white belt for life?

[Sax MMA]

Theres a white belt at my old club who can beat the hell out of just about everybody, has been doing judo for about 20 years. Same kinda reason, always busy or away when the gradings are on, he doesnt care though, doesnt compete but can give everyone hell who pairs off with him.

thats cool.....The more humble a guy is the better. Belts are good to show progress but nothing to get all caught up about

 

[flikerstance]

ttt

 

[jiujitsugirl86]

There are many other factors that go into it, but I would say the best thing you can do is to be a regular on the mats. Train as often and consistently as possible. If you can compete... compete. Nothing will open your instructors eyes more than dominating a competitive division. I would also talk to the instructor when you change schools and explain your situation and that rank IS important to you. Rank, if nothing else, is a confirmation of our evolving skills. Cuz somedays you will feel like you are better than your rank and some days you will feel like you are undeserving (once you get past white, of course). But, when your instructor wraps a belt around your waist, you'll know you've earned it and that he has noticed.

Getting promoted by your instructor is the best feeling in the world but if you have to tell him that you care about rank than it wouldnt mean as much... if your wearing a white belt and you should be a blue belt, than your gonna get promoted. Ive never heard of paying to test for a belt either, what is this karate? Thats kinda bullshit. Belts are really important in BJJ cuz everyone wants to know who gave you your belt so, nobody is gonna give out a belt that you dont deserve because its a reflection of that intstuctor. Thats why it feels so good to get promoted, cuz you know you earned it.

 

[Thrawn33]

I do not care too much about belt color, but I do not want to be a white belt for life. I am in the military and move every 18-24 months, with that being said, will I most likely be stuck as a white belt?

I'm in the military and I've moved up from white to brown (Judo) in less than 3 years. Think positive and train hard and the belts will come to you, but don't spend your time worrying about them.

 

[BrokenCouch]

Rodrigo Gracie says in his book, The Path to the Blackbelt, that once you have reached purple belt level you are elite. That you should be comfortable rolling with just about anyone and never feel overmatched. That the only difference between a purple belt and a brown or black belt is that the brown or black belt do the same things they did at purple, only faster. They think faster, they react faster, etc...

Now that being said, My instructor is a purple belt, and Rodrigo's game is way beyond his. I'm not afraid to roll with my instructor, but I am terrifed of Rodrigo when he comes to town.

hahaha i have that book too. it is very good. made me feel a lot better about my progression, and he has a lot of good stuff in it too that my other books don't have

 

[BANNANASPLEET]

in wrestling we use the term JV for life.

 

[victorygrappler]

it really depends on your instructor, and academy. Ive heard some places need core commitment for you to advance significantly belt wise.

belts dont really matter too much, so dont stress over it too much.

 

[mikey5time]

I think some people want a belt because it's an accomplishment. Nothing wrong with that.

It's the most noticable sign that someone has noticed your improvement.

 

[srphm]

Experience determines belt color in legitimate cases, if you feel after a while that you deserve a blue belt and are in the middle of a move, explain that to your next teacher and let him know whats up. I'm sure if most of us could understand, they could as well.

 

[wildcard_seven]

I am a white belt. Come from several years of no gi and I can pretty much beat every striped white belt and hang with or beat the only blue we have (its a new place, but high purple instructor). It's funny we line up according to rank and I go to the end, people laugh at me being down there.

The important part I should add, that relates to you, is I've been here for a while and I don't have so much as a stripe. Now, I can only show up once a week on Saturdays and the instructor gives stripes on Wednesdays...so maybe that has something to do with it. But he himself (the instructor) has told me that I'm close to a blue when rolling. So, why hasn't he made a point to stop me lining up at the end and give me a stripe? I don't know. Maybe I need a certain time commitment, too? Either way, I've just been laughing it off. Other than that sometimes weird situation, I love my instructor. If we do start getting more blues, maybe there'll be a petition to get me moved up because people don't want to appear to be pwned by a white belt.

 

[Libersolis****]

I try not to even think about this stuff, as I figure when the time is right, the time is right. More training will lead me closer to my goal no doubt.

 

[bearohs]

After seeing black belts putting on a blue belt to compete, I really just stopped caring about belts. Just train, and use that knowledge to protect yourself, your loved ones, and just have fun.

Agreed...

 

[Dannicus]

I know at my school, for average belt promotion our instructor requires at least 3 days a week. For me? I train 5 days a week 1.5 hours. I got my first white belt stripe in February from Rodrigo at just under the 3 month mark. I nearly jumped in the air when he striped my belt. It's such a fantastic feeling when you get your promotion in BJJ. I asked my cousin about his promotion in TKD...he shrugged and said all that it meant to him was learning a new set of moves. Hang in there. You'll make it. And if not, there's nothing wrong with being the meanest white belt in the world.

 

[blanko]

white belt for life.. then blue belt for life.. then purple belt for life.. then brown belt for life.. then black belt for life... "it's not the strong that survive...but the ones that survive become strong"

 

[Libersolis****]

What criteria do instructors use when giving stripes, particularly for white belt?

 

[TKDGrappler]

white belt for life.. then blue belt for life.. then purple belt for life.. then brown belt for life.. then black belt for life... "it's not the strong that survive...but the ones that survive become strong"

QFE

 

[Dannicus]

What criteria do instructors use when giving stripes, particularly for white belt?

At least at my school, I imagine they give stripes when you look like you have made a leap forward in your skill level. Right around every 3 months or so at white belt level they take a peek. Obviously if you compete, if you dominate your division, then it opens eyes as well.

 

[JDaveG]

white belt for life.. then blue belt for life.. then purple belt for life.. then brown belt for life.. then black belt for life... "it's not the strong that survive...but the ones that survive become strong"

Wow, well said. I have never accomplished anything in life worth accomplishing by being the first out of the gate and the best all the way through. Rather, all of my significant accomplishments have been accomplishments of perseverance.

So my advice to those who think they ought to be promoted is be humble and hang in there. Belts come. Mat time and dedication to the art amount a lot more than how many people you tap or who you can hang with, much less what color belt you wear. My experience has been that I improve as much by attrition as anything. The really good guys stay better than me, and that's fine. The rest just weed out. That leaves the newer guys who come in and allow me to mark my progress -- how am I doing against this latest group? Some catch and pass me, some lag behind, but the difference between me and most of them is that I'll still be training 2, (5, 7, 10) years from now and the vast majority of them won't. By then, it won't matter whether I can tap every one of the other blue belts in the school right now (I can't). By then, I'll have progressed past the point of caring or having to care.

There is something to be said for humility in BJJ. It's not about being better than everyone around you. It's more about allowing everyone around you -- those that are better than you and those that are not -- to help you sharpen your game and improve.

 

[sir-elric]

why its nice to be a white belt:

1) you can tap as much as you like

2) ego doesnt (or atleast it souldnt) get hurted by tapping

3) being choked is your second more frequent form of breathing

4) you prove that flying armbar and every crazy move in general is applicable

5) you look better than anyone else with a blue gi

6) while being in guard or on your back you can think several interesting things like your grocery shoping, with who your girlfriend is cheating you, the coworker with tiny skirt that is always behinds you in the photocopy machine and etc.

7) the first time you armbaring or choke someone you feel like the king of the mat

8) lasting two minutes without taping is a great achivement

9) In every sesion you learn something new

I DNT GET WHY SOMEONE WILL CARE ABOUT THE COLOUR OF HIS BELT! MAT IS THE PROOF! if you like belts karate/tkd schools have many of them in several colours!

 

[makaio]

if people didnt care about belts, than nobody would care about belts. There might be some half truth when people say they dont care. but there is a part of them that does. Unless they are so good that they just dont care about a belt.

You will get a new belt if you train.