im sore all time time and its hard to keep up with all the younger guys and gals but they are all great. I cant say enough about the quality of the higher belts and the instruction I receive. It has been one of the best things I have ever done.

Hello everyone, my name is Daniele, and I'm writing to you from Italy. I was recently promoted to purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ), a milestone I'm incredibly proud of. I’ve been practicing martial arts for over 10 years, and I’ve always been fascinated by combat sports. My journey started as a self-taught enthusiast since there were no training opportunities in my hometown. Once I moved to a new city to study medicine, I began training in Muay Thai and later transitioned to MMA.

Over the years, I’ve developed a deep passion for striking, engaging in daily sparring sessions. I also spent some time in Germany, where I was introduced to the Dog Brothers' full-contact stick fighting style, which involves sparring with sticks under no specific rules—just fair play.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, I took a two-year break from martial arts to focus on weight training and solo workouts. After completing my medical degree and starting my career in a new city, I decided to commit exclusively to BJJ. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Although I had already earned my blue belt, I now had the opportunity to train with legends like Renzo and Roger Gracie, as well as top athletes like Diego Reis and Fabricio Andrey. I particularly enjoy training with the Gi, but my real passion lies in No-Gi, where I focus extensively on wrestling.

Recently, I was promoted to purple belt, a moment of great satisfaction for me. While I don’t consider myself a high-level fighter, BJJ has become a way of life that promotes a healthy and balanced routine, allowing me to train intensively every day and find greater balance in my personal relationships.

I joined BeltChecker because it’s a truly democratic, community-driven platform. I'm excited to be a part of this community, where we can all help each other verify the authenticity of our belts and continue to grow in this incredible sport.

Best regards, and happy training to everyone

Welcome! :)

Hi Daniele.

Hi everyone, my name is Tiffany and I've recently joined beltchecker as I thought it would be cool to join a great online community of BJJ practitioners. I started a little less than a couple years ago back in Sydney, Australia. I was hesitant at first to join as I was intimidated by the physical distance between partners (having come from other martial arts where physical distance was not an issue, BJJ was different for me). Eventually I got used to close-proximity combat and have started loving the sport. I moved to London, UK last year January and joined AEON June last year. I'm still shy, with quite a fair bit of hesitation and lack of confidence still, but I'm hoping to eventually get my bearings.

I joined my first ever comp last November and won, and I'm currently prepping for another comp in 5 weeks!

I am looking forward to meeting many of us out and about training, during open mats, and during camps/seminars. As I build my courage I hope to be more extroverted in the BJJ world. I appreciate everyone here and look forward to making new friends!

Photo of me below (in black gi) with students that I volunteer teach at AEON on Thursday afternoons (not as much now due to work/personal life).

Hi from Idaho in the US, Tiffany.

Hello Neil! Thank you.

Welcome. :)