Firstly, there is a difference between an Association and a Team. An Association is oftentimes a business relationship and is usually centered around a head instructor. Big teams can consist of multiple associations i.e. Team Gracie Humaita consists of Pedro Sauer as well as Saulo Ribeiro who run separate associations but will often fight under the same banner at International tournaments.
Secondly, every Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Association is different. The first major distinction is whether the Association accepts new members (schools) who are not trained by members of the Association. While most teams require some sort of training relationship prior to a business one, some Associations just require a monthly due and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ranking of some sort.
To use a hypothetical situation – consider Dan Gable / Iowa Wrestling (probably the highest and most marketable pedigree in the United States for wrestling); only members of the Iowa Hawkeye wrestling program who were coached by Dan Gable can truly say that they can teach that “style”. Now imagine if Dan Gable decided to allow any wrestling camp or team that would pay him $500 / month to represent “Dan Gable wrestling”. Those are the two extremes of Associations – one is purely a training pedigree, much like degree from a University, while the other is more of a money for benefits exchange.
Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling and Dan Gable - The Most Marketable Names in Folkstyle Wrestling
So what are these benefits? Firstly, joining a reputable associations is a good way for the new member to get the recognition and reputation of the association without necessarily being of the same quality. Imagine a school that does not have any history of producing competitors and also lacks an instructor with solid credentials; the school owner would greatly benefit by joining an association that has those things. Some associations also offer marketing assistance such as website templates and also training guides such as a consolidated curriculum. Depending on the reason why the new member joined the association, either of those benefits could be huge. A seminar blue belt with a karate school would definitely benefit from having a well-constructed Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu curriculum while a struggling MMA school, might need the marketing help.
If you’re considering a school that is associated with someone else, research what was the affiliate’s relationship with the main school / instructor prior to joining the association? Do not mistake yourself into believing that the affiliate school offers the same training, same philosophy, or overall same quality as the main school if the relationship was formed very recently or if the main association head is very far away. Evaluate the credentials of the BJJ where you will be training apart from the credentials of the association. Ask yourself, if the head instructor is in California, how much possible contact can there be between him and his new affiliate instructor in Maryland? If readily available, look at what the requirements for association membership are and think what those requirements imply about both the association head and the affiliate school.
Hope that helps…
PS – Team Lloyd Irvin Pan Am training camp started this week! Make sure you check out the video here.
