Definitely, DEFINITELY question the instructor's credentials. Lot of cats nowadays will advertise "BJJ", and it's some dude who sat in on a seminar once, or some purple belt.

If they're legit, they should be able to tell you who they learned from.

A purple belt is fine, especially if you're a white belt.

I guess it's affiliated with Marcello Monteiro for bjj it says, This guy legit?

I dunno; I'd think that you'd only be able to progress so far, learning from a purple belt.

I mean, sure; a purple belt is gonna whup on Joe Average, walking in off the street, who doesn't know anything about grappling.

But, do you think the average purple belt has the skillset to effectively teach, to get someone to their own level? (Assuming, of course, the goal of the student is to strive as far as they can in rank.)

It looks like you can contact Prof. Monteiro directly, to verify said instructor's credentials:

http://bjjcoach.com/index.php?option=com_contact&view=contact&id=1&Itemid=63

Never hurts to ask, imo.

Will do! Thanks! Might be starting up again here soon!

that guy isnt going to stay a purple belt forever. By the time the student is a purple, the instructor will more than likely be @ the black belt level.

*nods*

That's provided that our (hypothetical) purple is continuing their studies.

There's been at least a few schools out this-a-way, of suspicious credentials, who have "instructors" that aren't currently studying to advance in BJJ.

I mean, it's one thing to share a few tools that you picked up along the way. It's another thing entirely to represent a martial art when you only *have* a select few tools to work with.

(Not saying that a purple belt is a minor accomplishment, but I personally wouldn't be comfortable, advertising "BJJ instruction" if I didn't have an instructor's rank.)

To be fair, purple belt is generally accepted as the level at which one starts to instruct new students at. There are exceptions of course, but I think that's where you SHOULD start to teach from personally.

I learn bjj from a purple belt.

Like I have said before; My friend is a purple belt and he sometimes will teach class and I usually get privates from him.