Hello Jack!
I’m new to the community but have been quite active since I got here. I’ve read multiple posts in the forums on the matter.

I’ve checked your profile before writing this post and feel you could support it a notch more.

From what I’ve seen and what has worked for me during my verification period:

- ask for votes in the right forum. Not the main one but the one designed do that and with a new post

- A picture getting promoted helped and got the votes coming ( one with the promoting coach with your previous belt hanging from the neck and/or the actual moment of promotion )

- Nothing beats your coach verification on Beltcheckers.com and a picture of your actual belt certificate. For me as soon as I uploaded the latter, the votes flooded in.

You lineage is quite important too. Have it written down.

And last but not least, support like for the black belt but for the other 3 is quite relevant.

Sorry if I’m stating the obvious, but for me it was quite fast as soon and my profile was completed as explained above.

Hope this helps

Here's what I wrote in another thread on what I personally look for:

Identifiable promoting instructor (with the right degree, not least two or more stripes, besides professor stripes, if promoting someone to BB) tying on the belt, holding it while you're wearing it, standing next to you and pointing your new belt it or posing next to you while you have the previous belt around your neck (lying on the ground next to you could also be ok, if nothing else is suspicious). I think instructors not issuing diplomas should even encourage their students to have that kind of picture taken with them, for future reference, if needed. They can also like or comment a social media post where you've written about them promoting you to the new belt (if they haven't made the post themselves).

Also, I think instructors with integrity should really look out not to be in the kind of photos mentioned above unless they themselves are the promoting instructor. Plus really shouldn't "sign off" for someone for IBJJF, pretending to be the promoting instructor if you weren't.

Promoting instructor's lineage should be easily verifiable through reliable sources (not just their own words).

Plus points for instructors who keep records online of all BB:s they've promoted.

E.g. Royce Gracie https://www.roycegraciejj[...]elt-list-1
Relson Gracie https://www.relsongracie.[...]lack-belts
Carlson Gracie https://www.bjjheroes.com[...]ie-profile
Matt Thornton https://www.straightblast[...]sociation/
SBG UK (with given names from promoting instructors) https://straightblastgymu[...]ack-belts/
Chris Haueter https://www.combatbase.co[...]ack-belts/
Ricardo Liborio https://ricardoliborio.com/lineage/
Rigan Machado http://www.riganbjj.com/r[...]belts.html and https://blackbeltlegacy.com/
Fabio Gurgel https://fabiogurgel.com.b[...]io-gurgel/

Registration at Gracie Barra, IBJJF, SJJIF (including podium pics) etc. are really not good and complete evidence, as they are not transparent of who was actually the promoting instructor. Both IBJJF and SJJIF are also shady by in some cases having made major exceptions to criteria which they keep on claiming they never make exceptions to. They've also been duped by certificate applicants and then refuse to answer any questions about those persons. E.g. SJJIF with a on Beltchecker well known fake Carlson Gracie BB.

Diplomas or signed IBJJF application forms are not strong evidence by themselves (there has been instances on Beltchecker with falsified certificates as well as details on purpose being made unreadable to hide the actual dates, names of instructors etc), although stronger in combination with several photos showing an ongoing relation with the claimed promoting instructor.

An invite to check the promotion through a verifiable public social media account or e-mail adress of your instructor is also good (they should of course then be ready to and gladly respond, if someone asks for a verification).

A confirmation of the promotion on Beltchecker, if your promoting instructor is also a member here, is actually very strong evidence (as long as they have good evidence and lineage of their own). I see far to many who don't tag their promoting instructor in the promotion history even though their instructor is also on Beltchecker. I also see a lot of instructors never actually confirming their students degrees on here and haven't helped produce any other piece of evidence. Common! If someone has put in the work and dedication to broaden the base of the next generation in a lineage bearing your name, I think it's negligent, not to say disrespectful, not to take the minutes necessary to help them get their degree confirmed! It's 2024 - we're all very busy, no matter how many degrees you have on your BB. Respect your students back!

If you just don't give a f*** about getting good evidence and lineage together but really don't want to take being down voted by anyone, just remove e.g. your blue belt (or make sure never to get your identity verified) and it will render your profile unvoteable while you can still use forums and other benefits of Beltchecker.

Some other forum links:

Post on my take on if BJJ needs lineage to be BJJ: https://www.beltchecker.c[...]ge=3#69586

Two of my fresh BROWNBELT students tried to register for IBJJF and in one screen it showed that a brownbelt needs to be signed off by a TWO STRIPE black belt and a black belt by a THREE STRIPE black belt. Have things changed recently in IBJJF?!

In hindsight wrong thread but whatever 😆

If they have no prior IBJJF membership, then they are provisional brown belts. Per the IBJJF's graduation manual, which is easy to find and free 😀:

1) "The membership request of a provisional Brown Belt must be signed/approved by a Black Belt Professor
with a minimum graduation of 2 (two) degrees."

2) "The membership request of a provisional Black Belt athlete must be signed/approved by a Black Belt
Professor with a minimum graduation of 3 (three) degrees."

But has it always been this way or recent introduction?

At least for a long time.