Ready to take your passion to the next level and legitimize your BJJ Program? UFAF offers a clear path to establishing a UFAF BJJ-certified program. This requires that you complete the UFAF BJJ Instructor Certification Program. As you progress through the curriculum, you will gain the ability to promote and award ranks to your students. Another amazing benefit is that you will be able to display “UFAF BJJ-Certified Program” on your storefront and in all UFAF-approved marketing material. This is the only level that permits you to advertise in this manner.
UFAF BJJ-Certified Program Benefits:
• You can advertise as a UFAF BJJ-Certified Program, rather than a UFAF BJJ-Practitioner Level Program.
• This level preserves your territory, ensuring that nobody else can open a UFAF BJJ-Certified Program, Practitioner Level Program, or UFAF BJJ-Garage in your area.
• As you advance, you’ll gain more authority in promoting students through the ranks, as opposed to relying on UFAF to be involved in every student’s rank advancement.
• Your students will not be required to video test for each stripe level beyond blue belt, streamlining the process for them and you.
• The public will know that you are a qualified and respected Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Instructor, giving you a leg up on competing school owners.
• Early access to each new level of the curriculum. Get it before anyone else does!
How to Start a UFAF-Certified Program
Step 1: Confirm the availability of your territory by contacting all of the email addresses listed at the beginning of this document. If your territory is available, you can secure it for up to 18 months by paying a non-refundable deposit of $650. This deposit covers the cost of attending the UFAF BJJ Instructor Certification Program and a criminal background check. If you do not have a clear background check or do not successfully complete the certification program within 18 months, you will forfeit your deposit. Please Note: Until you successfully complete the entire certification process, your school will remain listed as a UFAF BJJ-Practitioner Level Program and will advertise accordingly.
Step 2: Gain access to the UFAF BJJ Curriculum for you and your students by subscribing through UFAF University. Monthly access for you an all students is $200.
Step 3: Pass the UFAF BJJ Blue Belt Pre-Test, as detailed on UFAF.org and UFAF University.
Step 4: After completing Step 3, apply to participate in the Online Instructor Certification Process (ICP) through your profile in UFAF University. Once your application is processed, you will gain access to the UFAF BJJ Instructor Certification Manual and ICP training videos. You will have 90 days to complete the online training and upload four ICP videos for evaluation. If you pass, you can proceed to the next step; if not, you will forfeit your deposit.
Step 5: Pass your blue belt test in person. Whether you earned your blue belt through another organization or started with UFAF BJJ, you must be tested in person for the UFAF BJJ Blue Belt. You can take this test before attending the in-person portion of the UFAF BJJ Instructor Certification Program or as part of the live UFAF BJJ Instructor Certification. Note: If you received BJJ rank through UFAF BJJ prior to November 1, 2024, you still need to complete Step 5 for UFAF to verify your knowledge of the curriculum techniques.
Step 6: With Steps 1-5 completed, you can now participate in the LIVE UFAF BJJ Instructor Certification Program. During this portion, you will be re-tested on all UFAF BJJ Blue Belt Techniques or tested for Blue Belt for the first time (Step 5). Additionally, you will be assessed on everything you learned during the Online ICP process (Step 4). If you pass, you will be awarded a UFAF BJJ Certified Instructor Certificate, allowing you to teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as detailed in the UFAF BJJ Charter School Requirements.
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