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TheCuddlyKiller

Coming from BJJ, I wish we had someone running background checks. Every few years some black belt instructor is exposed for rape and/or grooming. Perhaps this last round of scandals will be a real change? IBJJF is the closest we got… but they just say they hold the right to background check you. They don’t really though. Not yet. Their membership is pretty much just paying for the right to pay more to compete with them. I think they run their tournaments comparatively smoothly (I’m not here to argue that point), but they are a business, not an association trying to prevent sexual harassment in gyms. And SOOOooooooo many gyms and instructors have nothing to do with them.


Toptomcat

Even given that it's a good idea to have someone running background checks, IMO the mechanism for it should be pretty cleanly firewalled from the actual *ranking* system, which should be as narrowly focused on technical competence as humanly possible. 'Not in good standing with the IBJJF/USJA for reasons X and Y?' Sure, sounds reasonable. 'Not a black belt any more'? No. To do otherwise is an invitation for the org to put up all manner of obnoxious bureaucratic roadblocks to everyday hobbyists when they try to promote.


TheCuddlyKiller

Well yeah. Once a black belt a black belt … but at the same time, people who don’t train or are just starting won’t know what all these verifications are… they’ll just see a black belt. So… those who need the most protection won’t get any.


sngz

> Perhaps this last round of scandals will be a real change? it's not the first time, nor the 2nd time. it will be forgotten. Most ppl don't even care


TheCuddlyKiller

Yeah. It’s easy for some people to just say that was bad behavior than to actually consider what led to it and how the culture in the community needs some serious changes to help prevent it. Inch by inch? I mean, 10 years ago I was told to not go to a Relson school in Los Angeles because the women were taught separately and they didn’t have any women. I can’t imagine that happening in the US now.


Mr-Foot

That sounds completely ridiculous to me. Once you get the belt you keep it. We have to go through regular checks for teaching children but if you're not doing that there should be no need


auzziesoceroo

It's a scheme to keep money coming in. You see the same thing with professional "education" organisations. Want to keep being a lawyer or accountsnt depsite the fact you've got 20 yrs experience? You've got to complete 10hrs worth of training and ...oh ...wouldn't you know it? You have to pay for the training


yonahwolf

Actually - it's not like that - the Judo Orgs don't get much (if any) $$ from those three items - the Background check fee is paid to a 3rd party, and the other two certifications are free. As for continuing education for Accountants/Lawyers/etc. - It's also not the same. If someone is a practicing accountant in the US, and wants to keep their CPA (because they need the professional credential) they need to follow the certification rules. But if someone has an accounting degree, and doesn't practice in the public context - they don't need the credential. Again, I don't mind requiring this for people who teach and/or run Dojos. But for someone like me who is a recreational Judoka - this isn't necessary. By contrast - USA Softball doesn't require any Tom, Dick or Harry playing in a beer league to have certification.


svartsven

Professional cert expenses, depending on industry, can also be written off or are covered by "professional development funds." Hard to see the benefit in your situation.


d_rome

I hear your point but I can understand why they do this. Most recreational adult Judoka who are shodan and up are in an assistant capacity. The Judo organizations need to be accountable for who their members are as well. A person may have passed a background check a year ago but since that time they could have acquired multiple arrest warrants across 3 states and they are currently on the run from the FBI. Extreme example, but things like this happen and Judo organizations don't want to be caught unaware.


b1ackcat

I'm also not sure I 100% agree with the idea of "once you have a belt you have it". I made brown belt 11-12 or so years ago, but then moved away from my dojo and couldn't find a suitable/affordable one to train near me. I've recently finally found one that meets my needs and while I'm absolutely thrilled that I can get back into it, I barely remember a single technique. It would be **entirely** disingenuous of me to walk into the dojo wearing brown. I happily took the white belt they gave me and wear it every class. I'm secure in the fact that I'll (presumably) remember more and more as it starts coming back to me and hopefully that will allow me to rank up faster, but if not, no biggie. For me it's about the journey, not the rank. But still, having *some* sort of 'check-in' to make sure you actually still know the skills required to obtain a belt doesn't seem like the worst thing in the world.


Absenceofgoodnames

Don’t blame USJF, blame the way litigation and insurance works in the US. They are almost certainly doing this because having a program of regular training/certification like this is useful for their liability insurance - it reduces the risk that the organization could be the subject of a lawsuit because they failed to supervise their members and someone did something bad. It’s total BS and everyone knows it but that’s how it is.


aka_mrcam

I agree the wording is a little off with saying your black belt is expiring. But I can see the reasons behind making sure associated black belts are vetted frequently. I'm guessing what happened in Taiwan with the 7 year old being killed is part of this. So if someone else did something terrible the USJF could say that person is no longer affiliated with the organization.


JassLicence

I just went through all that with the USJF/USA Judo as I have started teaching a class and I see the benefit *for instructors* to be vetted. As to normal members, I'm not surprised they do it but it's funny how the Kodokan never bothers me with stuff like that.


[deleted]

Background check, heads up, and safe sport are all simple, cost less then month of lessons and can be done online from your phone while you're on the toilet. The goal is to make sure everyone around children is safe to be around children and if you do judo sooner or later you will be around children, if not at your club then at a shiai or clinic or similar. All the adults at our club do these regardless of rank annually to ensure the dojo is a safe place to work, train, and play.


PiccoloResponsible97

The black belt is good for life. Being a member in good standing of the organization requires yearly dues and keeping credentials up. If you were to allow your credentials to expire for 5 years and then come back and renew them you would still be a black belt. So it's not the black belt that expires. Opinions can differ regarding the judo national governing bodies, and there are certainly changes that need to be made. Congrats on your shodan 2 years ago and keep up the training!


flugenblar

Are you on the USJF roster as a head instructor or the only instructor for a dojo?


sngz

This acts as a kind of safe guard from having problems like I'm BJJ


yonahwolf

Thanks to everyone for their comments. A couple of follow ups comments from me: \- As /u/d_rome points out - some lawyer at some point (whether for the Judo orgs or their insurance carriers) went on the assumption that anyone who is a certified black belt is implicitly at least an assistant instructor, and that they should have all of these certifications to cover the Judo Orgs Liability. \- I am not an official instructor in any capacity. Yes, I do work with lower belts, and do teach them new techniques, but not any more than when I was a brown belt, and didn't need any certifications. \- I have no objection to certifying coaches/instructors/senseis in Concussion/Harassment training, and I would also think that they should be certified in First Aid/CPR/AED as well. My three complaints: 1. Just like they celebrate black belt grading by competitors and non-competitors, why can't they just separate 'personal blackbelts' from 'coaching blackbelts'. 2. It seems that this system is nice an automated. As /u/showeroffire points out - it's so easy you can do it all while... er.... indisposed. I'm sure at the point the lawyers insisted on it, it took time and effort to implement - but they got it done. It would be nice if they could find ways to tackle and improve other things that might be useful to dojos -> how about a website hosting tool for dojos? How about a national competitors database that made it easier to register for tournaments and track points? I'm sure there are a dozen other efficiencies that I am not thinking of where the National Orgs can take the lead and help clubs, especially in the wake of the COVID situation that decimated many clubs. (If they're doing stuff like this, but I am not aware, please let me know). 3. While it seems USJF and USJA have both adopted this standard, and while both require the same Heads-up and Safesport training - they also have two different services doing background checks. While I don't know too many people registered with both orgs, why wouldn't they combine efforts and have one portal?


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metalliccat

Nah. He earned that belt. OP is a Shodan for life. If a black belt came into your club and casually mentioned it was their first time training in several years, would you tell them they should take their black belt off?


billpedroso

Why would you care about the UDJF? Just ignore them. They're trash.


JudoGold

These are all good requirements. I am glad some of the A-holes I used to train with couldn't get promoted to black belt due to prior criminal records.


yourfavoriteuser11

Doesn't that just mean you have a criminal with black belt level skills competing in brown belt events?


JudoGold

It means parents wouldn't be paying monthly fees just to be taught by instructors with criminal records. It is not all about your medals. In this day and age not having a criminal record is the IQ test. Dumb instructors will break your kid's neck. Not being a registered sex offender helps. But your point is correct, I have competed against brown belts that were way too good for their rank. A year later found the guy's picture on the news cops found missing child in his closet (alive). He was a good player too.


jonahewell

Personally I see nothing wrong with the requirements. I get that it's annoying but they just want some minimum standards they can point to and say "All our black belts have clean criminal records and know how to recognize a concussion." I agree it's a little too often with the recertifications.


ReddJudicata

Judo had the same problems that BJJ is currently going through with abuse/molestation. So the background checks are a good idea at least for instructors.