Blue to purple on your own?

[tudor_bjj]

While I agree with this i principle you have to realise that in the majority of europe there is a lack of opportunities to be promoted due to the low number of black belts. Most guys are lucky if they get to train with a black belt 1-2 times a year so the chance to roll infront of a instructor and be promoted becomes jsut as important if not more so than the seminar itself. You can bet the other guys there will have been going hard to try and get themselves noticed as well.

As I mentioned above this is so true, blandy. Everybody was talking before, during and right after (before Royce announced the promotions) seminar about "I want my blue", "I hope he will promote me to purple", "If he just gives me stripes, I think I'm gonna die" etc.
I'm the type of guy that just rolls very relaxed. Adding this to the fact that I didn't (previous to this seminar) have the chance to test myself against other blues, I was not expecting any belt... (OK, I was hoping, but not dying to get it :wink: ) so I was more relaxed (if it's possible).
One more thing, Royce was walking around when people were rolling and watching for 30 s - 1 min. I liked that from a different perspective than the others. As soon as Royce was near me and the partner I was rolling at that moment, the guy just started struggling and putting a lot of power, that I just used in my favor. That's how I swept that blue from X-g. Royce game near us and I was already in the x, but the guy had a very good base and was defending well. When he saw Royce and there he was a high blue being off-balanced from x by a white, he struggled away from me and I just followed him raising his foot close to my head...

 

[apapen]

I guess you should keep training smart, getting the best out of what you can from the net, the problem that I see is that you might develop bad habbits that work with your students but that would be inefective with schooled fighters. The way I see it, reaching the level of a good purple belt would put you in condition to fight head to head with brown and black belts, specially if you are fighting nogi. That said, I figure that it would take you ages, and perhaps it would be impossible, to reach this level of fighting without constant exposure to superior opponents.

 

[tudor_bjj]

I guess you should keep training smart, getting the best out of what you can from the net, the problem that I see is that you might develop bad habbits that work with your students but that would be inefective with schooled fighters. The way I see it, reaching the level of a good purple belt would put you in condition to fight head to head with brown and black belts, specially if you are fighting nogi. That said, I figure that it would take you ages, and perhaps it would be impossible, to reach this level of fighting without constant exposure to superior opponents.

Yeah, that's what really scares me. Very good post, man!

 

[VagabondMusashi]

While going from white to blue is fairly easy, going from blue to purple is probably the most meaningful belt change in BJJ. I think that you can

 

[TheHighlander]

Going to purple will likely be a long hard road. It's definitely possible though. You'll need to bring your current whites up to blue level and are going to need to take all opportunities possible for seminars and competitions.

 

[judogido]

Tudor, are there any opportunities to go and check out some Judo clubs in your area? I'm not suggesting take up judo, just that you might be lucky and locate a club with a good newaza instructor so that you can expand your base esp with the gi. Some Judo competitions wont hurt either (.. well maybe they will a bit)

I think you have an excellent attitude. I am sure you will achieve purple belt level in time.

 

[judogido]

Actually, another thought. If you are "running a club" why not think about trying to get some money from local businesses to sponsor you guys with some gi's?. This way you can "rent" your gi's to people who dont want to pay for them.

 

[Jason Pair]

Ok.Let me get this right.
1/Your say your a blue,Right.
2/has anyone given you the belt?
3/You say you rolled with Royce.Did he give you a blue belt?
4/Or are you a self proclaimed blue belt?

tudor_bjj,Im just trying to get things strait thats all.
I take my hat off to you for trying to go it on your own.
But bjj is more than just 95% no gi.
Gi and no gi go hand in hand and compliment each other.
You have to understand that you get new blues and experience blues.
And people who train by themselves often feel that they are at a higher level than they realy are.
And the guys you taped at the seminar were more than likely just trying to work the new techniques they just learnt than trying to go a hundered miles an hour and tap you.
Its not hard to tap a person when they are trying to work a new technique and your trying to smash the crap out of them an prove yourself as a blue.
Did you try to use any of the techniques you learnt at he seminar when you rolled with the blue belts you tapped,Or did you just go there to test yourself against the others at the seminar
You say you rolled with Royce and other belts "students".
Where was the seminar held and did you have to travel far to get there.
If there were other Bjj students there, there should be a school for you to train at.If you can at least get there once a week,The coach should be able to get a feel of where your are with your grappling

Just my 2 cents worth

Take a damn chillpill.

Not a damn person in BJJ rolls lightly practicing newly learned technique at a seminar, that's usually the one time the way you roll in training and your rate of success really matters because you know you are being watched and having your level analyzed.

A good submission grappler, even when rolling easy will realize when he is in danger of getting tapped and defend it. So I am sure if he tapped the guys out at the seminar he earned it.

If you don't know how Royce's seminars work and the fact he gives non-students of his Blue Belts when he feels they deserve it I am not sure what rock you have been living under.

The technique in a seminar is to refine and practice the technique at home for hours a day. The rolling session is to practice YOUR technique and test yourself to see where you are at technically and jiu-jitsu wise.

No reason to get all sarcastic and judgemental of the guy for trying things on his own.

 

[tudor_bjj]

Tudor, are there any opportunities to go and check out some Judo clubs in your area? I'm not suggesting take up judo, just that you might be lucky and locate a club with a good newaza instructor so that you can expand your base esp with the gi. Some Judo competitions wont hurt either (.. well maybe they will a bit)

I think you have an excellent attitude. I am sure you will achieve purple belt level in time.

Judogido, in Romania judo it's almost only about throws. I rolled with a BB and he didn't surprised me at all (I started a thread a while ago about this with some details and nobody believed me). I would definitely take judo (cause I'm really into cross-training. I'm training MT and boxing also), but I got a very bad back (actually all the doctors that I've saw, didn't allow me to do anything beside swimming and my medical exercises) and can't put too much weight on it. That's why I only train a few takedowns or throws (Ouchi Gari, Kosoto gaki and the likes) that I'm comfortable with...

As for the sponsors (from your other post)... They are not involved in the AM at all here. But as I pay from my own money half of the rent charges, in time I'll buy some cheap judo gis

 

[SKD]

I've been using a karate Gi for BJJ and so far it has held up. It is cheaper than the judo ones too so maybe you might give them a trial run for a few of your students ?

 

[judogido]

Judogido, in Romania judo it's almost only about throws. I rolled with a BB and he didn't surprised me at all (I started a thread a while ago about this with some details and nobody believed me). I would definitely take judo (cause I'm really into cross-training. I'm training MT and boxing also), but I got a very bad back (actually all the doctors that I've saw, didn't allow me to do anything beside swimming and my medical exercises) and can't put too much weight on it. That's why I only train a few takedowns or throws (Ouchi Gari, Kosoto gaki and the likes) that I'm comfortable with...

As for the sponsors (from your other post)... They are not involved in the AM at all here. But as I pay from my own money half of the rent charges, in time I'll buy some cheap judo gis

I understand. In most countries Judo is only about throws and we train standing vs ground probably about 80/20 or less. Our groundwork gets about the same attention as BJJ takedowns.

However, sometimes you might be lucky and find a newaza "specialist" who really prefers ground techniques and might train 50/50. They are usually as rare as hen's teeth but I promise they would rival a BJJ brown or black with knowledge far beyond most BB judoka. Normally, they are older instructors and I have heard of "newaza only' classes where they roll very similar to BJJ, except with more turtling, turnovers and pins. But like I said - you would be lucky to find a club/instructor like this.....

BJJ is definitely softer on the body than Judo. This is not a criticism - you are right to take BJJ over Judo with your back injury. I would do the same.

 

[Bubble Boy]

Tudor, keep on doing what you're doing. It's sounds like your options are limited, and really you don't have much choice. Judogido is speaking the truth about Judo being your friend if you can find a club that gets into the groundwork; not impossible, and I actually think more clubs are getting into newaza lately.

As long as you can hit seminars, tournaments, and occasional classes, you may actually make it. The key, I think, is going to be going to a tournament or seminar and getting on the podium in the purple belt division. Wouldn't that tell you something? It would me!

 

[Ybot]

If you don't actually care about the belt, then I believe that you can get as good as a purple belt training exactly as you have been. To actually get a BJJ purple, though, you will really need to work on your gi game... As Spiderguard mentioned there are a lot of gi specific games and techniques that you will have to understand to actually be a BJJ purple... so you and your training partners will need gis. With a gi, access to comp videos, and lots of time rolling you could do it with out an instructor in your 5 year time frame, probably less.

 

[Bubble Boy]

Agreed Ybot.

Tudor, be careful though. I did "garage judo" off and on for years, whenever an instructor wasn't around. Even though I came through with a lot of really good stuff, I also ended up with a shit load of bad form and technique. Most of which didn't show up until a tournament came along.
I think if you really, REALLY pay attention to details and are strict with your own development, AND get a damn gi, you'll be ok. You don't want to have to unlearn bad habits later.

 

[kimurense]

show royce the $$$$$$$$$$$money and he will give you a Blue

royce has a reputation for that... maybe the same thing could happen for the purple... more money involved though )

I would say, keep training and forget about the belt. just do what you enjoy doing. I've been a blue for 4 years, and that does'nt bother me at all. I kind of like tapping purples with my blue belt

 

[grecoguy43]

i've trained submission grappling, no belt structure. just some mma amatures and 2 ex-pro guys. i was wondering what the actual belt structure of bjj is. if anyone can tell that'd be great. thanks

 

[Jason Pair]

edit

 

[Jason Pair]

i've trained submission grappling, no belt structure. just some mma amatures and 2 ex-pro guys. i was wondering what the actual belt structure of bjj is. if anyone can tell that'd be great. thanks

White belt, Blue belt, Purple belt, Brown belt, Black belt

1-4 stripes are awarded on the White-Purple belts accordingly, each strip is considered a promotion however the use of strips depends on the instructor. Some use this system others do not, some only have 1-3 strips per belt. ect..

 

[tudor_bjj]

Guys, I do have a gi. But I put it on only once every three month (maybe). But I'm trying to persuade my most advanced student to train more gi with me. I like more training with gi.

@ kimurense

Bro, I have to disagree with you. IF Royce awards the belts after other criteria than the other BB doesn't mean it's about money. He has too big of a reputation to be into the situation of awarding the belts just to make people come to his seminars.

 

[grecoguy43]

White belt, Blue belt, Purple belt, Brown belt, Black belt

1-4 stripes are awarded on the White-Purple belts accordingly, each strip is considered a promotion however the use of strips depends on the instructor. Some use this system others do not, some only have 1-3 strips per belt. ect..

hey man thanks alot. i appreciate it. i'm gonna start training actual bjj once i get off leave. i would like to learn gi jiu-jitsu before i start ging no gi, but thanks man.