GENERAL
What is the BJJ Globetrotters?
A community of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners of all levels from around the world, who agree on spreading a message of a non-political, open minded and positive approach to training and life.
Who is behind this?
The members are not following a single person, “professor” or lineage, so in a way, all the members are behind this. It was created by Christian Graugart, the author of “The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Globetrotter“.
What is your lineage?
BJJ Globetrotters is a collection of people, who believe in the same set of values. We are all equal on and off the mat, so we don’t follow one specific person, professor or lineage.
MEMBERSHIP
What can I use a membership for?
Our members use the BJJ Globetrotters for a widely different things. Some use it as a traditional affiliation as individuals or academies. Some use it for finding training partners or instructors, some as their team for competitions, some for finding connections for traveling, some for opening their homes and inviting people to visit and train with them. BJJ Globetrotters is a huge community and you are free to use it in however way it suits you exactly!
How do I become a member?
Just fill out this form and we will get back to you shortly.
What are the requirements for being an individual member?
Just agree to this:
- We don’t pay each other any affiliation fees
- We wear any patches we like on our gis
- We are free to represent any (or no) team in competition
- We encourage training with anyone regardless of affiliation
- We are willing to promote anyone who deserves it—members or not
- We arrange camps, seminars and visit each other for training and fun
- We believe everyone is equal both on and off the mats
- We strive to enjoy life, people and the world through Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
Can I train in the affiliated academies as a member?
Yes, all travelers get one week of free training in all our affiliated academies around the world.
Is this free?
Absolutely. Always.
Do I have to wear your patch if I want to be a member / compete for you?
You can wear anything you want, including nothing at all (you should wear clothes, though).
Do I have to purchase your patches / rash guards / shorts / etc. to be a member?
No, it is 100% voluntary and we are totally fine with anyone being a member and never purchasing any of our stuff.
Can I be a member even if I belong to another team or academy already?
Of course, we don’t mind.
But I am a complete beginner, do you even want me on the team?
Unless you are a serial rapist, we also consider you a real human being, even if you are a white belt. So yes, you are more than welcome.
How do I sign up?
Just fill out the membership application form and we’ll get back to you. Please allow up to 2 weeks for the reply. We approve all applications manually and are traveling often.
How do I get in touch with other members?
If there are specific people on the the members list or academy list you are interested in getting in touch with, please send us an email on [email protected] and we’ll hook you up. You can also join our Facebook group or like our Facebook page.
Do I have to be a member, if I agree with your values and want to be friends with you?
No, we still want to be your friend ;)
COMPETITION
If I am a member, can I compete under the BJJ Globetrotters name?
Yes!
Can I register under BJJ Globetrotters with the IBJJF?
Unfortunately, we have been banned from the IBJJF and it doesn’t seem like they’re about to change their mind any time soon.
AFFILIATED ACADEMIES
How do I sign up my academy for affiliation?
Send us an email at [email protected] with a short description of your place, a logo (minimum 600 pixels wide) and a link to your website.
What is required to become an affiliated academy?
The requirements for the BJJ Globetrotters affiliated academies are few and simple:
- Understand, follow and spread the values of BJJ Globetrotters
- Welcome anyone to come train, regardless of affiliation, etc.
- Never deny members to go train somewhere else
- Offer at least one week of for free training for traveling BJJ Globetrotters members
What does it cost to be affiliated with BJJ Globetrotters?
Nothing and it will stay like that forever.
Can you help me register my academy with the IBJJF?
Unfortunately not.
Can my affiliated academy use the BJJ Globetrotters logo for website, promotion material, etc.?
Yes, of course, as much as you like. As long as you don’t print any merchandise for the purpose of selling it (that includes coffee mugs, mousepads and ballpens of really bad quality). You can download high resolution image files of our logos here: PNG or vector.
As an affiliated academy, can you help our coaches and students with belt promotions?
Please see “Belt promotions” section below
Can you help our club with instruction/seminars?
BJJ Globetrotters is a vast, global network of open minded Jiu Jitsu practitioners. Feel free to use it as much as you like to make connections for finding coaches to visit or connect with your academy. We also offer hundreds of free videos from our classes at the camps on our YouTube channel.
CAMPS
How do I find out what camps you’re hosting?
Take a look at our camps page. You may also want to sign up for our newsletter to receive first announcements of new camps.
Do I have to be a member to join your camps?
No, everyone is welcome to participate.
What’s the age limit?
Depends on the camp, but usually 18 years old.
I’m a complete beginner, can I still participate?
Absolutely! Our camps always attracts participants of all levels and we do our best to make everyone feel welcome, both on and off the mats. We’ve even had participants who did their first ever Jiu Jitsu classes at the camps!
Can I bring my partner who does not do Jiu Jitsu?
Yes, non-training partners are most welcome at the camps too.
Can you tell me about camps that aren’t on your website yet?
As soon as a camp is confirmed, it will be announced here on our website. We prefer not to give out any dates or details before that, as there is always a risk of a camp not happening or being re-scheduled. And we don’t want people to plan / take time off work for a camp, that might not happen.
Can you please organize a camp in [location]?
There are many amazing places in the worlds that would be interesting for camps, but the main criteria for us is always enough mat space. If you know of a beautiful, accessible place with plenty of mats (for at least 100+ people), we would love to hear from you on [email protected]. If you want to know more about the decision process of selecting camp locations, read this blog post.
How do I become an instructor at the camps?
We are overwhelmed with interest from instructors who want to teach at our camps, and unfortunately can’t find room for everyone in our schedules. We also don’t really use new instructors who are not already part of the social community of the camps, since we like to have had a chance to get to know the people who are representing the camps as instructors, before we put them on the poster. We care a lot about the vibe and type of people we involve, so we don’t leave that responsibility to “strangers”. We encourage anyone interested in teaching to come join the camps like everyone else, then we can always look at trying to fit you in the schedule down the road.
Will you do X camp again next year?
Unless a camp is officially announced on our website, we can’t tell yet if it will happen or not. No location is safe; if we don’t feel excited about going back the following year, we aren’t afraid to drop it in a heartbeat – no matter how successful the last camp there was. It’s called BJJ Globetrotters after all, not BJJ go-visit-the-same-place-again-and-again ;)
When are you going to do a camp where I live?
A big part of the camps is the travel experience, exploring a new place, making friends outside of your comfort zone. We highly recommend you don’t wait for a camp in your own backyard – go see the world with us instead!
I’m not sure if I’m free on those dates yet and/or can’t afford to buy a ticket right now. Can I reserve a spot at the camp and pay later once I’ve made my decision/ saved enough money?
Sorry, but we can’t bookmark spots for people in advance. It would make it far too difficult to accurately determine how many spots are still available, and would cause additional confusion if people then cancel their reserved spots on short notice. To make it fair for everyone, we only secure camp spots for people who have bought a ticket.
I’ll be nearby during the dates of the camp. Can I drop in for just one day / one class / one open mat?
Unfortunately, this isn’t possible. The logistics of trying to keep track of day tickets for these camps would be a nightmare. Not to mention that if we allow one person to drop by, we have to allow everyone to drop by, and then we’d risk not having enough mat space for the people who actually paid for the full camp. Also, we often have a long waiting list for camp tickets, and it wouldn’t be fair to those people if we let someone skip the list and come for a day. Same deal for everyone!:-)
What are the terms and conditions of booking a camp ticket?
Here you go.
What language will the classes be taught in?
All classes are in English.
Will I receive a ticket in the mail?
There are no physical tickets for the camps. Your name is on our list when you arrive and check in.
I’m a complete beginner, can I still join?
Yes!! We have many hundreds beginners participate in our camps, every year.
I have booked a spot but have to cancel. Can I get a refund?
All bookings are non-refundable. You are most welcome to sell your spot to someone else, just let us know about it. In case the camp is sold out, we might have a waiting list you can obtain by emailing us. Click here for more information. Due to COVID-19 we are relaxing our cancellation policies as long as the pandemic is ongoing: If you are vaccinated and you still can not make it to a camp due to travel restrictions, you will be able to request a refund (minus transaction fees) or a voucher :)
Do I need to be vaccinated to participate?
No. See our requirements for participation on this page.
BELT PROMOTIONS
How do I get promoted?
BJJ Globetrotters does not enforce any framework for promotions within the affiliation. It is 100% up to the individual members.
Do you provide promotion for black belt degrees?
See above question. Beltchecker.com is also a good alternative for claiming black belt degrees based on time and verified by the BJJ community.
How do I get in touch with someone in the BJJ Globetrotters community who can help me/my students/my academy with belt promotions?
Join our Facebook group Members of BJJ Globetrotters and ask there, it is a good way to connect with people in our community. You can also check out our members list, maybe there is someone in your area, that you can contact who can help you evaluate your game.
What are your requirements for promotions?
BJJ Globetrotters is a community of many people from around the world. Those, who are in position to hand out belt promotions, have their own, individual requirements for doing such. As a community, we don’t enforce any rules on our members in terms of what they can do or how they can do it.
Can you promote me online via video or description of my skill level?
No.
I think I deserve a promotion, but my own instructor is just not giving me that belt. Can you do it instead?
No. You will not find anyone who will promote other instructors’ students.
Can I be evaluated for promotion at a camp?
The Council of Traveling Black Belts can offer a brutally honest evaluations of skill level at our camps – no belt promotion guaranteed, naturally. If you’re interested in the opinion of the instructors at a camp, shoot us an email with a description of your training career as well as link to your filled out profile on www.beltchecker.com and we’ll catch you on the mats for a few rolls and some feedback. We do not consider anyone for promotion who already have an instructor or are in between gyms.
Do you promote random people at the camps all the time?
No, but this is a funny rumor. We do not promote anyone at the camps who did not ask for evaluation, already have an instructor or is in between gyms. Belt promotions at camps are in fact very rare. In 2019, we recorded around 7-8 of them out of 1600+ camp participants. Most of those were blue belts and people we have known through many camps and years.
OTHER
What if I want to know more?
If you become a member, you will be signed up for our monthly newsletter. If you have any other questions, that this FAQ did not answer, feel free to shoot us an email at [email protected] any time.
