Would you leave your Academy/Gym if they promote too fast?

[Evenflow80]

The belt you will have the longest is the black belt. Who cares about all others.

Actually, who cares about a black belt too.

WTF?

is that really how anyone feels though? I mean sure its nice to say we are all bigger than a piece of cloth around our waist, but are you saying if you have, say, a purple belt and then go do open mats across a dozen different academies and in each one of them you are conisistently toyed with by other purples, you wouldn't question why that is at all? Or question the quality of the teaching you are get?

We put a ton of time, resources, and effort into BJJ. This isn't a martial art where you get a black belt in 2 years.

 

[Evenflow80]

That's not a option.. If you're promoted, you move up and cannot compete in a lower rank.

How would anyone know your true rank at the tournament though? I can register as a black belt as far as I know.

 

[yetanother]

How would anyone know your true rank at the tournament though? I can register as a black belt as far as I know.

Snitches

 

[Evenflow80]

Snitches

Haha, true. But out of my gym there are only 3 of us who regularly compete (or used to compete) our professor never went with us or even knew most of the time.

 

[Foppa21]

As the title says, would you leave your academy if they promoted based on minimum IBJJF time standards?

I am considering leaving my academy because I don't want my purple at exactly 3 years of training. There is also no way I can request my professor to hold off on it because he will definitely get offended. For the time and effort you put into this sport, as a purple belt I want to be be able to walk into any academy on Earth and hang with other purples, but that is simply not possible simply due to the fact that the average time to get a purple belt is about 5+ years at best.

I'd like to hear people's thoughts and experiences with getting promoted too quick, and its not based on competition results or anything like that, just time training and coming in 4-5 days a week.

FYI, the academy I am thinking of switching over to is Atos HQ. Its less convienent than the one I am at right now, and it means I won't see my family 4 nights a week at all since by time I get home after night classes my youngest will be in asleep, but at least I will know for a fact that when Galvao says I am a purple belt, it will be without question that I am a purple belt and able to hang with any purple in the world (that's not a world champ or anything like that)

Thank you for your thoughts

Edit: I should clarify that not seeing my 6 year old 4 nights a week if I switch to Atos is weighing heavily on me, and its probably why I will NOT switch, but the temptation is really there and its extremely strong. Also despite my dissatisfaction with my current academy, I still do consider my teammates to be the closest friends I've ever had, so leaving them behind is extremely hard as well.

Random thoughts:

* If you think having Prof Andre Galvao tie a purple belt around your waist vs anyone else means you'll be able to hang with any purple belt in the world, you're going to be sorely mistaken. He goes by the same standards as every one else. There is as much of a "feel" as there is competition results and attendance etc.

* If you train 4-5 days a week, you're probably under estimating your rate of improvement and progression

 

[Evenflow80]

Random thoughts:

* If you think having Prof Andre Galvao tie a purple belt around your waist vs anyone else means you'll be able to hang with any purple belt in the world, you're going to be sorely mistaken. He goes by the same standards as every one else. There is as much of a "feel" as there is competition results and attendance etc.

* If you train 4-5 days a week, you're probably under estimating your rate of improvement and progression

Well a former teammate who secretly just left and joined Atos told me the level of other blue belts there is way, way, way better than any blue at our academy. I can assume its the same at purple and later belts. I made another topic asking exactly how he does promote (if anyone trains there) and so far no one who trained there has responded. The general consensus though given the repuation of the Atos guys (and gals), its doubtful he promotes based on just attendance like it is at my academy.

I think I will get a much better feel of my actual progression and overall skill when I go to open mat at Atos soon...

 

[JagRoss]

Galvao isn't gonna know who you are. Someone is gonna check your attendance card and eventually hand him a belt to give to you. Almost no one cares about the color of old guys belts. For me, if I was going to be a dead-beat dad, it would be only for really important things -- like surfing.

If you train at any big gym this is how it is.
Especially if you only do the night classes.

If you do the competition classes in the Midday regularly, then maybe it'll be different.

 

[yetanother]

is that really how anyone feels though? I mean sure its nice to say we are all bigger than a piece of cloth around our waist, but are you saying if you have, say, a purple belt and then go do open mats across a dozen different academies and in each one of them you are conisistently toyed with by other purples, you wouldn't question why that is at all? Or question the quality of the teaching you are get?

We put a ton of time, resources, and effort into BJJ. This isn't a martial art where you get a black belt in 2 years.

I care about competition results and skill. It shouldn't matter at all if you are a purple belt being toyed around by a fellow purple belt or a blue belt toyed by a purple, that doesn't affect your skill at all.

 

[Evenflow80]

I care about competition results and skill. It shouldn't matter at all if you are a purple belt being toyed around by a fellow purple belt or a blue belt toyed by a purple, that doesn't affect your skill at all.

I dont get it... if you're being toyed around with by other purples, of which presumably the majority are hobbyists, what makes you think your comp results would be any different if not even worse?

 

[Evenflow80]

If you train at any big gym this is how it is.
Especially if you only do the night classes.

If you do the competition classes in the Midday regularly, then maybe it'll be different.

Well I was trying to get an answer on my other thread from someone who does train at Atos, but I guess its rarer on here than I thought it would be

 

[yetanother]

I dont get it... if you're being toyed around with by other purples, of which presumably the majority are hobbyists, what makes you think your comp results would be any different if not even worse?

I myself care about my own competition results. I'm a brown belt. I don't see what's the difference what belt you have when you get toyed around.

 

[JagRoss]

Well I was trying to get an answer on my other thread from someone who does train at Atos, but I guess its rarer on here than I thought it would be

Why don't you go for a trial class and see?

 

[Evenflow80]

I myself care about my own competition results. I'm a brown belt. I don't see what's the difference what belt you have when you get toyed around.

I was using purple as an example, it could apply to any belt color

 

[Evenflow80]

Why don't you go for a trial class and see?

Before I do that I need to decide if the sacrifices (i.e family time) is worth it. I dont think it is. I have zero doubt I will love it at Atos, I mean who wouldn't? That isnt really what I am worried about to be honest

 

[DatCutman]

Dude, I know the feeling. You feel like a fraud. You feel like their lower belts will wreck you (and they probably could). You want to train at the place where everyone is strong, because you know it will make you strong too.

Some call that ego. But I think it comes from a place of purity; you just want to be what you think you SHOULD be. You don't think it's right that you hold a superior position, yet are inferior in skill or knowledge.

But the ugly question is, what is BJJ for you? If it's your profession and how you'll make bank, then you're right. Shit is unacceptable. Go to Atos immediately. Your future is on the line.

But if it's not...if it's just a hobby? Then you may want to accept it and let it go. Accept that an Atos purple means something different compared to the local recreational gym purple. Shit, Tainan Dalpra's purple belt means more than my first degree black belt.

You may want to ask yourself why you started BJJ, and why you stuck with it. Was it to be the best? Or was it because BJJ was fun?

Also if you aren't going to be a competitor, you have a much larger window of BJJ activity than the window to get to hang with your kids. They're going to be doing their own shit and ignoring you before you know it. If you want to spend the window of time where your kids want to hang out with you trying to become a marginally better recreational grappler, then do as you wish.

BJJ culture is all fucked up. You'd never have this kind of dilemma in any other recreational sport. My fencing coach made no allusion otherwise that I was, as someone starting at 17, never going to be an olympic hopeful. I could probably reach mediocre success at best. In Judo, there's no push to be part of the "Judo lifestyle" the same way as in BJJ. I doubt frisbee golfers are out there wondering if they should sacrifice evenings with their kids to really start sinking those drives. Yet, here we all are.

 

[3879]

How would anyone know your true rank at the tournament though? I can register as a black belt as far as I know.

IBJJF has your instructor verify your rank so that you can't compete up (unless you're a judo black belt/college wrestler). Most other tournaments allow you to compete up.

 

[Evenflow80]

Dude, I know the feeling. You feel like a fraud. You feel like their lower belts will wreck you (and they probably could). You want to train at the place where everyone is strong, because you know it will make you strong too.

Some call that ego. But I think it comes from a place of purity; you just want to be what you think you SHOULD be. You don't think it's right that you hold a superior position, yet are inferior in skill or knowledge.

But the ugly question is, what is BJJ for you? If it's your profession and how you'll make bank, then you're right. Shit is unacceptable. Go to Atos immediately. Your future is on the line.

But if it's not...if it's just a hobby? Then you may want to accept it and let it go. Accept that an Atos purple means something different compared to the local recreational gym purple. Shit, Tainan Dalpra's purple belt means more than my first degree black belt.

You may want to ask yourself why you started BJJ, and why you stuck with it. Was it to be the best? Or was it because BJJ was fun?

Also if you aren't going to be a competitor, you have a much larger window of BJJ activity than the window to get to hang with your kids. They're going to be doing their own shit and ignoring you before you know it. If you want to spend the window of time where your kids want to hang out with you trying to become a marginally better recreational grappler, then do as you wish.

BJJ culture is all fucked up. You'd never have this kind of dilemma in any other recreational sport. My fencing coach made no allusion otherwise that I was, as someone starting at 17, never going to be an olympic hopeful. I could probably reach mediocre success at best. In Judo, there's no push to be part of the "Judo lifestyle" the same way as in BJJ. I doubt frisbee golfers are out there wondering if they should sacrifice evenings with their kids to really start sinking those drives. Yet, here we all are.

Its a competitive sport, more than any other IMO.

I grew up in the middle east and over there, soccer is king. As a kid growing up, how popular you are in your neighborhood with the other kids was solely based on your skills playing soccer, whether on a street or a field. But a large part of it was your team as well, so at the end of the day it was a team sport, and in a team there is always a weak link or two....

Not so in BJJ. Its all you. You are a man competing against another man. Theres no hiding there is a lot of masculine competition and ego involved too, even when casually rolling against team mates on any given day.

I started BJJ because I wanted to be able to defend myself in real life. I suppose even a purple belt at my own mediocre gym that I got in 3 years should suffice for that (I hope), but as I got into it and how hard it is for me (I was never athletic or had good cardio), now I want to be sure what I am getting is legit and something I can be proud of.

But no, its not more important than time with my family.

 

[Evenflow80]

IBJJF has your instructor verify your rank so that you can't compete up (unless you're a judo black belt/college wrestler). Most other tournaments allow you to compete up.

For blue belts? Hell my instructor didn't even know when I competed at a local IBJJF open. He was pretty pissed afterwards actually.

I know for others (Grappling X maybe?) my professor got an automated email telling him I registered, but thats about is as far as I know.

 

[yetanother]

For blue belts? Hell my instructor didn't even know when I competed at a local IBJJF open. He was pretty pissed afterwards actually.

Why was he pissed?

 

[Evenflow80]

Why was he pissed?

That I didn't tell him I was. To be honest, I feel a lot less pressure when I go compete alone. I dont know how it is for others, but having the assistant black belt yell at you from the sidelines doesn't do much to help me. I feel a lot more relaxed and in my element when I go alone.

Also in this particular instance he was out for weeks with an injury or something. I couldnt tell him if I wanted to.

he never goes with any of us though. Its always the other BB we have who goes with us to comps