promotion dilemma

Your training for only 7 months? Chill out and wait about half a year. Then you may ask to get promoted.
 
Even though I don't like it I can kinda see why prople get upset when they feel they've been slighted out of a belt promotion. But complaining about stripes?? Seriously?? Promotions are based upon a lot of things. IMO, things like personal growth and character aren't factored in as much as they should. There are instructors out there that still value integrity and loyalty, and while that might mean not all of their students are beasts at a given rank, it does mean those students will represent their gym, instructor, and sport in a positive manner.
 
Maybe you are just a grimey grappler who isn't technical. You don't know all the techniques he wants you to know before being promoted?

Instead of asking about rank, why don't you ask what you are lacking in your game to move to the next level. Don't worry about belt rank ( you are not qualified to be teaching yet) and just learn BJJ.
 
I'm guessing the people that make these threads all have the feeling that they deserve promotions and have an inflated ego about their skills. It probably shows through in class so the instructors don't want to promote somebody with that type of attitude.
 
We regularly both tap a couple of the new blue belts and 3 and 4 stripe white belts. My buddy even tapped a purple belt and a blue belt back to back in the same class last week. QUOTE]

Just because you guys caught someone, doesn't mean you're better then them in BJJ. YOu might be a better athlete, from wrestling, younger, stronger, whatever...

Plus, training is training, not competition.
Your teammates might be working on positions they are having trouble with so they might be purposely putting themselves in bad spots so they can improve their technique.

I used to put myself in bad spots right at the beginning so I could work on certain positions and techniques against new people, white belts, and blue belts. However this led to them thinking they were dominating me and proceeded to pull out all the spazzy dick moves to try and get a submission, and I got pissed.
Now, right off the bat, against new people, white belts and blue belts, I get a quick submission to show I can play that game too, before moving on to what I want to work. This calmed them down, some, and it worked out for the most part.
 
If you're not getting promoted, then that means its not time for you to get promoted and like others said don't worry about it.

If you're really that pissed off about it, I'd ask your instructor what are some of the things that you need to work on. Don't ask him when you're getting your blue belt, you won't see it for a looooonnnnnnng time if you do. :D

think about what you are good at and what you suck at. You've got to suck at something, otherwise you'd be a black belt (and they are always working on improving their game). Start working on the sucky part of your game and stop moaning about who was first in line.
 
Been training 16 months besides some time off for injury I trained a lot. Still two stripe white belt. I suck but I enjoy doing it so I will never stop.
 
I know exactly what your saying but im also training in a gi now pretty much specifically to get rank.

Then you're training for completely the wrong reasons.

There could be a lot of reasons. First of all, stripes are not ranks. Maybe you're not as good as you think (were those new blues smaller than you?). Maybe you get by on physical attributes rather than technique, and your instructor would like to see more technical improvements from the two of you. Maybe he doesn't like to promote somebody to blue belt after only seven months. Maybe you display poor character inside and outside of training. Or maybe it's one of any number of factors that I forgot to mention.

Stop comparing yourself to others and stop focusing so much on rank. Train to improve yourself and to help improve your teammates.
 
While I do think it's out of line to outright complain to your instructor about the lack of promotion and certainly the last thing you want to do is start comparing yourself to his blue belts, there's nothing unreasonable about approaching your instructor and asking for some constructive criticism regarding what you should be focusing your attention on at this point. This might help clear up the confusion you feel and it might motivate your instructor to take a more considered look at your strengths and weaknesses in light of his other students.

A far more sensible and constructive approach.
 
I know exactly what your saying but im also training in a gi now pretty much specifically to get rank. I trained no gi for a couple years and i've been striking for most of my life. I need to advance belt wise to have better credentials to teach the art. Also its easier said than done not worrying about belts when guys that you regularly smoke, and you've put in much more mat time then, are equal to or surpassing you in rank.

This stuff happens all the time in all walks of life, not just BJJ.
 
I know exactly what your saying but im also training in a gi now pretty much specifically to get rank. I trained no gi for a couple years and i've been striking for most of my life. I need to advance belt wise to have better credentials to teach the art. Also its easier said than done not worrying about belts when guys that you regularly smoke, and you've put in much more mat time then, are equal to or surpassing you in rank.

Well if you are training in the gi primarily to get rank you can do one of two things in my opinion. You could confront your instructor and ask him why you haven't received additional stripes and present the information you have posted here. Now this could easily work against you since I know some instructors will hold promotions back if a person asks to receive rank.

The other alternative is to scout all the other gyms in your area. Most areas have one gym where pretty much everyone has an inflated rank. Find this gym, join and get the ranking you think you deserve.
 
If you never want to get promoted again, go questions your professor as to why you are not being promoted.

If you want to actually learn the art, quit worrying about who's getting what and worry about yourself.

Just train.
 
I know exactly what your saying but im also training in a gi now pretty much specifically to get rank. I trained no gi for a couple years and i've been striking for most of my life. I need to advance belt wise to have better credentials to teach the art. Also its easier said than done not worrying about belts when guys that you regularly smoke, and you've put in much more mat time then, are equal to or surpassing you in rank.

It is highly likely that you are allowing these feelings to show themselves during class. For that reason alone, you might be being held back some.

If you're training to just get rank, you're doing it for the wrong reason and will not ever really be satisfied.
 
Just tap the instructor and take his belt and school.

I mean, you do have 2 years of training AND you smoke 2 stripe whitebelts... so its a lock.
 
Maybe there's some position you're bad in that doesn't stop you from succeeding in a lot of rolls, but is preventing you from moving up. Maybe they just haven't been paying attention. I remember there was a guy at my school who was a blue belt with 1 stripe for a long time and he started doing great in rolling. Sweeping purples regularly, having long tough rolls with brown belts, etc. One day I guess the instructor thought hey this guy is pretty good and in 6 weeks he was 4 stripes. Have patience, things will sort themselves out. No need to stress out over it. As long as you're getting better, it's all good.
 
Shitty situation man but my advice would be to just go back to the school and continue smoking the white and new blues and make sure your instructor notices this and then a few days after ask him what you should be working on and where your lacking in technique......... Or just take two months off and come back to training and tell everyone you got promoted to blue by an instructor whos name you cant pronounce:icon_chee
 
my skin crawls when anyone even jokingly ask or makes a comment about being promoted to my instructor.Do not question him.

if you worked at subway you wouldn't want people telling you how to make a sandwich. now imagine how insulted you would be if it took you 10 or more years to learn how to make those sandwiches.
 
I have been training for almost a year and don't have a stripe on my belt. Other guys who have been there about a month or so have been awarded stripes and some of my other friends who are blues never got stripes either. I think our instructor can just notice the difference of people who are committed enough to not care and he gives the stripe to people who might be on the fence, just to keep them motivated to keep coming. Maybe your instructor is the same way.
 
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