Belt Systems need to go away

Not that I have a lot of experience but, is twice a day, 6 days aweek realistic? That seams like an awful lot to ask of a human body.

School kids in Japan train about 20 hours a week (2-3 a days). Same as wrestling kids in US etc etc. If you build up to it, focusing on total volume and not just escalating intensity, sure it's possible.
 
I trained in sambo for some time and did like that it didn't have a belt system. That said i also like the bjj belt system and, typically, hoe difficult it is to achieve black belt rank.

I also find it interesting you see more ego at higher belt ranks thank in striking arts. I spent a long time boxing and doing muay Thai. Overall, i have never seen more ridiculous egos than in boxing and mma gyms.

Both in the gyms, and public personalities. Boxers and mma fighter egos are often out of control. I've never experienced it to be anywhere near as wide spread in any grappling art.
 
Thank you for being the first to create a real response unlike the other two genius' in the thread so far. It has been bugging me for a few weeks how this black belt has been carrying himself and I did have to speak to the head instructor about it. Some more bullshit happened last night in training. I always felt this way about the belts, but an arrogant black belt has just reminded me of why I feel this way about the belts.

Step back and assess maybe? I've rarely run into anyone at my gym, let alone a black belt, who feels the need to assert his dominance with that sort of smack talk. Are you doing something that's pissing him, or others, off?
 
Sounds like the OP is just as big an ass as that black belt.
 
In bjj I always found that belts tend to be consistent in terms of skills almost everywhere.

In judo it really does not mean much.
There are a bunch of green belt killers who just don t give a shit about belts, just like you have some poor, unathletic blacks who just always passed their belts.
 
Step back and assess maybe? I've rarely run into anyone at my gym, let alone a black belt, who feels the need to assert his dominance with that sort of smack talk. Are you doing something that's pissing him, or others, off?

He was upset about the neck crank. Though I didn't mean to crank him., it did happen so I apologized for that. Immediately actually. Then all the bullshit started too after that. I've been there for 7 years and have always been a good training partner/never had a conflict in class. I think it had more to do with this black belt still being relatively young (in his 40's) but hitting the age were his athletics start to slip. I had his back and had complete control and he fucking hated that then the neck crank just solidified his hatred for the whole thing lol.

The guy has tapped me SOOO many times in the last 7 years so I was really shocked. I thought he was going to say he was proud of me lol (even though I did give him a bit of a crank, even though it was accidental)

That's what I think happened. I think it was sour grapes and his own ego not accepting his age.
 
Not giving black belts to asshole has some merit.
Oh, I completely agree. A black belt should have more than just skill in the art, but they should properly represent the spirit of an art.

I just don't blame the belt.
 
I hate these type of soft convos. This is why i like training at purely brazilian gyms. They treat it more like boxing. Best guy in the room talks the most shit, is what it is. Every1 else comes for the crown. Handle ur business and move on.

I think it's because bjj is mostly a middle class sport in north america
 
Being allowed and forced to compete up a belt once you get enough wins would be an improvement.
NAGA does this, if you win one division, you are not allowed to fight in that division anymore.
 
Would there be any black belt Gracies?

Aren't some of the newer ones like Roger or Clark decent people?
But what would be kind of a realistic guide lines would be not to give belts to assholes *if* they aren't at competitive skill level for that belt.
 
Not giving black belts to asshole has some merit.

Good idea.

Let me think about it.

I don't think I could train an asshole.
I mean that I could not out up with such attitude for at least the time it takes to reach BB which is like ten years .

My guess is the apple does not far from the tree .
 
I dont think there's really any issue with belt ranks.
i guess there doesn't HAVE to be rank systems of any sort, but it makes it easier for instructors to keep track of progression, and help students identify a general knowledge/skill level.

however i think the gentleman you're talking about would be an asshole no matter what, and would simply say that he could do whatever he wanted with you because of his X number of years training vs your Y number of months or years training.

assholes will be assholes regardless.

I’ve met people who wrestled for a year in HS who thought they were the shit.
 
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The belt system isn't the problem, the problem is that you can win a world championship at each belt level.

Years of experience is better, even if it's hard to prove and that 5 years at 5 times a week and 5 years at 3 times a week or with a 5 months off because of an injury. In my area there are no gi competition that are based on that data (up to 1 year is beginner, 1-3 years is intermediate, after 3 years it's the expert division). Then the beginners would be able to compete among themselves.

It's hard to care in the system we are in. If you win, you ask yourself if your coach let's you sandbag, and if you lose there's likely guys that are sandbagging.

Belts are for your coach, it helps him to show you your progress. I understand what a purple should look like in my gym and I work to get to that standard, I don't really care about what's going on in other gyms.

For the black belt, it's more of an aknowledgement of your knowledge and skills, it's a way to say, you're now ready to be a coach and I assess that you're now an expert. There are no belts in wrestling, boxing, kickboxing, MT, MMA... But most of the coaches have been aknowledge by someone to assess that they are legit experts.
 
I think it's because bjj is mostly a middle class sport in north america

So true. Myself and almost everyone I know that trains fit that model.

The longer you train the less you care about belts, but for business and competitions they are needed. People by nature are competitive, so belts,weight classes , and age divisions allow an even playing field. Who would ever compete if experts were facing noobs ?
 
Belts should not go away because then we would have no periodic Belts Need To Go Away Threads. And as a corollary there would be no opportunity for someone to make a belts should not go away because then we would have no periodic Belts Need to Go Away Threads post.
 
I trained in sambo for some time and did like that it didn't have a belt system. That said i also like the bjj belt system and, typically, hoe difficult it is to achieve black belt rank.

I also find it interesting you see more ego at higher belt ranks thank in striking arts. I spent a long time boxing and doing muay Thai. Overall, i have never seen more ridiculous egos than in boxing and mma gyms.

Both in the gyms, and public personalities. Boxers and mma fighter egos are often out of control. I've never experienced it to be anywhere near as wide spread in any grappling art.

Interestingly my sambo gym adopted a belt system, because the coach wanted to still be able to grade people but obviously couldn't implement the Russian system in a the UK
 
Nope. The belt system gives people something to aspire to, and in BJJ it forces upper belts to live up to the rank. BJJ is probably the most honest MA out there. You know very quickly who the "soft" Black Belt in the room is, but you can also show respect for that person sticking to the art despite their fighting ability.
 
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