The concept of "respect" in certain BJJ schools...

[lechien]

Not sure it's that easy to get belted when just visiting somewhere.

It is rare but It happens
One dude went for a month in the USA. It was work related but he managed to train at a 10th planet club as a white belt.
The instructor got impressed by his skills and promoted him to blue Brit.
Why on earth Would you promote someone else students and a visitor?

Anyway, dude turner back to his regular club with a blue belt.
He does not train there anymore.

 

[TheMood]

I don't think you should promote someone that is just visiting your school. There are other ways to let someone know you think they are developing. The instructor could have just said you've made some good progress while here, keep up the good work, or something along those lines. I really don't get the point of that promotion.

 

[Badger67]

I couldnt care less about promotions ultimately, paying 30 to 50 bucks for a stripe of tape when your coach can just say hey add two stripes when you get home is ludicrous. I have no idea what my rank would be now, and dont care neither.

Bjj culture is weird to me. Love the art but the culture is not for me.

 

[nicknasty]

Have heard about this one, but seems old school and an issue with ego.

• asking a higher belt (who hasn't got a partner yet) to roll;

Same as above.

• asking to roll with their professor (who is already on the mat and have been rolling with other students);

This is just a simple sign of respect to the gym, students, instructors(old school but still an easy thing to do).

• forgetting to bow in and out when walking on/off the mats;

Same as above.

• not facing the wall when retying their belt;

Giving way to everyone should be a thing. Sure you have a higher belt, but if you invade my space that's on you.

• not giving right of way to a pair of higher belts when rolling - even when the two lower belts stayed in the same spot and it was the higher belts that were moving around;

Paying to grade or get promoted is a joke. I already pay 100+ a month to train at the gym and you are going to add on another 100 a year or so.....

• refusing to be graded for a stripe after learning that each grading for a stripe cost $50;

Same as above. Would find another gym if I was excluded.

• getting angry at being locked out of more advanced classes not because the guy didn't have the skill (the coach even said he did) but because he hadn't paid for grading;

This depends on how long of an extended vacation. It is a weird thing to promote someone else.

• wanting to wear a new rank they got while training overseas on an extended vacation;

Wristlocks within reason are fine. Kind of lame to do to whitebelts who haven't learned to defend them yet.

• tapping someone out via wrist locks;

Match how the upper belts/professors are rolling. They go for subs, you go for subs. Had a bigger black belt get high mount and stay there to have me work out of it. Seems fair if the rolls were reversed it wouldn't be a big deal.

• (my personal favourite) apparently its also disrespectful to tap your professor out or to hold him in a dominant position (in my friend's case, he was asked what point he was trying to prove and didn't he realise the professor "let" him get the back in the first place - my friend easily has 50lb on the professor and is a well seasoned brown belt).

 

[Foppa21]

...is really kind of ridiculous when you think about it. I'm not talking about the common sense definition of respect btw - obviously, you should try to be nice and courteous to everyone on and off the mats regardless of their race, gender etc.

However, I've seen or heard people who have been mislabelled as "disrespectful" in BJJ schools for (and these are all real examples):

• asking a higher belt (who hasn't got a partner yet) to roll;
• asking to roll with their professor (who is already on the mat and have been rolling with other students);
• forgetting to bow in and out when walking on/off the mats;
• not facing the wall when retying their belt;
• not giving right of way to a pair of higher belts when rolling - even when the two lower belts stayed in the same spot and it was the higher belts that were moving around;
• refusing to be graded for a stripe after learning that each grading for a stripe cost $50;
• getting angry at being locked out of more advanced classes not because the guy didn't have the skill (the coach even said he did) but because he hadn't paid for grading;
• wanting to wear a new rank they got while training overseas on an extended vacation;
• tapping someone out via wrist locks;
• (my personal favourite) apparently its also disrespectful to tap your professor out or to hold him in a dominant position (in my friend's case, he was asked what point he was trying to prove and didn't he realise the professor "let" him get the back in the first place - my friend easily has 50lb on the professor and is a well seasoned brown belt).

Does anyone have any more examples?

Ultimately, I think a lot of coaches use the idea of "respect" to maintain their position as the alpha within the school and to earn money. By "respecting" these rules and customs, you end up disrespecting yourself. Agreed?

I file most of it under etiquette rather than a case of respect.

Stuff like moving out of the way of a higher belt when rolling. Personally, if I'm at a stalemate, I'll move but if I'm transitioning or if training partners are at a stalemate, I'll expect them to move. It's one of the few perks of being a coloured belt. Give that in general it's accepted practice it is most places, it also prepares the team for when they go for a adventure outside the Shire.

The one that really gets me is when students lie down when the instructor is teaching. I find it incredibly rude that someone can't sit/stand up when the instructor is teaching. Show a bit of positive body language.

I'm not fussed if people ask me to roll. Just don't get offended when I say no, either.

Bowing on and off the mat and facing the wall when tying belt is a bit meh to me. I won't rake people over coals for it.

We stick to IBJJF ruleset. I can (and have) been wristlocked. That's laziness on my part and also training partners taking their opportunity. Being dominated by students, it happens.

 

[dimmyfinster]

Yes. The more experienced people should yield. They (should) have more mat awareness. Putting the onus on someone in their first month is just asking them to trip over you.

Great post.

I've seen Gui Mendes move for no name scrubs training at AOJ. If Gui Mendes can move, then some hobbyist brown or hobbyist black belt can certainly move.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

• asking a higher belt (who hasn't got a partner yet) to roll;

Never heard of this being disrespectfull...

• asking to roll with their professor (who is already on the mat and have been rolling with other students);

same as this

• forgetting to bow in and out when walking on/off the mats;

depends who ask

• not facing the wall when retying their belt;

Championship etiquete

• not giving right of way to a pair of higher belts when rolling - even when the two lower belts stayed in the same spot and it was the higher belts that were moving around;

Just Mat etiquete

• refusing to be graded for a stripe after learning that each grading for a stripe cost $50;

This is BS behaviour, Will you lose a limb to pay 50$?

• getting angry at being locked out of more advanced classes not because the guy didn't have the skill (the coach even said he did) but because he hadn't paid for grading;

wut?

• wanting to wear a new rank they got while training overseas on an extended vacation;

BJJ and belts is a sensitive topic

• tapping someone out via wrist locks;

Not disrespectfull at all

• (my personal favourite) apparently its also disrespectful to tap your professor out or to hold him in a dominant position (in my friend's case, he was asked what point he was trying to prove and didn't he realise the professor "let" him get the back in the first place - my friend easily has 50lb on the professor and is a well seasoned brown belt).

It is in fact disrespectfull to try "to kill" the teacher in a friendly roll, but in this particular case your teacher might be a bit sensitive.

Some examples out of my head is chating while the teacher is showing position, refuse to train hard not because u are hurt but because you think you already know it all, use too much force and hurt people that is actually weaker and less tecnical, dirty and smelly gis, this kind of things.

I m sorry are you saying that it s bullshit behaviour to refuse to pay 50$ per stripe?

 

[QingTian]

Would not pay 50 bucks for a belt test either. If your coach needs to test you to determine your level, he hadn't been doing his job all along.

 

[Espurgote]

I m sorry are you saying that it s bullshit behaviour to refuse to pay 50$ per stripe?

Yes

 

[Espurgote]

Most BJJ gyms and coachs struggle to pass by, the "exams" wich is more of a team party is a way for them to make some money while giving something in return.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

Most BJJ gyms and coachs struggle to pass by, the "exams" wich is more of a team party is a way for them to make some money while giving something in return.

You sound like an absolute tool. The BJJ business needs more people like you.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

I couldnt care less about promotions ultimately, paying 30 to 50 bucks for a stripe of tape when your coach can just say hey add two stripes when you get home is ludicrous. I have no idea what my rank would be now, and dont care neither.

Bjj culture is weird to me. Love the art but the culture is not for me.

I am aware that some legit BJJ schools do the stripe / promotion for money thing and you may not have a choice but to comply to it if you want to train BJJ, depending on your location. So I can understand why many people just suck it up.

But it hurts my brain when people try to twist this shitty business tactic into something acceptable, like the guy above "I am helping my poor BJJ school", or the usual bullshit "I am giving back to the BJJ community" or "if you can't afford 50$, then xyz".

Seriosly this is embarassing. It's a shitty business tactic. You don't have a choice, fine, but own it.

 

[killer]

Asking an upper belt at my school to roll has never been an issue. Asking our head instructor who lives in Phoenix would be an issue, he would take that as a challenge and then wreck you, I've seen him do it.