Some purple belt dude opened a BJJ gym close to the MMA gym I train at.

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kenpeters8

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So some purple belt dude opened a BJJ gym close to the MMA gym I train at. I thought that's pretty odd because that dude actually sucks! he came to our open mat and rolled, I was tapping him left and right, i just thought that it's weird and unheard of when a purple belt younger guy in his early 30's that sucks would opened up a BJJ gym. He said he'll be teaching all by himself, won't even hire anyone to teach for him. Wow, that's very ballsy. I guess he doesn't mind feeling stupid if people go there and tap his ass left and right like I did, and I'm just some mid 40's old fart hobbyist brown belt.
 
Being better at sparring doesn't mean you're a better instructor than him.
 
What's wrong with bussiness? Most people won't vare that he sucks, perhaps he could breed a whole new generation of competitors who could wreck your ass.
 
I agree with OP / TS.

I think you're being a slight dick for saying you could tap him left and right and he "sucks" when you're also a belt rank higher here...but at the same time it's reality too. Do you know exact ages? I think that matters a tiny bit. Weights?

Either way regardless of either answer, I do agree.

Very odd to me that someone would start a BJJ gym at a purple belt level, especially if he isn't some stud purple or sandbagged. Unless this gym is in the middle of bumfuck, nowhere, then I find it very odd. Just hire the cheapest and best Brown or Black belt to teach at least some classes for you, and maybe you can teach half or the rest as a purple.

It is weird. I wouldn't train at a gym that was ran by an average purple or below average, if that's the truth of it.
 
I know of a Muay Thai instructor who is also teaching BJJ on the side as a purple belt. His students are supplementing their striking with some basic ground skills and there is nothing wrong in learning that from a purple belt. I would be more upset if a fake black belt opens a school rather than a legit purple who is honest about his rank. People can make an informed decision if they want to learn from a high end black belt or the purple belt.
 
No Skill Gap said:
I agree with OP / TS.

I think you're being a slight dick for saying you could tap him left and right and he "sucks" when you're also a belt rank higher here...but at the same time it's reality too. Do you know exact ages? I think that matters a tiny bit. Weights?

Either way regardless of either answer, I do agree.

Very odd to me that someone would start a BJJ gym at a purple belt level, especially if he isn't some stud purple or sandbagged. Unless this gym is in the middle of bumfuck, nowhere, then I find it very odd. Just hire the cheapest and best Brown or Black belt to teach at least some classes for you, and maybe you can teach half or the rest as a purple.

It is weird. I wouldn't train at a gym that was ran by an average purple or below average, if that's the truth of it.
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I'm just some mid 40's old fart brown belt that any purple belt early 30's and close to my size will give me trouble. If I go up against other brown belts that are old farts my age, I'm a lot more comfortable, but I still wouldn't tap them left and right. If some purple belt that's early 30's and not that much smaller than my old slow ass and I can tap him left and right, then I really don't think he should be opening a school and teaching all by himself. Just my 2 cent.
 
If he is a legitimate purple belt, then let the laws of economics dictate how good of an idea it is for him to open a gym.
 
As long as he wears the purple belt till he gets promoted I see no harm. If he has a bad product he'll fail fast.
 
Who knows? Maybe he is a good teacher. Maybe he felt pity for you and took it easy on you while rolling cause you are old and fat. My first instructors back in the day were a brown belt and a purple belt. Maybe he was being respectful as a visitor at an open mat.
 
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The Polish Pounder said:
Being better at sparring doesn't mean you're a better instructor than him.
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It's extremely hard to suck and be a good instructor. That could happen if some injury is hampering your performance but 99% people who suck sparring just don't have the skills that they would need pass on to be decent instructors
 
liuk3 said:
Who knows? Maybe he is a good teacher. Maybe he felt pity for you and took it easy on you while rolling cause you are old and fat. My first instructors back in the day were a brown belt and a purple belt. Maybe he was being respectful as a visitor at an open mat.
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I'm old, but I'm not fat. I'm a solid 225lbs of muscles, former college football player and college wrestler. Although I'm slow as fuck now. And like I said, if my old fart slow ass can whoop ass on that guy, I know that guy really shouldn't be opening a gym. Just imagine how many people going to dojo storm him.
 
A guy opened a club about 30 minutes from my club when he was a blue belt! That was the talk of the town lol. To be fair he was some hotshot blue belt that was tapping black belts left and right, even though he was only a year and a half in. He got his black belt after about 6 years of training I believe. People say jiu jitsu just clicked for him. Still, I definitely would not have joined his club while he was a blue belt.

That being said, my original instructor was purple when I joined, however I am from a small town where clubs are few and far between. He is a black belt now, but I have also moved on to a bigger gym with a black belt and brown belt instructors.
 
There's a gym in my town where the owner is a middle aged gentleman who teaches the karate classes, and is a purple belt in bjj. He has a black belt teaching the bjj classes but will still often join the class as a student.

He vacations in Hawaii frequently.

Why is he the owner? Because he pays the lease on the place and he had the seed money to open the gym.

Simple as that.





There's another gym in town, grappling / mma focused, where the owner is a kickboxing and ammy mma promoter. He was a decent kickboxer when he was younger, but not a grappler. He also does not personally teach the grappling classes.


Moral of the story, I don't care too much if the owner is not the head instructor.


If your friend there is able to grow his business, he won't be the head instructor for more than a few months tops.
 
OP needs more 'Murica
 
A hobbyist purple belt is more qualified to teach martial arts than the average martial arts instructor.

I have no problem with this.
 
It can also depend on who the purple belt is from. A Cesar Gracie purple belt is probably as technical as a typical brown belt. A McDojo black belt may get handled by a reputable blue belt. Then there are freaks like Weidman and Jones who are incredible grapplers capable of hanging with world class talent when they are still blue belts. Jones JUST got his purple like a month ago if I remember correctly.
 
kenpeters8 said:
I'm old, but I'm not fat. I'm a solid 225lbs of muscles, former college football player and college wrestler. Although I'm slow as fuck now. And like I said, if my old fart slow ass can whoop ass on that guy, I know that guy really shouldn't be opening a gym. Just imagine how many people going to dojo storm him.
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225 solid muscle... Former college football and wrestler... LOL dang man that's a handful for anybody. Give yourself some credit man.
 
"Only the highest ranked guy in town should open a gym." -- Highest ranked guy in town
 
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