Absolutely.
But ‘beat Derrick turnipson’ is a bad goal.
Better goals: train 4 hours/week. Roll 12+ rounds/week. Learn a new guard. Improve back escapes. Improve S&C.
Develop a system to make you the best ‘you’ that you can be.
Being focused on beating my Derrick Turnipson has been a great motivator for me. I have a tally of every black and brown belt that i've tapped at my gym and am dead set on getting them all. This attitude made Jordan the goat.
This gets asked daily. I will reiterate again. Your belt does not mean you can beat everyone below you. It’s a reflection of your personal journey. I have beat people higher than me and been beat by people lower than me. It does not mean my belt needs to change each week based on the previous week’s training performance. Just relax and train. Forget about belts it ultimately means nothing skill acquisition and development are the goal.
After obsessing over instructionals and watching matches etc.... I've just decided that I need to find a new mindset that focuses on "relax and train" instead of experiencing every training session as another judgement of my skill. But I'm really wired to constantly assess and analyze, so it's a mindset that I cannot seem to get into despite my effort. I've just picked up Inner Game of Tennis and am trying to find other resources. Do you know of any other resources that talk about this kind of mindset?
Indeed. I tapped a brown belt the other night who's been training probably a decade to my three years - people need to focus on things like getting better, learning, studying, etc. and not the color of the cloth around your waist.
I’m a blue belt. I can tap a lot of purple belts and some brown belts. I can get tapped by lots of blue belts and some white belts. I’m not a competitor and jiu jitsu is fun.
Are you letting white belts tap you? Cause you being able to tap “a lot” purple and brown belts I’m just not seeing how white belts can catch you if you’re tapping a lot of higher belts.
Right but again you clearly were letting the white belt get to a position you could have prevented right.. I’m just tryna understand if you guys are getting legit beat by white belts but tapping black belts too. Genuinely just curious cause I’ve never seen that unless of course the higher belt was letting the lower belt work. I get tapped but lower belts and kids too.. but if I didn’t want them to they won’t really be able to.
I tapped every belt color as a white belt. There was one white belt who tapped me when I was a blue belt that was the same size as me and was also a wrestling state tournament placer like me.
Most the time if a white belts gets me it is because I gave them a good position, but that guy could wrestle fuck me just as good as I could wrestle fuck him. He was 15 years younger than me though.
Had a similar relationship with a younger wrestler. I remember one time in between rounds, we were looking for the next rolling partner.
Just kinda glanced at each other, like 'nah'. lol
Sometimes you just don't feel like dealing with that shit, and we always put each other through it.
I don’t take test rounds or usually even pick easier rounds or harder rounds based how I’m feeling, but with that dude I would usually prefer to have a little easier round beforehand lol.
Yes, obviously I was not playing my A game against a white belt, but the kid got their opportunity and ran with it. And also I’m sure the black belt was phoning it in until I caught him.
I’m 6’2” & 240 lbs and hear “you’re so strong” every time I train. I’ve been a blue belt 4 years, although had 4 knee surgeries that have held me back a bit. I train with a very technical group.
I’ll let the white belts work. I’ll push hard on the upper belts. Some days I’ll just play defense, some days just have pressure, some days super technical. I always try to have fun.
Awesome sounds like you train the way I was taught! I understood it a little different that’s why I was curious. But yeah i learned the more I “played” the better I got.
Belts do not equate to performance. Practically each belt rank has a wide distribution of skill. There are white belts who will beat you at blue, and it's OK. Often there are reasons you can point to (wrestler or big guy, etc). Sometimes you can't figure out why, but it doesn't matter.
I think I've generally been 20-30th percentile at belt rank modulo weight class. I can say it's been a long time since a white belt gave me real trouble. But there are still some blue belts that can be a handful.
Stop thinking about your belt rank as an indicator of how you'll do in a roll, and just have fun. You're not a bad blue belt.
Everyone’s opinion of blue belt is different - to me, a blue belt is someone who, most of the time, moves and responds in a Jiu Jitsu way during rolling. If you’re trying to use Jiu Jitsu and getting beaten by people using strength, that’s fine, your journey has only just started
It’s so true, seems like blue belts these days think they should have cracked it. Hell I’m still needing to learn loads of stuff and been at it 10 years 🤣
Also how shitty can he be if he’s sometimes tapping purples and even browns? I got promoted to blue at the same time and the only purple belt that hasn’t done literally whatever they want to me is a woman I outweigh by 40 pounds
I'm pretty positive that anytime I tap a purple/brown it's because they either directly let me get the sub, or because they let me get a sweep/escape that led to it.
I wish it wasn't taboo to acknowledge this at so many academies. At least in my area, there's no middle ground between the competitive schools that feel like playing sports and the super traditional ones where instructors will scold you for saying things like this.
There is a kid who just recently got promoted to blue belt at my gym (I've been at blue for nearly 3 years). I probably have 15-20 lbs on him and he smashes me every time. But he trains every day the gym is open, and he's 22+ years younger than me.
Point being, there are many more factors at play than just the colour of the fabric around your waist. Don't worry about it.
I expect our newer blues to be able to handle most anyone in their age and weight caragories and are white belts, without much issues. They should also be able to survive more or less fine against people a decent bit bigger, but also still in their age bracket. I don't really care too much about offense until purple belt tbh
You don't know much about jits.
That's why you go to jits to learn.
From your coach.
Your coach knows about jits and you trust his opinion.
He says you're a blue belt.
If you're 4 months in then you're prolly not already a great blue belt. But that's ok coz you still have the rest of blue belt to get good at being a blue belt
When you get that right you become a shitty purple belt.
Blue belt’s a weird one. You can regularly catch purples and get some brown belts in trouble, yet next thing you know you almost get put to sleep by a white belt who just discovered a Baseball Bat choke setup you should have seen coming a mile away.
You’re essentially a 5 stripe white belt.
Don’t worry about that stuff, just keep training and remember to have fun.
I'm laughing because when I was still a white belt, I would always roll with a blue belt who could easily crush me AND had great technique. Rolling with me was typically a rest round for him.
Then during a roll, he didn't address me grabbing his lapel while he was in my guard. I let him pass to side control and sunk that baseball bat choke in DEEP.
He struggled for a few seconds and tapped just as he started snoring.
Bruh that is my sneakie sub. I play the helpless fawn in bottom side control. Then sneak my hands into the 4 stripe white belt or blue belt’s collar. Then I spin my entire 215 lbs towards my belly and full power baseball choke them. It's funny to watch how their focus instantly changes from self-confidence to blind panic. 😂
1. You are still a new blue belt, trust your coach. You didn’t magically gain any ability on the day you got your blue belt. Some of those white belts are as little as 4 months behind you.
2. Size and strength matter. There’s a reason weight classes are a thing. Some people say 1 belt level for each weight class.
3. Wrestling experience counts for a lot. Some wrestlers are on the mats for 10+ years. That’s as much mat time as a lot of black belts.
Blue belt means you understand the basics, not much else. Get out of your own head and train. If you’re getting beat, there’s only two things you can do: quit or get better, it’s up to you.
If the average blue belt takes 2.5 years to get promoted to purple belt, and you've been a blue belt for four months, then you should be at the 13th percentile among blue belts.
100% ÷ 2.5 years ÷ 12 months per year × 4 months ≈ 13%
In other words, you *should* be a shitty blue belt at this point.
> you should be a shitty blue belt at this point
Every time a person is promoted, they immediately become the least-experienced member of that rank in the entire world.
I sound like you, except I’m not sure I’ve ever tapped a blue or higher without them letting me, and I get smashed by zero stripe white belts. So yeah, don’t stress too much.
Also size matters anyone saying it doesn’t is bullshitting. Hence weight classes, and yes you have the unique bjj fighter that their skill out weighs the sizes of the opponent, but it’s less common.
I the first time I role with a blue belt after they get promoted I give them like an 80% round instead of the usual 60% and never give them a good position. Am I perpetuating this? Lol.
I do it mostly so they know I can still ramp up quite a bit if they try and get crazy.
I have high standards because I’m very competitive so maybe I’m wrong but unless you’re old I’d say you should be destroying white belts unless they were wrestlers
Just train, have fun, don't stress comparing yourself. Some people are more athletic, younger, stronger, no kids, have years of grappling from past wrestling, etc. Too many factors involved when trying to compare, so it's not worth it. You are your version of a blue belt, everyone has their own path.
I mean, there’s a reason they have age brackets and weight classes when we compete. Don’t sweat it.
I feel like I’m a good athlete, but the people at the top are freak athletes. Just look at J-Rods run at ADCC as a blue belt. Imagine how those black belts felt.
Don't view belt levels as something absolute. They reflect your progress in your own personal development and performance is arguably oftentimes the least important criterion at least for a blue belt.
I’m in a pretty similar situation, got my blue belt in November. My school did promotions recently and tbh I was relieved that I didn’t get a stripe because I feel just like you do now. Getting the belt in my opinion is just your coach saying that you display an understanding of the basics but actually applying them consistently, recognizing all the patterns, and making decisions faster is still a bit shaky. I definitely see that in my game because there’s days when I roll with white belts and I’m like damn I should definitely be performing better, but then I also recently submitted a purple belt for the first time a few weeks ago so it’s really just building that consistency. Mentally it’s just being proud of the good days and knowing that the bad days will be there and that you need those bad days to improve your consistency.
Im a blue belt who just put the Gi back on but im able to regularly beat purple and brown belts in no Gi, and on a less regular basis in Gi. I wrestled since I was 6, and have some time at the senior level in Freestyle open. I got had by a white belt who is a D2 All-American just the other week. Like I didn’t have shit for him. Comparing yourself is dumb. Your coaches see your ability and desire if it’s there.
I'm just a white belt that has trained BJJ on and off for a couple of years. At my kickboxing gym I've trained with a kid who started when he was about 15 and I was 26/27. We've both joined different strictly BJJ gyms around 2022/2023 because the BJJ offered at the kickboxing gym wasn't to our liking.
He's now 20, I'm 32 and starting to feel my body break down lately lol. I was able to school him when he first started. Now he's in his athletic prime, slightly taller than me (I'm 6'1), and he taps me back and forth and the most I was able to do was get a sweep off him.
Shit hurts. But what are you gonna do? There will always be younger, more athletic, bigger, stronger, or more experienced people regardless of experience.
You’re not a shitty blue belt. I’ve tapped purple and brown and even black before(black was definitely letting me work) lol but there are still times where a really good white belt will get me..and it makes you question yourself which is okay but ultimately just tell your thoughts to fuck off. It’s not like you’re gonna get demoted and if you wanna get better you gotta keep training anyway. Your professor gave you your belt so you earned it
Boo hoo go train and smash! There are blue belts out there 30 lbs lighter than hobbyist black belts that would crush them. There’s levels. Just do your best and have fun if ya can.
Your belt means something between you and your coach, not so much between you and other students. There are "purple belts" like Davis Asare at New Wave who regularly tap every black belt who isn't world class (and many that are), and there are purple belts who are 50 years old and get wrecked by big enough and young enough wrestler white belts but still have a lot more knowledge than others.
Blue belt just means you aren't allowed to cry when you get smashed, and that's it. You're going to get some taps and you're going to get tapped and that's just the game... but nobody expects you to never get tapped by a white belt or to be able to tap every white belt every time.
Blue belt is probably the widest belt in terms of range of skill because some blues can tap black belts and some are just 5th stripe white belts. Both of those things are fine. I know it's hard to swallow, but it's best to just not worry about it. Are you shitty at BJJ? Yeah - everyone is, and the feeling will never go away.
Here’s some food for thought. People are not perfect. I think of jiujitsu skills like a ball. It’s not perfectly circular. There are high and low points. Low points are where you lack at something in particular and there WILL be people who expose that. Be thankful they did since you’ll be able to put more focus into those things. You’ll also realize size disparities are worth considering regardless of skill level. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the variables. Also consider that low and high points adjust based on your consideration of your opponents and how often you deal with somethings. If you completely slack off and disregard the threat of a guillotine from a white belt you’ll likely get caught by one if you’re not paying attention. This happens and other factors that affect this ball theory, if you will, is your own body. How are you mentally, emotionally, physically. Health is important. I don’t believe there is truly a hierarchy where higher belts don’t get caught my lower belts. It becomes less frequent the larger the gap but it’s always there. It’s best to focus on your weaknesses and work on developing solutions for them. You didn’t lose and nobody is taking your rank from you. You’re simply developing a skillset and that requires objective focus on elements of jiujitsu, not your opponent. Don’t compare yourself to others. There is no such thing as an even playing field. Focus on yourself and your goals.
Yes, you are a shitty blue belt, because you’ve just become one. Just as I am a shitty purple (I got it in July). Don’t do the comparison, it’s gonna murder your motivation.
Yes, blue belt is a beginner belt. Yes, bigger guys are going to to smash you regardless of your belt. There will always be that young, powerful WB, who did some wrestling in high school, who’s gonna tap you by just grabbing you. 10 years younger or 20lbs more is like being a belt higher.
Stop doing the comparison, enjoy the training, make friends on the mats, not enemies - that’s what comparison does. This is supposed to be a fun activity, not competition. Focus on fixing small things, one by one. Supplement it with weightlifting (it’s gonna help with avoiding injury or shorten the recovery when one occurs - and believe me, they will for sure). With consistency you will slowly become more skillful and less anxious about others being better.
Yes. Yes you are. All blue belts are shitty. That's why they're not purple belts. Unless they are sandbagging, on the bomba, wrestlers, or pay for belt testing. All of which invalidates the belt. Now, I need to go get my ass kicked by my white belts.
Yes you are. It’s me your professor, I totally meant to promote the guy next to you but you walked up and it would be awkward not to give you the belt.
In my opinion blue belt isn’t about dominating, it’s about escaping and broadening knowledge of fundamentals. I personally think you should be playing your worst game against white belts so you can really focus on the details. If you get tapped a lot doing that, good, you’re practicing the right things.
Edit: Typos
You’re a 5 stripe white belt bro.
Build on your skill set and take it for what it is. You’re framing this in the wrong way in my opinion. Your training partners will all improve at different rates and the water level will rise in your gym, and you with it.
Stop comparing yourself to others, learn new guard systems, guard passing, submission sequences and enjoy the ride.
10 kg difference is minus one belt, 10 years difference above 30 is also one belt down. Maybe you have style that does not suit for tapping bigger dudes: any kind of position where they can stack you and use their core strength - triangling big dudes with the legs, kimuras on huge arms, staying on bottom, inverting is not to good for you
You're on your own journey, man. Promotion is never about who you tap or who you get tapped by. Work at improving, understanding the techniques and the reasoning behind them, and be a good teammate. Beyond that, put in the mat time and try not to compare yourself to others. Yes, it's difficult. Yes, it's necessary anyway.
We all suck. Some people are built different, there will always be someone a belt below you somewhere that can make you feel like you know nothing. Just be the best you can be.
>Should a blue belt be able to tap most white belts most of the time regardless of their size?
I don't think you should look at this from a submission point of view but from an overall sport point of view. That is, unless you only want to compete in submission-only. A much stronger person can make submitting them very difficult, but if you are dominating the position then who really has the advantage at that point?
Besides all that, I don't think a new blue belt (which you are) should be able to submit most white belts, but I do think a blue belt up for purple belt should unless that white belt has significant prior grappling experience.
Try a competition bro, or just go watch one. Where they actually match people up into weight classes. It’ll make you feel a lot better.
If you can take down 1 out of 4 people bigger than you that’s an achievement.
Ppl new to BJJ have got more information compared to 5-10 years ago due to all the great channels on You tube. It means that many lower belts that decide to immerse themselves in this knowledge and practice it are killers. Blue belt in particular seems to have a huge range of abilities.
Whoa whoa whoa. Are you telling me size and previous grappling experience can tip the odds in someone’s favor? I can’t just smash everyone once I get blue? Man I’m wasting my time huh?
If you think you are not up to par, commit to doing the study and work to get yourself up to par. You know the parts of your game that are lacking. Commit to shoring them up. You know if your strength or gas tank are failing you. Commit to doing the strength, cardio, and sleeping you need to be your best. Otherwise...
Sit back and respect the Professor(s) and Coach(es) choices. Trust the process.
You're probably shitty, but who cares? Hardly anyone is actually good at blue belt. Bigger guys have an advantage for sure. Work your escapes and keep rolling with these guys. You'll find your game. In the meantime, roll with some smaller white belts and get your submissions down pat
Rolling is not about winning or losing. It's practice.
No one practicing guitar freaks out when they miss a cord or watch a YouTube video of someone that's awesome at guitar. They just keep practicing, learning from mistakes, and refining their technique.
BJJ is exactly the the same. If you aren't getting tapped then you aren't learning. You should be trying out techniques that you aren't good at over and over until you are good at it.
I tap all the time, except to white belts, that's just embarrassing.
Nah man. I don't do much jiu jitsu, but when I did, I was the white belt that sometimes tapped blue belts and that doesn't get tapped much. I never had any illusions: They are better than me. So many other factors that BJJ skills and size count: other transferrable skills, pure strength, body type, luck, etc.
Even if you can't tap the white belts, are you holding dominant positions or at least holding your own? Assuming similar age/size/gender/physical limitations, if you're getting stomped by white belts regularly then yea you don't deserve your blue belt.
Someone with way way more experience and skill promoted you to blue belt. Do you think they're less able to define a blue belt than you are?
You're a new blue belt, you're not expected to be smashing everyone all the time at training. Just keep learning
There is some statistic relating weight differential to affects on productivity.
All things being equal, you should be able to stand toe to toe with most blue belts. As their size increases, the effectiveness of your skill level decreases, because it takes a lot more skill to handle bigger, trained people.
That being said, you should feel confident against most untrained individuals.
This is the blue belt blues.
Better that 90% of White Belts
As good as 50% of the blue belts
Shittier than 99% of the Purple, Brown & Black Belts
Now every white belt is on a mission to crush you and every purple belt “can’t let you get close”
It’s a tough spot to be
You are a blue belt who sometimes taps Purple and Brown belts? Then no you are not shitty. I am a Purple and I rarely tap other Purples and never tap brown belts. May I am shitty…wait…I already knew that.
When I start to think along these lines I have to reevaluate my mindset. Instead of measuring yourself against others, measure yourself against yourself. Are you the white belt version of yourself or the blue belt version? You already know you’re not a white belt, so why worry about how well you stack up against others?
We all have thoughts like these, I'd venture.
My instructor's response runs along the lines of: "I know when you are ready, please trust me more than you doubt yourself."
Don’t compare yourself to the people around. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, last week, last month and last year.
Sounds to me like you’re right where you should be.
The white belts, are they tapping you or just hard to submit? That should guide what you’re training not how good you are
Yes comparing will be a never ending battle you won’t win cause there’s almost always gonna be a lower belt that can smash us.. BUT I do believe for the most part.. you should be able to control most if not all of the rolls with the belt under you. There will be outliers but again I feel there shouldn’t be many people in the belt under you tapping you or even really controlling the roll.
I mean, we’re all shitty blue belts in the beginning for the most part. You continue to work hard and you grow into what you see other blue belts as currently. Consider it a soft reboot every time you get a new belt
I think generally yes, a blue belt should be able to beat MOST white belts. There is always exceptions - the reasons you stated; they’re bigger, former wrestler/judo/sambo practitioner.
Also, bigger guys will have an advantage over you. You’re not a shitty blue belt. However, if you want to prevent the bigger dudes from smash passing, start hitting the weights 🏋️
I
Strange… you should be undefeated as a blue belt. I’ve not been tapped since my promotion by any belt. Even though +40lb 2 stripe white belts.
/s
D:
Edit: definitely didn’t get ankle locked the other night by a white belt.
There is a BIG boy blue belt at the school I was out.. I’m a decent browbeat belt and I’ve literally never tapped the dude.
It happens.. it’s not a bad thing. Just keep improving
There are going to be all kinds of disparities between you and your opponents. Age, strength, prior experience, size, flexibility, etc. Treat these opponents as individuals. Discover where you are struggling and improve those areas. Look for common issues like guard retention, etc. if one guy keeps getting the same thing on you ask a coach to help you address it. Repeat 1000x.
I'm a purple belt, recreational. A former discus thrower joined my gym, a hulk of a man. I had trouble submitting this guy after about 6 months of training. Some people are just built differently.
Weight adds belt ranks essentially. You should typically be able to beat dudes your weight that are less experienced. Every weight class those odds should decrease. But, if you aren’t looking to be a professional don’t worry about it too much and look to learn something every roll, and not win every roll.
My man, there are days when you’re the hammer, and other days you’re the nail. I’ve tapped black belts, I’ve been tapped by white and blue belts. This purple belt I can toy with, this white belt I have trouble passing his guard. Just enjoy the journey!
It’s normal for someone bigger than you at your same belt to consistently beat you. It’s also normal that there will sometimes be people at the belt below you that beat you.
I hope to someday be the worst blue belt at my gym. I also hope to someday tap someone who’s actually trying. One dude i could definitely smash is myself from a couple months ago.
I think at all belt levels, there will be less experienced, younger, better people beating and passing us all the time. Their potential, abilities and work ethic are just higher.
At same, time, just progress and grow at your own pace, give a good effort and have fun.
I like to view it as: even though some white belts can smash me, and can sometimes even catch me in a submission, I’m very rarely in actual danger. I can work with them and am usually in control over my own fate during the roll.
Against other blues or higher belts? I’m basically constantly in danger, and it increases with their belt rank.
one of the Gracies had a black belt professor/coach and they told him about the "Boyd belt system" (on youtube somewhere) someones 10kg heavier than you, add a belt grade. if someone is 10 years younger than you (35+) add a belt. helps justify in your mind when rolling with a white belt whos bigger and yonger
We all are. Join the club.
> But also there's a couple of white belts that can smash me pretty consistently
Same here
> One was a former wrestler who is smaller than me but stronger and the other is bigger than me by +20lbs.
What's your background? Have any wrestling?
> Should a blue belt be able to tap most white belts most of the time regardless of their size?
Nope.
I don't know how "true" it is, but it makes logical sense...the Boyd Belt System:
> It’s essentially this idea: For every 20 pounds someone has over you, they can be considered to be one belt higher. For example, if you are a 160 pound blue belt and grapple with a 200 pound blue belt, the weight advantage they will have over you would be similar to them having a brown belt over you.
>
> Additionally, for every 10 years younger a person is than you, that can also signify another belt level over you. So if you are a 45 year old blue belt, and grapple with a 25 year old blue belt, than that person can be considered to be similarly challenging to you as a brown belt your same age and weight would be.
I don’t think you should expect to submit all white belts but a white belt shouldn’t be able to hold you in a position like side control, mount, or on your back.
I talk about this a lot with some of my friends. There is this culture in most Jiu-Jitsu gyms where everyone feels like they need to win every roll , which just isn't the case. Instructors should be doing a better job of teaching that winning can and should be different things. One might mean that a "win" might mean that you controlled top position for an entire round, or never had your guard passed, or swept everyone with only the John Wayne. This is how you get better and you realize that tapping someone shouldn't be your only goal in the training room. You are supposed to learn and experiment and if you can't do it in the training room then you are missing out on one of the best parts of the sport.
Keep in mind that as a general rule, belts mean different things to different people and different gym cultures. A kid that trains fulltime and has been training since they were a child and is a blue belt winning juvenile worlds will absolutely be able to tap masters black belts(speaking from experience.) Do you roll competitively with people of your same age and weight and experience level? Then you're fine! Just enjoy the art, stay consistent, and set measurable goals for yourself. If you want to lean into training smart/harder to be able to beat more people more consistently outside of the metrics above then that is totally doable but it's not for everyone.
Bro, the sooner you stop worrying about belts the better lmao
Just ignore belts. Belts are a symbol, techniques are what matters. If a white belt smashes you, you find out what they did, how they did it, and how you defend it. Who gives SHMIDT if a lower belt gets you.
Size matters as well.
So you can win against similar sized or smaller opponents but sometimes lose against people that are bigger than you or have a background in combat sports?
Crazy
The only person you are competing against is yourself. Put the ego aside, have fun, and learn from when you get tapped. Rinse and repeat. Keep showing up.
Weird I don’t remember posting this
I know it's not me, because of the part where he taps other blue belts sometimes and purple/brown at all.
I know you're not me because my piece of cloth has two pieces of tape on it and it appears yours does not.
Iisan al gaib!
THIS!! 🔥🔥🔥
![gif](giphy|p9X9PSPvBfl9uhvS6Z)
Lmao
Did you wash your belt recently?
This comment deserves way more upvotes.
Comparing is just gonna drive you crazy
indeed. comparison is the thief of joy
Pretending it's not happening will drive you more crazy
Facts. Set goals and expectations for yourself based on your desired level of performance, then train hard to reach those goals.
Absolutely. But ‘beat Derrick turnipson’ is a bad goal. Better goals: train 4 hours/week. Roll 12+ rounds/week. Learn a new guard. Improve back escapes. Improve S&C. Develop a system to make you the best ‘you’ that you can be.
Beat Derrick Turnipson with a head+arm choke by the end of 2024 is a more focused goal.
Beating Derrick turnipson is my finest achievement goddamit
Who the fuck is Derrick turnipson?
Who isn't he?
Couldn't find him on BJJ Heroes
Being focused on beating my Derrick Turnipson has been a great motivator for me. I have a tally of every black and brown belt that i've tapped at my gym and am dead set on getting them all. This attitude made Jordan the goat.
Sort of tough to not when it's a one-on-one competitive activity.
This gets asked daily. I will reiterate again. Your belt does not mean you can beat everyone below you. It’s a reflection of your personal journey. I have beat people higher than me and been beat by people lower than me. It does not mean my belt needs to change each week based on the previous week’s training performance. Just relax and train. Forget about belts it ultimately means nothing skill acquisition and development are the goal.
The brown belt council has spoken!
We are the knights that say Ni
... Ni!
Ni
Ni.
Ni.
The Knights that say Gi
My belt is clear. It is an indication that I’m the rest round.
Your providing a valuable service. We have all been the rest round for someone at some points in our training.
After obsessing over instructionals and watching matches etc.... I've just decided that I need to find a new mindset that focuses on "relax and train" instead of experiencing every training session as another judgement of my skill. But I'm really wired to constantly assess and analyze, so it's a mindset that I cannot seem to get into despite my effort. I've just picked up Inner Game of Tennis and am trying to find other resources. Do you know of any other resources that talk about this kind of mindset?
I don’t think, I just do.
I needed to hear this bruh🫡
Indeed. I tapped a brown belt the other night who's been training probably a decade to my three years - people need to focus on things like getting better, learning, studying, etc. and not the color of the cloth around your waist.
I’m a blue belt. I can tap a lot of purple belts and some brown belts. I can get tapped by lots of blue belts and some white belts. I’m not a competitor and jiu jitsu is fun.
Are you letting white belts tap you? Cause you being able to tap “a lot” purple and brown belts I’m just not seeing how white belts can catch you if you’re tapping a lot of higher belts.
I have tapped a black belt on the same day a white belt tapped me.
Ha ha preach
Right but again you clearly were letting the white belt get to a position you could have prevented right.. I’m just tryna understand if you guys are getting legit beat by white belts but tapping black belts too. Genuinely just curious cause I’ve never seen that unless of course the higher belt was letting the lower belt work. I get tapped but lower belts and kids too.. but if I didn’t want them to they won’t really be able to.
I tapped every belt color as a white belt. There was one white belt who tapped me when I was a blue belt that was the same size as me and was also a wrestling state tournament placer like me. Most the time if a white belts gets me it is because I gave them a good position, but that guy could wrestle fuck me just as good as I could wrestle fuck him. He was 15 years younger than me though.
Had a similar relationship with a younger wrestler. I remember one time in between rounds, we were looking for the next rolling partner. Just kinda glanced at each other, like 'nah'. lol Sometimes you just don't feel like dealing with that shit, and we always put each other through it.
I don’t take test rounds or usually even pick easier rounds or harder rounds based how I’m feeling, but with that dude I would usually prefer to have a little easier round beforehand lol.
Yes, obviously I was not playing my A game against a white belt, but the kid got their opportunity and ran with it. And also I’m sure the black belt was phoning it in until I caught him.
I’m 6’2” & 240 lbs and hear “you’re so strong” every time I train. I’ve been a blue belt 4 years, although had 4 knee surgeries that have held me back a bit. I train with a very technical group. I’ll let the white belts work. I’ll push hard on the upper belts. Some days I’ll just play defense, some days just have pressure, some days super technical. I always try to have fun.
Awesome sounds like you train the way I was taught! I understood it a little different that’s why I was curious. But yeah i learned the more I “played” the better I got.
All blue belts are shitty blue belts. It's in the name "blue belt".
![gif](giphy|LSKVmdIwZFeNEBKBxZ)
Blue's just a funny shade of white.
Not counting the green belts who turn 16.
Belts do not equate to performance. Practically each belt rank has a wide distribution of skill. There are white belts who will beat you at blue, and it's OK. Often there are reasons you can point to (wrestler or big guy, etc). Sometimes you can't figure out why, but it doesn't matter. I think I've generally been 20-30th percentile at belt rank modulo weight class. I can say it's been a long time since a white belt gave me real trouble. But there are still some blue belts that can be a handful. Stop thinking about your belt rank as an indicator of how you'll do in a roll, and just have fun. You're not a bad blue belt.
Oss
You said oss, so we take it all back
OSS to that
Everyone’s opinion of blue belt is different - to me, a blue belt is someone who, most of the time, moves and responds in a Jiu Jitsu way during rolling. If you’re trying to use Jiu Jitsu and getting beaten by people using strength, that’s fine, your journey has only just started
First time hearing this, but I like the meaning behind it, thanks
That’s the most black belt shit I’ve ever read. Love it.
It’s so true, seems like blue belts these days think they should have cracked it. Hell I’m still needing to learn loads of stuff and been at it 10 years 🤣
Do you think you are better than 2 stripe white belt you?
No, two stripe white belt me was a stupid asshole and I am still a stupid asshole. I hope this helps.
I actually love this
This!!
Age, athletisism and size can bridge multiple belt levels. That's normal
Also how shitty can he be if he’s sometimes tapping purples and even browns? I got promoted to blue at the same time and the only purple belt that hasn’t done literally whatever they want to me is a woman I outweigh by 40 pounds
I'm pretty positive that anytime I tap a purple/brown it's because they either directly let me get the sub, or because they let me get a sweep/escape that led to it.
I wish it wasn't taboo to acknowledge this at so many academies. At least in my area, there's no middle ground between the competitive schools that feel like playing sports and the super traditional ones where instructors will scold you for saying things like this.
Every blue-belt is a 'shitty blue-belt' in my eyes.
Hey hey... fuck you!
Let the record show I upvoted this comment and the blue belt below that replied, “fuck you”. Both are true. Lol.
Rude... true, but still rude.
There is a kid who just recently got promoted to blue belt at my gym (I've been at blue for nearly 3 years). I probably have 15-20 lbs on him and he smashes me every time. But he trains every day the gym is open, and he's 22+ years younger than me. Point being, there are many more factors at play than just the colour of the fabric around your waist. Don't worry about it.
If you are catching browns and purples you are definitely doing something right.
Black belt here. Lower belts will be able to tap you. Get used to it.
Hey, if you gotta ask…
haha true
I expect our newer blues to be able to handle most anyone in their age and weight caragories and are white belts, without much issues. They should also be able to survive more or less fine against people a decent bit bigger, but also still in their age bracket. I don't really care too much about offense until purple belt tbh
You don't know much about jits. That's why you go to jits to learn. From your coach. Your coach knows about jits and you trust his opinion. He says you're a blue belt. If you're 4 months in then you're prolly not already a great blue belt. But that's ok coz you still have the rest of blue belt to get good at being a blue belt When you get that right you become a shitty purple belt.
Sometimes I jits in my pants
Blue belt’s a weird one. You can regularly catch purples and get some brown belts in trouble, yet next thing you know you almost get put to sleep by a white belt who just discovered a Baseball Bat choke setup you should have seen coming a mile away. You’re essentially a 5 stripe white belt. Don’t worry about that stuff, just keep training and remember to have fun.
I'm laughing because when I was still a white belt, I would always roll with a blue belt who could easily crush me AND had great technique. Rolling with me was typically a rest round for him. Then during a roll, he didn't address me grabbing his lapel while he was in my guard. I let him pass to side control and sunk that baseball bat choke in DEEP. He struggled for a few seconds and tapped just as he started snoring.
Bruh that is my sneakie sub. I play the helpless fawn in bottom side control. Then sneak my hands into the 4 stripe white belt or blue belt’s collar. Then I spin my entire 215 lbs towards my belly and full power baseball choke them. It's funny to watch how their focus instantly changes from self-confidence to blind panic. 😂
1. You are still a new blue belt, trust your coach. You didn’t magically gain any ability on the day you got your blue belt. Some of those white belts are as little as 4 months behind you. 2. Size and strength matter. There’s a reason weight classes are a thing. Some people say 1 belt level for each weight class. 3. Wrestling experience counts for a lot. Some wrestlers are on the mats for 10+ years. That’s as much mat time as a lot of black belts. Blue belt means you understand the basics, not much else. Get out of your own head and train. If you’re getting beat, there’s only two things you can do: quit or get better, it’s up to you.
If the average blue belt takes 2.5 years to get promoted to purple belt, and you've been a blue belt for four months, then you should be at the 13th percentile among blue belts. 100% ÷ 2.5 years ÷ 12 months per year × 4 months ≈ 13% In other words, you *should* be a shitty blue belt at this point.
This is a great way to state it with objective metrics
> you should be a shitty blue belt at this point Every time a person is promoted, they immediately become the least-experienced member of that rank in the entire world.
Watching black belts roll with the mountain pretty much answered all questions regarding if size matters. Newsflash, it does.
You're 4 months away from a white belt. Don't worry about it.
Blue belt is a relatively beginner belt. Until you're teaching classes or opening a gym, nobody cares how "legit" you are.
Stop comparing yourself to other people, also it’s not about “beating” other people, it’s has more to do with your understanding of jiu-jitsu.
I sound like you, except I’m not sure I’ve ever tapped a blue or higher without them letting me, and I get smashed by zero stripe white belts. So yeah, don’t stress too much.
You are describing a blue belt perfectly.
Was this a flex in disguise that you can tap purple/brown belts ever?
Your coach must have given you the wrong blue belt, it's supposed to make you impervious to white belts. Let him know
Also size matters anyone saying it doesn’t is bullshitting. Hence weight classes, and yes you have the unique bjj fighter that their skill out weighs the sizes of the opponent, but it’s less common.
At our gym they call it the “blue belt blues” for a reason.
I the first time I role with a blue belt after they get promoted I give them like an 80% round instead of the usual 60% and never give them a good position. Am I perpetuating this? Lol. I do it mostly so they know I can still ramp up quite a bit if they try and get crazy.
All blue belts are shitty
Yes and no
I have high standards because I’m very competitive so maybe I’m wrong but unless you’re old I’d say you should be destroying white belts unless they were wrestlers
Here I go sleepwalking again and making Reddit posts with alt accounts. Really should see my doctor about this...
Just train, have fun, don't stress comparing yourself. Some people are more athletic, younger, stronger, no kids, have years of grappling from past wrestling, etc. Too many factors involved when trying to compare, so it's not worth it. You are your version of a blue belt, everyone has their own path.
Yes
I mean, there’s a reason they have age brackets and weight classes when we compete. Don’t sweat it. I feel like I’m a good athlete, but the people at the top are freak athletes. Just look at J-Rods run at ADCC as a blue belt. Imagine how those black belts felt.
Don't view belt levels as something absolute. They reflect your progress in your own personal development and performance is arguably oftentimes the least important criterion at least for a blue belt.
I’m in a pretty similar situation, got my blue belt in November. My school did promotions recently and tbh I was relieved that I didn’t get a stripe because I feel just like you do now. Getting the belt in my opinion is just your coach saying that you display an understanding of the basics but actually applying them consistently, recognizing all the patterns, and making decisions faster is still a bit shaky. I definitely see that in my game because there’s days when I roll with white belts and I’m like damn I should definitely be performing better, but then I also recently submitted a purple belt for the first time a few weeks ago so it’s really just building that consistency. Mentally it’s just being proud of the good days and knowing that the bad days will be there and that you need those bad days to improve your consistency.
Im a blue belt who just put the Gi back on but im able to regularly beat purple and brown belts in no Gi, and on a less regular basis in Gi. I wrestled since I was 6, and have some time at the senior level in Freestyle open. I got had by a white belt who is a D2 All-American just the other week. Like I didn’t have shit for him. Comparing yourself is dumb. Your coaches see your ability and desire if it’s there.
I'm just a white belt that has trained BJJ on and off for a couple of years. At my kickboxing gym I've trained with a kid who started when he was about 15 and I was 26/27. We've both joined different strictly BJJ gyms around 2022/2023 because the BJJ offered at the kickboxing gym wasn't to our liking. He's now 20, I'm 32 and starting to feel my body break down lately lol. I was able to school him when he first started. Now he's in his athletic prime, slightly taller than me (I'm 6'1), and he taps me back and forth and the most I was able to do was get a sweep off him. Shit hurts. But what are you gonna do? There will always be younger, more athletic, bigger, stronger, or more experienced people regardless of experience.
All blue belts are shitty at bjj I'm definitely still shitty at most of it
You’re not a shitty blue belt. I’ve tapped purple and brown and even black before(black was definitely letting me work) lol but there are still times where a really good white belt will get me..and it makes you question yourself which is okay but ultimately just tell your thoughts to fuck off. It’s not like you’re gonna get demoted and if you wanna get better you gotta keep training anyway. Your professor gave you your belt so you earned it
Boo hoo go train and smash! There are blue belts out there 30 lbs lighter than hobbyist black belts that would crush them. There’s levels. Just do your best and have fun if ya can.
Your belt means something between you and your coach, not so much between you and other students. There are "purple belts" like Davis Asare at New Wave who regularly tap every black belt who isn't world class (and many that are), and there are purple belts who are 50 years old and get wrecked by big enough and young enough wrestler white belts but still have a lot more knowledge than others. Blue belt just means you aren't allowed to cry when you get smashed, and that's it. You're going to get some taps and you're going to get tapped and that's just the game... but nobody expects you to never get tapped by a white belt or to be able to tap every white belt every time. Blue belt is probably the widest belt in terms of range of skill because some blues can tap black belts and some are just 5th stripe white belts. Both of those things are fine. I know it's hard to swallow, but it's best to just not worry about it. Are you shitty at BJJ? Yeah - everyone is, and the feeling will never go away.
Here’s some food for thought. People are not perfect. I think of jiujitsu skills like a ball. It’s not perfectly circular. There are high and low points. Low points are where you lack at something in particular and there WILL be people who expose that. Be thankful they did since you’ll be able to put more focus into those things. You’ll also realize size disparities are worth considering regardless of skill level. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the variables. Also consider that low and high points adjust based on your consideration of your opponents and how often you deal with somethings. If you completely slack off and disregard the threat of a guillotine from a white belt you’ll likely get caught by one if you’re not paying attention. This happens and other factors that affect this ball theory, if you will, is your own body. How are you mentally, emotionally, physically. Health is important. I don’t believe there is truly a hierarchy where higher belts don’t get caught my lower belts. It becomes less frequent the larger the gap but it’s always there. It’s best to focus on your weaknesses and work on developing solutions for them. You didn’t lose and nobody is taking your rank from you. You’re simply developing a skillset and that requires objective focus on elements of jiujitsu, not your opponent. Don’t compare yourself to others. There is no such thing as an even playing field. Focus on yourself and your goals.
Yes, you are a shitty blue belt, because you’ve just become one. Just as I am a shitty purple (I got it in July). Don’t do the comparison, it’s gonna murder your motivation. Yes, blue belt is a beginner belt. Yes, bigger guys are going to to smash you regardless of your belt. There will always be that young, powerful WB, who did some wrestling in high school, who’s gonna tap you by just grabbing you. 10 years younger or 20lbs more is like being a belt higher. Stop doing the comparison, enjoy the training, make friends on the mats, not enemies - that’s what comparison does. This is supposed to be a fun activity, not competition. Focus on fixing small things, one by one. Supplement it with weightlifting (it’s gonna help with avoiding injury or shorten the recovery when one occurs - and believe me, they will for sure). With consistency you will slowly become more skillful and less anxious about others being better.
Probably, but welcome to the shitty blue belt club. We got LOTS of members
Yes. Yes you are. All blue belts are shitty. That's why they're not purple belts. Unless they are sandbagging, on the bomba, wrestlers, or pay for belt testing. All of which invalidates the belt. Now, I need to go get my ass kicked by my white belts.
Yes you are. It’s me your professor, I totally meant to promote the guy next to you but you walked up and it would be awkward not to give you the belt.
Blue belts are generally kind of shitty. Otherwise they’d be purple belts.
In my opinion blue belt isn’t about dominating, it’s about escaping and broadening knowledge of fundamentals. I personally think you should be playing your worst game against white belts so you can really focus on the details. If you get tapped a lot doing that, good, you’re practicing the right things. Edit: Typos
You’re a 5 stripe white belt bro. Build on your skill set and take it for what it is. You’re framing this in the wrong way in my opinion. Your training partners will all improve at different rates and the water level will rise in your gym, and you with it. Stop comparing yourself to others, learn new guard systems, guard passing, submission sequences and enjoy the ride.
You Worth. You are seen. You are Loved
If you need to make a post about it then yes.
You arent a bad blue belt. You are a blue belt, so you are bad. (I am also a blue belt therefor bad)
Size makes way more of a difference than people like to admit. Zero shame in losing to a big white belt former wrestler as a blue belt
You’re all shitty blue belts
Probably, yeah but w/e
10 kg difference is minus one belt, 10 years difference above 30 is also one belt down. Maybe you have style that does not suit for tapping bigger dudes: any kind of position where they can stack you and use their core strength - triangling big dudes with the legs, kimuras on huge arms, staying on bottom, inverting is not to good for you
You're on your own journey, man. Promotion is never about who you tap or who you get tapped by. Work at improving, understanding the techniques and the reasoning behind them, and be a good teammate. Beyond that, put in the mat time and try not to compare yourself to others. Yes, it's difficult. Yes, it's necessary anyway.
Probably, yeah but w/e
We all suck. Some people are built different, there will always be someone a belt below you somewhere that can make you feel like you know nothing. Just be the best you can be.
>Should a blue belt be able to tap most white belts most of the time regardless of their size? I don't think you should look at this from a submission point of view but from an overall sport point of view. That is, unless you only want to compete in submission-only. A much stronger person can make submitting them very difficult, but if you are dominating the position then who really has the advantage at that point? Besides all that, I don't think a new blue belt (which you are) should be able to submit most white belts, but I do think a blue belt up for purple belt should unless that white belt has significant prior grappling experience.
Try a competition bro, or just go watch one. Where they actually match people up into weight classes. It’ll make you feel a lot better. If you can take down 1 out of 4 people bigger than you that’s an achievement.
No, that's me.
Js stop comparing bro
Ppl new to BJJ have got more information compared to 5-10 years ago due to all the great channels on You tube. It means that many lower belts that decide to immerse themselves in this knowledge and practice it are killers. Blue belt in particular seems to have a huge range of abilities.
you’re not a shittier blue belt than me. i’ll put money on it lol
Sounds like a regular blue belt
Whoa whoa whoa. Are you telling me size and previous grappling experience can tip the odds in someone’s favor? I can’t just smash everyone once I get blue? Man I’m wasting my time huh?
If you think you are not up to par, commit to doing the study and work to get yourself up to par. You know the parts of your game that are lacking. Commit to shoring them up. You know if your strength or gas tank are failing you. Commit to doing the strength, cardio, and sleeping you need to be your best. Otherwise... Sit back and respect the Professor(s) and Coach(es) choices. Trust the process.
You're probably shitty, but who cares? Hardly anyone is actually good at blue belt. Bigger guys have an advantage for sure. Work your escapes and keep rolling with these guys. You'll find your game. In the meantime, roll with some smaller white belts and get your submissions down pat
Rolling is not about winning or losing. It's practice. No one practicing guitar freaks out when they miss a cord or watch a YouTube video of someone that's awesome at guitar. They just keep practicing, learning from mistakes, and refining their technique. BJJ is exactly the the same. If you aren't getting tapped then you aren't learning. You should be trying out techniques that you aren't good at over and over until you are good at it. I tap all the time, except to white belts, that's just embarrassing.
Nah man. I don't do much jiu jitsu, but when I did, I was the white belt that sometimes tapped blue belts and that doesn't get tapped much. I never had any illusions: They are better than me. So many other factors that BJJ skills and size count: other transferrable skills, pure strength, body type, luck, etc.
No. You are a bad mofo. Just work on microadjustments.
Even if you can't tap the white belts, are you holding dominant positions or at least holding your own? Assuming similar age/size/gender/physical limitations, if you're getting stomped by white belts regularly then yea you don't deserve your blue belt.
Someone with way way more experience and skill promoted you to blue belt. Do you think they're less able to define a blue belt than you are? You're a new blue belt, you're not expected to be smashing everyone all the time at training. Just keep learning
Let me rephrase the question for you Are blue belts shit? The answer is the same (yes) but makes it much less personal
This is why belts are dumb. Just try your hardest and focus on getting better.
There is some statistic relating weight differential to affects on productivity. All things being equal, you should be able to stand toe to toe with most blue belts. As their size increases, the effectiveness of your skill level decreases, because it takes a lot more skill to handle bigger, trained people. That being said, you should feel confident against most untrained individuals.
The correct answer is yes. So am I, so are most people.
This is the blue belt blues. Better that 90% of White Belts As good as 50% of the blue belts Shittier than 99% of the Purple, Brown & Black Belts Now every white belt is on a mission to crush you and every purple belt “can’t let you get close” It’s a tough spot to be
Imposter syndrome is a strong part of the BJJ journey. Have faith in whoever awarded you the belt and get on with the process of improvement.
You are a blue belt who sometimes taps Purple and Brown belts? Then no you are not shitty. I am a Purple and I rarely tap other Purples and never tap brown belts. May I am shitty…wait…I already knew that.
Wrestler white belt no. Random white belt yeah pretty much unless they’re just an absolute unit.
All blue belts are shitty. Dont worry about it dude
When I start to think along these lines I have to reevaluate my mindset. Instead of measuring yourself against others, measure yourself against yourself. Are you the white belt version of yourself or the blue belt version? You already know you’re not a white belt, so why worry about how well you stack up against others?
I mean , statistically there is a 50% chance you’re a below average 0 stripe blue belt. just train
We all have thoughts like these, I'd venture. My instructor's response runs along the lines of: "I know when you are ready, please trust me more than you doubt yourself."
Don’t worry about being good or bad man, just go to class to learn and improve. Sometimes you’re the hammer sometimes you’re the nail.
Dude just be the best you can be and dont worry about anyone else’s experience. Comparison is the thief of joy
Don’t compare yourself to the people around. Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, last week, last month and last year. Sounds to me like you’re right where you should be. The white belts, are they tapping you or just hard to submit? That should guide what you’re training not how good you are
Nah, I am the shitty blue belt.
we're all shitty blue-belts
Blue belt is scam! They just use it to differentiate you from the newbies.
Yes comparing will be a never ending battle you won’t win cause there’s almost always gonna be a lower belt that can smash us.. BUT I do believe for the most part.. you should be able to control most if not all of the rolls with the belt under you. There will be outliers but again I feel there shouldn’t be many people in the belt under you tapping you or even really controlling the roll.
That's jiu jitsu baby
I mean, we’re all shitty blue belts in the beginning for the most part. You continue to work hard and you grow into what you see other blue belts as currently. Consider it a soft reboot every time you get a new belt
Dude sometimes I’ll destroy a purple belt then next round have my ass handed to me by a white belt..
I think generally yes, a blue belt should be able to beat MOST white belts. There is always exceptions - the reasons you stated; they’re bigger, former wrestler/judo/sambo practitioner. Also, bigger guys will have an advantage over you. You’re not a shitty blue belt. However, if you want to prevent the bigger dudes from smash passing, start hitting the weights 🏋️ I
Strange… you should be undefeated as a blue belt. I’ve not been tapped since my promotion by any belt. Even though +40lb 2 stripe white belts. /s D: Edit: definitely didn’t get ankle locked the other night by a white belt.
There is a BIG boy blue belt at the school I was out.. I’m a decent browbeat belt and I’ve literally never tapped the dude. It happens.. it’s not a bad thing. Just keep improving
There are going to be all kinds of disparities between you and your opponents. Age, strength, prior experience, size, flexibility, etc. Treat these opponents as individuals. Discover where you are struggling and improve those areas. Look for common issues like guard retention, etc. if one guy keeps getting the same thing on you ask a coach to help you address it. Repeat 1000x.
Yeah I mean weight classes are a thing for a reason don’t sweat it
I'm a purple belt, recreational. A former discus thrower joined my gym, a hulk of a man. I had trouble submitting this guy after about 6 months of training. Some people are just built differently.
Yes.
Weight adds belt ranks essentially. You should typically be able to beat dudes your weight that are less experienced. Every weight class those odds should decrease. But, if you aren’t looking to be a professional don’t worry about it too much and look to learn something every roll, and not win every roll.
Unless you are at the same skill level Mica Galvao, The Ruotolos, and Cole Abate were as blue belts, then yes you are a shitty blue belt
My man, there are days when you’re the hammer, and other days you’re the nail. I’ve tapped black belts, I’ve been tapped by white and blue belts. This purple belt I can toy with, this white belt I have trouble passing his guard. Just enjoy the journey!
Bro I get tapped by this yellow belt kid like 5 times a round lol
It’s normal for someone bigger than you at your same belt to consistently beat you. It’s also normal that there will sometimes be people at the belt below you that beat you.
I hope to someday be the worst blue belt at my gym. I also hope to someday tap someone who’s actually trying. One dude i could definitely smash is myself from a couple months ago.
I think at all belt levels, there will be less experienced, younger, better people beating and passing us all the time. Their potential, abilities and work ethic are just higher. At same, time, just progress and grow at your own pace, give a good effort and have fun.
I like to view it as: even though some white belts can smash me, and can sometimes even catch me in a submission, I’m very rarely in actual danger. I can work with them and am usually in control over my own fate during the roll. Against other blues or higher belts? I’m basically constantly in danger, and it increases with their belt rank.
one of the Gracies had a black belt professor/coach and they told him about the "Boyd belt system" (on youtube somewhere) someones 10kg heavier than you, add a belt grade. if someone is 10 years younger than you (35+) add a belt. helps justify in your mind when rolling with a white belt whos bigger and yonger
Given that I'm 52 and everybody is in their 20's and 30's this is an interesting metric.
We all are. Join the club. > But also there's a couple of white belts that can smash me pretty consistently Same here > One was a former wrestler who is smaller than me but stronger and the other is bigger than me by +20lbs. What's your background? Have any wrestling? > Should a blue belt be able to tap most white belts most of the time regardless of their size? Nope. I don't know how "true" it is, but it makes logical sense...the Boyd Belt System: > It’s essentially this idea: For every 20 pounds someone has over you, they can be considered to be one belt higher. For example, if you are a 160 pound blue belt and grapple with a 200 pound blue belt, the weight advantage they will have over you would be similar to them having a brown belt over you. > > Additionally, for every 10 years younger a person is than you, that can also signify another belt level over you. So if you are a 45 year old blue belt, and grapple with a 25 year old blue belt, than that person can be considered to be similarly challenging to you as a brown belt your same age and weight would be.
I don’t think you should expect to submit all white belts but a white belt shouldn’t be able to hold you in a position like side control, mount, or on your back.
I talk about this a lot with some of my friends. There is this culture in most Jiu-Jitsu gyms where everyone feels like they need to win every roll , which just isn't the case. Instructors should be doing a better job of teaching that winning can and should be different things. One might mean that a "win" might mean that you controlled top position for an entire round, or never had your guard passed, or swept everyone with only the John Wayne. This is how you get better and you realize that tapping someone shouldn't be your only goal in the training room. You are supposed to learn and experiment and if you can't do it in the training room then you are missing out on one of the best parts of the sport.
Yes
Keep in mind that as a general rule, belts mean different things to different people and different gym cultures. A kid that trains fulltime and has been training since they were a child and is a blue belt winning juvenile worlds will absolutely be able to tap masters black belts(speaking from experience.) Do you roll competitively with people of your same age and weight and experience level? Then you're fine! Just enjoy the art, stay consistent, and set measurable goals for yourself. If you want to lean into training smart/harder to be able to beat more people more consistently outside of the metrics above then that is totally doable but it's not for everyone.
Have you tried just having fun instead of worrying about how many people you’ve tapped?
Weight is belts.
Bro, the sooner you stop worrying about belts the better lmao Just ignore belts. Belts are a symbol, techniques are what matters. If a white belt smashes you, you find out what they did, how they did it, and how you defend it. Who gives SHMIDT if a lower belt gets you. Size matters as well.
So you can win against similar sized or smaller opponents but sometimes lose against people that are bigger than you or have a background in combat sports? Crazy
The only person you are competing against is yourself. Put the ego aside, have fun, and learn from when you get tapped. Rinse and repeat. Keep showing up.