16 year old Head Instructor

[Spodo Komodo]

Effective teaching in any subject requires a certain degree of emotional maturity, a balance of empathy and cynicism that only comes with taking life's knockbacks. The ability to see if someone is genuinely struggling or faking can mean the difference between being a bully, being an effective teacher or being a pushover. I have taught maths to teenagers for years and I don't believe that anyone at 16 is ready to be the chief instructor. They may be technically brilliant and have a clear descriptive style but that is only part of effective teaching. I would be concerned if I were training under a 16 year old CI without another adult instructor to air my grievances to but with a bit of luck the problem should go away in about 10 years. This rather smells of cynical controversy based marketing ploy to me, aimed at getting the school as much coverage as possible for free. I would bet there is someone in the background there with enough nous to see a marketing gift horse.

[Kanku65]

Bottom line, this would make me very uncomfortable.

I've never trained under anyone below the age of 30.

I think 20 is an adequate age for a MA instructor, but certainly under no circumstances a CI!

I feel that a CI should have that... "been around the block" edge to them. Something which can only be developed with age and ACTUAL experience.

I'd trust a 16 year old to babysit my kids, but to oversee mine and their abilities as a martial artist? It's almost a cruel thought.

I can in no way doubt this young gentleman's abilities as a martial artist, but in all ways I do doubt his abilities as a CI. Sadly.

[sensei8]

An instructor...yes, I suppose, but the CI, NO!! CI as Blue Belt...ONE rank above White Belt, 3 Belts below Black Belt...NO!!

How will testing cycles be decided? Who administers the testing cycle? Who authorizes ranks earned? How does a Blue Belt CI promote a student from White Belt to Blue Belt, providing that the CI was able to rank up to Purple Belt?? How often do the Gracies visit this school or are Instructor Representatives ranked BJJ Black Belts, or are they Blue Belts too??

I've seen an adult Ikkyu [brown Belt] become the CI of a karate school However, his Sensei was a Godan, and visited the dojo quite often. The Ikkyu sat on the testing panel because he was the CI, yet, the Godan administrated all testing cycles.

For this Blue Belt CI in Gracies BJJ, what type of message does this send to the laypersons as well as fellow BJJ students/instructors/CI's, and so on and so forth.

The age, for me, as the CI is enough, but to have a Blue Belt, the second rank in BJJ, as the CI...well...imho...that speaks poorly of the Gracie HQ.

Edited August 9, 2015 by sensei8

[Titanium]

I think experience is key - I also feel practitioners like to know that the instructors have experience and knowledge.

I have been training in two styles of karate for years (17 years plus) and I would not claim nor want to take the job as a senior/head instructor; I don't feel I have attached that rank yet.

[Titanium]

I can in no way doubt this young gentleman's abilities as a martial artist, but in all ways I do doubt his abilities as a CI. Sadly.

Very true my friend.

[JR 137]

An instructor...yes, I suppose, but the CI, NO!! CI as Blue Belt...on rank above White Belt, 3 Belts below Black Belt...NO!!

How will testing cycles be decided? Who administers the testing cycle? Who authorizes ranks earned? How does a Blue Belt CI promote a student from White Belt to Blue Belt, providing that the CI was able to rank up to Purple Belt?? How often do the Gracies visit this school or are Instructor Representatives ranked BJJ Black Belts, or are they Blue Belts too??

I've seen an adult Ikkyu [brown Belt] become the CI of a karate school However, his Sensei was a Godan, and visited the dojo quite often. The Ikkyu sat on the testing panel because he was the CI, yet, the Godan administrated all testing cycles.

For this Blue Belt CI in Gracies BJJ, what type of message does this send to the laypersons as well as fellow BJJ students/instructors/CI's, and so on and so forth.

The age, for me, as the CI is enough, but to have a Blue Belt, the second rank in BJJ, as the CI...well...imho...that speaks poorly of the Gracie HQ.

A former close co-worker and friend trained at one of the Gracies' schools. His CI was a purple belt. The CI was also in his mid/late 30s and held a dan rank in judo and karate. However, the policy was only a black belt could promote students; they had to wait for a designated person from their organization to come in and test everyone. I may be way off, but promotion seemed more competition based than anything else, and was quite informal. I think they watched them work out, compete against each other, and ranked them where they saw fit. That's how it seemed by his description without me asking a bunch of questions anyway. Not sure which Gracie's system it was, as there's several; I think they're all pretty close in policies though.

I have no problem with a competent assistant instructor of this age, because they're being overseen and aren't making administrative decisions. A CI of this age, regardless of rank, MA experience and resume is a whole other story. I wouldn't go to a 14 year old's school even if they were Oyama's, Funakoshi's, Miyagi's, et al's former uchideshi.

Everyone's entitled to spend their money and time as they wish, in opening a business, and being a customer. I genuinely wish him and his students all the best. Just because it's not for me doesn't mean it's not for anyone else. Seems like a publicity stunt and/or a way to open up a school in an untapped market (no pun intended) for the Gracies.

[DWx]

How many of you guys have either met or studied under this guy in person? Personally I think it is all too easy to pass judgement on someone from a short article.

For starters, from the article, this is not his first martial art nor his first time teaching a martial art. If he passed the Gracie Academy Instructor Certification Program he passed the program so he gets to call himself a Gracie certified instructor. I presume there was a test involved or some sort of criteria? Likewise he earned the blue belt from somewhere so he must have some level of skill.

I'd agree he probably has help from his parents or someone else for the business side of running a school but there are plenty of entrepreneurial kids who make their first million by the time they are 18 having set up businesses in their teens. How do you know he isn't of that mindset? His website certainly looks professional, and if this extends to the way he runs his academy, then good for him. For all we know he could be a great technician and an equally great teacher.

I've probably said similar on all the "teenage blackbelt" discussions but personally I think if you go through life dismissing people simply because of their age you're potentially missing out on a lot. Like the article says, Helio Gracie was teaching at 16.

Here's a question for some of the long time members of the forum: 8 years ago I was kindly invited to join the staff at KarateForums. I was 16. Patrick then invited me to become a KF sensei just after I turned 17. How many of you could honestly tell? Did it make a difference to my contributions?

[The Pred]

How many of you guys have either met or studied under this guy in person? Personally I think it is all too easy to pass judgement on someone from a short article.

For starters, from the article, this is not his first martial art nor his first time teaching a martial art. If he passed the Gracie Academy Instructor Certification Program he passed the program so he gets to call himself a Gracie certified instructor. I presume there was a test involved or some sort of criteria? Likewise he earned the blue belt from somewhere so he must have some level of skill.

I'd agree he probably has help from his parents or someone else for the business side of running a school but there are plenty of entrepreneurial kids who make their first million by the time they are 18 having set up businesses in their teens. How do you know he isn't of that mindset? His website certainly looks professional, and if this extends to the way he runs his academy, then good for him. For all we know he could be a great technician and an equally great teacher.

I've probably said similar on all the "teenage blackbelt" discussions but personally I think if you go through life dismissing people simply because of their age you're potentially missing out on a lot. Like the article says, Helio Gracie was teaching at 16.

Here's a question for some of the long time members of the forum: 8 years ago I was kindly invited to join the staff at KarateForums. I was 16. Patrick then invited me to become a KF sensei just after I turned 17. How many of you could honestly tell? Did it make a difference to my contributions?

Solid point plus Kanō Jigorō was 22 when he founded Judo.

[sensei8]

How many of you guys have either met or studied under this guy in person? Personally I think it is all too easy to pass judgement on someone from a short article.

I've never met or studied under or with this young man. I'm not passing judgment; I'm stating my opinion passed on my experiences.

For starters, from the article, this is not his first martial art nor his first time teaching a martial art. If he passed the Gracie Academy Instructor Certification Program he passed the program so he gets to call himself a Gracie certified instructor. I presume there was a test involved or some sort of criteria? Likewise he earned the blue belt from somewhere so he must have some level of skill.

While this young man has taught a MA before, imho, that means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things concerning ones ability to teach. NOT ALL BLACK BELTS CAN TEACH...certified or not. I've seen this much to often across the MA board.

I don't assume that because he passed the Cracie Academy Instructor Certification that he can adequately teach. All I know is that he can cross his T's and dot his I's in said Academy; that's, imho, done with a very broad brush. In that, what governing body certifies the second rank to be a Certified Instructor? To me, that's like certifying a Shindokan Yellow Belt to instruct; lacking of much too many attributes to become a CI...young or old!!

A Shindokan Yellow Belt, our second rank, is learnt from somewhere, and they'd have that drastically limited level of skill/knowledge. We wouldn't even have a Yellow Belt do anything but train; the inexperienced leading other inexperienced.

I'd agree he probably has help from his parents or someone else for the business side of running a school but there are plenty of entrepreneurial kids who make their first million by the time they are 18 having set up businesses in their teens. How do you know he isn't of that mindset? His website certainly looks professional, and if this extends to the way he runs his academy, then good for him. For all we know he could be a great technician and an equally great teacher.

Running a business ISN'T the same thing as BEING the CI of a MA school; two totally different entities, not on the same plane. A CI's first obligation is to the student body, and not to some P&L.

I can't judge his mindset because I've not shared the floor with him, nor have I shared the administrative floor with him; suppose this and suppose this, and I still don't know the person from afar. Yet, my background and experience and knowledge in both the teaching as well as the administrative areas speak for themselves, and I believe that I'm qualified to my opinions, and these are based on solid facts.

His website doesn't mean much on the floor; proof is on the floor, and not on the internet/website!!

For all we know, he could still lack the effectiveness across the board...for all we know!

To the bold type above...I agree, but not at the same level of a CI. Same level as Alex, who's a BJJ Black Belt, and is a CI of his Alpha school?!?!

I've probably said similar on all the "teenage blackbelt" discussions but personally I think if you go through life dismissing people simply because of their age you're potentially missing out on a lot. Like the article says, Helio Gracie was teaching at 16.

I'm dismissing this young man as a CI based NOT on age, but that his appointment to the CI post was done for a student who only possess the second rank, Blue Belt in CBJJ, and the lack of credible knowledge to assume the CI post...kind of a slap to the face of CI's in general. Helio Gracie was teaching at 16, but I doubt that he was a CI, and if he was, I'm sure he'd admit that he should only be a teacher, at the best, but not the CI.

Danielle, should a student in TKD be the CI when they're promoted to the second rank of Yellow or Orange? A Black Belt in another MA isn't the same as a Black Belt in TKD. Besides, one would start at White Belt in TKD because they've not the knowledge required about TKD. I've over 50 years in Shindokan, and if I was to learn TKD, for my first time, I'd start as a White Belt, deservingly so, and when I passed the Yellow or Orange Belt testing cycle, I'd not have the knowledge to be a CI of a TKD based school, even though I'm a CI within the Shindokan circle.

Here's a question for some of the long time members of the forum: 8 years ago I was kindly invited to join the staff at KarateForums. I was 16. Patrick then invited me to become a KF sensei just after I turned 17. How many of you could honestly tell? Did it make a difference to my contributions?

Well...in that context...No, it made no difference to your contributions! But, your example here, just isn't the same thing; opposites, for sure!! The context of this example isn't the same context of a CI, and in the content of being a CI as a Blue Belt, no matter what the styles is.

Imho!!

[Judodad_karateson]

sensei8 nailed it, but I want to add my 2 cents.

How many of you guys have either met or studied under this guy in person? Personally I think it is all too easy to pass judgement on someone from a short article.

We aren't judging, we are questioning the wisdom of giving a low ranking teenager his own school. Kids can teach, low ranks can teach, but can they own and operate their own school?

For starters, from the article, this is not his first martial art nor his first time teaching a martial art.

Not his first MA, no. But there can't be 2 martial arts more different than Kempo and BJJ. Kempo is striking focused, preferring to remain standing. BJJ emphasizes ground work so much, there have been many SUCCESSFUL BJJ practitioners who compete in mixed grappling tournaments by sitting down and butt scooting to their opponent! It'd be like given a Chemistry instructor a Physics class because "He has science and teaching experience." Its not the same.

I'd agree he probably has help from his parents or someone else for the business side of running a school but there are plenty of entrepreneurial kids who make their first million by the time they are 18 having set up businesses in their teens. How do you know he isn't of that mindset? His website certainly looks professional, and if this extends to the way he runs his academy, then good for him. For all we know he could be a great technician and an equally great teacher.

Yes, and these rare kids generally aren't doing something like teaching an extremely technical style of Martial Arts. BJJ took one waza set from Judo, and expanded it to a level of specificity never before seen in MA. BJJ is not creating an App for social media or thinking up a new way to sell a product.

Like the article says, Helio Gracie was teaching at 16.

Helio had years more experience in BBJ than this kid, and he always had his older brother to fall back on if he ran into something he couldn't handle as a 16yo. He wasn't given his own school at 16.