Manny, there's a video link on your profile to your match at Spokane Pit Fighting Championship Open. However, the link is broken so we can't see you compete. FYI.

Hello all, Please take a look at my profile and feel free to ask me whatever questions you have to assist in me the verification process. Thank you all for your time and assistance. OSS! Respectfully, Coach Manny

Am I missing something or are you wearing a black belt in that photo?

Am I missing something or are you wearing a black belt in that photo?

Am I missing something or are you wearing a black belt in that photo?

No it's purple although I do agree it looks black, unless you are referring to the red intersect? That is authorized for where on colored belts when teaching if you are a certified instructor.

Not talking about the red bar. So it just looks black on the photo.

I reacted too, but I think it's a dark purple but with the red bar, which some academies use for instructors even on colored belts. Manny, here is the direct link to where your match starts: https://www.youtube.com/l[...]mp;t=14886 Also the match against Jonathan: https://www.youtube.com/l[...]mp;t=15870 and Craig: https://www.youtube.com/l[...]mp;t=16297

Am I missing something or are you wearing a black belt in that photo?

That’s what I thought, too. But Manny clarified it’s a purple with red bar (which I rarely see, but I know it exists for non black belt instructors in some organizations)…..

Awesome, thank you Johan. Do you have any more questions or concerns regarding my background?

Honestly it's totally absurd to see the name Carlos Gracie Jr on two certificates that are promoting a man from blue to purple in 5 months. Carlos Jr is also the head of the IBJJF, and the IBJJF has strict rules establishing a minimum of two years between blue and purple belt promotions. These IBJJF promotion rules have been followed to a pedantic degree in the case of some high profile grapplers like Robert Diggle. So to see Carlos Jr.'s name on certificates which are breaking his own rules seems like an injustice. To be clear, this is not a reflection on Manny or his skills or experience. This seems like a problem with the people promoting him.

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It's not really absurd at all; this is just a business decision. As far as I know, every certificate issued by Gracie Barra has Carlos Gracie Jr.'s name stamped on it. You can see it here on the certificate: https://institute.gracieb[...]ertificate The beauty of Beltchecker is that we are all voting based on our personal promotion ideas as a community, not the IBJJF. On average, there are guidelines for minimum time at belts, but there are always exceptions. To be strict about this would deny exceptions like Travis Stevens, BJ Penn, Caio Terra, etc. If it's determined by a legitimate black belt in person that you have the mat time and skills to be a purple belt, then there is little to argue about in my opinion. In this case, Manny has evidence that a senior black belt gave him his blue belt, and a red/white belt gave him his purple. Obviously, many here have different standards, but he is a purple belt whether you vote for him or not.

I have been also teaching AFCP and the MACP along with SERE Combatives courses while still serving in the USAF as a SERE Specialist for 21 years.

Hot damn, what's up with all those acronyms?!? 😂 Can we please use SNAW (Standard Non Acronym Words) so EUWUTA (Everyone Understands What You're Talking About)?🙏🏻

I reacted too, but I think it's a dark purple but with the red bar, which some academies use for instructors even on colored belts. Manny, here is the direct link to where your match starts: https://www.youtube.com/l[...]mp;t=14886 Also the match against Jonathan: https://www.youtube.com/l[...]mp;t=15870 and Craig: https://www.youtube.com/l[...]mp;t=16297 Looks like a really friendly atmosphere and the referee really sets that tone too. Saw some nice leg trips from you and really like the big happy smile even after the one loss. That attitude will take you far! Always brave to step up there for competing and also to put the matches up here for scrutiny. There's also more that goes into belts that what is seen in a single competition and as long as it follows common standards in time, I accept very different standards. But as this was so far shorter time in belt than the standard, I go with the adage that extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence and skills. And I've seen nothing of that kind. Perhaps that would change seeing the prior evidence of BJJ practice you submitted before the blue belt? Personally, I'm not to fixated on the exact time in each belt is exactly according to IBJJF specifications and have no problem if it evens out in the long run (so a down vote now is not necessarily a down vote for e.g. brown belt, it it's far enough into the future).

I still feel I owe a little more background, as I stated I have been training BJJ since 2006, but I officially joined an academy in 2025. Before that I trained primarily at work and for work as I mentioned as a Combatives instructor for my job in the USAF as part of Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape training. The training I received wasn't 1 hour per session per day like most BJJ gyms, like most military training it's a shotgun blast of information in a specific duration of time. My first was 40 hours of BJJ for my modern army Combatives lvl 1, 80 hours for my lvl 2, 160 hours for my level 3, and 160 hours for my lvl 4, it wasn't all grappling and BJJ, it also involved stand up fighting, boxing, kick boxing, Pancrase, stick fighting, and fighting with weapons since it was also geared towards war and engagement with the enemy if your primary weapon system malfunctioned and you had to go hands on or if you decide to go non lethal. In between training certification events I was actively teaching these courses, over my years in the AF I have certified hundreds of SERE Specialists in lvl 1 and lvl 2, and one thing to be aware of is you had to fight at the end of the courses and take a technique test like a belt rank technique test in order to graduate, since you need to know them in order for you to be able to teach them to others. Here is a link to the lastest edition of the army Combatives manual so you can see for your self what I was taught and what I was expected to teach, you will see many familiar techniques just under different names. https://www.armywriter.co[...]atives.pdf Not counting the many courses I have taught my Combatives training equates to 440 hours with countless grappling/ sparring sessions, and fights in the ring, cage, and BJJ style tournaments with individuals of many skill levels since this is the military and there was a great mix of backgrounds from MMA fighters, wrestlers (like myself), BJJ, kickboxers and various other martial arts. Not just some random folks off the street. So OFFICIALLY yes I have been training for a little over a year as part of a BJJ academy/ gym but I have been teaching BJJ, Combatives and self defense since 2006 that's 20 years. But I am 41 years old now and I realized aside from my certificates, scars, injuries and awesome memories. I felt maybe finally joining an academy would be pretty cool and doing some tournaments would be a lot of fun (hence the smile). Please take a look at the link and let me know what you think. I don't expect to change your perspective or get your vote but I felt maybe I owed you guys a little more background. Cheers!

I still feel I owe a little more background, as I stated I have been training BJJ since 2006, but I officially joined an academy in 2025. Before that I trained primarily at work and for work as I mentioned as a Combatives instructor for my job in the USAF as part of Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape training. The training I received wasn't 1 hour per session per day like most BJJ gyms, like most military training it's a shotgun blast of information in a specific duration of time. My first was 40 hours of BJJ for my modern army Combatives lvl 1, 80 hours for my lvl 2, 160 hours for my level 3, and 160 hours for my lvl 4, it wasn't all grappling and BJJ, it also involved stand up fighting, boxing, kick boxing, Pancrase, stick fighting, and fighting with weapons since it was also geared towards war and engagement with the enemy if your primary weapon system malfunctioned and you had to go hands on or if you decide to go non lethal. In between training certification events I was actively teaching these courses, over my years in the AF I have certified hundreds of SERE Specialists in lvl 1 and lvl 2, and one thing to be aware of is you had to fight at the end of the courses and take a technique test like a belt rank technique test in order to graduate, since you need to know them in order for you to be able to teach them to others. Here is a link to the lastest edition of the army Combatives manual so you can see for your self what I was taught and what I was expected to teach, you will see many familiar techniques just under different names. https://www.armywriter.co[...]atives.pdf Not counting the many courses I have taught my Combatives training equates to 440 hours with countless grappling/ sparring sessions, and fights in the ring, cage, and BJJ style tournaments with individuals of many skill levels since this is the military and there was a great mix of backgrounds from MMA fighters, wrestlers (like myself), BJJ, kickboxers and various other martial arts. Not just some random folks off the street. So OFFICIALLY yes I have been training for a little over a year as part of a BJJ academy/ gym but I have been teaching BJJ, Combatives and self defense since 2006 that's 20 years. But I am 41 years old now and I realized aside from my certificates, scars, injuries and awesome memories. I felt maybe finally joining an academy would be pretty cool and doing some tournaments would be a lot of fun (hence the smile). Please take a look at the link and let me know what you think. I don't expect to change your perspective or get your vote but I felt maybe I owed you guys a little more background. Cheers!