Professor is the Portuguese word for teacher and, in BJJ, the usual title for a black belt who runs classes, the job sensei does in judo.
- Language: Portuguese, professor (masculine) or professora (feminine).
- In BJJ: generally reserved for black belt instructors; lower belts who teach are usually coach.
- Sourced example: Carlos Gracie Jr refers to Flavio Almeida as Professor Flavio Almeida in a public letter quoted on bjjheroes.com.
What does professor mean?
In Brazil every schoolteacher is a professor, so the word carries no academic weight; in a jiu-jitsu academy it simply means the teacher. English-speaking academies borrowed it along with the rest of the Brazilian vocabulary, and in most rooms it now points to one person: the black belt in charge of the class.
The usage is visible in the sources. In the Carlos Gracie Jr letter quoted on bjjheroes.com, the Gracie Barra founder writes about Professor Flavio Almeida, my student, partner and friend, using the title in exactly the way a student would.
Who gets the title professor?
- Black belts who teach regularly. In many academies the title comes with the belt and stays for life.
- Visiting black belts, as a courtesy, even if they teach somewhere else.
- Brown and purple belts who run classes are usually coach; some academies extend professor to them, so listen to what the room does.
- The academy head is often addressed by name plus title: Professor Flavio, Professora Ana.
Who can sign a promotion?
The IBJJF General System of Graduation requires coloured belt memberships to be approved by an IBJJF black belt professor, and a black belt promotion to be signed by a black belt with at least two certified degrees.
How do you use the word professor?
Use it when you address the instructor directly and when you talk about them to other students. Outside the mat most black belts are happy with their first name; inside it, the title marks the roles for the hour. If an instructor tells you to drop it, drop it.
A professor spends years watching other people get better. If yours has done that for you, our gifts for BJJ coaches collection is built for exactly that thank-you.
Sources
- Carlos Gracie Jr letter quoted on bjjheroes.com, BJJ Heroes
- IBJJF General System of Graduation, IBJJF