What happened at promotions

[Padraig12]

I have been a brown belt for 4 years. I have happened to beat black belts in competition before. I have been a 1 stripe brown belt for 3 years. At this last belt ceremony it was nice to see my friends get promoted. However I felt a little bad because I got passed over for promotions, because I really respect our professor. Of course promotions are not important, but aftee 4 years you get a little discouraged. I talked to my friend who is a decorated black belt competitor and a super nice person, who runs a gym in the area, and I asked him how I can improve, and he said "you are good. And at black belt level".

I am lost. I don't know what to do. I have a lot of friends at the academy.

What would you do?

 

[POPPA ROTZEE]

My instructor says, if you the think you deserve it, you are not ready. Some times you are there on a technical level but sometimes there are just a few things you need to work on.

Other times, when it comes to black belts, it is personality. You will be representing their name from then on. Draculino, at the the last ceremony said, “some people will die a brown belt”. Because unless some people change their behavior or the way the carry themselves, he will never let them represent them at the highest level.

I’m not saying this is or is not the case with you, just that often, with black belts, it is more than just technique alone. Maybe just ask your professor one day what he thinks you should work on. Not what you need to work on for a belt, just as a general question.

 

[kpoz12]

You're a Brown Belt and "at black belt level", and still caught up on getting pieces of hockey tape on a cloth belt tied around your waist?

I'm a Brown Belt, I will probably never get my black belt, and I honestly could not care a single bit. I can't see how you could get discouraged at this stage of the game by such an artificial idea as a belt ranking.

 

[Calibur]

You're a Brown Belt and "at black belt level", and still caught up on getting pieces of hockey tape on a cloth belt tied around your waist?

I'm a Brown Belt, I will probably never get my black belt, and I honestly could not care a single bit. I can't see how you could get discouraged at this stage of the game by such an artificial idea as a belt ranking.

What about your character is so flawed that you wouldn't get a black belt?

Are you just a bad person, because if you're training under someone and you have black belt level skills than you're probably not being promoted because you're a bad person.

 

[Dogstarman]

I don't know what to tell you. I was a blue belt for 5 years. Maybe I sucked or do suck, but other guys who were training less than me were getting their purple belt before me. Guys I felt I was technically better than, maybe I wasn't. I might have been a garbage blue belt. I finally received my purple belt. Now my instructor is playing games again. I have four stripes on my purple and he keeps saying shit like I need to be evaluated or some ridiculous shit, the same crap he used to tell me for 5 years as a blue belt.

I don't know why he says that. Saying shit like that frustrates me to no end. Either he knows my level or not. What the fuck is he going to evaluate? Maybe I'm a garbage purple belt? Maybe I just suck.

It's not even the belt or receiving a belt that frustrates me. It's how he brings it up. Hey your getting near brown belt. I need to evaluate you and make sure your at that level even though he watched me single leg x sweep a brown belt and finish an ankle lock. He says that evaluate shit after that round. I'm content as a purple belt. I don't care if I get another belt. If I get one I will be happy but I am happy here too. It's how the guy brings up the promotion. Maybe he likes playing these weird games. Holding this shit over my head. Don't know what to tell you but I feel for you man.

 

[lechien]

What about your character is so flawed that you wouldn't get a black belt?

Are you just a bad person, because if you're training under someone and you have black belt level skills than you're probably not being promoted because you're a bad person.

What kind of sick instructor will take money to teach a student that he think is of bad character.

That would total Hypocrisy's.

 

[lechien]

I have been a brown belt for 4 years. I have happened to beat black belts in competition before. I have been a 1 stripe brown belt for 3 years. At this last belt ceremony it was nice to see my friends get promoted. However I felt a little bad because I got passed over for promotions, because I really respect our professor. Of course promotions are not important, but aftee 4 years you get a little discouraged. I talked to my friend who is a decorated black belt competitor and a super nice person, who runs a gym in the area, and I asked him how I can improve, and he said "you are good. And at black belt level".

I am lost. I don't know what to do. I have a lot of friends at the academy.

What would you do?

I would leave.

If he has not given one strip e over last 3 years, that means you are not improving.

Time to train someone else.

 

[berimBOWLoh]

Never ceases to amaze me how many genuinely tough human beings whine like school children picked last for dosgeball over something as silly as tape or a colored belt.

Switch schools, get your belt faster. That won't make you a better grappler it will just satisfy your childish urges.

Yea, keeping it real. If you are 25+ and not trying to be a black belt world champion/professional grappler I find it pretty pathetic. Need some other shit going on in your life, shouldn't be so concerned with such nonsense.

 

[Calibur]

What kind of sick instructor will take money to teach a student that he think is of bad character.

That would total Hypocrisy's.

Lol. Like you've never met a hypocrite in all your time in this sport.

We went over the reasons for non-promotion. Lack of ability or lack of character. If one aspect is missing then the other is the problem.

My issue is lack of communication. All students should be given concrete examples of what they need to do to get promoted to the next level and correction if their training is going off path. If that was happening threads like this wouldn't exist.

I know this is an issue with coaching because I've watched countless coaches argue privately over ambiguous merits before they promote a guy. It's childish from every angle.

 

[biscuitsbrah]

I’ve been a blue belt 1 stripe for about 3 years, I don’t care at all about belts or even the gi really.
That being said, I can totally understand the frustration and how satisfying it would be to earn a black belt. It’s just a color but it represents a lifetime of achievement imo.

Maybe it’s one of those situations where they know your ceiling is very high so they don’t just want you to be a black belt, but a very good black belt when you get promoted. That’s the only reason I can think of.

I was a decently skilled blue belt with no stripes doing well against purples. One day my instructor promoted everyone (4-5 people, very small gym) except me to purple/brown and he didn’t even give me a stripe. He later had a talk to me about how some of these guys are older and even though I may be better they have been doing bjj for a long time and they should get a purple based not really on skill but the fact that they really don’t have much room to improve.

These guys are the definition of a hobbyist with no real drive to improve and I totally understand where my instructor is coming from. When you are 50+ years old doing bjj for 10 years and you’re still a blue it’s probably kind of demotivating, might as well promote them to purple even though they don’t really represent that skill level.
(Some may argue against this, but have some heart man)

 

[lechien]

Lol. Like you've never met a hypocrite in all your time in this sport.

We went over the reasons for non-promotion. Lack of ability or lack of character. If one aspect is missing then the other is the problem.

My issue is lack of communication. All students should be given concrete examples of what they need to do to get promoted to the next level and correction if their training is going off path. If that was happening threads like this wouldn't exist.

I know this is an issue with coaching because I've watched countless coaches argue privately over ambiguous merits before they promote a guy. It's childish from every angle.

Pretty much.
.
Someone taking money from a customer and keep saying he has to repeat the same belt year after year is admitting to failure as an instructor.

The worst is taking money and then saying you are a bad person in moral standard but still taking his money is worst. Just tell the customer to leave.

 

[2008]

I find it amazing that even at high ranking brown belt some still get hung up on the belt color. I understand that black belt is the ultimate goal but at brown belt your basically there. That's something I expect to hear from white and blue belts trying to get to the next color, but not from brown.

If you stay at same gym you need to consistently beat the guys he promoted to make the coach look foolish for non-promotion.

or

You can leave and train at a different gym and hope that gym promotes you and treats you better.

Like someone said unless your goal was to become black belt gi world champion or win adcc, acheving brown is already an accomplishment. You can stop training tomorrow and being a brown belt is an achievement on its own.

But seriously like someone said, if your 25+ and depress over a belt color (not saying your depress) when you're already a brown belt, you need to have other things going on in your life to worry about, focus on, or enjoy.

 

[BJJ_Rage]

Guys who are not brown or Bb, is really not the same, so please avoid using your analogy as something valid, you could stay at blue for ever, as a matter of fact blue to purple and purple to brown are the belts who take the longest, but once you have achieve brown, normally the skill is there, it’s a matter of time to get the bb, and after 3 years of constant training, you expect to get it.

Now, I’m brown and I got it about a year ago, I’m not getting to bb, ever, cause I don’t roll with the gi anymore. Is that a problem to me? Well sometimes I think it would be nice to get it, you know after certain age, you start seeing this as college, you have put so much time in this that you expect that piece of paper that says you are qualify to do x thing.. I see Bjj as that sometimes, sometimes I don’t care, but it is what it is for me, if I was you I would talk to your coach and if he doesn’t come up with a logical explanation, I would change schools, specially if you do have the skills.

 

[Shizzx]

Im a brown belt now, when i got my purple belt.. i was so amped to get my brown belt next, but after time i spent at purple.. I didnt want me brown belt any more. I tried everything in my power to avoid being promoted just short of stopping. When i got my brown belt i thought the same thing again.. (shit this is cool, one more belt to go) but as i spent some time in there.... Na.... I like being a brown belt ( eventually i will get my black belt) but i dont even care when. People in my area know me first because of my Character, secondly because of the rank of my belt. I know we had some guys that came over to our organization as 4 stripe brown belts and removed all their stripes because they weren't going to be promoted to black belt straight from there.. They had to climb the ladder again... But usually Robson would evaluate them and if he seem fit to give them back all 4 stripes, he would. BUT.. one thing i can say from experience is they NEVER keep track of shit... so it might be a massive oversight and not even a big deal..

Ask you instructors what is his plans for you? ask him where do you think he is on the scale. and let him know what you goals are.

 

[kpoz12]

It's basically 2018.
Some guy, wearing a bath robe and pyjamas didn't put a piece of hockey tape onto a fashion accessory.

What's next? Coloured SOCKS or UNDERWEAR to "show rank...loyalty, commitment, family, blah, blah"?

Are we warriors, or LARPers...or little kids starving for approval?

 

[andrewm2211]

Man people are really bagging on this guy for wanting a black belt. It's the top of the mountain and within arms reach. I could see it be frustrationing.

This story and all the others I've read here seems like it could be solved with a straightforward conversation. I wouldn't ask for the belt. But like the other guy said "what can I improve on". "What is my game missing" or if it's bothering you so much that you are considering leaving then sure, be straight up and say you are frustrated cause you feel ready. Doesn't seem like a big deal

 

[KikoJones]

For all those that say OP is being childish for worrying about a piece of tape or the color of the belt are being overly judgmental. If you don't care about being promoted and are content to never be advanced then congratulations to you. You are better than me. Different things motivate different people.

An instructor's job is to provide his students with the tools they need to advance. BS like "you need to be evaluated" is a cop out. It's a lazy way to of saying, "I can't be bothered with you".

The belief that in BJJ it's only about the technique and self-fulfillment is philosophical. It's human nature to desire not only quiet recognition but outward recognition for their achievements. After 3 years without even a stripe as a Brown is BS. Especially if OP trains consistently. At that level the instructor should be grooming them to represent his brand well. Not continue to just take his money while dangling the possibility of his next promotion. The instructor is failing his student.

My goal is to be promoted to Black Belt. I trust that my instructor will help me achieve that goal. I train, take private lessons, teach fundamentals, compete and attend seminars. Being so close to the work will inevitably blind me to my many shortcomings. It's my Instructor's responsibility to point them out and recommend ways to address them. Not leave me to wander in the darkness. That's part of why I pay him.

BTW, being "virtually there" is not the same thing as "being there".

 

[winterbike]

Sucks to be you, usually my instructors want to promote me and I freak out because I feel it's too early

 

[Deleted member 405583]

Quite possibly it has nothing to do with his skill with rolling or his character. Maybe his instructor doesn’t think he’s a black belt in other aspects such as teaching or communicating ideas to help lower belts improve. I don’t know the OP so it’s strictly theoretical

 

[EGDM]

Sucks to be you, usually my instructors want to promote me and I freak out because I feel it's too early

I have this problem. I moved across country and left a big competition school and ended up a smaller, casual gym in CA. The standards are absolutely different (lower) out here, and I was promoted almost immediately to brown belt after what felt to me like a very short stint at purple. I've seen several black belt promotions that made me quietly go , and now a year into brown I'm nervous that the next one is around the corner. It's not that I disrespect my coach, who is an active competitive black belt, but more that my internal calibration of what ranks look like doesn't match up to the hobbyist scene out here on CA.