Am I sandbagging?

[lookatmikegreen]

This is my first post and I am sure I will screw it up, but here it goes any way...

I train MMA (one year) and now I'm also training traditional BJJ (about 2 months)
I've competed 6 times in grappling tournaments and have won all my gi (NAGA white belt) divisons. I am still a white belt. Do I need to move to the blue belt division because I have some mma grappling experience? Is this disrespectful? Am I sandbagging? Any guidance on this would be awesome. Also if I have posted in the wrong area my apologies.

 

[inverted vortex]

it's up to your professor to promote you. If he/she thinks you're a blue, they'll promote you accordingly. Sandbagging is usually the fault of the instructor, as you can't promote yourself.

what kind of guidance are you looking for, anyway?

 

[71Fish]

You're sandbagging. You should probably throw on a purple belt for the next tournament. I get my belt promotions on Amazon.

 

[Ton]

not at all. Even if you trained BJJ the whole year and 2 months, chances are you would still be wearing a white belt. So take pride in being a skilled beginner!

 

[lookatmikegreen]

-If I should compete up a belt level due to previous success.

-If its disrespectful to do so.

-If competeing up/or in both white and blue is allowed at naga.

 

[lookatmikegreen]

You're sandbagging. You should probably throw on a purple belt for the next tournament. I get my belt promotions on Amazon.

Glad to see trolls are alive and well.. God bless the interwebs. I understand this is a stupid white belt/noob question and I appreciate all the genuine responses.

 

[71Fish]

-If I should compete up a belt level due to previous success.

-If its disrespectful to do so.

-If competeing up/or in both white and blue is allowed at naga.

I was just messing with you above. You can't really move up in gi since you are wearing a belt that has been presented to you.

Nogi is a little more subjective. If you feel the competition is too easy at beginner/intermediate level, even if you don't meet the experience time threshold, go ahead and move up to advanced. That's ok.

But if you are a badass who has been training for 10+ years and you go beginner to win a belt a Grappler Quest, that is sandbagging and the person should be ashamed. (just letting off a little steam from someone who did that and didn't think they would be seen).

 

[Striderxdj]

This is my first post and I am sure I will screw it up, but here it goes any way...

I train MMA (one year) and now I'm also training traditional BJJ (about 2 months)
I've competed 6 times in grappling tournaments and have won all my gi (NAGA white belt) divisons. I am still a white belt. Do I need to move to the blue belt division because I have some mma grappling experience? Is this disrespectful? Am I sandbagging? Any guidance on this would be awesome. Also if I have posted in the wrong area my apologies.

How is NAGA still letting you compete at white after winning once? Generally, you are expected to compete at the next level if you win a divison regardless of your belt color, exceptions to that rule are supposed to be rare...

 

[71Fish]

How is NAGA still letting you compete at white after winning once? Generally, you are expected to compete at the next level if you win a divison regardless of your belt color, exceptions to that rule are supposed to be rare...

If he is still wearing a white belt in gi, how is he supposed to move up?

 

[Ton]

If he is still wearing a white belt in gi, how is he supposed to move up?

www.gracieuniversity.com

 

[liuk3]

You're not sandbagging, but maybe your instructor is. LOL.

 

[lookatmikegreen]

I register online for divisions intermeadiate no gi/white belt then at the event during the interview process they ask you how long you have been training. I told them 9 months and they try to put me in a lower no gi division. I explain to them ive won at that level, and want to compete up as far as no gi goes, but for gi I wasnt sure about "etiquette" for competing wearing a different color belt so I just let them put me in white belt even after explaining ive won at white.

 

[Striderxdj]

If he is still wearing a white belt in gi, how is he supposed to move up?

The same way other people do at naga, wear their white belt and compete in the blue belt division. The guy who won the last naga I competed at as a blue (beat me by points in the finals) competed at purple the next year (in his blue belt) and won at purple.

 

[JMG1134]

Most of the tournaments around here require you to compete at the next level up after you win once. Are you "technically' sandbagging? No...You still have a white belt, but I don't see anything wrong with moving up. You will probably enjoy the challenge more, too, if the wins have been easy for you.

 

[Forceof1]

I would say as long as they are different events, you are fine staying at white belt.

If you are still a white belt next year when the same tourneys roll around, then yes I would compete up a division.

When Keenan won one of the ibjjf major tourneys as brown belt , he didn't compete up at the next one on the schedule. He won a shit ton of tourneys as a brown belt, and no one batted an eye.

Do you have a wrestling background?
And are you winning small divisions? Super heavy weights sometime win two matches and get gold. White belt 170 / 185 tends to be a different story.

 

[anaconda]

If you win 2 Nagas, they force you to fight up a division - at least that's how I remember it.

Anyway, you're not sandbagging. You're a white belt competing at white belt.

 

[berimBOWLoh]

Glad to see trolls are alive and well.. God bless the interwebs. I understand this is a stupid white belt/noob question and I appreciate all the genuine responses.

not really a noob question. just a not so subtle brag/ego type question.

could also be seen as "why doesnt my instructor promote me already?" type question in disguise. your choice.

 

[Thrawn33]

In judo you used to be able to compete in the advanced divisions if your coach signed off on it.

Had a good year of "learning" before I was actually and advanced player.

Is that not allowed in BJJ?

 

[winterbike]

Send me a video of you rolling and 150$ and I'll tell you if you're sandbagging or not!

 

[maddog7]

not really a noob question. just a not so subtle brag/ego type question.

could also be seen as "why doesnt my instructor promote me already?" type question in disguise. your choice.

It's funny how this bjj etiquette thing works.
If you keep winning at your belt level you are sandbagging.
If you dare so much as hint at possibly getting promoted you are humble bragging.
Catch 22