In an episode of the Matburn podcast, Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belts Keenan Cornelius and Josh Hinger shared some candid thoughts on what it really means to be a “world champion” in the BJJ world.
A few years ago, Josh Hinger wrote an article comparing the adult and master divisions in top-tier competitions. The central question was whether winning the Master’s World Championship truly qualifies someone to call themselves a “world champion.”
Both Keenan Cornelius and Josh Hinger agree that only two tournaments—the IBJJF World Championship in the adult black belt division and the ADCC World Championship—provide the legitimacy to market oneself as a true “world champion.” While they acknowledge that winning the Master’s Worlds is an impressive accomplishment worthy of celebration, they emphasize that presenting oneself as a “world champion” instead of a “master’s world champion” is both misleading and deceptive.
Cornelius and Hinger specifically criticized competitors who claim world champion status after winning open tournaments like NAGA or Grappler’s Quest, events that, while challenging, don’t carry the same weight as the IBJJF World Championships or the ADCC. These events, according to the two, are where the true cream of the crop emerges.
Keenan Cornelius didn’t hold back, remarking, “Oh yeah, but that’s been rampant in jiu-jitsu forever. People say they’re world champions when they win a NAGA just because it’s the NAGA World Championships. They’re out there saying they’re world champions.” His frustration was echoed by Hinger, who pointed out, “If you claim to be a black belt world champion when that’s actually not what you won, I think that’s misleading.”
The discussion highlighted how casual fans, unaware of the vast hierarchy within BJJ competition, can easily be misled into believing someone is a top-tier world champion when they have not competed at the highest levels. This issue, they argued, has been pervasive in the jiu-jitsu community, with many practitioners either intentionally or unintentionally inflating their achievements to boost their credibility.
Cornelius elaborated on this point, saying, “There’s so much misinformation in jiu-jitsu. It’s very easy to fake stuff and people just accept it. It’s like, man, there’s so much to learn in jiu-jitsu. That’s probably one of the things they need to learn—like this guy’s a world champion. There are just so many world champions that everyone’s a world champion. So they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s a world champion.’”
Both Cornelius and Hinger emphasized that winning any competition is a feat worthy of recognition, but they stressed the need for honesty and specificity when promoting one’s accomplishments. They noted that winning lower-belt or masters divisions, while impressive, does not equate to being a true black belt world champion.
For Cornelius and Hinger, the BJJ community should uphold a higher standard of integrity when it comes to titles and accolades. Their message is clear: being a world champion should mean competing and winning at the very pinnacle of the sport, not simply riding the coattails of smaller, regional victories.
In conclusion, Cornelius stated, “No, you are not a BJJ World Champion if you’ve not won adult black belt divisions at IBJJF Worlds or ADCC.” For these two seasoned black belts, the real prestige of world champion status belongs only to those who’ve conquered the elite stages of Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Sloth Jiu-Jitsu: you can be slow and unathletic and still kick butt in Jiu-Jitsu.
