More Than an Instructor, More than a Coach, More Than a Teacher
In Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, we have a unique title for a black belt who teaches: Professor.It’s a direct translation of the Portuguese word professor. In Brazil, from what I understand, a professor is simply a teacher—whether in a school, teaching music, or teaching martial arts. It doesn’t carry the high level university/academic connotations that “professor” has in our culture. Thats an important point to grasp, as it’s at the nub of some considerable confusion in the English speaking BJJ world I think!
The irony of sitting here in the small hours of a Monday morning (it’s 4.00am) writing this blog is not lost on me and I am smiling as I write it – lets see if you get why?
I opened my first Dojo in 1981 as a Karate Brown belt. In those days I was called a Karate Instructor. Later on, with experience and greater depth of knowledge I became more of a teacher. I abandoned Karate in 2009 eventually becoming a Coach in BJJ and then a Professor. The question I am exploring today is whether there is a difference or are they just different names for the same thing?
In the UK, according to Cambridge dictionary definitions at least, we separate the roles of a teacher, instructor and coach. The dfinitions say: A teacher educates and explains, helping students understand principles and concepts. An instructor develops technical competence by demonstrating skills, correcting mistakes and assessing improvement. A coach guides performance, motivates, builds confidence and helps individuals become the best version of themselves.
In BJJ terms, a teacher explains why techniques work and helps students understand the principles of Jiu-Jitsu. An instructor demonstrates techniques, corrects errors and ensures students can perform them effectively and safely. A coach develops the whole person – helping students improve their performance, confidence, resilience and long-term progression.
This, I think is where the term Professor actually comes into it’s own, because as a leader in a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school you must be all three simultaneously. Although professor is simply the Portuguese word for “teacher,” the role has evolved within BJJ to encompass all three dictionary meanings. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Professor is expected not only to educate, but also to instruct technical skills and coach students through their physical, mental and personal development. In that sense, the BJJ title “Professor” has a richer meaning than the literal translation alone might suggest, yet comes without the connotations of the meaning of the word in the UK academic circles. Food for thought….
For most people, they see their Professor for an hour or so a couple of times a week on the mats. They see techniques being demonstrated, classes being led and questions being answered.
What they don’t see are the hours before and after class planning lessons, studying, answering messages, checking in on injured students, maintaining the academy, continuing their own training, liaising with parents and the constant thinking about how to help every individual in the academy improve.
That for me, is why becoming a Professor in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is one of the most rewarding roles imaginable.
It is however both a privilege and a challenge.
Teaching the ‘Why’, Not Just the ‘How’
Every technique in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is built upon fundamental principles – timing, leverage, posture, balance and connection etc. Anyone can memorise movements. The Professor’s role as a teacher is to help students understand why a technique works, not simply how to perform it. When students understand principles rather than isolated techniques, they become capable of adaptation. They stop chasing moves and begin solving problems. Those moments when a student’s eyes light up because something finally clicks are some of the most satisfying experiences in teaching!
Instructing with Precision
However, knowledge alone isn’t enough. Students also need clear instruction, at least in the beginning. They need to become skilled in the fundamentals of BJJ in order to build their own game. An instructor demonstrates, then observes and refines. They notice the small details that students often miss – a misplaced grip, poor posture, incorrect weight distribution or a hesitation in timing. Sometimes the smallest adjustment transforms an entire technique.
The challenge here is that every student learns differently. Some learn visually. Some learn audibly, others need to feel the movement (kinesthetic learners). Some ask endless questions. Others quietly absorb information before everything suddenly falls into place. Great instruction isn’t about repeating the same explanation louder. It’s about finding the explanation that resonates with the individual standing in front of you. I often use the anaolgy of a jailer with a bunch of keys here.
The student is locked inside a technique cage and the jailers job is to unlock the door of understanding. An inexperienced jailer will try every key in the bunch until they find the right one, they have the exact key in a bunch but use trial and error until they find it. The experienced jailer has learned to recognise the lock itself and can then go straight to the correct key hidden amongst the bunch for it. The inexperienced jailer unlocks the door, the experienced jailer hands the key to student themself!
Coaching People, Not Just Grapplers
That said, perhaps the greatest responsibility of a Professor isn’t teaching techniques at all. It’s coaching people. Every student arrives with their own story. Some walk through the doors looking to get fit. Some want to compete. Others are searching for confidence, discipline or simply somewhere they feel they belong.
I feel honoured to become part of those journeys everytime. Helping in some small way the young child who was too shy to make eye contact.The adult who lacked confidence walking into their first class. The student recovering from a difficult period in life. The competitor preparing for their first tournament. Each of them requires something different from their Professor.
Sometimes they need technical advice. Sometimes encouragement. Sometimes someone who simply believes in them until they’re ready to believe in themselves.
Thats the privilige bit!
The Hardest Lesson Every Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Professor Learns
One lesson arrives sooner or later for every teacher, instructor and coach.
The realisation that you can’t want success for your students more than your students want it for themselves!
You can deliver amazing classes.You can stay behind after training to work on them.You can answer every question, provide every opportunity and offer endless encouragement. But you simply cannot do the training for someone else.
Talent comes and goes, but you learn it’s the hard miles of consistency that is the key attribute of success in BJJ. Over the years I have seen some exceptionally gifted students disappear because life takes them in another direction. Others though, with no obvious natural ability, have quietly become exceptional through their perseverance alone.
One of the greatest joys of being a Professor is witnessing that transformation.
The Emotional Weight of Leadership
There are also parts of teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that few people ever see.
You quietly celebrate your students promotions more than they do. You celebrate their Competition victories more than they do. You grin like a cheshire cat when you see them reach their personal milestones. At the same time you almost lovingly support students through their injuries, through their disappointments and through life’s inevitable challenges.
For many people, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu academy becomes much more than somewhere to train. It becomes a community. A place of routine. A place of belonging.
But not every story has the ending you hope for.
For every student who thrives, there will be another who quietly walks away. Some disappear without explanation after months or years of training. Others drift from the values they once embraced, or forget the time, patience and belief that were invested in them along the way.
There are moments when your efforts go unnoticed. The hours spent preparing classes, the conversations after training, the encouragement offered at exactly the right moment, and the sacrifices made behind the scenes, rarely seen and even more rarely acknowledged.
As a Professor, you also learn that you cannot carry every student to their potential. Some will choose comfort over challenge. Others will look elsewhere for answers before fully exploring what is already in front of them. And despite your best intentions, there will be students you simply cannot reach.
These moments can be disappointing, but they are also humbling. They remind us, hard that it may be, that our responsibility is to teach with integrity, to lead by example and to give our very best, without expecting recognition or reward in return.
In other words being a Professor is not about being appreciated by everyone. It is about remaining committed to those who are ready to learn, and continuing to serve the academy and its students with the same humility and dedication, day after day.
Thats the challenge bit!
The Student Never Disappears
One of the greatest misconceptions is that earning a black belt means you’ve reached the destination. In reality, it’s simply the beginning of a different journey.The best Professors never stop being students.They continue to train.They attend seminars.They study.They ask questions.They analyse their own mistakes.
Because the day a Professor believes they have nothing left to learn is the day they stop deserving the title.
The best academies are built upon curiosity rather than certainty.
Why We Keep Coming Back
The hours are long.The responsibility is significant.The emotional investment is real.
So why do we continue?
Because every day we witness change. We watch children grow into leaders. We see nervous beginners become confident training partners. We celebrate students who achieve goals they once believed impossible.Occasionally, we watch someone stand on top of a competition podium.
Good as they are, these aren’t the moments that define success.
The true reward is knowing you’ve played a small part in helping another person become stronger, healthier, more resilient and more confident than they were yesterday.
That’s what being a Professor means for me.
Not simply teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Not simply instructing techniques. Not simply coaching athletes. It means accepting the responsibility of educating minds, developing skills and guiding people through one of the most rewarding journeys they will ever undertake.
Begin Your Own Journey
Whether you’re taking your very first steps onto the mats or continuing your journey towards black belt, every student deserves guidance from someone who can teach, instruct and coach with equal passion.
At Gracie Barra Gloucester, our mission extends far beyond helping you learn techniques. We strive to create an environment where every student can grow in confidence, develop resilience, build lasting friendships and discover what they are truly capable of.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a lifelong journey, and we’d be honoured to be part of yours.
Murray