I just want my blue belt because having my white belt is still displaying I'm in survival mode. the real learning comes from after you get blue. other than that it's all basic concepts
It took me 4 years to get my blue. I had some issues with a my previous coaches that is what took me somewhat longer. Don't worry about the belt, take your time and enjoy the ride. Most people I know that quit after blue is mostly due to the color and I got my basics down. After I got my blue, I felt like my journey barely started. Fight on, everyone.
People quit at blue belt because about midway into your blue belt... you can handle just about any regular untrained guy in a fight. Anything above mid-level blue belt is basically expert training.
Zeet that's exactly what one of my seminar instructors said. All you need is blue to be able to fuck up any normal person in a fight. Beyond that is just to fuck up other practitioners haha
I watched this when I first started to BJJ and it really helped, now i'm about a year in and coming back watching this really hits home. RIP Professor Owen.
I train about 2 to 3 days a week because my body just can't take more than that, but I seriously don't get upset during promotions because too much is placed on tips and belt colors when you should be focused on learning jiu Jitsu. If I were to stay a blue belt for 10 years, but be able to handle myself against Brown and Black belts (Which I can't yet) then I'm cool with that. You getting better is all that matters and in a real life situation then aggressor will not care what rank you are, nor will it matter if you forget technique.
People quit at blue belt because: They know they are going to sit at blue for 4+ years. They are being ignored by their instructor and don't know how to advance on their own. They are tired of asking, "what am I doing wrong" and being told "you're doing fine". They see how common sandbagging is and that to get a purple belt they will have to have the skill of a brown belt. They see uneven standards being applied without explanation. They see their instructors don't care about them as people. They see that their instructor thinks loyalty is a one way street. They are getting punished for having the nerve to ask about rank. They are tired of losing in competitions to brown belts wearing blue belts. They are sick of Instructors not caring when they are injured. They are at a school where years go by an no one gets promoted. They have an instructor who won't work with them financially and would rather have no money than a little less than full price. They are tired of the politics. They get injured and can't do half of the normal stuff anymore.
Spirit Splice I think you hit it on the button my friend. The first school I went to the instructor was only attentive to his higher belts. The lower ranks never got any better and the teacher was not receptive to questions unless it was from the good guys at the academy. Second school i visited the teacher was nice but there was too much politics involved. For the most part its about finding a teacher that knows where to draw the line, and a teacher that really wants to make everyone better by rolling with them, watching them roll and pointing out their mistakes. Never really had that until now.
BTW guys I'm 52 a few weeks ago I was sparring with some of our young guys who were fighting in the cage by sparring I mean stand up, striking, and on the ground one of them asked me my age he was 24, I told him to which he said ''and your taking the fight up to the young blokes that's awesome'' I was bullied at school I'm no stud, I'm not good looking, and I'm not the smartest guy around but to have a young man say something like that to an old AH like me changed my life forever, and changed my attitude towards these young men, keep going guys never give up, if you cannot get to a school train at home find a mate to train with, anything, sooner or later it will come to you, and you will be ready.
Glad you made this video.. I've been training for a long while now (different system) But when I was ready to test several years ago, I wasn't allowed to test because I had just gotten pregnant.. I continued to train, but no contact & my OBGYN was also a martial artists, he monitored everything.. Finally I did test and time went on and later we planned another baby.. So life and injuries do happen that hold off testing but be safe & keep training, I have not given up.. Someone once told me don't worry about the belt, it just holds ur pants up.. I took that advice, stopped caring about my rank & just trained, I have become better for it... Enjoy your training, stop worrying about the color of your belt and have fun as Well.. I'm also glad that my husband and children train, even grandma.. It's a family of martial artists.. Thanks for the video..
haha love this video, that evil force doesn't stop trying to end my JiuJitsu. That force never goes away, Family, work, lack of progress, fatigue, insomnia, and worst of all injuries.
I've been training in jiu-jitsu since 2002. The closest bjj black belt instructor to me is 2 1/2 hours away from me. makes it challenging working a full time job
This brings back so many memories of when I was a Blue belt. The day I got my Purple belt in 2008 ,I was so happy. The Blue belt was something special now that I look back...
I like what this guy has to say. I just earned my blue belt and I'm mainly in it for the principles and practicing for the fun of it. Martial arts in general is my life!
The Gracies respected the shit out of Bruce Lee, who took the time to learn grappling when most strikers at that time arrogantly thought they didn't need to grapple. If he was still alive, he'd probably get into BJJ to supplement his other stuff since he was always trying to learn
how much flouride are you ingesting, you silly fuck.. Bruce would skull fuck and shit on the head of any BJJ blue/purple/ect his speed and ability to read an opponent are what made him so victorious
I quit BJJ as a one stripe white belt and didn't come back until 4 years later. I always regretted quitting. All the guys I started with are good purple belts...but I found a great teacher at the Rilion Gracie academy after moving states and he was invested in all the students from brand new white belts to higher belts. I'm proud to say after nearly a year of training there I got my blue belt last month. My first promotion mixed with having a great teacher motivates me to train more.
Tuesday will be my 4th Gracie jiu jitsu class, and luckily I couldn’t care less about belts. I know how to defend myself, growing up in Springfield, MA will do that for you. I just love jiu jitsu and can’t wait to keep learning.
My goodness! This is so true. Without doubt, this was what happened to me back in 1999 when I was a blue belt in Karate. I quitted practicing for some reason. It's been 16 years today and no exercise, no workout, no rigorous physical activity like I used to do back then: lots of physical disorders and weaknesses in my 30's.
Injuries become a factor for many. People get tired of having a sore back and joint discomfort. Walking around like they are an 80+ year old gets tiresome.
I've been a blue for over 12 years--hopefully I'll get purple someday. Everything he is saying is true. I'm not giving up though. So far I've weathered injuries, marriage, kids, moves, etc, but still am hanging on. Hopefully this can encourage others.
Murdoc Rutle Thanks for the nice words. Actually, I can usually catch a black each training session, but almost always with leg/footlocks. Very few dominant positions on upper belts, which is maybe why I stay at blue...Thanks again.
every time i stopped martial arts was because of finances. practiced various styles from age 15-26. then i gave up completely in order to fix my finances and my future. i still love martial arts. wish i could find some like minded people to train with for fun without signing up with a school.
I think the issue is that it gets repetitive. Here is every 80% of blue belt matches: one person pulls guard. Then they chill and try not to move. Either the person on top also chills or gets bored and countered. The rules work here (Japan) in such a way that you're rewarded for lying on the ground and hugging your opponent.
I think that its the same across the board .in martial arts a person has to have that desire to train .Its something that 1 out of 100 have .Thats the reality .If its not in you you wont stay.
Looks like someone never learned the self-defense side of BJJ. You WANT to be hugging an opponent who is trying to punch your face in. The goal is to survive, not to pull guard and sink in a triangle or guillotine while someone is slamming you.
Fuck waiting years for belts. If proficiency is demonstrated and a student consistently outperforms his/her classmates and wins at competition against outsiders they should be advanced. Ultimately belt color winds up being trivial after years of training but it is a motivator that will keep a student on the path initially.
espada9 It's all ceremony and how much money you can bring in after a few levels of black belt, I hope that statement does not come as a surprise. At 67 your focus is to pass on your knowledge and experience not executing at the level of twenty-somethings. Simplest way to judge advancement is to observe and once you are sufficiently impressed ask the student to teach the material to others.
espada9 Proficiency against classmates of the same rank, and winning competitions (note the plural) against outside opponents of the same rank is very different from a single win against a 67 year old.
benji ben That depends on what belts signify. If they are to signify proficiency, I wouldn't blame someone for feeling like their work and dedication are not being recognized. If they are to show how long you have been around, then it doesn't really matter. I guess the question Jiu Jitsu schools should ask is: "what does a belt mean?"
Sadly im one of those who had to quit at blue belt. A bunch of health issues and life got in the way. I keep telling myself I want to go back, hopfully I will one day. Great video.
Somethin that was instilled in me from a young age of martial arts. its not about the belt its about being there, participating, trying making an effort to improve.
The leather belt that is the one that hurts the most when you hit somebody with it . Leather is better and belts are stupid anyway . Its all about the money
Why people worry about getting a belt ?? To me ju-jutsu is a journey ... and as a journy you should enjoy the ride and not to worry for the end ...im a white belt no stripes and i roll with two blue belts four stripes who kick my ass and dont matter cause i am learning in ju-jutsu there is no winning nor loosing there is learning ...
A belt is a symbol of achievement. The thing is that if it takes you to long to get something that proves your effort then you become tired, and off course doing a martial art 10 or 15 years to get a black belt or even to achieve some kind of mastery its not something regular people can do, and thats because the comitment that is required to do so its very high for someone with family, career etc. History has proven that every martial art needed 10 years or more for someone to get a black belt when it was first established, but when more people started doing them black belts became easier to achieve.That said when someone pays to learn something its his right to need some proof of grade, and i think that thats something that needs consideration.
My instructor always said make the "moves" your own to make them stick. Willing to experiment no matter the outcome, patience, accept self and peer criticism is what makes a blue a purple, purple a brown and eventually a black. Make the moves personal to you with your own twists so you remember them instinctively then perfect them. The sooner you can "feel" Jiu Jitsu without having to think, the sooner you will enjoy it even more and progress. If anything, atleast stay until you can frustrate your instructor with your ability to escape,avoid their submissions and stay alive that's when the REAL fun begins. They will eventually get you of course, but when your instructor starts saying "hey you roll with me first, that you warmed him or her up for everyone else or that you need to focus on submissions for a month" your knocking at that door.
I know when you're really into something, it can be hard to imagine how others are not as interested as you are. But people quit things all the time, for many reasons. Time, money, to explore other interests.
Been training for a year consistently 2-3x a week. One stripe white belt. It's kind of a nice feeling to be tapping out the 2 and 3 stripe white belts now. Don't really mind getting promoted slowly lol
Hi guys! I´ll talk about myself! I´m almost 40 years old now and i´m a lawyer. I always dream with black belt. 10 years ago i was reaching purple belt but i moved to another city and had to study every hours i could. Years later, after settle down, I really tryied to come back, but everytime i suffered an injury and had few time to spend in the gym. I also see some problems with the brazilians jiu jitsu schools. The masters always want to form a top team to compete, so that´s how they would be recognised. This team is formed with kids in the age about 20 years old. These kids don´t work and train hard every day. And the philosophy in the class is a totally rumble to simulate competition. Of course, people like me will get injuried. It´s just suicide to come back training hard BJJ with a competitor of 20 years old. I feel that each day i´m more distant to be able to come back. Even with an awesome stretching and warming up, nowadays i get injuryed even in weight trainning. Just getting worse, the audiences i make pull me away from the scars and strathches in my face...aging sucks!!
Man, I don't want to sound like a crybaby or like I'm making excuses, but I have always been interested and fascinated with different martial arts, including a new-found discovery and interest in BJJ (my next door neighbor, Andron Wright, is a blackbelt in BJJ). I started as a very basic beginner (but a good all-round athlete) taking Aikido and Kung Fu courses and was really excited about pursuing it and learning more. And then I developed a condition called cervical radiculopathy (aka cervical "pinched nerve") that is more painful, debilitating, and difficult to get rid of than anything I could have ever imagined and was just completely and summarily crippled and taken out of the game. I guess my point is that some may choose to quit or drop out and some may have that decision made for them. Stay strong, be humble but persistent, and try to avoid injuries. Much respect.
True. My school had guys rolling for a few years and I come in and get killed. I got my blue and purple, then started training at many different schools and stopped testing. I still roll, just at different spots. I have been training for 12yrs now... and I still get tapped...
Loved the advice to help us achieve our goals. Hate the belt marketing thing though. When in History were Martial Arts a sole successful means of income (without tainting the values & practicality of the discipline)?
Probably the most common reason is that like all learning curves they are steep at first and then flatten out. I trained in BJJ for 3 years. I got my bluebelt in one year and then quit 2 years later due to a serious hand injury. But even aside from the injury I was feeling that I was on a plateau that just would not end. BJJ is difficult to learn, and the increasing level of subtleties after bluebelt increase the difficulty.
I got my blue belt from Royce Gracie but had to stop due to constant back injuries, not being able to trust others not to injure me during rolling, people going all out to scalp me because I have a black belt in another (stand up style) , it started to feel like work.
I quit at 2nd degree blue belt back in 2000. I'm 45 now, I just have way too many things going on. But sadly, it is a young man's sport. You become way to susceptible to injury if you try to compete at an older age so what's the point. To me, it's boring to train if I can't compete with 100% tenacity like I did in my younger years.
Ok so I have a question. I just started BJJ and I was wondering if you have to go to competitions and stuff like that. Like do all BJJ academy’s require it or do only some require it?
People quit at blue belt because a blue belt will beat 99% of people on the streets. It's almost as good as a black belt vs untrained opponents. Many people want to be good enough to defend themselves, and a blue belt does that.
Christian Thames that's bullshit. If you quit at bluebelt you will be above average at sweeping and submitting. Sure you'll be able to wipe out a drunk in a fist fight... maybe. But what if you haven't been keeping up on your cardio. Sucking down greasy burgers and drinking Jack and cokes. You're not training because you quit. Those skills won't be sharp. Fast twitch muscles and muscle memory won't react properly at the moment of truth. You might as easily get trounced. All because you had learned all there is to learn about self defense at bluebelt... hmmm
@Christian Thames - - I agree. When you put in a few years of consistence training, are recognized as being decent at the art, and are comfortable with your skill level, it's easy to say, "time for an extended break."
@@markmartin5364 i apologize for my crass attitude. I was obviously having a bad day when i posted that remark. Blue belt is the belt where you pick up multiple responsibilities. A responsibility not to make beginner mistakes. A responsibility for your physical fitness and motivation. A responsibility to bring the whitebelts along with you. Some cannot handle the pressure. And I have had my ass handed to me by many colored belts. And i love every second of it. Sorry for the rude post though. God bless. ❤
This is why I think stripes are great idea..I know every says belts don’t matter..but when your year 2 into your blue belt and you get your second stripe it does give you a metal bump to get the third..and so on
why do people quit bjj? Because, like Boom Boom Mancini said "it breaks your body down." God bless these people who continue in bjj past their 40s. I don't know how they do it, except that they have a very high tolerance for the pain (not of taking class, but of recovery from class)
We roll light, using technique over strength. I also prioritize conditioning over BJJ, only do BJJ twice a week. It's the way I should have been doing it all along.
I am 42 and just started !!! I have done Muay Thai and KRav for many years but I love it , so far , despite being more complex than I could imagine and the class is only teaching white belt moves.
And here I am, just wanting to learn and develop my game. If someone gives me a different colored belt - cool, but its the learning that matters, how well I understand.
Iam a white belt and travel to brazil in a few days for train 3 week in a camp. Iam nerveous and full of anxious. Thxs god that I found that speech before I am leaving...
if he is as good as he is in inspirational speaches, hes a hell of a martial arts instructor! loved the video even if i am not affiliated with jiu-jitsu at all ;-)
The curriculum in most schools is shaped for competition and that atmosphere creates a lot of alpha attitudes on top of this, life in general gets in the way. There has to be curriculum goal set in mind. One to learn Jiujitsu for self defense and two, the option to learn sports competition. This will create opportunities for students to stick around longer for their training purposes.
I had resolved to complete at least fifty classes but after four or five got pneumonia and didn't return, upon recovery went to a Systema class instead. My BJJ 'class' was all free style rolling, no drills or structured practice. I talked to guys who had trained there for one and a half years and NEVER were taught the 'self defense' methods and had NEVER done anything which did not start from on their knees. At least in the Systema class we dealt with people trying to punch you in the head.
People quit at blue belt cuz they can't afford the gyms or the academies anymore everyday they're becoming more expensive 150$ & prices similar to that so that's why people quit if you guys make them more affordable maybe more people will come or will continue
***** I feel like I get my money's worth. When I boxed, had I paid for a package similar to the one at my BJJ school, it would have cost about the same. Anyway, a lot of schools offer a free first lesson. Maybe you should try before you buy. I did, and I thought $125 a month was worth it.
+RubioNegroZaravia yh & that's the problem cz not everyone can afford it's too much they should do it a lot cheaper than $150 a month so more students can afford the classes & more people come to those classes
i lived abroad for a while after getting my blue belt and i couldnt train there. when i got home i just couldnt get going again. i'm in the throes of coming back though. i wanna get that purple :)
I am new but was wondering why they don’t do stripes to show progression in the belt levels..or maybe a new belt between blue and purple..my kids bjj class had a gray belt and green belt to keep the kids mind set on pushing forward.
I've been training at my gym for a year and a 2 and a 1/2 to 3 yearsPeople that came in 6 months ago And I'm already been moated over me the thing is is that I can Tap them More than they can get me I have a disability I know one handed fighter so I have had to adapt modify About 85% of class I felt like I was being looked over Because I don't compete in they do During my jujitsu journey I've been bouncing around to other gyms just trying to learn notifications developing my own style with other coaches help professors help They coach and regular to for all my modifications The other gym Here was promoting his other students last week and then he promoted me is last I graciously accepted because he believes I'm ready and so do I The problem arises when I brought it up to my main coach after About a week of turmoil I don't know exactly what to do One handed I learn modifications developing styles The respect I have for both coaches professors Because my in blue bill will not be recognized at the 1st gym
People quit because too many instructors out there are not even black belts themselves and cannot really promote you to the higher ranks. Whoever said a brown belt in BJJ is equivalent to a black belt in other martial arts has probably went to some McDojo. This whole "minimum of 10 years before being a black belt" sounds ridiculous to me. If you're good, you're good - no use waiting 6-7 years to become a purple belt or 10-15 years to become a black belt. Judo is much more complex than most BJJ schools out there and it doesn't take 10 years to achieve a black belt if you're good.
Funny that you talk about evidence while you don't supply any yourself. Just because you didn't hear of a school not run by a black belt doesn't mean it doesn't exist, nor thinking that BJJ that originates in Judo is more complex. Some do quit because of money, but people lose interest when they don't advance - promotion, competition, whatever. There's also a person's opinion, and mine contrasts yours - doesn't mean you're right in any of your statements.
A real BJJ black belt will take at least 10 years to complete, and that's training 5 days a week. Sure people have been promoted sooner, but that's really the exception. There is so much to learn, so many details, a lot of intricacies. You would know that if you trained.
Omega A my coach is a purple 4th stripe. Brilliant teacher under the guidance of royce gracie who visits every 4months along with other high level black belts. My coach won't promote anyone because he wants to leave it to royce but believe me when I say this the purple belt instructor I have produces better fighters than any of the other clubs around the local area.
I was 57 yrs old when I started...got hurt after a year...knee injury that doesn't seem to want to heal...i want to go back but its very tough at my age...any suggestions?
I am not a BJJ practitioner but I feel like training for it should be like training for other things in life. If you fail to be invested in your training and you quit then it is on you. If you get discouraged because you keep getting submitted and quit then you did not train properly. Ask questions. If you get submitted by a higher rank you should be asking how that person did it and what could you have done to prevent it or escape from it. If the person you are rolling with refuses to answer questions go ask your teacher. I do have some martial arts experience in Shotokan Karate and I never sparred with a higher rank that would not answer any questions I had. As I said, I am not a BJJ practitioner but it seems to be a very cerebral art that requires you to do more than just go to class and go through the motions.
Hell i have been in Judo for 5 years and I'm just green belt, for different reasons i can't go as much as i would like, but i hang there and i hope to get my blue belt in 2018 finally, and i have recently began jiu jitsu and I'm in love with it too, i guess i will be white belt for a looooooooong time
thats the one draw back about blue belts, they have the skills to be assholes to other blues and below but that humility and laid back attitude of higher belts hasnt sunk in yet. I was reading one post where they were talking about how all their brown and black belts were assholes and im like what sschool is this bc EVERY school ive visited those were the MOST friendly and helpful
This is the first time iv seen Keith Owens, great speaker and motivator, would be an awesome instructor. Iv been kickboxing for a while and have now gotten into BJJ, 3 stripes on my white, my goal is obviously a blue, but at 48yrs old, kickboxing is a little harder on your body, hopefully BJJ is something I can do without to many injuries...But I still feel id rather get punched in the face than have some BJJ guy on my chest and that HORRIBLE feeling of not being able to breathe! lol
I thought a lot about quitting. And honestly it's not about the belt. It's been over 4 years and I'm not even blue. It's the injuries. And the bruises everywhere. And being sore after hard training. The very slow improvement is a bit discouraging, but it's the injuries that mess with me. I've had knee surgery, should AC joint separation, both sides (3rd and 1st degree), a fractured rib, ... and lots of more minor things that took me off the mats 2-3 weeks each time... Sore neck, sore back, ... I've really only trained 2-ish years over these 4+ years ...
BJJ can demand a lot and for some people it doesn't offer much back. I did it for 6 years, got my purple belt and quit. I just didn't enjoy it any more, and that was after trying a break, trying a few new gyms. I'll tell you something though: I don't miss it.
lol at my comment this is 2 years ago..and today im in my room feeling sad i cannot go to jiujitsu with a 3rd degree brazilian blackbelt..because im too broke that if i sign up itd mean not eating lol..luckily i've gained enough experience over the years to become a decent grappler..and thats cool enough to keep..
I’ve never equated doing the dishes to going to BJJ class. If I ever wasn’t feeling like going to class I don’t go. I go because of how fun it is and how it’s my escape.
Having done many martial arts and to black belt grade. I've now started bjj. I think it's the length of time to blue belt. When you get it you think I can't go that long again. Introducing a yellow intermediate belt to white belts who want to feel progression aka not a beginner but not quite blue would solve this problem. In my previous martial art the quitting limit was brown black due the coat of the black belt exam Every martial art has it's reason
That's what stripes are for and a reason a lot of BJJ gyms incorporated them. If you are doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu just for your belt color, you are doing it wrong. Children have a shorter attention span on average than adults and are easily discouraged, that's why they have so many belts colors in children's classes. If you are a child and you are discouraged because you've been a white belt for 2 years, that's understandable. If you are an adult and are discouraged because you haven't got your blue belt in 2 years, You need to reevaluate the reasons why you are taking BJJ in the first place and figure out where you stand. The belt will come when the time is right, but it has to be earned.
Some only want the self-defense techniques of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which ends just before blue belt. Getting the blue belt is the end of the line for these people.
There's self-defense at all levels in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. The most common are at white belt, but you move into other scenarios and weapon defenses at blue and higher.
What people fail to realize is that a belt is not going to save you in a life or death situation. Rank does hold value and is supposed to be representative of your knowledge base for skills set. However, if you dont have the skills that will be there to protect you in a real life situation, the belt serves you no purpose and, in turn, defeats the purpose of studying the art.
i pay less attention to belts I care about my skills strengths and weaknesses and also turning my weaknesses into strengths and that plays an important role of becoming a real BJJ black belt
Not everyone has the time or money to go to an organized, scheduled training academy that forces its students to spend hours, days, weeks, months, and years going over the same tactics and strategies repeatedly. I completely agree that BJJ takes time and effort and patience, but if someone has the skill to submit a higher ranking practitioner then they should be promoted on the spot. True story: I spent almost 20 years competing at Greco Roman wrestling and decided to try Jiu Jitsu because I was a cop and wanted to learn new techniques. The first week of class, which was incredibly expensive, I submitted a brown belt who was very close to receiving his black belt. It wasn't because I knew more Jiu Jitsu, it was because of my wrestling background and because I knew one arm bar submission really well. I didn't get promoted and didn't expect to, my point is that BJJ should not be treated as an art that requires ranked belts. I was much more experienced at ground fighting and grappling than that brown belt and he knew it. He didn't get upset, he actually asked me to train with him and help him which I thought was very professional on his part. I didn't stay at that school long because it was too fucking expensive. Ive since continued my Jiu Jitsu education and training on my own for the past 12 years. I'm sure with my knowledge and experience that I would have been a black belt for many years by now but I chose to train outside a traditional school. Lots of people do.
After two years of boxing a can defense myself on the street, and i didn't get any injuries. After 2 years of bjj i'm still a white belt, and i can't imagine how i can apply bjj on the street, and i am injured several times: my neck is compressed, my shoulders are stretched. A lot of time and energy and very slow progress - that's why many people quit. I ran over 10 years, participated in many half marathons and i have a good shape and positive mentality during this hobby. BJJ don't get me positive mentality - only negative pressure on my brain. I can't understand for what i must get this injuries, that can stop my another sport activity for many years. I don't feel any positive mind for this 2 years of bjj.
Sometimes a white belt will kick your ass because often they just come from no-gi to Gi and they've spent years doing no-gi. In other words always consider the background and context of the white belts and don't get pissed if they beat your ass.
@basedvato LOL!! I experienced that back in 1999. A big guy in white belt approached me during a Saturday sparring class. This guy was strong, he was throwing me all over the mat while trying to strangle and smother me. After 10 minutes, he winded himself and the match ended with my knee on his chest (he was sideways though, his shoulders never touched the mat) and trying to sweep his arm lapel to gain mount. After he told me that he has been wrestling competitively for 8 years. I was a 2nd degree blue belt while he was wearing the white belt. I'm sure it looked strange to onlookers seeing a higher level getting overpowered and thrown around like that. But at least I didn't lose and was able to conserve energy.
Come on mate, you know full well if someone is throwing anyone about, its not bjj. Its back to that debate of sport bjj vs traditional bjj. All bjj works with very little effort. Anyone with more than ten minute training would have seen it for what it was.
Our BJJ head instructor a few weeks ago said that you never stop learning, as Ron Balicki who has trained with Dan Inosanto for 30 years said all of a sudden Dan will do something he has never seen before and he will think where the hell did that come from to which he said you are an eternal student, I have often been told by many instructors once you get your Black your just starting my friends out there don't be so hard on yourselves it never ends which I think is a good thing, it keeps you hungry, but I think the belts keep you focused, never give up brothers.
I, personally, moved to a town without a bjj school. That hasn't stopped me learning online and from other resources though and working out to be more physically capable. I've rolled with some people on occasion since and performed better than I did before I moved so you can improve if you keep learning regardless of belts.
My school rarely talks about belts. It's more like go roll and drill. Roll and drill roll and drill. I've never even seen a promotion ceremony of any kind.
