see a lot of people get confused (and a bit discouraged) around belts and what they’re “supposed” to mean in Jiu-Jitsu. It usually shows up like this: Someone’s been training a long time. They’re a bit older, maybe a bit smaller. They’ve earned a purple belt (or higher). Then they go to a competition, an open mat, or train somewhere new… and they get absolutely worked by a blue belt. And the thought creeps in: “Maybe I’m not as good as I thought.” and "i dont deserve this belt" I want to clear this up, because most of the confusion comes from mixing two completely different systems and expecting them to mean the same thing. Belts and competition are not the same thing. A belt is your progression inside the martial art, as determined by your coach ... the person who sees: - how long you’ve trained - how you train - how you learn - how you apply technique - how you conduct yourself on and off the mat - how you’ve grown over time A belt is contextual and completely SUBJECTIVE. It’s personal. It’s long-term. It’s not a promise that you will beat everyone below you in every possible scenario. Now compare that to competition. Competition is a snapshot. A moment in time. Under a specific rule set. With specific incentives. Age, weight, athleticism, risk tolerance, rule optimisation, and preparation all matter massively here. And yet… we try to use belts as the sorting mechanism for competition. That’s where things break down. If it were up to me… Competition would have three divisions only: - Beginner - Intermediate - Advanced That’s it. Based primarily on time in the sport, not belt colour. Because someone can: - be a blue belt with 8 years of hard competition training - be a purple belt who trains 2–3x a week, avoids injury, and plays a long game - be 22 years old or 42 years old - be explosive or methodical - be optimised for competition or optimised for longevity Trying to pretend those people are “equal” because of belt colour is where the confusion lives.

For its fishing ability

No need to "flow roll" or "let them work" simply slow it down and don't grip fight like its a competition. the #1 goal of rolling with newer people should be to get them as good as possible as fast as possible, good fundamental habits can only be understood in live rolling when we they feel safe and when they have time to understand & feel what is happening. and - think about rolling with new people as your way of giving back. - avoid WB's when your getting ready to compete.

In case you missed it, I chat to Anna about the black belts in martial arts as well as keeping the meaning of belts.....

The long game grappler #2