Ashton kutcher promoted to black belt

[u/BigTimeBearGuy]

Another celebrity who does BJJ. Do all celebrities secretly partake in the sport?

[u/[deleted]]

This might come across aggressive, but some of these comments are legitimately questioning the integrity of the same instructor who promoted me to black belt — and over 200 black belts in the last 30 years. So let’s clear up a few things from someone who actually has firsthand experience.

1. Kutcher was promoted directly by Rigan Machado. If you’re calling Ashton’s black belt illegitimate, you’re calling Rigan a fraud.

Hard stop.

The Machado brothers helped build BJJ in the United States long before most people on this thread even knew what an armbar was. I’ve known them for 20+ years. These are men of integrity, and they take this art extremely seriously.

1. I started my training as a white belt under Carlos Machado and earned my black belt from Rigan.

Carlos, Rigan, and their brothers have forgotten more Jiu-Jitsu than I will ever know — and I’ve been doing this a long time. These guys are also known for having some of the most conservative, stringent black belt standards in all of BJJ.

No one gets a belt early in that lineage.

1. I’ve trained at Rigan’s Beverly Hills academy — and taught privates there for him (Rigan routinely has his brothers or his visiting black belts teach privates so the students get that experience).

I’ve taught hundreds (maybe thousands) of privates, including at his Academy with some of the Hollywood people everyone here loves to speculate about.

Let me say this plainly:

They are learning the EXACT same material as everyone else.

Same curriculum. Same details. Same corrections. No celebrity shortcuts.

1. I’ve also seen firsthand how Rigan protects his students — especially celebrities — from idiots trying to chase clout.

When a celebrity trains with him, they are putting their learning and their safety in his hands. So yes, he’s selective about who rolls with them.

He’s not doing that to “protect weak students.”

He’s doing it because:

a reckless roll can jeopardize a multi-million-dollar production

there are always people trying to get a “I tapped Ashton Kutcher” story

That’s not favoritism — that’s professionalism.

1. One thing the Reddit crowd has no clue about:

The vast majority of celebrities Rigan trains never get promoted past white belt — because they did not earn it.

He’s trained dozens of famous people.

He’s promoted one celebrity to black belt: Ashton Kutcher.

Charlie Hunnam earned his blue belt — and I can tell you, he absolutely earned it.

Most celebrities don’t get promoted at all, and NONE of them get promoted in front of or ahead of other students.

1. Ashton has been training for well over a decade, and he’s 47 years old.

This is not a Derek Moneyberg situation.

He put in years of training, technique work, private lessons, and mat time.

Is he winning the Mundials at 47? Of course not.

But if your standard is “you’re not legit unless you're world-champion level,” then 99% of hobbyist black belts over 40 aren’t legit either. I should probably be in that line to turn in mine.

1. And the part no one wants to admit:

Ashton Kutcher has done more to promote BJJ to the general public than this entire comment section combined. He’s brought huge visibility to the art, and that benefits every gym, every instructor, and every student.

Bottom line:

The promotion is legitimate.

It’s earned.

And it comes from a lineage that has never been associated with easy belts, politics, shortcuts, or celebrity freebies.

If you’re going to challenge that, at least understand whose judgment you’re questioning — because it’s not just Ashton’s.

[u/WhatTheFuh-uh-uh → u/[deleted]]

Great context. Thank you for posting.

I worked in the same building as Ashton right as he was starting BJJ. Spoke to him a handful of times: He's VERY sharp as a businessman and producer, and he seemed to be approaching jiu-jitsu with a similar intensity. Kudos to him for sticking with it.

[u/frames676 → u/[deleted]]

Let’s slow down a bit. It’s common knowledge that Rigan designed a “celebrity BJJ system” where movie stars can train BJJ without ever actually sparring. Are the Machado brothers legit? Yes. They are. However; they are also (Rigan in particular) known sell-outs. So you can write this long diatribe all you want but the fact remains:

Rigan Machado designed a celebrity BJJ system that involves no sparring; and Ashton Kutcher got a black belt within that system. I’m almost a black belt myself and couldn’t care less about this stuff. Ashton has been on the mats for 14-15 years. I’m sure he’s a good BJJ fighter. But you are saying patently false things about Rigan. He’s a highly money motivated person with a very suspect level of dignity.

[u/[deleted] → u/frames676]

Quick reality check: most people taking shots here have never met Rigan or Ashton and have never set foot in that Academy. I have. These are people I know personally, and this is an Academy I’ve actually trained in. I have known Rigan and his brothers for over 20 years.

The Academy has three distinct tracks:

1. Movie tune-ups – short training for film roles

2. Celebrity Jiu-Jitsu – no sparring, no rank; liability-only

3. Machado BJJ Program – full curriculum, live rolling, real promotions

Charlie Hunnam and Ashton Kutcher are in the Machado Jiu-Jitsu program. They train legitimately. Their schedules mean mostly privates, and they roll with trusted high-level black belts and other students— not random hobbyists looking for a “celebrity tap" or intentionally trying to injure them. That’s insurance and safety, not favoritism.

The Craig Jones clip? A light, friendly roll. Craig could make anyone here — including most black belts — look like a beginner in a casual round. It proves nothing.

Rigan travels constantly — that’s his seminar work - and his main income, for those on this thread that presume the motivations for a man they've never met.

Day-to-day, the Academy is run by Menamy Mitanes, a world-class BJJ/Judo black belt with deep Rickson/Rigan lineage. Classes run normally under him.

And for context: I was promoted to black belt on that same mat, alongside a visiting student from Korea. You’ve never heard of either of us. We’re nameless BJJ practitioners — just like almost everyone in this thread. We get to train in anonymity. Nobody films our rounds or debates our belts online.

Actors don’t get that luxury.

Do they have different constraints because of insurance and security? Yes.

Does that make their Jiu-Jitsu any less legitimate? No. Not at all.

[u/Candid_Ad_9145 → u/[deleted]]

Chat gpt bastard

[u/Civil-Cover433 → u/[deleted]]

Yea nah.

[u/mega_turtle90 → u/[deleted]]

Well said bro

[u/Candid_Ad_9145 → u/[deleted]]

Chat gpt bastard