Anyone who has paid attention to the BJJ media this week is familiar with Joe McCaffery, the coach at One World Jiu-Jitsu who shocked the BJJ world when he promoted himself from purple belt to brown belt.
If you are not, you can read about it here.
The Jiu-Jitsu Times caught up with Coach Joe McCaffery earlier this week.
This is what he had to say about his philosophy and self-promotion.
The Jiu-Jitsu Times: Your self-promotion has caused a lot of outrage in the BJJ community. Have you read any of the criticisms others have written about you? If so, how would you respond to those critics?
Coach Joe McCaffery: I have read most of the comments. Respectfully, you call it outrage. I call it blind Rage. I did not cause this. The rage already existed and this is evident in a majority of the comments. These are not critics. This is an angry mob hell bent on mob violence, intimidation, and outright thuggery. There were many very insightful and wise comments and those people were more eloquent than I can do justice. One gentleman summed it up best by saying, “I was the Ying to their Yang.”
How do you respond to an angry mob in blind rage? You don’t’. I would suggest they go back and read what I wrote and what I said. I am not training or teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Gracie Jiu jitsu. I am teaching Jiu Jitsu. Most of the comments contained profanity and threats of violence were mostly inarticulate and deserve no response at all. They do deserve rebuke and clearly show that the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community has lost its way and this may include some of its founders. The community presents itself as a culture of violence and mayhem. Many comments were simply misinformed or ignorant of the qualifications that I do hold and those people wrongly assumed that I just put the belt on and do not know anything about the art. In the end, what I saw mostly was nothing more than a bunch of angry bullies and thugs.
The main prerequisite for creating One World Jiu-Jitsu – a school of martial arts and, more specifically, jiu-jitsu – is to promote health and development of children, spiritual education of youth, and the involvement of and introduction of martial arts and Jiu-Jitsu to people of all ages. Because only the martial arts and, in our case, jiu-jitsu, harmoniously combines spiritual and physical development of a person. Here, children learn to interact with their partner and with the team and with themselves. Jiu-jitsu is NOT training for brutal fighters. Jiu-jitsu teaches people self- defense. It is the gentle art.
A famous Russian educator Makarenko formulated the basic principle of the education of man: based on the principle of the unity of the three social units: the human society – team – person. The individual is not so much the object of education, as full-fledged participants in the educational process, the Creator, and companion adult.
The anger I saw was also based on a simple misperception. It was that first I was advancing myself in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I was not. This was clearly stated. I am not interested in that culture or its hierarchy or belief system. It is bankrupt and dead as I stated. Secondly, people were obsessed about the belt itself. That somehow I had misappropriated something that belonged to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. They need to study what the belt history of all martial arts was and is. Some arts had no belt at all. Some return right back to where they started. Once there was just white and black. The colors of most martial arts belts, Judo, Jiu-jitsu, Karate, Tae kwon-do are the same. The only distinct characteristic of the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu belt is the red intersect on the black belt. And that is a stretch. The rest was borrowed or stolen or copied for Judo and the other martial arts. The belt brown belt I put on is common to all martial arts. It belongs to no one martial art. And it is appropriate to wear in the art of Jiu-Jitsu. To claim ownership of the colors that make up a rainbow is pure folly. These people are backwards in their thinking.
JJT: How have your students reacted to your self-promotion? What do they feel about your school’s promotion system?
CJM: They understand my concerns and they knew from day one this was my academy and what my intentions were along the way. I have always been honest about my credentials and how I would advance in rank. They are supportive now, especially the parents of the kids and the kids themselves.
Those people who accused me of causing harm to the kids have no idea what they are talking about. They are all as dedicated as I am to show the world what a little jiu-jitsu school in the country can do. Our Jiu-Jitsu will be 10,000 times better now that we realize what we may face in the world.
As for the promotion system, it empowers them. They like it. It makes them work harder and feel as if they are the ones reaching the goal and that it does not depend on my decision. Everybody still has to show up and does the work. Many people ignorantly commented that this was a joke because people could just put a belt on. If they watched the video they would know it is exactly the opposite. In most schools, their minimum standard is how well did you do in the competition. What medals did you win? How many trophies do you have on the wall? This is the opposite of the maxim that the best fight is the one that is never fought. Everybody including me must meet minimum technical standards which in my opinion far exceed those of other schools including those in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. We teach self-defense where your life may be saved by what you know and do. There is no higher standard.
JJT: Here is an interesting question (paraphrased) from one of our readers that we would like you to respond to:
“If you don’t care about hierarchy, what is the point of a belt system?”
CJM: I care very much about hierarchy and how it disempowers people. That is why it should be torn down. Teachers should teach not rule. The belt system has nothing to do with the hierarchy. In fact those that expressed outrage cared more about the belt system and who they got it from than anything else.
Those that were insightful knew that the belt is just a talisman. A symbol of what has been accomplished. Others view it as hierarchy. I do not. I don’t look at a black belt or brown belt and say he or she is above me. I wonder where they are on their own journey.
The belt is simply a reminder to yourself of where you are on the journey and how much work you have put in. Anybody that does not get this is misguided. If you wear any color belt and see it as a rank in a hierarchy then you have a problem of perspective and understanding. I prefer the term changing colors to promoting or advancing.
JJT: What specifically did you not like about the “Brazilian priesthood” or the people you trained under? Can you give specific examples (without using their names, if you prefer) of their “bad character.”
CJM: First, let me explain I mean by the phrase “Brazilian Priesthood.” And even before I do that I would like to state that I have the highest respect for Rickson Gracie. I know his story and I get a sense of where he is in his journey and he is a great warrior and philosopher. There are others like Caique Elias and from the younger generation Renor and Ryron. Of course there is Helio Gracie. They are about the art and about self-defense and what it really is about.
One must know the history of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. I will presume that anyone reading this has studied the issue carefully. I have and I will not repeat it here. As in any religion, the Brazilian Priesthood arose from the arrival date of Jiu-Jitsu from Japan. It evolved over time to become what it is today. As in any religion, the priesthoods were the keepers and interpreters of knowledge and very seldom after corrupted by the power that brought did anything more that use it to control others.
The Gracies are the main part of this but it includes many other priests. They are the black belts and coral belts and red belts. They made the rules and you must follow them. You may never disobey them and you may never exceed their authority. Often times they will use their power to divest you of time energy and money giving you something and making you think they are the only ones you can get it from. And if you believe it you are one of the sheep.
Upon its arrival in America it began a great incline in power which now is waning and will soon be gone. The internet has taken care of that. It used to be you had to go to a school and train, but even now they are giving belts away over the internet. And if you do not want a belt you can just study the knowledge and use and train with it if you are serious. Once people realize they don’t need what you are offering, you are done.
Brazilian jiu-jitsu itself is also way off the path of self-defense and more interested in competitions and marketing and wardrobes and logos. Although the sport Brazilian jiu-jitsu of today is useful in self-defense on the battlefield or in combat, you would be killed very quickly against someone who is versed in the true art of Jiu-jitsu. And very quickly I might add. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is sport Jiu-jitsu and without the self-defense and all the tools of true jiu-jitsu it is nothing. That is because it is devoid of spiritual content and teaching. Like all religions, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is now a business. And that is why I say it is dead. Even though it may function, it has no soul.
Finally, to take something that belonged to another culture and call it your own is the height of arrogance and ignorance. Jiu-jitsu has been around since the beginning of time and was passed down through our ancestors until the Japanese migrated and brought it to Brazil. If you calculate true human history you are going back hundreds of thousands of years if not more. The Brazilians did nothing new with what the Japanese were doing event Helio recognized that. But now somehow history is forgotten and it is now Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or even worse Gracie Jiu-jitsu where only the highest ranks are reserved for the Gracies. It has been in America now for nearly five decades. Why not call it American Jiu-Jitsu. Or any other country’s Jiu-jitsu or any other persons last name jiu-jitsu.
I do not subscribe to any of it. It is just Jiu-jitsu and it belongs to the people and it is contained within them. It is about the self. It is about self-defense and self-realization. And so I say the Brazilian priesthood and maybe even Brazilian jiu-jitsu and most certainly the concept of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu is dead as is its hierarchy and all of the hierarchies of the world that proceeded it. And just in passing I would ask, where are all the high priestesses of the art? There are not too many. Used to be in ancient times the woman ran things. Now look where we are.
As for my particular experiences and the Brazilian priests that I trained under they were children and not men. Both were in their early and late 30’s. I will not mention their names here but I have elsewhere. The first was not even Brazilian, but pretended to be. He had not identity of his own. He was a child in a man’s body and still is. He was a drug addict and practiced black magic. He was violent and attacked students. He refused to speak English and was unintelligible most of the time. In short, he was a mental case. He solicited money from students and tried to scam them with business deals. His jiu-jitsu, it turns out, was mediocre at best.
As for the second experience, that was a Brazilian who was very intelligent and used it to manipulate others. He was very fit and healthy and very charming. But he was dishonest and all about the money. He also preyed on female Asian students and the school to the detriment of his marriage and family life. I learned nothing about jiu-jitsu from him. Everything I picked up was on my own. He was violent and also negligent with students and their physical care. Injuries were common. He claimed loyalty but was really disloyal. He also preyed on students for investment money in future Gracie Barra franchises and including myself and made it clear he wanted no homosexuals as members in the academy. Ultimately he was just another child in a man’s body. Competition was the focus for him and not self-defense.
Gracie Barra itself was also a cult. It contained idol worship, symbolism and methodology that I would associate with cultism. The academy itself had the black and white checkered floor of free-masonry, and the required uniforms and logos were free masonic as well the pyramid with the red circle.
JJT: You said in the video that you used to train in Japanese jiu-jitsu. Did you have similar negative feelings about their hierarchy. In what ways is it similar or different to the heiarchy you saw in BJJ?
CJM: There was no hierarchy and so that would be the only comparison to make.
JJT: What advice would you give to any student of any martial art advancing through the ranks?
CJM: Know Thyself. View it as a journey and not advancing through the rank and keep training and remember always Jiu-jitsu is about self-defense and self-realization.
Coach Joe McCaffery also included an autobiography:
I will be 51 years old in 2 months. I have been studying the Martial Arts since childhood. I boxed in grade school boxed and wrestled both in junior high school and high school. He received formalized boxing training in1980-81 from a golden gloves boxer. I began training in Judo and Jiu-Jitsu 1982 studying Judo and jiu-jitsu with a member of the Olympic Judo Team. In 1987 I continued this training at the Degerberg Academy in Chicago 1988 at the Jiu Jitsu Institute of Chicago and continued for approximately two years training in both Jiu Jitsu and Judo under his Japanese Master Sunichi Namba. It is then that I earned the Rank of Yellow Belt in Japanese Jiu Jitsu and Judo. I have has also made an academic study of and engaged training in other martial arts including Kung Fu, Aikido, and Muay Thai and Tai chi, Wing chun and Jeet- kune do. I also practice Yoga.
I began coaching in high school at the local YMCA youth basketball league and continued that passion from 2004-2009 Coaching youth basketball from kindergarten thru the High School level. I am a certified coach earning his Coaching Certificate through the American Sports Education Program (ASEP) and have coached hundreds of kids.
I began training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu in October of 2011 at Yobe Jiu Jitsu under Professor Mike Rose who is the protégé of Master Caique Elias who is Rickson Gracie’s student. I left Yobe in May of 2013. I have competed in both gi and no gi competitions as both a White belt, blue belt and purple belt never being submitted and has always placed in the top two positions in all of his competitions. He has trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu all over the United States and internationally in Cancun, Mexico, in Lima, Peru and in the Amazon Rain forest teaching local natives the art of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
I arrived at Gracie Barra in Downers Grove to train in June of 2013 as a blue belt. I was promoted to purple belt in December 2014 and was promoted twice in six months receiving the second stripe on my Purple Belt by Professor Carlos Lemos Jr. a third degree Black belt in July 2014. I left Gracie Barra in October of 2015. I started my own academy One World Jiu jitsu in July of 2015.
I have taken the Gracie Barra Association ICP4 instructor’s certification program which is a 10 week course which also involve approximately 40 hours of actual mat training time to both children and adults. I regularly attend Jiu Jitsu Seminars and currently train and teachs 6 days per week twice a day. I have and doe train regularly in both Gi and no Gi jiu jitsu. I have trained and taught over 1500 hours of Jiu jitsu since opening up my own Academy in July of 2015.
I currently am the owner and operator of One World Jiu-Jitsu in Sugar Grove Illinois. This is where I teach train and coach Jiu-Jitsu.
Certifications
Gracie Barra ICP4 instructor’s Certificate (2014-2015)
American Sports Education Program (ASEP) Coaching Certification (2006)
Competitions
Hoosier Open 2012 Silver Medal (Gi) white belt
Michigan Open 2013 Silver Medal (No Gi) blue belt
IBJJF 2015 Summer International Open Masters 4 Heavy Champion- Gold Medal (gi) Purple belt
IBJJF 2015 Summer International Open Absolute Class- Bronze Medal (gi) Purple belt
Seminars
Master Caique Elias (2012) Yobe/Lombard
Grand Master Helson Gracie (2013) Yobe/Lombard
Professor Marcio Fautosa (2013) Gracie Barra Downers Grove
Professor Salvatore Pace (2014) Gracie Barra Downers Grove
Professor Tusa (2015) Cancun
Professor Ulpiana Malachias (2015) Gracie Barra Downers Grove
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