Getting Promoted in BJJ too quickly :(

I just wish everyone stopped using years. I should have this rant autofilled.

1 year of 2x per week is not equal to 1 year of 4-5 times per week. But people measure in years.

And more doesn't equal better. In today's world- if it takes more than 2 years or so to get someone to a solid blue belt level- etiher the student sucks or the instructor sucks. "tough standards" in my mind usually means either shitty instructor, or old fashioned approach to not wanting to promote anyone to black belt so they don't open a gym and compete wtih you.
 
I just wish everyone stopped using years. I should have this rant autofilled.

1 year of 2x per week is not equal to 1 year of 4-5 times per week. But people measure in years.

And more doesn't equal better. In today's world- if it takes more than 2 years or so to get someone to a solid blue belt level- etiher the student sucks or the instructor sucks. "tough standards" in my mind usually means either shitty instructor, or old fashioned approach to not wanting to promote anyone to black belt so they don't open a gym and compete wtih you.

Or it means you hold your students back in order to win more medals.
 
I've only been at my school for about 14 months now but it seems like blue belt is about a year. Purple takes about 6. Brown is essentially someone pretty serious who has some talent and success in tournaments. We don't have many browns. I'm only aware of 2 and our school has 2 locations and probably 2-300 students. And I'm not sure if he's ever promoted someone to black belt but if he did, I don't think they train with us. There are 2 other BBs but I think they got theirs elsewhere.

He admits he's pretty strict and doesn't really have a timeline in mind for progression. It's all about when he thinks you're ready. We have a guy who has been training longer than me and literally just got his 4th stripe on his white belt while I got mine after about 5-6 months. Next promotion, I'm pretty confident I'll get my blue but I think this guy has no shot. He just doesn't get it and is really not good.

Instructor is a Renzo BB and a former Division 1 wrestler and NCAA qualifier.
 
Or it means you hold your students back in order to win more medals.

The thing is, holding students back is not a good way to win medals. The teams that do the best in tournaments usually promote people within normal time frames. Academies that are known for having extremely lengthy promotion times,usually don't do well in tournaments.When people get promoted, they often improve by rising to the challenge and seeking to improve to compete at that belt.
 
The thing is, holding students back is not a good way to win medals. The teams that do the best in tournaments usually promote people within normal time frames. Academies that are known for having extremely lengthy promotion times,usually don't do well in tournaments.When people get promoted, they often improve by rising to the challenge and seeking to improve to compete at that belt.

Im just speaking from my own experience, I’ve seen guys from certain clubs who have trained no gi for two years enter white belt divisions and kill everyone.
 
Im just speaking from my own experience, I’ve seen guys from certain clubs who have trained no gi for two years enter white belt divisions and kill everyone.
Oh it works at the lower belts. I'd say until Blue. Teams that have excessive lengths for belts do well at White and Blue but rarely have success past blue. Especially in Adult divisions.
 
Oh it works at the lower belts. I'd say until Blue. Teams that have excessive lengths for belts do well at White and Blue but rarely have success past blue. Especially in Adult divisions.

That was exactly my point, sandbag the lower belt levels hard and rack up all the local medals and then claim your white/blue belts belts are the best around because of your coaching skills lol
 
part of the reason why there is a drop out rate for BJJ vs other martial arts. BJJ doesn't want to become a MC dojo style where if a student sticks around long enough they get a black belt. Black belts suppose to mean something and not everyone will get it. I been practicing BJJ for a bit and I'm convince not everyone will get a purple too.

Reason being the bar is set high which is good but not everyone will get it.
 
It all comes down to trust. You either trust your professor or you do not.

If you do not, you shouldn't be training there.
 
I suppose. Just see a lot of talk on here of McDojos and BJJ being watered down etc. Naturally if you put this much time, effort, and resources into something you want to make sure you are getting something at the end that is legit.

Plus here is the main thing: I've only ever stepped foot inside one academy. My experience with different academies and what is "standard" BJJ training, promoting, etc is pretty much confined to the bubble that is my own academy. This place helps to expand out of that bubble a bit.
I don't really care about when people get belts. I probably prefer nogi at this moment anyway.

My question is why have you never rolled anywhere else? I have rolled at multiple schools in my town. Probably half of the dozen or so in the area. If that is a no, no for your coach take a trip (he is an ass if he wont let you roll other places). Go to NY and see Marcelo, go to Texas and visit Carlos Machado, Go to Florida and stop in at Robson Mouras place. This is a small community go find a hero and swap some sweat.
 
Im just speaking from my own experience, I’ve seen guys from certain clubs who have trained no gi for two years enter white belt divisions and kill everyone.

That's why white belt and blue belt competitions means nothing.

If you win, this means that there was no heavy sandbaggers in your division, if you lose it's because everybody was sandbagging
 
I don't really care about when people get belts. I probably prefer nogi at this moment anyway.

My question is why have you never rolled anywhere else? I have rolled at multiple schools in my town. Probably half of the dozen or so in the area. If that is a no, no for your coach take a trip (he is an ass if he wont let you roll other places). Go to NY and see Marcelo, go to Texas and visit Carlos Machado, Go to Florida and stop in at Robson Mouras place. This is a small community go find a hero and swap some sweat.

Dude I wish. I am just so tied down with work and family etc. I never ever travel, and I barely have time to find an hour to train everyday.

I dont even know how that works, just show up at any random academy and roll? I emailed a few asking about times of open mats and their policy against non members coming to roll, but never ever got a response.

Visiting MGs school in NY is my dream though
 
Dude I wish. I am just so tied down with work and family etc. I never ever travel, and I barely have time to find an hour to train everyday.

I dont even know how that works, just show up at any random academy and roll? I emailed a few asking about times of open mats and their policy against non members coming to roll, but never ever got a response.

Visiting MGs school in NY is my dream though

At each place I visit I call ahead or stop in before a class. I introduce myself, discuss my instructor and lineage and ask if they mind if I attend a class. Be sure to ask what the mat fee is. Smaller schools may say don't worry about it. I always drop the coach some cash for lunch even if they try to decline.

Other places in my own town I don't do much different. I may have a friend who goes to that school. Get him to ask the instructor if you can stop if for a class. You may have to skip a class at your home base to do so.

As a side note: its not a competition. If you visit you are a guest. Roll as a guest and expect all the students to want to kill you. I hardly ever tap guys when I visit I just play catch and release.
 
yeah I hear you , the forums are get an idea of how the rest of the world does things. I think the concern over being in a McDojo is commendable that you want to stay honest.

One thing that I consistently see on the forums when people talking promotions, is there is no gold standard for how to do it, and it does vary wildly. And yeah, based on my experience(about as many years as you although less mat time) your gym is promoting on what I would say is the faster side of normal. But that's why competition is so big in BJJ. That's where you get the real feedback on how you are measuring up to the blue belts from other gyms.

Sounds like you are hanging well in competition? If you were at a McDojo A. your coach probably wouldn't want you to compete because B. you'd get smoked. If a McDojo is producing people who win competitions it's not a McDojo.
 
That was exactly my point, sandbag the lower belt levels hard and rack up all the local medals and then claim your white/blue belts belts are the best around because of your coaching skills lol
I'm guessing you are a Blue belt. Overtime you will see that sandbagging white and bluebelts doesn't really matter because the one people that pay attention to the white and blue belt divisions are other white and blue belts competing in them. new students rarely join an academy because of white/blue belt tournament success and eventually those white/bluebelts will get promoted and be competing against seasoned competitors at their new belt.
 
I'm guessing you are a Blue belt. Overtime you will see that sandbagging white and bluebelts doesn't really matter because the one people that pay attention to the white and blue belt divisions are other white and blue belts competing in them. new students rarely join an academy because of white/blue belt tournament success and eventually those white/bluebelts will get promoted and be competing against seasoned competitors at their new belt.

I was a two stripe blue belt, but that was back in 2014. Haven’t trained since due to injuries.
 
I'm guessing you are a Blue belt. Overtime you will see that sandbagging white and bluebelts doesn't really matter because the one people that pay attention to the white and blue belt divisions are other white and blue belts competing in them. new students rarely join an academy because of white/blue belt tournament success and eventually those white/bluebelts will get promoted and be competing against seasoned competitors at their new belt.

Also I have literally seen schools where I live use white belt and blue belt medals as advertising to get new students to sign up.
 
I've only been at my school for about 14 months now but it seems like blue belt is about a year. Purple takes about 6. Brown is essentially someone pretty serious who has some talent and success in tournaments. We don't have many browns. I'm only aware of 2 and our school has 2 locations and probably 2-300 students. And I'm not sure if he's ever promoted someone to black belt but if he did, I don't think they train with us. There are 2 other BBs but I think they got theirs elsewhere.

He admits he's pretty strict and doesn't really have a timeline in mind for progression. It's all about when he thinks you're ready. We have a guy who has been training longer than me and literally just got his 4th stripe on his white belt while I got mine after about 5-6 months. Next promotion, I'm pretty confident I'll get my blue but I think this guy has no shot. He just doesn't get it and is really not good.

Instructor is a Renzo BB and a former Division 1 wrestler and NCAA qualifier.

300 students and zero black belts?

a5f443300765cc860c0b1e9ce8432636.gif
 
300 students and zero black belts?

a5f443300765cc860c0b1e9ce8432636.gif

There are at least 2 others that I know of but I'm not sure if either were promoted by our head instructor. Like I said, there are 2 locations and I only train at the smaller one outside of the city so I don't know everyone. One of our browns (#2 in command) is pretty high level and has a very respectable MMA record with a win in his only Bellator fight. I'd guess he'll be getting his black belt in the not so distant future.
 
I just wish everyone stopped using years. I should have this rant autofilled.

1 year of 2x per week is not equal to 1 year of 4-5 times per week. But people measure in years.

And more doesn't equal better. In today's world- if it takes more than 2 years or so to get someone to a solid blue belt level- etiher the student sucks or the instructor sucks. "tough standards" in my mind usually means either shitty instructor, or old fashioned approach to not wanting to promote anyone to black belt so they don't open a gym and compete wtih you.
I started training in 2010, before I signed up here, so chronologically I could say I've been training for 8 years. I realized recently though that when new people ask me I say around 6 years. I don't know where my brain got that number from but it's what I say. It makes sense though with the time I've taken off.
I was off for all of 2017, and then injuries and whatnot in the years prior could probably total one year.

Mat time would be harder for me to accurately estimate. There were years as a white and blue belt that I was training 6 days a week with some two-a-days. After I finished college and was working full time continental shifts my attendance dropped at times to once a week.

It would probably average out to 2-3 times a week for 1 to 2 hour classes for roughly 6 years.
I want to get my attendance back up to 4-5 days a week to incite some development.
 
Back
Top