Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Signs of bad schools and hidden traps revealed by Stephan Kesting who has been a BJJ black belt for 20 years. Did he miss any red flags?
RED FLAGS
01:04 No cross-training
01:21 Separating you from friends and family
02:10 No trial classes
03:15 No talking to current students
03:25 No watching classes
03:54 Instructor's name + SA = positive
04:59 "Master"
06:07 No sparring till blue belt
07:07 No questions in class
08:47 Poor hygiene and dirty mats
10:28 High-pressure sales tactics
12:33 No talking in class
14:07 Gravy Seal bootcamp
15:04 "Every other school sucks"
15:53 Instructor chronically dates students
16:58 Financial-medical-astronomical-astrological advice
17:07 No competition / in-house tournaments only
20:02 Peaked in high school
22:37 Focusing only on top competitors
23:00 Focusing only on hot women
23:25 Focusing only on their phones
23:55 Can't pause your membership
25:21 "We don't tap to THAT here..."
27:06 Mat bullies are tolerated
ORANGE FLAGS
29:26 Mandatory and expensive uniforms
30:32 Ranking and promotion fees
31:59 I see dead people (and bow to them)
33:10 Instructor doesn't roll
34:41 No colored belts (or women)
35:31 "Professor" (see video below)
And by the way, this list should have included belt whipping for belt promotions!!!
RELATED RESOURCES
The infamous "Don’t Call Me Professor" video - youtu.be/-TeE3tYMiJM
Grapplearts instructionals in streaming and app formats: grapplearts.com/instructionals
My best-selling book: Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic: amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612
My book co-written with BJJ black belt world champion Brandon Mullins: Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu: amazon.com/Non-Stop-Jiu-Jitsu-Champions-Aggressive/dp/B08CPNPNDD
Scowling Picture of Jordan Peterson, Courtesy: Flickr, Creative Commons; photograph: Gage Skidmore
Signs of bad schools and hidden traps revealed by Stephan Kesting who has been a BJJ black belt for 20 years. Did he miss any red flags?
RED FLAGS
01:04 No cross-training
01:21 Separating you from friends and family
02:10 No trial classes
03:15 No talking to current students
03:25 No watching classes
03:54 Instructor's name + SA = positive
04:59 "Master"
06:07 No sparring till blue belt
07:07 No questions in class
08:47 Poor hygiene and dirty mats
10:28 High-pressure sales tactics
12:33 No talking in class
14:07 Gravy Seal bootcamp
15:04 "Every other school sucks"
15:53 Instructor chronically dates students
16:58 Financial-medical-astronomical-astrological advice
17:07 No competition / in-house tournaments only
20:02 Peaked in high school
22:37 Focusing only on top competitors
23:00 Focusing only on hot women
23:25 Focusing only on their phones
23:55 Can't pause your membership
25:21 "We don't tap to THAT here..."
27:06 Mat bullies are tolerated
ORANGE FLAGS
29:26 Mandatory and expensive uniforms
30:32 Ranking and promotion fees
31:59 I see dead people (and bow to them)
33:10 Instructor doesn't roll
34:41 No colored belts (or women)
35:31 "Professor" (see video below)
And by the way, this list should have included belt whipping for belt promotions!!!
RELATED RESOURCES
The infamous "Don’t Call Me Professor" video - youtu.be/-TeE3tYMiJM
Grapplearts instructionals in streaming and app formats: grapplearts.com/instructionals
My best-selling book: Perseverance, Life and Death in the Subarctic: amazon.com/Perseverance-Death-Subarctic-Stephan-Kesting/dp/1639368612
My book co-written with BJJ black belt world champion Brandon Mullins: Nonstop Jiu-Jitsu: amazon.com/Non-Stop-Jiu-Jitsu-Champions-Aggressive/dp/B08CPNPNDD
Scowling Picture of Jordan Peterson, Courtesy: Flickr, Creative Commons; photograph: Gage Skidmore
