what does a purple belt mean to you?

black koala said:
dream on
Click to expand...

I get the feeling you don't understand what I mean...

...Or you're being an illiterate, ignorant douchebag trying to start a bjj vs judo argument..

It's one or the other.

Because black in judo means you know the basics and are ready to start on the next learning path. Same applies to a bjj purple. You pretty much know all you need to know, you now need to master it.
 
To me, a purple means that the practitioner is a solid, well rounded grappler. He knows all the positions, he knows the set ups, and the counters. He's comfortable anywhere and can chain submission attempts together. What separates him from the Browns and Blacks is the quickness in which he can transition between positions and submission attempts.

At the point someone gets purple belt, I think they already have their own style, they just need to work on putting everything together and tightening everything up. Just my opinion.
 
I think it means you now represent the school. You begin to represent jiujitsu ... you feel more accomplished in your sport.

You should be able to tool most blue belts and put a good fight with most purples. Your cardio should be enough for at least 5-6 rolls a class with whomever.

You should give your instructor a run for his money.. every time. You train with the purpose of improving and not defeating your teammate. You should know something about every position and personally.. you fight off chokes more than you used to at blue belt.

That's what it is for me.
 
momo203 said:
I think it means you now represent the school. You begin to represent jiujitsu ... you feel more accomplished in your sport.

You should be able to tool most blue belts and put a good fight with most purples. Your cardio should be enough for at least 5-6 rolls a class with whomever.

You should give your instructor a run for his money.. every time. You train with the purpose of improving and not defeating your teammate. You should know something about every position and personally.. you fight off chokes more than you used to at blue belt.

That's what it is for me.
Click to expand...

I completely disagree with that part. My instructor has 12 years more experience than me. I don't see how 5-6 years of training is going to let me give him a run for his money. Maybe I might score a point when he tries stuff. I recently rolled with a second degree black belt, I could barely think about the setup to a guard pass before he countered it. If I need to be able to give him a run for his money to be promoted to purple belt, I never will be one.
 
Jdonw said:
I completely disagree with that part. My instructor has 12 years more experience than me. I don't see how 5-6 years of training is going to let me give him a run for his money. Maybe I might score a point when he tries stuff. I recently rolled with a second degree black belt, I could barely think about the setup to a guard pass before he countered it. If I need to be able to give him a run for his money to be promoted to purple belt, I never will be one.
Click to expand...


I agree.. My instructor tools purples. I don't believe that says anything about their ability. A good black belt should do what a purple what a purple does to a white belt
 
Hellboy31 said:
I agree.. My instructor tools purples. I don't believe that says anything about their ability. A good black belt should do what a purple what a purple does to a white belt
Click to expand...

Totally. I'm a purple but c'mon my instructor is a Renzo Black Belt and has been since I've been training and well before. No WAY I give him a run for his money.

But it's true that it means the blue belts all gun for you! I got caught the other day by a rather large and athletic white belt and I was so disappointed in myself!
 
I can only comment as to what it means in our academy.

Purple belt is difficult to get in our academy. If you're not training consistently and your technique is lagging you're not getting your purple belt. We have a lot of long term 2-3 stripe blue belts that are missing some aspect of their games that keep them from being a purple belt.

In our academy it means that you have acquired enough techniques and technical knowledge that if you continue training and refining those techniques that you have the potential to be a black belt in BJJ one day.
 
lowdown1 said:
Solid game,decent comp record, understands all positions and has a game plan from every one
Click to expand...

Pretty much this. Self Def tech and takedowns depends on the school, but IMO at black belt level you should be proficient in these regardless of school.

IMO the basics from all positions should come naturally to a purple without thinking, and he should be ready to apply some of the more advanced stuff to his game without much effort.
 
Last edited:
It means alot of the stuff already mentioned.

I also now feel inextricably linked to my Instructor and club. I dont think I could learn BJJ from another instructor (long term) without feeling that I had left my heart and soul behind.

Wilson, Dickie and Simon have given me the tools that I use 4 or 5 times a week. These tools defeat bigger and stronger people than me. They make me feel strong, they represent my dedication and my longing to learn an art that is technical and thoughtful. Carlson Gracie/BJJ has seeped into pretty much every aspect of my life, if I moved away from where I live my Jiujitsu and My Carlson Gracie Revolution Team purple belt will travel with me to where ever I might end up.

If I have to train on my own, fuck it, I'll be training on my own and my sit out/ sprawl and cardio will be fucking awesome. I will train infront of a lifesize portrait of Carlson with the Revolution flag under it whilst screaming OSSS during uchikomi on my grappling dummy.

I dont think that I felt this strongly when I was a blue belt. Its not an expected aspect of getting a purple belt im sure. But when Wilson gave me the belt, I felt it, and will honour it.
 
Mr. Sandman said:
Because black in judo means you know the basics and are ready to start on the next learning path. Same applies to a bjj purple. You pretty much know all you need to know, you now need to master it.
Click to expand...

And this is why you read the whole thread before you reply...

Thanks for clearing up what you meant, Sandman.

I would argue that most BJJ bb's feel the same about the BJJ bb, that it merely represents an understanding of the overall art, and from there you begin to really develop your technique.

Anyway, carry on!
 
I got my blue belt 4 years ago.

There has been a big period of time when I've stopped training for one reason or another. And I regret it. Now I'm gunning hard for my purple, but I know I have soo much work left to do.

BJJ has been a passion of mine for a long time, and I think the purple belt means that you're able to represent not only your school, but the sport itself.

I've been wanting to get a Jitsu triangle tattoo of sorts, but have decided to wait until "I'm ready." For me, this means the day I get my purple belt.
 
Purple belt to me just means you have been putting in the time on the mats and have a good grasp of grappling in general. Assuming we are talking BJJ and not 10pJJ or some other offshoot (thread didn't specify) you should have a good understanding of grappling in the gi along with a variety of attacks, sweeps, escapes.

I wouldn't expect a purple belt to necessarily be an amazing competitor, but I would expect them to have no problems handling any white belt with no external experience and a majority of blue belts; not taking into account things like gross size advantages/disadvantages.

I have been training about 5 years and recently got my purple, I intend to train for 30-40 more years so I just see the purple as baby steps at the beginning of a very long and challenge filled journey.
 
Knuckles69 said:
I can only comment as to what it means in our academy.

Purple belt is difficult to get in our academy. If you're not training consistently and your technique is lagging you're not getting your purple belt. We have a lot of long term 2-3 stripe blue belts that are missing some aspect of their games that keep them from being a purple belt.

In our academy it means that you have acquired enough techniques and technical knowledge that if you continue training and refining those techniques that you have the potential to be a black belt in BJJ one day.
Click to expand...

So you're saying you have a bunch of mid-grade blue belts that aren't improving?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,864
Messages
55,451,044
Members
174,783
Latest member
notnormal

Share this page

Back
Top