71°
Bermudez of North Arlington was promoted by his instructor, Chris Savarese, with "professor stripes" on his black belt, a rank rarely given out in most BJJ schools.
"It is a very prestigious rank that not everyone receives, only those who have made the sacrifices and devoted their lives to helping spread the art of Jiu-Jitsu to others," Savarese said on an Instagram post.
Students will now address Bermudez by his title while in class.
Savarese has seen Bermudez' rise through jiu-jitsu, tough circumstances and his improvement in the “training room” and off the mats.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Lyndhurst and receive free news updates.
