Eddie Bravo, the founder of the 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu system and No-Gi progressive and innovator signals his system's growth with the award of his first black belt to "Denny" Prokopos, the man who runs 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu's San Fransisco gym.

"Denny" Prokospos stated moments after the promotion that "it's an honor" and "the hard work isn't over yet."

Prokopos, who won the Gold at No-Gi Worlds and Nationals, also added that the next step for him is competing at No-Gi Worlds and Abu Dhabi as a black-belt.

When asked about how he feels about his first black belt promotion, Bravo stated "It's a relief! Finally, you know, I have someone who I'm confident that will represent as a black belt, as a 10th Planet black belt, and it's 'Denny'..."

Bravo closed his interview stating that someday soon he hopes that he and his system are not viewed as an outcast to the Jiu Jitsu world and No-Gi and Gi can and should co-exist as they are "very different."

This promotion undoubtedly means that as more coaches get promoted over the next few years, the level of Jiu Jitsu seen in MMA (as it is also No-Gi based) will rise. It also means that more innovations and new techniques could be coming as Bravo's disciples experiment and seek out new routes to transitions and submissions.