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gracie barra members : fraud checking
7 month(s) ago • 1818 views • 46 replies
OHBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
this guy (nicolas vinet) pretend to be a 5th degree black belt
NOBODY in belgium ever saw him train
NOBODY in belgium ever saw him train
MBlack beltVerified
7 month(s) ago
this guy (nicolas vinet) pretend to be a 5th degree black belt NOBODY in belgium ever saw him train
I am not finding evidence to support his claim of his degree. No IBJJF information that I can find either. I also found that there were fraud issues in boxing, and he was or is banned from coaching or promoting by the Belgian boxing federation. I also see random instagram photos of him in the same year, wearing a zero degree BB, 2nd Degree BB and then 5th degree. Also he is in the GB GI in most of his photos, then on some searches he is the "head" of a Amaury Bitetti location. The spider web is growing, where is Johan when we need him!
JBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
I am not finding evidence to support his claim of his degree. No IBJJF information that I can find either. I also found that there were fraud issues in boxing, and he was or is banned from coaching or promoting by the Belgian boxing federation. I also see random instagram photos of him in the same year, wearing a zero degree BB, 2nd Degree BB and then 5th degree. Also he is in the GB GI in most of his photos, then on some searches he is the "head" of a Amaury Bitetti location. The spider web is growing, where is Johan when we need him!
Gracie Barra unfortunately is a black box when it comes to lineages. It is as if they themselves are working towards erasing lineages through individuals and replacing them with a general "Lineage: Gracie Barra". Very non-transparent, even between GB academies. I have a former GB academy nearby (not GB academy any more) and I'm sure there are hundreds of former BG academies world wide. Leaving varying and limited amounts of traces after them and some 5-10 years after closing, it might not even be possible for an outsider to track down information who were the promoting instructors of that academy, if they were legit to promote also BB:s and who in turn were their promoting instructor for their BB. There are also those who claim a new lineage after getting time served degrees on BB from someone new. Which, as we've seen on Beltchecker, can be time served from a BB which was never legit and the legit promoting instructor might not have done much due diligence him/herself but just trusted the claimed BB degree date. So we'll end up with e.g. a "laundered fifth degree BB of GB lineage" but with non-disclosed promoting instructor for the original BB and not even disclosed which individual or even exact academy (which might or might not still exist, under the GB umbrella or otherwise).
Don't know if that has happened her, but we really can't know. And that's the whole thing with BB claims - anyone can make one and it doesn't really take that much insight into the BB community to come up with something that can't effectively be falsified unless you yourself choose to disclose more details than an unspecific "GB lineage". And Gracie Barra (and other teams and academies trying to make lineage about teams and academies and not individual BB:s) really facilitates that and that's really not something I'm a fan of. Which my votes reflect, when someone claims to be a BB under a lineage which can't effectively be checked and with claimed promotions which can't really be checked if they occurred.
Don't know if that has happened her, but we really can't know. And that's the whole thing with BB claims - anyone can make one and it doesn't really take that much insight into the BB community to come up with something that can't effectively be falsified unless you yourself choose to disclose more details than an unspecific "GB lineage". And Gracie Barra (and other teams and academies trying to make lineage about teams and academies and not individual BB:s) really facilitates that and that's really not something I'm a fan of. Which my votes reflect, when someone claims to be a BB under a lineage which can't effectively be checked and with claimed promotions which can't really be checked if they occurred.
MBlack beltVerified
7 month(s) ago
Yes it does appear that he is affiliated with Amaury Bitetti somehow as well as with Marcelo, but not thru any belt or degrees that I can find. Just because one has a photo with a specific belt on does not mean that belt is valid. The questionable information that I have found on fraud and no other information makes this hard to verify. Amaury Bitetti promoted one of my professors to his 5th degree and there is photo and video and certificates to prove it.
Maybe Olivier has other facts that can help.
Maybe Olivier has other facts that can help.
OHBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
Non don't.
The fraud in boxing is also in mma.
We suspect that pics with bitteti are AI, as we found photo of the seminar where it appears to have been taken and this guy is not there.
We are absolutely sure he is a fraud and never even trained as a white belt.
I hoped that GB members /gym owners here will do something with the informations
The fraud in boxing is also in mma.
We suspect that pics with bitteti are AI, as we found photo of the seminar where it appears to have been taken and this guy is not there.
We are absolutely sure he is a fraud and never even trained as a white belt.
I hoped that GB members /gym owners here will do something with the informations
VBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
Took a deep dive into this, there are no pictures of him in a Gí before 2025. No images of him in an other belt color before 2025. I put the image of him with Amaury through some edit software and it says it was altered. This kinda reminds me of that guy in Arizona.
VBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
Here are the inconsistencies the software pointed our. Background appears to be removed.
Grain seems to be added. Backgeound Coloring between people inconsistent in Background.
Grain seems to be added. Backgeound Coloring between people inconsistent in Background.
JBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
Took a deep dive into this, there are no pictures of him in a Gí before 2025. No images of him in an other belt color before 2025. I put the image of him with Amaury through some edit software and it says it was altered. This kinda reminds me of that guy in Arizona.
To be fair, his 2:nd degree BJJ BB tattoo is seen in this post from Feb 2 of 2022: https://www.instagram.com[...]eWghUImB5/
Not very forward looking to tattoo your current number of stripes, as you will hopefully survive and gain more stripes. But if we take it at face value, counting back from 2026, that tattoo should had been outdated with a third stripe already in 2016 at latest. With 2:nd degree at latest 2012 (or perhaps a month or two into 2013). So original black belt around 2006. Just two years short of joining the European "dirty dozen" (first 12 BB:s in Europe). Skipping stripes (e.g. jumping directly from 3 to 5 on the belt), I don't really see a problem with as long as the total time since the original BB checks out. That's more humble than self striping, if you don't have an instructor to stripe you continuously.
But I see no BJJ BB tattoo in Jan 14 of 2022: https://www.instagram.com[...]tGBs7o3sC/ (or earlier)
So the tattoo seems to have been made in the second half of January 2022. He could have claimed a fourth degree BB through Beltchecker by then, but still tattooed a second degree BB.
Quite odd and not very anticipating, but isn't real evidence in any direction other than that BJJ at least was on his radar in 2022. Would be even more odd to get a BJJ BB tattooed all around your right forearm but not leaving a single trace online of your previous 16 years as a BJJ BB. Also, if your vain enough to get that enormous tattoo of your BJJ belt on your forearm, would you not had been the slightest interested to document your previous 20+ years in BJJ with at least a photo or two together with a promoting instructor? Still not evidence in any direction, but there are red flags here, to say the least.
Not very forward looking to tattoo your current number of stripes, as you will hopefully survive and gain more stripes. But if we take it at face value, counting back from 2026, that tattoo should had been outdated with a third stripe already in 2016 at latest. With 2:nd degree at latest 2012 (or perhaps a month or two into 2013). So original black belt around 2006. Just two years short of joining the European "dirty dozen" (first 12 BB:s in Europe). Skipping stripes (e.g. jumping directly from 3 to 5 on the belt), I don't really see a problem with as long as the total time since the original BB checks out. That's more humble than self striping, if you don't have an instructor to stripe you continuously.
But I see no BJJ BB tattoo in Jan 14 of 2022: https://www.instagram.com[...]tGBs7o3sC/ (or earlier)
So the tattoo seems to have been made in the second half of January 2022. He could have claimed a fourth degree BB through Beltchecker by then, but still tattooed a second degree BB.
Quite odd and not very anticipating, but isn't real evidence in any direction other than that BJJ at least was on his radar in 2022. Would be even more odd to get a BJJ BB tattooed all around your right forearm but not leaving a single trace online of your previous 16 years as a BJJ BB. Also, if your vain enough to get that enormous tattoo of your BJJ belt on your forearm, would you not had been the slightest interested to document your previous 20+ years in BJJ with at least a photo or two together with a promoting instructor? Still not evidence in any direction, but there are red flags here, to say the least.
MBrown beltVerified
7 month(s) ago
Non don't. The fraud in boxing is also in mma. We suspect that pics with bitteti are AI, as we found photo of the seminar where it appears to have been taken and this guy is not there. We are absolutely sure he is a fraud and never even trained as a white belt. I hoped that GB members /gym owners here will do something with the informations
He even posted a picture with Renzo Gracie, which really looks like done with „AI“…. The belt of „Renzo“ looks tied weird, the letters on the Gi Collars are kind of weird, especially on the Gi of that dude.
I mean, I suppose the Belgian BJJ community would easily know if there would be a fifth degree black belt around and there would be some proof to find online about lineage, competition record and a 5th degree black belt should have produced some black belts within 25-35 years studying the art….
I don’t have social media and can’t read what that guy posts on instagram or facebook…. it appears kind of fishy though
https://www.instagram.com[...]f3jPTDe4N/
I mean, I suppose the Belgian BJJ community would easily know if there would be a fifth degree black belt around and there would be some proof to find online about lineage, competition record and a 5th degree black belt should have produced some black belts within 25-35 years studying the art….
I don’t have social media and can’t read what that guy posts on instagram or facebook…. it appears kind of fishy though
https://www.instagram.com[...]f3jPTDe4N/
JGPurple beltVerified
7 month(s) ago
Good find, Mirco. I'm pretty sure every picture of Renzo in that post is AI-generated. I've uploaded the full size version of it, in case you want to zoom in on all the wonky details (horrifying fingers, ears that change shape, etc)
DUBlack beltVerified
7 month(s) ago
I can speak with Braulio or Victor Estima if you wish and ask if they can confirm / deny?
JBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
Who's this guy with the coral belt? Only one on a pic where Nicolas has no stripes on BB? (some AI indications on that pic too)
Don't know anything about these organizations, but found Nicolas listed on https://www.lutalivresubm[...]p?fx=preta and https://cbjjd.com.br/faix[...]dos-cbjjd/
Also noticed BJJ mentioned (not ever on the curriculum though?) as a specialty of his already in 2015 on http://web.archive.org/we[...]nghien.be/ . Zumba is also mentioned, without a black belt being implied.
Don't know anything about these organizations, but found Nicolas listed on https://www.lutalivresubm[...]p?fx=preta and https://cbjjd.com.br/faix[...]dos-cbjjd/
Also noticed BJJ mentioned (not ever on the curriculum though?) as a specialty of his already in 2015 on http://web.archive.org/we[...]nghien.be/ . Zumba is also mentioned, without a black belt being implied.
DUBlack beltVerified
7 month(s) ago
Who's this guy with the coral belt? Only one on a pic where Nicolas has no stripes on BB? (some AI indications on that pic too) Don't know anything about these organizations, but found Nicolas listed on https://www.lutalivresubm[...]p?fx=preta and https://cbjjd.com.br/faix[...]dos-cbjjd/ Also noticed BJJ mentioned (not ever on the curriculum though?) as a specialty of his already in 2015 on http://web.archive.org/we[...]nghien.be/ . Zumba is also mentioned, without a black belt being implied.
DUBlack beltVerified
7 month(s) ago
I can speak with Braulio or Victor Estima if you wish and ask if they can confirm / deny?
Ok spoke to Kev Ayre and Vanessa English neither of which have heard of him. Will update when I hear back from Braulio or Victor as well.
JBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
Maybe its this guy: https://www.instagram.com[...]celonigue/
Doesn't look at all like him and he's not 8:th degree coral belt (red and white).
Gi seems to say Azira or Azera. Is that or something similar a gi brand or a 8:th degree coral belt? Nicolas gi text is unreadable, weird shape on chest clothing underneath the gi and very black inside the sleeve, to the extent that I start to suspect AI (also look at e.g. his belt knot and the black mark under the belt, as well as how tight the other guys sleeve is).
Gi seems to say Azira or Azera. Is that or something similar a gi brand or a 8:th degree coral belt? Nicolas gi text is unreadable, weird shape on chest clothing underneath the gi and very black inside the sleeve, to the extent that I start to suspect AI (also look at e.g. his belt knot and the black mark under the belt, as well as how tight the other guys sleeve is).
JBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
7 month(s) ago
Here are the inconsistencies the software pointed our. Background appears to be removed. Grain seems to be added. Backgeound Coloring between people inconsistent in Background.
Marcelo Nigue has commented on the post. Middle guy is Amaury Bitetti (who was tagged by Marcelo Nigue and is talking about Nicolas in Belgium here https://www.instagram.com[...]I3eBiCBZ1/). So likely a real picture.
https://www.instagram.com[...]q5SlBiPnb/
(I found some info that Marcelo Nigue promoted Gene Simco to a controversial BB a lot of years ago, if someone wants to dig or remembers)
https://www.instagram.com[...]q5SlBiPnb/
(I found some info that Marcelo Nigue promoted Gene Simco to a controversial BB a lot of years ago, if someone wants to dig or remembers)
DUBlack beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
Ok spoke to Kev Ayre and Vanessa English neither of which have heard of him. Will update when I hear back from Braulio or Victor as well.
Braulio has no knowledge of him, he would like it to be noted that he is not the arbiter of GB memebers. (He is head of GB UK 5 deg Black belt.)
ADPurple beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
Marcelo Nigue has commented on the post. Middle guy is Amaury Bitetti (who was tagged by Marcelo Nigue and is talking about Nicolas in Belgium here https://www.instagram.com[...]I3eBiCBZ1/). So likely a real picture. https://www.instagram.com[...]q5SlBiPnb/ (I found some info that Marcelo Nigue promoted Gene Simco to a controversial BB a lot of years ago, if someone wants to dig or remembers)
Bittety is tagged in many of his posts https://www.instagram.com[...]ti/tagged/
DUBlack beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
Bittety is tagged in many of his posts https://www.instagram.com[...]ti/tagged/
Perhaps Renzo knows him, any one have contact?
DUBlack beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
Link to the post just fyi, but yes thats clearly AI. https://www.instagram.com[...]nzjDaiAI4/
MBrown beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
this guy (nicolas vinet) pretend to be a 5th degree black belt NOBODY in belgium ever saw him train
It looks like everyone is minding their own business in the Belgian BJJ community and not very interested in if that guy is legit or not and who promoted him to black and up to 5th degree….
5 th degree BJJ black belts are a very rare breed in Europe and most of them are well known in the BJJ community and are transparent about lineage.
Did no one of the Belgian scene ever made the effort to ask him personally or send him a message?
These AI generated pics he posted on social media create the impression of him not being legit…. Why would you rather upload AI pictures instead of real pictures…. Very suspicious
5 th degree BJJ black belts are a very rare breed in Europe and most of them are well known in the BJJ community and are transparent about lineage.
Did no one of the Belgian scene ever made the effort to ask him personally or send him a message?
These AI generated pics he posted on social media create the impression of him not being legit…. Why would you rather upload AI pictures instead of real pictures…. Very suspicious
DUBlack beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
It looks like everyone is minding their own business in the Belgian BJJ community and not very interested in if that guy is legit or not and who promoted him to black and up to 5th degree…. 5 th degree BJJ black belts are a very rare breed in Europe and most of them are well known in the BJJ community and are transparent about lineage. Did no one of the Belgian scene ever made the effort to ask him personally or send him a message? These AI generated pics he posted on social media create the impression of him not being legit…. Why would you rather upload AI pictures instead of real pictures…. Very suspicious
I have now contacted GB Europe asking for info, using this email.
BZBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
6 month(s) ago
Marcelo Nigue has commented on the post. Middle guy is Amaury Bitetti (who was tagged by Marcelo Nigue and is talking about Nicolas in Belgium here https://www.instagram.com[...]I3eBiCBZ1/). So likely a real picture. https://www.instagram.com[...]q5SlBiPnb/ (I found some info that Marcelo Nigue promoted Gene Simco to a controversial BB a lot of years ago, if someone wants to dig or remembers)
It seems weird,all the IA pictures and the fact that i never eard about him, but Bitteti says he's a fifth degree Black belt in the video from Johan link.... so i don't know what to think about it, maybe did he train for decades out of Belgium and just came bake now.
JBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
6 month(s) ago
It seems weird,all the IA pictures and the fact that i never eard about him, but Bitteti says he's a fifth degree Black belt in the video from Johan link.... so i don't know what to think about it, maybe did he train for decades out of Belgium and just came bake now.
On the other hand, there has been instances before where senior BB:s have been duped by non legit BB to award time served stripes.
So we would need to know what due diligence the senior BB (in this case Bitteti) has done, with previous formal promotion merits as well as skills.
If they have thoroughly done the latter but not the former, what would that say about BB belt levels? I could see a top level wrestler or judoka putting in time equalling an average white to purple or even blue belt span and feeling like a black belt. But emulating a fifth degree BB? So 19+ years in BJJ after a legit BB, would (should) a senior BB not feel the difference?
Do some senior BB:s knowingly award formally non legit BB degrees in a rogue effort where they silently object to the widely accepted community criteria?
So we would need to know what due diligence the senior BB (in this case Bitteti) has done, with previous formal promotion merits as well as skills.
If they have thoroughly done the latter but not the former, what would that say about BB belt levels? I could see a top level wrestler or judoka putting in time equalling an average white to purple or even blue belt span and feeling like a black belt. But emulating a fifth degree BB? So 19+ years in BJJ after a legit BB, would (should) a senior BB not feel the difference?
Do some senior BB:s knowingly award formally non legit BB degrees in a rogue effort where they silently object to the widely accepted community criteria?
MBrown beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
It seems weird,all the IA pictures and the fact that i never eard about him, but Bitteti says he's a fifth degree Black belt in the video from Johan link.... so i don't know what to think about it, maybe did he train for decades out of Belgium and just came bake now.
It's all a little weird....
the guy is also listed on the Luta Livre page as a 3rd degree Luta Livre Blackbelt under Luiz Barbosa Durinho (https://www.instagram.com[...]boza_team/):
https://www.lutalivresubm[...]p?fx=preta Blackbelt nr. 825
Wearing Gracie Barra Gis, AI pics, but Posting pics with the affiliation Logos in the background of Team Bitetti, Team Marcelo Nigue, Renzo Gracie....
Maybe he lived in Brasil?
But normaly you find more pics then on the internet in relation to rank, affiliation, etc.... I suppose a 5th degree BJJ blackbelt would have promoted other people to blackbelt (or Luta Livre as a 3rd degree), but there is nothing to find.
the guy is also listed on the Luta Livre page as a 3rd degree Luta Livre Blackbelt under Luiz Barbosa Durinho (https://www.instagram.com[...]boza_team/):
https://www.lutalivresubm[...]p?fx=preta Blackbelt nr. 825
Wearing Gracie Barra Gis, AI pics, but Posting pics with the affiliation Logos in the background of Team Bitetti, Team Marcelo Nigue, Renzo Gracie....
Maybe he lived in Brasil?
But normaly you find more pics then on the internet in relation to rank, affiliation, etc.... I suppose a 5th degree BJJ blackbelt would have promoted other people to blackbelt (or Luta Livre as a 3rd degree), but there is nothing to find.
BZBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
6 month(s) ago
It's all a little weird.... the guy is also listed on the Luta Livre page as a 3rd degree Luta Livre Blackbelt under Luiz Barbosa Durinho (https://www.instagram.com[...]boza_team/): https://www.lutalivresubm[...]p?fx=preta Blackbelt nr. 825 Wearing Gracie Barra Gis, AI pics, but Posting pics with the affiliation Logos in the background of Team Bitetti, Team Marcelo Nigue, Renzo Gracie.... Maybe he lived in Brasil? But normaly you find more pics then on the internet in relation to rank, affiliation, etc.... I suppose a 5th degree BJJ blackbelt would have promoted other people to blackbelt (or Luta Livre as a 3rd degree), but there is nothing to find.
Even in luta livre i didn't ear about, and for what i know, my brother and me, are the most graduated in Belgium by far as 3th degree Black belt and pionners in the country.
So definitly the guy need to show some evidences
So definitly the guy need to show some evidences
MBrown beltVerified
6 month(s) ago
Even in luta livre i didn't ear about, and for what i know, my brother and me, are the most graduated in Belgium by far as 3th degree Black belt and pionners in the country. So definitly the guy need to show some evidences
Yep, everything sounds fishy….
OHBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
5 month(s) ago
And now...
the guy pretend to be coral belt (the fist european) ..... and act as bitteti representative
this is the local news
trad : A man from Enghien enters the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu | Nicolas Vinet, first European coral belt: 'I am even a little embarrassed to have received this distinction' (PHOTOS)
🔥📰 At 49, Nicolas Vinet has just inscribed his name in the history of a sport still largely unknown to the general public. The man from Enghien has become the first European, and therefore the first Belgian, to receive the coral belt (7th dan) in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a very rare distinction in this martial art originating from Brazil.
the guy pretend to be coral belt (the fist european) ..... and act as bitteti representative
this is the local news
trad : A man from Enghien enters the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu | Nicolas Vinet, first European coral belt: 'I am even a little embarrassed to have received this distinction' (PHOTOS)
🔥📰 At 49, Nicolas Vinet has just inscribed his name in the history of a sport still largely unknown to the general public. The man from Enghien has become the first European, and therefore the first Belgian, to receive the coral belt (7th dan) in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a very rare distinction in this martial art originating from Brazil.
MBrown beltVerified
5 month(s) ago
And now... the guy pretend to be coral belt (the fist european) ..... and act as bitteti representative this is the local news trad : A man from Enghien enters the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu | Nicolas Vinet, first European coral belt: 'I am even a little embarrassed to have received this distinction' (PHOTOS) 🔥📰 At 49, Nicolas Vinet has just inscribed his name in the history of a sport still largely unknown to the general public. The man from Enghien has become the first European, and therefore the first Belgian, to receive the coral belt (7th dan) in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a very rare distinction in this martial art originating from Brazil.
Wow, coral belt at age 49....Must have been a sixth degree then since 41. Who promoted him to coral belt?? Man, as far as i know to be eligible for a 7th-degree black belt, a practitioner must generally hold the 6th-degree black belt for at least seven years.....
-Nobody knows him in Belgium or Europe
-he produced not a single black belt student anyone has heard of
-no affiliates in Belgium or elsewhere
-wears Gracie Barra Gis, but pretends to be affiliated with Amaury Bitetti and/ or Marcelo Nigue
-lots of AI generated pics on his Social Media
Something feels off in my humble opinion
-Nobody knows him in Belgium or Europe
-he produced not a single black belt student anyone has heard of
-no affiliates in Belgium or elsewhere
-wears Gracie Barra Gis, but pretends to be affiliated with Amaury Bitetti and/ or Marcelo Nigue
-lots of AI generated pics on his Social Media
Something feels off in my humble opinion
MBrown beltVerified
5 month(s) ago
Here are the inconsistencies the software pointed our. Background appears to be removed. Grain seems to be added. Backgeound Coloring between people inconsistent in Background.
The picture that Dude postet looks 100% like that one, but instead of him with a different person....so maybe it could really be AI?? There group pictures, too, but the person of interest isn't there......
https://ricardocriativo.c[...]r-honorio/
https://ricardocriativo.c[...]r-honorio/
