prime_time

ive notice one thing i mean ive been lookin at online videos for about a year and i actually spar with my cousin alot whose a bluebelt and i submit him so i think i should just promote my self to blue belt

JimmyJames

Go to a real school and become a blue belt.

Otherwise your blue belt means as much as this purple belt.

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Congratulations you won!

americanfighter

No because you didnt earn it from a school however i find the belt system a load of BS anyway.

FYI in traditional martial arts a long time ago students were given one belt and it was white. You never clean it and only wear it when training you could tell who the more experienced practitioner was by how dirty their belt was. The masters belts were the dirtiest. Thats why the brown belt and black belt are the highest belt ranks in most martial arts.

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punchbag

Personally if your training at a gym that has belts it's always better to earn it, otherwise you may as well go the whole way and say your a black belt.
I agree in part, the belt system can be a load of bs, depending on who you're training under, for example if you had a blue belt from a Gracie school, you know it means something, unlike the purple belt from mc dojo in the pic, that wouldn't count for much in comparisson. I know a few guys who train in bjj/ submission grappling, who think that a black belt is something to keep your trousers up with, but would submit 80% of people out there without much problem.
It doesn't have as much significance as in martial arts traditionally, but is usually a fair indication of skill level which is useful for comps etc I guess/ is just nice to see some rewards for achieving a certain level at your chosen martial art.

BlacklistShaun

Promoting yourself to blue is useless. Unless you have lineage in BJJ you are nothing. You walk into my school with a blue belt on and you can't tell me where you got it from or you tell the instructor you promoted yourself you'll be put right back to white belt.

Not all blue belts are equal either. I know Gracie Barra down here makes a practice that they will actually promote guys to blue within 6 months to get them locked in and keep them coming and paying. A guy that's coming from a school like that is not comparable at all to a guy that had to work his ass off for 2 years + to get a blue belt.

Now I'm not saying that your cousin sucks, but I will tell you that a legit blue belt should be able to easily beat someone who watched a few online videos. There is a whole lot more to BJJ (and a blue belt) than just learning submissions...

americanfighter

i know it is an identification of rank and skill and it is nice to see some reward but i also find it to be some what of an ego trip for some people. Plus i find it strange when i go to some dojos and i find an 8 year old walking around with a black belt. I like the classic way better one belt one gi and they change color as you practice more or even the no belt system.

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BlacklistShaun

It's impossible to see a little kid walking around with an adult belt in BJJ being there are agre requiremnts for belts.

BobbyCooper

That is some nice information, I never heard that before.. thanks

I think the belt system is mostly for the motivation of the students and to keep them going.

americanfighter

I saw it in a TKD Dojo i thouht about going to. I was Just talking about the belt system in general not just BJJ. If I ran a dojo i would run it the traditional way. One Belt One gi let them chage colors on their own.

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BlacklistShaun

Good luck with that, doubt you'd have 3 students.

Fact of the matter is as silly as belt colors are...they do have their purpose. It let's the students know where the stand (when implemented properly) as well as giving them motivation to do more to advance. One reason a lot of people leave BJJ (in my experience) is they get tired of not getting promoted since BJJ is much slower than most arts to promote.

Not to mention with staph and whatnot...you come in my gym and don't wash your gi, I'll take it home and wash it myself. You'd never make it anywhere hahaha.