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Americans getting BJJ black belts

I personally like the fact that it takes so long and requires so much work to get a black belt in BJJ because it gives the black belt meaning and doesn't cheapen its value like other martial arts do (i.e. Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kenpo, etc.).

I don't think it's as politcal as other people say it is either. BJJ masters and teachers are no different from wrestlers, or judokas, or kickboxers; they value hard work and emphasize that in their teachings. If the Gracie family really cared about Americans tainting their sacred art, they would have never began teaching it in the first place. BJJ is a sport where time spent on the mat won't necessarily equate into a higher belt ranking, but rather is one where quality time is essential. A black belt in BJJ is not something that can be bought or waited on; it must be EARNED.
 
RobT said:
Yeah, like Matt Serra, BJ Penn and Lloyd Irvin... they must have hated having to train for so long to get their black belts!

If I didn't enjoy it, I'd probably hate training 3x a day, 6 days a week like BJ was alledgedly doing for the 3 years it took for him to get his black.
 
most black belts from Brazil kick tail.

most black belts from US kick tail.

I think its about right.
 
Stoic1 said:
So much bullshit on this thread I am reminded why Sherdog is the absolute worst place in the world for grappling information in general, much less BJJ.

Does that mean you wont be posting in the grappling forum anymore?
 
shotokanmix said:
There is nothing wrong with the whining. Just, the people looking for the fancy belts are not the breed of people that bjj is made for. It is an art of patience. It is not an art with flashy belts and flashy moves. If you want to brag about belt color do tkd, shotokan, kung fu, tang so do, judo.

:icon_twis Uh, dude, you're full of crap by putting Judo on that list. While there are Judo black belts out there that attained their rank in a recreational non-competitive club, this does not reflect the a true black belt level. A Judo black belt earned in a competitive club tought by a high level instructor isn't given out like candy pal. Most on this forum would agree that Judokas work hard for rank and it does mean something fuckbag. Judo is not BJJ and I think that people too often get into BJJ > Judo because lower ranking BJJ students often beat higher ranking Judokas in grappling comps. So what! Judo is Judo and BJJ is BJJ. I do both because I don't believe they are mutually exclusive. One complements the other. I am a BJJ white belt and a Judo green. The truth is that I get tooled on the ground by more experienced BJJ guys but give all of them including my instructors hell on the feet. Does that mean I think BJJ sucks, fuck no!!!! I hate retarted logic.
 
colinm said:
quoted for emphasis. why the fuck are you guys arguing about blue belts tapping brown belts or whatever the fuck ever you're talking about?
because its easier than actually training
 
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