Were these guidelines invented by you alone, or did they come from some kind of committee or something?

What kind of feedback have you received on this idea? Are people comfortable with it?

I mean, it seems that you’ve created a lane for time-based promotions that doesn’t follow the IBJJF regs. Your beltchecker requirements seem to permit black belts to grant themselves degree promotions that they might not otherwise be eligible to receive from the IBJJF or an affiliation. Is that accurate?

Don’t forget the criminal background check to weed out convicted rapists, pedophiles, etc. from being IBJJF certified coaches.

What I’m saying is that you’re essentially allowing black belts to promote themselves additional degrees provided that they get community votes. I’m not necessarily criticizing that approach, but it’s a radical departure from the current conventions for certification and promotion. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, but I do wonder what people think of it.

Not to be impolite, but are you basing your own posted rank on this protocol? If so, I think stating as much adds great value to this conversation as you would serve as an example of an extremely gifted and trusted black belt who has divorced himself from the monopoly that is the IBJJF promotion guidelines.

What I’m saying is that you’re essentially allowing black belts to promote themselves additional degrees

you would serve as an example of an extremely gifted and trusted black belt who has divorced himself from the monopoly that is the IBJJF promotion guidelines

But see, you did something very few people actually do—you alone decided that you were entitled to the promotion. Obviously, as one of the seeded members on the site you didn’t go through the same verification process that everyone else does on here, but had you done so, would the community have needed to specifically approve your second degree? Would they realize that they were responsible for acknowledging your self appointed rank? Does the verification system alert the community to new degree promotions for black belts, so that voters can decide to support or condemn the circumstances surrounding the proclaimed change in rank? I think you’re such a known and trusted commodity that people don’t give your legitimacy a second thought, but shouldn’t the system alert users that a new degree has been self appointed and requires community approval?

Also, I imagine that you may have granted yourself second degree status retroactively. You know, once you decided that this project was going to have black belt certification guidelines.

Should a black belt who is now five years removed from his initial black belt promotion have the freedom to look at beltchecker’s guidelines and say to himself “I met my time served requirements two years ago. I’m going to retroactively credit myself a degree for that, and I’m only one year away from another degree”?

Also, I imagine that you may have granted yourself second degree status retroactively. You know, once you decided that this project was going to have black belt certification guidelines.

I’m pretty sure that the IBJJF doesn’t credit you time in rank or degrees for years you haven’t been in good standing with them.

You credited yourself a degree based on guidelines that you created, which are identical to the IBJJF guidelines in terms of the time in rank requirements.

I want "I support Christian's rank" patches or something.

I’m just trying to understand where the community stands on this idea before I consider bringing it to his attention.

Yes, it will be exciting to see how it reacts. I think this is a healthy debate and I agree and acknowledge that this somewhat controversial. But really, is it more controversial than a for-profit company from California at some point suddenly popping up in the sport and proclaiming that they hold the right to certify black belts and degrees? (+profit from it)