What if BJJ/Judo did away with belts?

Morozevich said:
An ELO system (with a high K-factor) would be a much better system. Not only this, it would separate the black belts from people like Roger Gracie, Jacare, Braulio, etc.
Click to expand...

I'm I the only person who doesn't know what this means?
 
An end for said:
I think I'd roll better and perform better, at least on the short term. When I get to roll with a purple or a brown belt, it's very hard not to go all "Oh, man, why do I even bother" and mentally give up as soon as we slap hands. I always felt more motivated and more blood-on-the-eyes-ish about no gi classes, since, while I knew I was up against a graduate, I felt like I actually had a chance to get the proverbial tap and to try the proverbial cool shit. Of course, the chances just weren't quite there... sucks being a white belt.
Click to expand...

Well yeah the belts do have a sort of intimidation factor of "oh that guy is a purple belt so he's gonna kick my ass" but then no-gi also has a shallower learning curve. You can do pretty well rolling no-gi with only minimal training if you have good physical attributes because there's much more scrambling involved. But it's also harder to know when your technique is getting better in no-gi because the improvements are more incremental and less noticeable. So it's not just because there are no belts.
 
troof^^ as soon as the gi comes off my game seems to improve instantly.
 
I've had the same effect here. When I take the gi off, my osaekomi holds and transitions just seem a whole lot more slick.
 
personally i don't think that it will change anything for me. But to those who are preoccupied with the color of their belts it might.
 
Years ago I was awarded a blue belt at a major BJJ academy despite not knowing a single gi-based attack. I also didn't think my no gi performance was deserving of a blue belt. After a brief period of flip-flopping, I refused to wear the belt.

Anyway, I don't like belt rankings. It seems just to be another case of humans turning everything into a status game. For other examples see academia, corporate management, and politics.
 
Belts=money so this will never happen. If anything the opposite is going on with traditionally beltless sports now having belts in some schools, ie. Muay Thai.

It would be a good idea but I don`t think it`s going to happen anytime soon.
 
paolo27th said:
Belts=money so this will never happen. If anything the opposite is going on with traditionally beltless sports now having belts in some schools, ie. Muay Thai.

It would be a good idea but I don`t think it`s going to happen anytime soon.
Click to expand...

I agree but at the end, it is about who are the champs in this sport?
 
I'm a fan of belt systems and I like the tradition aspect.
 
I think it would be great. I think stuff like belts is bullshit... I just don't give a fuck about them. Sandbagging can always be a problem, it's not like belts make it harder/easier.

It just makes the sport more TMA like, which I don't like. Competition is what proves how good you are.
 
lechien said:
So in Judo, if you do not compete, you will never be a BB.
Belt divisions in BJJ = more money

If it makes to olympic level, they will just have BB fighting.

A judo BB is given the opportunity to wear a blue belt in my club as the sign of respect.

He is also given the opportunity to compete at blue belt if he desires so.

The time limits which can be found in the IBJJF website are not strictly followed by everyone but 10 years to BB in BJJ seems to be the norm.

So according to you, a purple belt is expected to drop $60 to fight a BB! not fair
Click to expand...

This is not true in the least. Check this out:

www.usjf.com/public/rank_requirement.pdf

All laid out in black and white. Just takes longer. Page 4.
 
I think it should be totally old school. You are a white belt until you are a black belt. Traditional Japanese arts were this way. Your white belt got so dirty with time and experience that it was eventually black and soiled.
 
Gotta say, I'm actually surprised by the honest responses regarding people's feelings about belts in general. Good discussion.
 
I've been told that for judo in China it's pretty much like in Japan...white, beige, black. That's it. And that's all that matters. Makes sense to me.

Now if belt ranks were totally eliminated, it would also eliminate all of this "a black belt in judo vs. a blue belt in bjj...tae kwon doe...etc crap. Totally different criteria and meaning in the different arts. Like in bjj, a blue belt means you know the basics, and can refine and expand from there. Takes probably 2 years or so, give or take. In judo, a black belt means that you know the basics and can refine and expand from there. Takes about 3 years, give or take. Different grading and criteria, mindset, practise, etc.
 
this might be one of the dumbest threads of the day, which is saying a lot.

BJJ has belts. It is used to rank people based on skill for the most part. At least in a school you can look at what belts people wear and generally tell their skill. also, belt is skill/knowledge in bjj not how well you do in comps necessarily.

but I like how people who don't know shit about bjj feel that they know the cracks in it.

go make your own style and do whatever silly shit you want.

you like wrestling, awesome then go wrestle and talk about the cracks in that.

mcdojos are places that do not train people right, doesn't matter if there are belts or not.
 
StranGold said:
this might be one of the dumbest threads of the day, which is saying a lot.

BJJ has belts. It is used to rank people based on skill for the most part. At least in a school you can look at what belts people wear and generally tell their skill. also, belt is skill/knowledge in bjj not how well you do in comps necessarily.

but I like how people who don't know shit about bjj feel that they know the cracks in it.

go make your own style and do whatever silly shit you want.

you like wrestling, awesome then go wrestle and talk about the cracks in that.

mcdojos are places that do not train people right, doesn't matter if there are belts or not.
Click to expand...

hey, there's NO need for you to be an ASSHOLE. You don't like the thread? FUCK OFF and don't post in it.

why don't you fall on your butt and scoot the fuck outta this thread bitchboy.

edit: strangold. that's your name. lmfaof.

you are a complete TOOL, just like your douchebag of a name suggests.
 
Last edited:
One overlooked aspect would be a decrease in total competitors. A new grappler may be excited to compete in the white belt division after 5 months of training, but would he really want to put off competition until he could hang with someone with a brown/black belt level competitor? This would probably cause a higher drop-out rate among grapplers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
1,236,888
Messages
55,451,313
Members
174,783
Latest member
notnormal

Share this page

Back
Top