I started BJJ when I was 19. I’ll be 30 this November and I just recently received my black belt in March. 10 1/2 years in the game... it’s all worth it.
Ruck Sack I’ve gotten into 1 street fight in my entire life. I was 26 and a purple belt at the time. Guy swung and was in a kimura before he had time to process what had happened. Outside of that I try not to get in fights. I try to be kind and courteous to everyone.
J San I am 19 years old an I am a white belt. I train bjj 3 days a week... Do u think it's possible to get it faster? Like I read on the internet its normal that it takes around 10 years for black belt... But I want it faster xD
I lived in Dallas/Ft. Worth for 5 years and only had the opportunity to train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu for a total of 4 months. The studio in which I trained was a competition-based school, and I loved every moment of being there. On average, I trained twice a day, learned to apply the techniques at a consistent rate, and genuinely just enjoyed being there. Then I had the honor of attending a class at Kama Jiu-Jitsu, and my entire concept of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was completely shattered! Prof. Kama taught a class on the underlying principles of the Upa Escape, and the effortless nature of the principle was absolutely incredible. In hindsight, I probably looked like a crazy person during that class because I literally told my practice partner how amazing the principle was at least 30 times. After the class was complete, I was invited to roll with Prof. Ryan and a bunch of his students. With Prof. Ryan everything he did was effortless. I attempted several positions and even more techniques. After each attempt, Prof. Ryan simply adjusted as he deemed appropriate then smiled while he watched me tap. I've been tapped a bunch of times, so that was nothing - but the ways in which he tapped me were the part that both fascinated and continues to fascinate me. In rolling with Prof Ryan for approximately 10 minutes, I had a direct lesson regarding the difference between applying a technique and applying a principle, which was a completely different level. I understood the important of position of submission as well as any white belt could, but the concept of applying a principle never even entered my mind before I rolled with Prof. Ryan. On top of this, the real beauty of Kama Jiu-Jitsu was the consistency of the students. I rolled with almost every student in the room, and each one - whether they knew it consciously or not - applied the principle before they applied the technique. The quality of the students Jiu-Jitsu astonished. Even the guys that I tapped were just better than me in such as overt way. They just moved with more efficiency, flowing and adsorbing, pushing and pulling with little to no effort. It was like an exchange of energy, a call and response in physical form. When I expressed my observations to Prof. Kama and Prof. Ryan after the randori they confirmed my findings and encouraged me to come back. I moved home about a month after I took this class and did not get a chance to return, but that class was over a year ago and the impression made by both Prof. Kama and Prof. Ryan will forever remain. As a result, I can tell you first hand that there are very clear differences between competition-based and self defense-based schools. They both offer some wonderful gifts to the world, but I personally have an interest in preserving the tradition of Helio & Carlson Gracie in its original form through the teachings of Rickson Gracie. However, given the limited access to the Rickson lineage, I have seen the JJGF academies and teams struggle to offer solutions for their global directive. In my opinion, this is because their operational model remains compartmentalized. If they would work from the whole instead of the part, rotational standards could be established that would definitively progress students through the principles of Rickson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, all while providing a sound, financial foundation - both with or without a belt system. I am happy to help the JJGF mission, but don't know where to start. Regardless, whether attending a competition or self-defense based school, the principles taught at Kama Jiu-Jitsu will make your Jiu-Jitsu better. Period.
+Otis Smallwood, Hi, Otis. It's been a year already? I remembered you telling me you moved. I hope things are going well and you've been able to continue your training. Your kind words are much appreciated by Prof Dave and makes everything he sacrifices for the art he loves well worth it.
1 year on white? I was white for like almoust 3. First year I trained a decent amount, second I trained way to little and last year I trained every day. Then I whent to a turnament and entered advanced as a white belt. I beat 4 bluebelts and won silver. A few weeks after this I got my blue.
@peterdjelevski it helps with learning I always said a turnament is like a month of training in what you learn and it is soooo much fun. I have my own academy that I run and I tell my student this to motivate them to compete.
Just got mine last week! Started on the Started 17th Jan 2018 and got it 19th December. Don't feel like I'm a blue belt but if my coach/ profs think so...
I also like how Eddie Bravo does the belt system. He'll give a stripe or color if you're a beast but maybe you need to learn the names of moves etc. He'll give you a stripe if you're there every dam day but man you need to lift more weights. Black belt 1 reason he said. You have everything down. Strength, flexibility, terminology, dedication, ripping heads off etc.
White belt 1 year? In my gym (under Robin Gracie) it takes about 2-2,5 years to get to blue belt EDIT: Coming back to this comment a year later. If you train about 2-3 times a week it's about 2 years to get it, usually not more. Just wanted to clarify :)
+Matthias TSI, I got my blue belt under GM Relson in 1 yr doing three group classes a week and one private per week. Does Prof Robin use GM Helio's (his father's) formal curriculum to blue belt? I'm wondering how his older brothers (Master Rickson included) were able to successfully convey GM Helio's blue belt curriculum in a shorter time frame? The only explanation I can think of, is he's requiring his white belts to know some purple belt concepts before he awards blue belts? Whatever, belts don't really matter in the end, and awarding them is at the sole discretion and judgement of the professor in charge.
I don't train at his gym in Barcelona but our gym in Belgium is owned by him and one of his students (my teacher, brown belt) and here it's always about 2 years with 3-4 times a week training. My teacher does not use a curriculum so that may be the longer wait time. I don't mind training 2 years for my next belt since I just love the martial art in itself. The 1 year white belt just caught my attention since I'm used to something different :) Loved the video though!
Just received my blue belt last weekend, and I actually said that to a bro of mine. That this blue belt meant more to me than my bachelor's degree and my Eagle Scout award!
Dang, you really have to dedicate your life to the sport to get to the top. BJJ is an interest for me but not a hobby or something I'd dedicate myself to (yet). I started a few weeks ago and it's tough... Mad respect for the people who do it 🙏
A friend of mine's been a purple belt since I've known her (about three years) and just the other day, she walked in with a BROWN belt and I flipped out. I was so happy for her, knowing how dedicated she is and how long she worked for it.
I just turned 18 and I train at Roger Gracie eight hours a week at the moment plus four hours of boxing and a lot of these questions are about defence and streetfights. Before I started I would think about similar things. The mindset changes the martial art is not about invoking aggression but much for of a diffusing tactic. If someone knocks you out in a single is the only way these high level belts could lose because the muscle memory just from reaching blue belt is shocking how effective your groundwork becomes.
Crxck Mxles For “Defence” and “street fights” first & foremost, don’t get into them. But if need be, get yourself a CCW Permit, and a firearm, martial arts are not effective and too much of a gamble when your life could be at stake.
@@divifilivs7656 Some people might disagree with me but as an adult, if I had to chose one over the other, I’d definitely get some firearms training and get a CCW first and then take BJJ or boxing or something similar. If I was young like a child then I would defiantly start with BJJ and boxing and then get firearms training. I personally learned boxing/wrestling growing up and then got into firearms when I turned 18 however I do plan to learn BJJ as well now.
Aragon the only limitations are the ones in your head. A man once was hot by a car and his legs hurt so bad that doctors said that he wont be able to do martial arts ever again, that man defied that and became the man called Bruce Lee. Never say never
BJJ's belts look really, really good, especially the black belt with the red bar! Also, I know that in some associations, the white bar on each end of the red patch, the ones you call "Professor bars", are for school owners only. The other black belts, teachers included, would get the red patch, and accumulate degrees(white bars INSIDE of the red patch), but never have the white bar at each end of the patch. I prefer your way though, because again, the BJJ Black belt with the red patch with the white bars on each end is the most beautiful belt in any martial arts. Gosh that thing is sexy!
It changes a lot from Academy to Academy, and even inside same Academy there are differences too. The thing here is to not worry about the belt, it wont give you super powers so just keep going and the rest will come with time.
I studied under Grand Master Mansura for ten years. He's a 9th degree red belt. 2nd oldest bjj academy inthe world.. kioto system. . Thank goodness for you master and kioto. Oss
Man...my old teacher Brandon Hetzler is a black belt under Rickson, and received it in one of the shortest amount of times just under 8 and 1/2 years, but DAMN did Brandon put us students through the grinder. White belt was usually 2 years to reach blue belts, then another 2-3 years before becoming purple, again 2-3 years to for a brown belt, finally 2-3 years to become black belt. 8-10 year journey to black but it seems legit and necessary to develops real skills and martial artist mentality...
Excellent presentation/explanation...I would love to enroll in a BJJ class...but...I need to find the right school. It's a great martial art...and I've been a huge MMA fan for nearly 2 decades. I need to start soon...because I'm 51. Just earning a blue or purple belt would be a wonderful achievement at this point in my life...anything more...would be beyond awesome...
I've been doing Judo for a while now and I'm thinking about cross-training BJJ but I don't get the massive emphasis on time dependency for grading in BJJ. Surely if you know x, y, and z techniques, and can perform them consistently against skilled opponents, you should be awarded the corresponding belt, regardless of how long you've been training? Maybe it's because there are so few official grades in BJJ but, in Judo at least, it's based more on knowledge of certain techniques, proficiency in performing these techniques, and a set number of hours of randori (sparring). That means you could theoretically get your first belt in as little as a month or two, or take years, depending on your aptitude and the effort you put in. Of course there are almost twice the number of belts in Judo so it isn't directly comparable.
I am white belt lol.. so you would kill me .. I just started but have done other marital arts . It seems very few people ever get beyond blue belt unless you have super athletic skills and are great on the mat
Ibso much regret quitting mma and grappling back in 2018..now i will have to restart my journey at 23..i hope it will be as good as when i started at 15
I was told that all high percentage moves, or submissions that are done by top fighters are all learned by the time you get to purple. I tend to agree because while judo has a load of throws, the top judokas are specialized in 3-5.
Judokas specialised in 3-5 years? If you are out of the ordinary talented, have a great coach and training at least 6 hours per week. Otherwise, not realistic.
yep, in judo, we only have 3-5 throws that are often used, but it's mostly about the little things you do around them that matter more. for example, in judo, the throw is one of the smaller parts, it's more about how do you move your opponent into position and pull him over there right way so that he can't resist. or for more BJJ specific, everyone can do a rear-naked choke or a triangle, but the main thing is how you get there, how do you move the opponent, what do you do when he tries to turn, tries to do this, etc. that's where the real skill comes in.
I started my son on Brazilian Jiu Jitsu when he was almost five-years-old. He's now almost nine and he's on the cusp of obtaining his gray/black belt. With the kids, it goes WHITE, GRAY, YELLOW, ORANGE, then GREEN, but each colored belt starts with a white stripe running down length-wise, then the solid color, then the colored belt with a black stripe running down the middle... and with each of THOSE color variations, you earn stripes along the way, so right now, he's at solid gray with three stripes.... and they allow for more frequent promotions to either a new stripe or a new belt to keep the kids interested and to encourage them to keep working at it. It's such a great martial art.
I totally get what you’re saying. But I’m of the old school. For kids, white belt to start. Three stripes. Yellow belt beginning at age 8. Three stripes. Orange belt beginning at 10. Three stripes. Green belt age 13. Three stripes. At 16, they get switched to the adult path and go to blue belt or purple belt, depending on if at their 16th birthday, they completed their orange belt (at 16, blue belt) or if they completed their green belt (at 16, purple belt). IMHO, too many color belts/stripes just creates an environment of kids only looking for the short term reward at too close an interval.
@@KamaJiuJitsu - I certainly don't think you're wrong.... and I'm pretty sure my kid would have stuck with BJJ even if the belt system went as you say in his dojo, but I think the place he goes believes they'll retain fewer children with only the solid white, gray, yellow, orange, and green. Just my opinion, of course. Cheers.
thanks for being u, professor. I'm going back home to jiu-jitsu. I one of many who got frustrating start in bbj. thanks for the spark to going back to training. much love brother.
+Tom Minter I know. That's a new belt/designation we don't observe here at KJJ. We follow Rickson's JJGF guidelines, which more mimic Helio's standards. The video details the last standard set forth by Helio and Carlos, Sr in 1967. IBJJF is 100% determined by Carlos Gracie, Jr. If someone is an active competitor, that is the standard they follow. Most "Mestre" level practitioners don't observe IBJJF standards, although that may change.
also, Rickson wears the red and black at 8th degree. so does Rigan and Carlos Machado, Pedro Sauer, to name a few. i doubt they'll be switching to the red/white anytime soon because the IBJJF says so.
Jeff Hudson is getting his coral belt this Saturday. September 9, 2023. Probably the last time Relson will be in Ohio too so more than likely the last seminar by him here as well.
I think bjj probably has one of the best belt systems . I know a karate school in my are that gives away black belts . I’m assuming it’s all about test to make money . How the f does a 12-14 yr old be a 2nd-3rd degree black belt ?
At my school it takes a minimum of 3 years. That's what everyone tells me in my gym to get to blue belt. I want that belt so bad. I used to not care but having something money can't buy makes me want it more
In Asia their are no belt system. In America, you pay $$ to test out of a certain color. So yes, it’s all about charging extra $$$$. Like he said, it’s about 8 - 10 years of f additional fees on top of the regular class fees! I hope I cleared it up for you all! Your welcome
It sometimes depends on the school, a buddy of mine went to the Gracie Academy in Torrance starting in 1992 and didn’t get his black belt till 2010 took him 18years, then I have another buddy of mine who and the to a different BJJ school and he got his black belt within 8 years.
That’s true maybe the other guy was better..oh! One question can a Brown belt in BJJ own a school and teach?reason why I ask is there’s a school in Wildomar CA, near where I live called Nine Nine Jiu-Jitsu and the head instructors/owner are Brown belts
My journey has been very different. 5 years as a child, then as an adult I did 6 years as a white belt (never attended a grading but was training regularly), 7 months as a blue belt, 7 months as a purple belt and have been a brown belt for about 4 months now
I just started about 3 to 4 weeks ago I train with white belts, blue, brown, black I have taken down someone who has been doing it for 2 months and they are 17 I’m 14 it felt really good it gave me the push I needed and after that now when I trained today I went up against the brown and blue belts they helped me as we went along and I like how respectful and nice everyone is my instructor is a great teacher he has so much passion for bjj and he is so happy while doing it he is not serious he likes us to give it our best and learn something
This is very interesting, i practiced ishinnryu and our belt system is way different. With the added yellow, orange, green belts. Then we have 3 different brown belts, with white stripe, black stripe, then solid brown being the third. Takes you about the same amount of time as it took me.10 years for my sandan. Learning about the different styles and systems is very fascinating.
I love all your videos. Could I ask a favor. Not sure if you already made the video, and I will be looking to see if you have, but could you do one for the youth belts please profesor. Thank you again.
for us, black belt/white bar IS a black belt. black belt/red bar is an instructor. black belt/red bar/white stripes on top and bottom of red bar is a "professor."
but what does it mean... 1 year at white? a pro athlete trains 2 hours per session, 2 sessions per day, 5 days per week, 50 weeks per year for 1000 hours in 1 year... but the average guy can only train 1.5 hours per session, 1 session per day, 3 days per week, 45 weeks per year for 200 hours in 1 year... These are 2 totally different animals... 1 is a lion, 1 is a cub... but they are both blue belts? how does that work?
When I was a kid in the ‘90s in France, I was learning Judo and Jiu-Jitsu and there were simply using Judo belt color: White, Yellow, Orange, Green, Blue, Brown, Black…
Yeah, I'm Gracie Academy now, we do the Combatives Belt before Blue. White Belt = stripes every 20 lessons guaranteeed. Combatives Belt = technical proficiency of the 36 basics, as well as combinations and basic fight simulation. Blue Belt = Combatives belt plus at least 100 hours extra study. Usually 18-24 months to get from white to blue. Blue/Purple/Brown Stripes = every 100 hours minimum. Not guaranteed. Must include at least 10hrs each of fight simulation and combination training.
I’ve wondered about this. My cousin just got his brown belt. Took longer than usual because the trainers he worked with for years were at a blue belt level in his words and yea they were a joke I’ve rolled with em
Great video. Do you know why Flavio Behring is now wearing a white belt with red tab to celebrate doing 70 years of jiu jitsu? I'm just guessing when you have been doing jiu jitsu that long you can do whatever you want so don't ask these questions?
+Mike Bowser you answered your own question. You get to a point where you can do whatever the heck you want. He is not only a red belt, he’s a VETERAN Red belt. I’m not gonna tell him what he needs to do, are you?
Can a very advanced and skilled child upon turning age 16 receive a higher rank than blue (ie. Multi stripe blue or purple), or do they start at a solid blue? Thanks
Lol these timelines for belts def don't count at the gym I train at. Very old school bjj mentality there. Get used to being a white belt and so on anywhere from 2-4 years.
2-4 years a white belt? Idk where you train man, but that is ridiculous. If a student has talent and has a good teacher it's possible to obtain your blue belt in less than a year.
Renzo Gracie gave me a blue after 2 years. I went there with about 4 years of judo experience also. Further five to get to purple and now at around 5 years of been a purple under the same school. It’s never a consistent thing though. Some people who started at the same time as me have reached brown/black belt.
The one school I started training at had stripes on white belt it was given for ever 10 drilling classes participated and you only can go to those classes after you went to each fundamentals of the 16 classes 3 times each then you tested for blue belt that school was a curriculum attendance based school I find it was more geared towards self defence we had sparring sessions with mma gloves I stared Jan 2011 then got promoted Oct 2014 did my first blue belt tournament I got second but got dominated in the open tournament
Dont forget to rank the guy with the white belt so worn out, raggedy, and dirty that you cant tell what it is and the guy with the previously black belt + that has been so worn into the mat that it has lost its color. Train long enough and you will inevitably see one of these two float into your class like the buddha and quietly, masterfully work out. :) Thanks for the explanation on BJJ belts.
The white strip in a black belt is to remind you where you come from to keep you humble, the BJJ mindset and the black strip in your white belt means the destiny that you have to have in your mind, the mind improvement! That's why there is white and black stripes in all graduation! Oss 🇧🇷
When I am older, i would love to open my own jiu jitsu gym. But the gym I train at doesnt do belts, we just do rash guards. So I need help with how could I open my own dojo without knowledge on the belt system and how the ranking up works?
Let's say you open a gym sometime between 5 and 20 years in the future. If you train hard and often, it's reasonable to assume that you would understand the ranking system, and a whole lot more in the distant future. In short there are 3 main bjj groups, Gracie being the most popular. All of the recognized groups bjj grades are Roughly the same in the bjj community. The confusion comes from traditional martial arts, having a different color ranking system. For example bjj lacks a yellow or green belt and different gyms have different criteria for gaining strips on belts.
maybe not to you. but people spend WAY more time and money on other hobbies. but you can buy the actual belt off many websites these days... earning one? now that's a different story. a LOT of time and (potentially) a LOT of money involved. of course, some have more time than money. others have more money than time. everyone's different.
Are there people that just stay at white belt forever because they’re not good at jiu jitsu despite training 3x a week consistently? Also if a student didn’t want promotions and was just training for the exercise, would you be okay with letting them stay at white forever?
What if someone was extremely talented and learned at a faster pace, would you award them a new belt faster? Or would this student still have to abide by a timeline?
That's good to hear. And that's the way it should be, imo. I feel that if a person is talented and gifted, why should they have to wait? The belt is indicative of one's skills, knowledge and ability to teach at a certain level. If someone displays that, why shouldn't they be awarded sooner?
I was on white for about 1.5 years and on blue for about 7. Now I train 6 days a week sometimes 2 or even 3 times a day and have never cared less about what belt I have. I get to start over every time my professor kills me regardless.