Zaxer, here is a more official answer according to IBJJF. Under official IBJJF rules, a black belt with no stripes (0-degree) cannot formally promote another student to black belt. According to IBJJF guidelines, a, instructor must have at least a 2nd-degree black belt to promote someone to black belt. Here is the breakdown of the situation: IBJJF Requirements: To register a new black belt, the IBJJF requires the certifying instructor to hold at least a 2nd or 3rd-degree black belt, depending on specific interpretations of their current graduation system. "Permission" Exception: While a 0-stripe black belt cannot personally register a new black belt with the IBJJF, they can facilitate a promotion with the permission of a senior black belt (2nd degree or higher). In this scenario, the senior belt is technically the one sponsoring or approving the promotion, and the 0-stripe belt acts as a representative or proxy, often using the senior belt's name for documentation. Without Senior Approval: A 0-stripe black belt promoting another student to black belt without higher-level authorization will likely lead to the new black belt being rejected for IBJJF registration. Alternative Certifications: If the promotion does not need to be recognized by the IBJJF (e.g., in an independent school), the rules are decided solely by the school's affiliation or owner. Summary: The 0-stripe black belt cannot do it alone under IBJJF rules, but with the senior belt's active, documented permission (serving as the official promoter), the student can receive their black belt.

I think for the community standards to be accepted and recognized by the greater BJJ community, we have to have some sort of system of "amnesty"

I actually think there's been several cases where I've "granted amnesty" to students promoted by members who I've disputed for getting their BB from a non senior BB. Where I've simply adjusted timelines based on the asumption that the promoting instructor would still stand behind the BB promotion at the date when they themself were promoted to 2:nd degree. So a legit BB promotes someone else to BB 3 years before reaching 2:nd degree? And the promoted student waits 9 years (and getting 2:nd degree) until promoting his first own BB? I could no problem accept that last promotion and promotion date as legit as well as future generations who keeps in line with the standards. But if generation after generation in the lineage promotes new BB:s after just a year or three as a BB? That really isn't looking good.

It’s just jiu jitsu man. Don’t lose sleep over it. Your single downvote because someone ties their belt incorrectly 8 years ago as a blue belt in their picture isn’t going to be a deal breaker for anyone.

It’s an interesting debate. I think we’ll see degrees fall to the wayside with no-gi practitioners & black belts issued based on skill and competitive accolades (regardless of their coach’s degrees or lack thereof).

It’s just jiu jitsu man. Don’t lose sleep over it. Your single downvote because someone ties their belt incorrectly 8 years ago as a blue belt in their picture isn’t going to be a deal breaker for anyone.

It's far worse than that. If the picture in question was a promotion picture the belt was tied by the promoting instructor. If they don't know how to tie the belt, are they really worthy of promoting anyone regardless of the degree on their BB?

There's even examples of old renaissance master artists whose apprentices actually painted large parts of famous fescues and other works of art, with the master's signature being more of a seal of quality than an assurance who held the paint brush every step of the way. Surely, there are even earlier examples where e.g. a blacksmith put his initials (or someone did) on every tool that was made at his workshop, even if he never laid his hands on that particular tool. And if you buy a garment with Tommy Hilfigers signature on it, it's probably not he who has tailored that exact piece of clothing. But if any if them signed off on anything, regardless of quality, there would be a cost do doing so. Even more clear with e.g. a CFO or CEO signing reports or statements, which they didn't actually write themselves. Or a primary care physician, a licensed electrician and so on. But they assume full responsibility with their signature, with similar effect as what IBJJF writes, that " the senior belt is technically the one sponsoring or approving the promotion, and the 0-stripe belt acts as a representative or proxy, often using the senior belt's name for documentation". The problem with "with the blessing of" is that there is no such accountability and I've even seen well known black belts having "signed off" for BB registrations with IBJJF and later more or less saying "I know nothing about the guy or his background, I just trusted him and wanted to help him out". Here I mention IBJJF, but this isn't just bound to IBJJF. The accountability and meaning of just "ok:ing" a promotion from a <2:nd degree BB can be totally nothing and there would be no way to know from case to case. In most cases on Beltchecker, there's not even any evidence provided that someone "ok:d", just a "trust me bro!". And looking outside of and not least before IBJJF, I've challenged other Beltchecker members a million times to try to track back a lineage on Beltchecker which leads back to someone who pre UFC was promoted to BB by someone <2:nd degree BB or similar (not counting Carlos or Helio of course :- ). If a senior BB made it known that "Persons promoted to BB by my student Mr X (<2:nd degree) are to be recognized as black belts co-promoted by me, even if I wasn't physically present", that would show a degree of commitment and responsibility for the promotions far higher than just "approving them to promote others to BB before they are 2:nd degree BB:s". Although, If I met the senior BB at a seminar and mentioned "I heard you co-promoted Mr Y to BB" and they would clearly not even know who that is, that would be a bit more problematic and wouldn't really qualify as a co-promotion in my book. And would also put all other co-promotions by that instructor into question. In short, there's not a standard to what it means to "ok" a promotion while it should be obvious what it means to actually (co)promote someone. (btw, most brown belts would also be able to tell when someone deserves a black belt, as would many purple belts, so there's no magic with the two stripes on black but once again, the line has to be drawn somewhere and pre 2:nd degree de facto standard, it was rather just the big team patriarchs and further back the wider BJJ organization (of Guanabara) who promoted BB:s, so the 2:nd degree is if anything more lax compared to what was before and even if time is not a perfect proxy for seniority, it's an objective quantifiable criteria)

I guess I'm not following your logic. How do you think nogi will have an impact on the obsolescence of degrees, and why do you think future black belts will be awarded based more on skill and competitive accolades than they already are?

I don’t foresee no-gi influencing gi adherents much. But, where no-gi is very sportive and essentially submission wrestling, what is the point of degrees. You’re a high level wrestler/a black belt according to your coach and peers, so what is the point of stripes on a non existent belt? I think gi will keep on keeping on….I could do without that black and red 7th degree abomination though!

I also don't really understand the point of degrees anyway, other than the autonomy that comes with the 6yr-a-BB anniversary that doesn't honestly really need to be commemorated with a stripe, per se, but that's just how we do it. From my experience with the nogi-only community is that most of them also want a belt in bjj for whatever reason. In that case, I suppose they'd "have to" follow the same traditions as those of us who train in a gi would follow. I don't know much about the 10th Planet or luta livre systems, but I'd guess there may be similar systems in place. From my perspective and experience, the belt is part of the gi, so I don't award belts for nogi grappling. If one of my students wants rank from me, they have to suck it up and wear a gi every now and again. Some of my students don't care about rank and don't compete so they're fine not getting ranked, but most do, and if they really want a belt but don't want to wear a gi, I'll just refer them to another gym in town that awards nogi belts. Anyway, all this to say that from my perspective, I think the situation will probably continue to be just what it is for a while, whether or not you're wearing combat pajamas.

I think asking a senior BB at a large affiliation to remember every BB they've ever cosigned on is a bit much. Some of these guys have likely promoted hundreds of black belts. It isn't reasonable to believe they would remember them all especially if it's been a few years and it's not someone they train with on a regular basis.

Co-signed or co-promoted? In any case, what value would it hold if the senior BB involved has no recollection of it ever happening and no evidence what so ever is in existence that it ever happened? Even if it has happened and the senior BB is very legit, how much are his promotions really worth if he doesn't even know his own BB:s and doesn't care about those promoted enough to help produce any kind of evidence? Or keeping a list, publicly available or not?

When a senior black belt co-signs a promotion together with one of his black belts, it is not about formality or decoration. It is about reinforcing legitimacy and demonstrating trust in the person he developed. A black belt is not just a technical certification. It reflects lineage, character, and the values carried through that lineage. When you receive a black belt from someone, you are not only being recognized for your skills, but also for how you represent that instructor as a person. Many people think that once they receive a black belt, they are independent and free to build their own team without accountability. In reality, a black belt carries responsibility. You represent the philosophy, standards, and structure of the person who promoted you. That is why co-signing exists. When a senior black belt supports a promotion made by his student, he is essentially saying, “I trust this black belt I formed, and I stand behind his judgment.” Even if he has never met the person being promoted, he believes that his values and teaching philosophy were properly transmitted. In that sense, the responsibility is shared. The instructor who promotes is directly responsible, and the senior who co-signs becomes indirectly responsible for that individual’s development, both technically and as a human being. This is also why people are sometimes removed from teams. Being a black belt is not just about performance on the mat. It is about conduct, integrity, and alignment with the values of the lineage. So co-signing is not about inflating legitimacy artificially. It is about accountability, continuity, and trust within a structured lineage.