If you’re new to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then you may be wondering what exactly is meant by the term ‘professor’ and whether it is actually appropriate. In some cases, newcomers can sometimes be put off by this term as it may sound pretentious and too academic. However, fear not…there is a simple explanation for the term and it’s actually very sensible.
Where does the term professor come from?
So, why are BJJ instructors called professor then? Well, firstly it depends on their rank. Technically, the term professor is given to those who are black belts. In BJJ, this often comes with a red tab where stripes are put on after promotions. Anyway, the term professor translates to ‘teacher’ in Portuguese. As Brazil speaks Portuguese, this makes sense and isn’t as fancy as it may first seem.
However, there is a bit more to it. Firstly, many gyms will have teachers who take classes that aren’t black belts. For instance, you may get a brown belt teacher who is more than capable, yet hasn’t earned their black belt yet. This person is not called a professor in the BJJ world. Instead, they are often called instructor or coach. This means that the term professor is exclusive to black belts.
Sometimes, gyms don’t use the term professor
In many gyms, it’s commonplace for black belts who don’t even teach to get called professor. The reason for this is probably because the term professor has become synonymous with black belts over the years so the term has stuck…even if the black belt isn’t a teacher and has no intentions of teaching.
Further, there are a couple of other terms regarding status in BJJ. For example, some will refer to their teachers as master. Although there isn’t a translation or explanation behind this, it’s mostly a throwback to traditional martial arts and pays homage to a teacher whilst respecting their rank and status. Some even use the term sensei which is more akin to karate terminology and has linguistic roots in Japan.
So there you have it. Basically, professor means teacher in Portuguese and is commonly referred to when addressing black belts. Having said this, not every black belt demands on being called professor and in more casual settings they may not care, or even feel the term is too formal.
At the same time, it’s probably the sign of an egomaniac if they constantly insist on being called professor and get angry if you forget and call them coach one time. To keep things short, professor means teacher and is used to describe black belts, whereas teachers who aren’t black belts are usually called coaches or instructors.
