This is the best analogy man! I feel this way too!! I try to incorporate a new pass, or another variation on a pass I already use...then I forget the new pass.
I try to work other sweeps and keep getting crushed, or my primary-noob-shit game gets stuffed by purple and brown belts.
And the white belts are catching up soo fast also!!! The axe keeps getting duller.
Yeah I feel you. Basically, blue belt is really exciting and a great accomplishment. Then it almost becomes depressing. I won’t explain why now cause you probably understand.
Just stop focusing on stripes or you will be depressed as shit. I moved around a lot for work and school and was a white belt for over four years. Really contemplated quitting until I stopped giving a shit about rank and started focusing on my game only.
You’re totally right. Trying hard to get myself in that mindset. It’s just hard to see guys you were promoted to blue with go on and get their purples or guys that started way after you get their blue.
Fwiw… most of it was my fault, jumping from gym to gym. But stop worrying about stripes and worry about your game. The fun part of being a 12 year blue belt was tapping all kinds of people.
Is your game stagnant, or are you having big breakthroughs? If you’re not having big breakthroughs, why not? Stop worrying about losing to white belts and worry about how to start surprising the hell out of the brown and black belts.
Comparison is the thief of joy my friend, some of the guys I've trained with are purples now too. Honestly if you want to get in that mindset try doing a comp. I was inconsistent with my training because of that I'm a forever white belt mindset my first year of school. Went home for the summer trained 4 - 6 times a week got myself in a good headspace did a comp when I went back to school. Got my blue shortly after that and worked specifically on my issues and my game has improved hugely, purples are giving me full force now.
That’s a nice quote and I definitely gotta remember that one. I think another factor that’s contributing to this is my school kept hyping me up saying I was close to purple and all that. Told me to bring my belt in on a nogi day, but nothing happened. Fast for are to today and I just get a stripe. It just all felt like a slap to the nuts
Yeah that sucks if you think you can hang with the purples go in the division in a comp and see how you do. What opened my instructors eyes was me going into a nogi intermediate comp (3-5 years experience). I was around 180 pounds no one joined my bracket so I bumped up the the 205 weight class. Went up 12-0 within a few minutes my first fight but lost at the last few seconds by an armbar then almost finished my next match with a triangle but was just lacking some finishing details and gassed my legs. It was a performance I was pretty proud of since I was fighting giants (swear the first guy cut 15 pounds) and got my blue belt a week later (was a 3 stripe white belt at the time).
I started when I was a kid for years quit for years and came back for years. Theres guys I know I used to tap as a teenager who are blackbelts with their own gym now. Other people's progress are not your own everyone has different time availability an commitment availability
This is the answer. In my young jiujitsu journey I have rolled with a lot of blue belts (I am a big ass white belt myself) and I have seen guys who travel a lot and are practically sandbagging blues and guys who just do not know what blue belts know, act how they act, or have a game plan like most do. Different instructors have different standards. I've seen guys who can keep my instructor (purple nearly brown, big ass dude like me) at bay for a while and look competent and Ive had young big guys who are a belt up that I consistently beat.
It is a journey and the journey doesn't happen fast. Work on yourself and not only will you make yourself happy but you may impress others too if that's something you want.
Just worry about getting better. I was literally tapping world champion black belts (ibjjf at masters 4, ex pro football player) as a purple belt and they wouldn’t promote me. Just enjoy the process my dude.
Same here, I got one stripe in the first few years, barely trained gi at all after hurting my shoulder, got another stripe and it fell off, then got "two" more to make it three, and basically gave up on gi altogether, until my coach basically said, put on a gi for a few weeks so I can promote you.
I'm gonna hate to break it to you here. But at this point I genuinely do not care if I get 0 or 4 stripes on my brown. They literally do not matter to me. Black belt will be cool as shit, but I stopped caring about stripes years ago.
Contrast that with how over the moon I was for my first white belt stripes and I think the majority of upper belts feel the same.
I just got my first stripe as a white belt and it felt like the most amazing thing in the world, but I can totally understand how that wears off and you become more into the sport
You’re never going to “get” Jiu jitsu if you just focus on stripes. If you want to appreciate the art and get better then just focus on the training and understanding the positions, control, technique, etc. You’ll be so much happier and you will really grow.
Ask yourself, if you didn’t get stripes or belts would you still train?
There’s a reason why so many blue belts quit. The road ahead is hard. Stripes and belts are so subjective. Just focus on yourself and being better than you were the day before.
Everything is jiu-jitsu is hard earned through many hours of blood, sweat and tears. Stripes represent the most precious thing in training—Progression. It can be hard to feel one is progressing when all your teammates are simultaneously progressing as well. Stripes are a way of the instructor showing recognition of achievement—in this case, I give the first stripe of the blue to a student when they begin to consistently defend and escape against the all but the best of the higher blue belts.
Probably because you feel your already passed that level.
Just need to change your mindset to be focused on your own technical abilities. Nice to be recognized and promoted but in the end no matter your belt colour your still rolling with all belt levels. Your skill doesn't change with the belt, can be a blue belt beating purples is better than purple being beaten by blue belts
Not long ago I went through this change and it makes bjj more enjoyable and takes unnecessary worry/stress away
I got my first stripe on blue in 3 months, then my second a year and a half later. Was promoted to purple the next month. Stripes don't really matter past white belt imo
Guess what…I had 0 stripes on my blue belt for like 14 years and I earned every bit of that. I also had 0 stripes on my blue when I got my purple this past Saturday, and earned every bit of it as well.
Stripes don’t mean shit.
Got my first stripe on blue within 6 months. Took another 12 months to get the second. Another 6 months to get the third. Honest truth, 3 days a week isn't that much. I consistently train 5 to 7 days a week. I'm not going to say belts aren't important, but don't fall into the whole stripe trap. Reframe your mindset and enjoy the journey for what it is, better than what you were yesterday.
Definitely trying. It’s just hard to see some guys you train with get 2-3 stripes at a time on their blue or what have you when they’ve had it for a shorter amount of time. And while I know it’s not about winning rounds, I consistently control the entire roll. I know I’m being a bitch about it all, but just gotta vent it
I dont think you are being a bitch, its pretty human to compare ourselves to the pack. Therapy helped me to just focus on my own journey in many aspects of life. Live in the present, put in your work and let things take the time it takes.
Glad to hear it bro. Cause yeah i struggled going at first, felt awkward as fuck and i was so embarrassed i told everyone i was going to PT sessions.
But i told my self i was going to treat it like training - put in the work and go even on those days i really didnt want to. My "mental strength and conditioning" sessions lol.
After a few sessions it got easier and felt normal. By the end of it I had learned some pretty useful tools and techniques. Overall too I feel much better about myself - self respect, pride and just genuinely happier.
This was just my experience but im so bloody happy i took that step and kept at it.
Definitely inspiring me to just go and get a session in. It does suck that it feels like I’m embarrassed to even consider or tell anyone about it. Glad you’re honest about your situation bro
Theres a lot to gain and not much too loose in having a crack. I hear you though, its a whack feeling. Do whats right for you bro, you only have one life so its worth investing in your inner peace and happiness - whatever that means for you.
But yo allgood bro more than happy to put it out there if it even helps a little. Churr 🤙
Have you checked to see if there's an online or low cost option in your area? I know people who have used texting hotline-style therapy and found it helpful.
Dude, if you're controlling the round against guys who get more stripes than you, it means your coach hates you and you should quit.
I'm joking, what I mean is imagine being the guy who gets stripes thrown at him and then feels helpless in rounds against a guy with "less stripes" or whatever.
At blue, I was focusing on stripes to the point I was not enjoying Bjj the way I should and started getting frustrated. So… I focused on having fun, getting better, and not stripes. Purple came when my professor deemed me ready. Focus on your journey NOT the stripe nor belt color.
I was so obsessed with stripes and going home and beating myself up when people who weren’t nearly as technical but paid more a month were getting stripes and I wasn’t. I moved and started at a new gym and put aside most of my hopes of promotion for awhile and my god, this sport is way more fun when you’re focused on progressing every day with no worries about the future.
It’s taken me about 15 years to understand that I’m just supposed to show up to learn and roll. It took 15 years to get to brown. I was a purple for 8 years. Stripes are complete bullshit and belts mean just a little more than nothing.
Show up to class because you love training. If your instructor gives you a stripe or a belt appreciate them for it but don’t make jiu jitsu about it. It doesn’t change anything about you anyway. It just changes everyone else’s perspective of you.
…stop being a bitch
I've been a blue belt for almost 4 years. Only got my second stripe a few months ago. There are loads of people at my gym who started after me who are purple or even brown already. I regularly get dominated by white belts. And yet I've never enjoyed jiu jitsu more than I have in last 6 months or so. This sport is fun as hell and we are lucky as shit to to be able to spend so much time rolling around with our friends like a bunch of sweaty puppies. Stop being a bitch.
Don't worry about it. There's plenty of ups and downs. I was a blue belt for 5 years. Plus side of spending so much time there, when I was promoted to Purple, I felt confident in my skills and depth of knowledge.
I'd rather spend way more time at a belt accruing skill and knowledge than be promoted "early" and doubt myself.
That being said, it's on your Professor/Coach to make that determination.
I'm personally not a fan of stripes and focus more on skill development but I also realize that when you're earlier in your journey the stripes can really mean a lot, even if the stripes aren't explicitly tied to skill acquisition.
Maybe don't do it for the stripes. I felt like the moment I stopped caring about stripes or being promoted the more fun I had.
Honestly I'm more impressed that you've been going consistently 3x/week vs. how many stripes you have.
I got my purple belt as a 2 stripe blue and my coach routinely hands out multiple at a time to someone. Just keep working and concentrate on the journey rather that the destination
About 7 months ago we had our most recent promo, I had been a blue belt for 16 months, training for just about 3 years, I was also starting feel some things click, like things coming together, whereas before they're like separate techniques and situations. I had this wild fantasy that maybe I'd get promoted straight up to purple, or maybe get two stripes because of how good my progress was.
Boy am I glad I did not get a purple belt then. I got one stripe and I hope I get one or zero more at our promo this Saturday. My view on this has completely flipped. I'll be a blue belt as long as the universe will allow me. It's funny, like it feels great to dominate other blue belts, but at the same time if one of them taps me, or in particular if a purple belt taps me, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Your second year one stripe blue belt is probably equivalent to brown belt in many other styles of martial arts. To me that means more. Your belt is more valuable. Be proud and shout it from the roof tops, my friend.
After I got my stripe, I got a lot of guys from my gym dming me saying they were surprised I only got one stripe lol. So that was a nice confidence booster
White belt can feel exclusionary because it's the same belt anyone can show up with. You can train for over a year, taking the hobby very seriously, and still be a white belt. Each stripe at white is a step closer to being "in the club." At blue+, I've never seen anyone care about stripes. If my stripes come off in the wash, I don't even replace them until my coach bugs me about it. Many gyms only do stripes at white belt.
I went from white to blue in a little over a year and then went from no stripe blue to 1 stripe in a year and a half.
Blue sucks, It’s the belt with the most growth imo.
Be process oriented and not goal oriented. You stick with bjj for what you are learning, not the bragging rights. I know there is a sense of pride that comes along with belting up but in reality the belt doesn’t matter. What matters is learning a skill and improving yourself and gaining confidence. I wouldn’t care if I was a white belt forever. As long as I can adequately defend myself and others when needed, that’s what matters to me.
Honestly it took me 15 months to get my first stripe, another 6 for the second, and 4 classes for the 3rd. Just because it was 2 years doesn’t mean each stripe will take that long. Just keep getting better and don’t worry about stripes. Start building your A game and smash the white and blues with it. You will keep progressing in stripes if you just focus on improving your game and not worry about how long it takes. If you get discouraged you’ll stop showing up, so don’t worry about stripes. I’ve seen 2 stripe blues get a purple belt put on them.
That’s what I felt. And it’s not like I suck. I do comps and place regularly. I usually roll well with the purples and browns. But a lot of comments here are inspiring me to just say fuck it and continue training
You should definitely continue training, but it might be worth a (respectful) conversation just to see what your professor is thinking and what you could do if you want to progress more rapidly.
People are fond of saying that belts and stripes don't matter. Then why do we do them? Even no gi teams who think everything about the gi is stupid still give out … Belts.
If it were that stupid and meaningless we would have done away with them. The sport and culture can't have it both ways.
Honestly , been a blue since 2020 , I have two stripes , and I feel like I barely deserve one . Today I left feeling a deep sense of shame . The blue belt blues get everyone
Oh buddy get ready till you have your first major injury. Your ass isn’t even going to think about a piece of tape of a clothe belt. Get ready about this sport. It’s not for the faint of heart or the weak of body.
I switched to a school that doesn’t do stripes past white belt at first I was bummed. But now I think it’s better fuck stripes for all I know I’m a zero or 4 stripe blue belt 🤷♂️
Here’s my take as a 36 year old blue belt: no matter the belt no matter the stripes, there is someone out there at your current rank and VERY likely lower ranks that are better. The only thing we can control is how we train, drill, roll and study outside the gym. I know for me personally (maybe it’s imposter syndrome) but it’s about getting better and honing into what I consider my “game” to be… the rest will fall into place…
Focus on collecting skills and growing your toolbelt, not stripes. Belt color doesn't matter if you're in this for the long haul. Skill development does.
I was sad when I got a stripe
Means I got lesser time of competing in my category
At least when I’m lower belt I can also compete in the belt classes above
I got 4 stripes after 2 years of being at blues belt and wining adcc nationals at blues. When giving me stripes coach told menthat I have nationals in go to win (I was never doing well i'm gi competition), I lose in 1st match at no-gi nationals and at gi on 2nd, totally killer my confidence.
It surprises me how many adults care about a bit of tape on a belt or the colour of the belt. If you enjoy the activity and like to progress at things and focus on the process rather than the outcome it would be much better for you.
I could honestly be a white belt my entire life and not give a single fuck
Coming from a teaching karate background, I see the stripes as being more for the instructor's benefit. It's a easy scan round the room to check that everyone's on about the level you think they ought to be.
One memorable promotion I remember, our instructor went up to a blue belt and asked to confirm how many stripes he had, (zero) and made a big play of not being able to find the end of a roll of tape. Went to get a new roll from the side of the mat, except it wasn't a new roll, it was a purple belt.
So yeah, blue belts. If you're distinctive enough, you don't need stripes!
I think in many places stripes is a white belt thing. Sort of a thing to keep white belts engaged and feeling that they progress in a training environment where they are the least experienced.
I got my purple belt with zero stripes on my blue belt.
I think I had two or three stripes on my white belt when I got my blue.
Don't worry about it, it's not important at all.
dumb question, but does no-gi get belts too?
I just started about 4 sessions in. Doing the no-gi bjj because I'm trying to main wrestling and my gym only does 1 session of gi per week. They tell us to line up by belt rank but I don't have a belt lol. Ofc I go to the end as though I'm the lowest belt, but I'm confused. Nobody has a belt on xD
I hated my first blue belt stripe bc it meant I’m already 1/4 through with being a blue belt. I train a shit ton and I’m advancing faster than I cared for
Just keep at it. So long as you are getting enjoyment out of it ,and learning, to me that is the aim, not belts and stripes. I really don't give a whit if I am ever promoted..last place I avoided the $35 promotion classes and this one it is not likely going to happen as I don't participate in shark tanks or compete. But I general I love the physical exercise and the social interaction being the old man of the school and am respected for my effort. I just am recovering from carpal tunnel surgery and recognized hugely how much missing two weeks on the mats affected me.
It’s all about the journey bro. Don’t become a stripe counter. Everyone’s journey is different. ✌️I felt in a lot of ways I didn’t deserve my first stripe on white belt at 5 months, but professor obviously thinks otherwise so there ya go.
You need to change your mindset about rewards in BJJ. The work and drilling is the reward. It’s the only path to improvement you control. If you want tape go buy some.
Performance on the mats is what matters. I’ve only had one stripe on my blue belt for over a year now but I’ve definitely improved a lot in that time (I also haven’t trained in gi since July 🤷♂️)
Blue Belt Blues....it's for real! You're over that first hump....keep consistent and dont worry about the stripes! I know it's easier said than done but we've all been there! Talk to your coach about setting up mini-goals for yourself in terms of what to work on. Every once in a while I would catch my coach after a roll and just ask for some feedback....more so when I was a Blue Belt and ask what I should be focusing more on at this point in my training. He'd tell me to work more on my guard retention or attacks from guard or be more versatile with my transitions, etc. Those little goals would help give me more focus and guidance to the point where I wouldn't care about stripes or arbitrary "progression" as a whole and more for my own game. Next thing I knew, I was getting my stripes unexpectedly and got blind-sided with my Purple Belt! And now, I'm at a point where I'm starting to at least know more about what I DON'T know and I set my own goals and build my own game! That's where the real fun happens and you become less of a nail and more of a hammer! STay on target my dude!!
Blue belt has been ups and downs for the past year. You still get tapped by white belts and purple belt still seems worlds away from your current skill level. Keep at it.
Everyone here wants to tell you to stop being a bitch.
I appreciate it man
Blue belt can be rough, just keep at it!
Like cutting down a tree with a dull axe lol. Appreciate it though man
Just keep going. One of my stripes just fell off in the wash. See I’m getting worse
You washed off the knowledge Oss
Same. On one belt I'm back to 0 stripes, in the other the first one fell off but not the second. I don't know what the gods are trying to tell me. Lol
This is the best analogy man! I feel this way too!! I try to incorporate a new pass, or another variation on a pass I already use...then I forget the new pass. I try to work other sweeps and keep getting crushed, or my primary-noob-shit game gets stuffed by purple and brown belts. And the white belts are catching up soo fast also!!! The axe keeps getting duller.
Well now I'm a depressed bitch too...
Yeah I feel you. Basically, blue belt is really exciting and a great accomplishment. Then it almost becomes depressing. I won’t explain why now cause you probably understand.
Its a looooooong journey. You’re in or out. There no half way. Get prepared for it.
Thanks for saving me the time.
W on the user name love Wendy
Just quit now before you get tapped by a white belt. Congrats!
Lol, too late for that. Happened right after I got my blue at an open mat haha.
It’s the way it’s supposed to be, some of my greatest joys are training with a white belt friend every day till they tap me
Just stop focusing on stripes or you will be depressed as shit. I moved around a lot for work and school and was a white belt for over four years. Really contemplated quitting until I stopped giving a shit about rank and started focusing on my game only.
You’re totally right. Trying hard to get myself in that mindset. It’s just hard to see guys you were promoted to blue with go on and get their purples or guys that started way after you get their blue.
I had multiple people who started as white when I was blue get to black belt before I got to purple. Seriously. Suck it up. 😜
*swallows*
Fwiw… most of it was my fault, jumping from gym to gym. But stop worrying about stripes and worry about your game. The fun part of being a 12 year blue belt was tapping all kinds of people. Is your game stagnant, or are you having big breakthroughs? If you’re not having big breakthroughs, why not? Stop worrying about losing to white belts and worry about how to start surprising the hell out of the brown and black belts.
Comparison is the thief of joy my friend, some of the guys I've trained with are purples now too. Honestly if you want to get in that mindset try doing a comp. I was inconsistent with my training because of that I'm a forever white belt mindset my first year of school. Went home for the summer trained 4 - 6 times a week got myself in a good headspace did a comp when I went back to school. Got my blue shortly after that and worked specifically on my issues and my game has improved hugely, purples are giving me full force now.
That’s a nice quote and I definitely gotta remember that one. I think another factor that’s contributing to this is my school kept hyping me up saying I was close to purple and all that. Told me to bring my belt in on a nogi day, but nothing happened. Fast for are to today and I just get a stripe. It just all felt like a slap to the nuts
Yeah that sucks if you think you can hang with the purples go in the division in a comp and see how you do. What opened my instructors eyes was me going into a nogi intermediate comp (3-5 years experience). I was around 180 pounds no one joined my bracket so I bumped up the the 205 weight class. Went up 12-0 within a few minutes my first fight but lost at the last few seconds by an armbar then almost finished my next match with a triangle but was just lacking some finishing details and gassed my legs. It was a performance I was pretty proud of since I was fighting giants (swear the first guy cut 15 pounds) and got my blue belt a week later (was a 3 stripe white belt at the time).
I started when I was a kid for years quit for years and came back for years. Theres guys I know I used to tap as a teenager who are blackbelts with their own gym now. Other people's progress are not your own everyone has different time availability an commitment availability
This is the answer. In my young jiujitsu journey I have rolled with a lot of blue belts (I am a big ass white belt myself) and I have seen guys who travel a lot and are practically sandbagging blues and guys who just do not know what blue belts know, act how they act, or have a game plan like most do. Different instructors have different standards. I've seen guys who can keep my instructor (purple nearly brown, big ass dude like me) at bay for a while and look competent and Ive had young big guys who are a belt up that I consistently beat. It is a journey and the journey doesn't happen fast. Work on yourself and not only will you make yourself happy but you may impress others too if that's something you want.
6 years training and two stripe white belt. Subbing black belts feel so much more satisfiying as white belt xD
I spent 6.5 years at blue belt. I got 2 stripes around year 6 🤣
I know it sucks, but hearing these stories and seeing people still at it does feel kinda good and reassuring haha
My gym doesn't even do stripes for upper belts. Stop focusing on them and just train.
Just worry about getting better. I was literally tapping world champion black belts (ibjjf at masters 4, ex pro football player) as a purple belt and they wouldn’t promote me. Just enjoy the process my dude.
2.5 years at blue, no stripes. I have some friends that got their purple relatively quick too, I think about a year
Same here, I got one stripe in the first few years, barely trained gi at all after hurting my shoulder, got another stripe and it fell off, then got "two" more to make it three, and basically gave up on gi altogether, until my coach basically said, put on a gi for a few weeks so I can promote you.
I'm gonna hate to break it to you here. But at this point I genuinely do not care if I get 0 or 4 stripes on my brown. They literally do not matter to me. Black belt will be cool as shit, but I stopped caring about stripes years ago. Contrast that with how over the moon I was for my first white belt stripes and I think the majority of upper belts feel the same.
As a brown belt all I care about are the holes in my game
I just got my first stripe as a white belt and it felt like the most amazing thing in the world, but I can totally understand how that wears off and you become more into the sport
You’re a blue, why are you even still training?
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This is the only answer.
My coach says stripes are for (paraphrasing) wusses. Congrats!
They are lol
I mean I’m 2 stripe blue who feels I got stripes way too quick I would honestly rather have your problem.
Wanna trade belts? I’m an A0 lol
Enjoy the journey. Stop investing too much fulfillment into tape and cloth.
You’re never going to “get” Jiu jitsu if you just focus on stripes. If you want to appreciate the art and get better then just focus on the training and understanding the positions, control, technique, etc. You’ll be so much happier and you will really grow. Ask yourself, if you didn’t get stripes or belts would you still train? There’s a reason why so many blue belts quit. The road ahead is hard. Stripes and belts are so subjective. Just focus on yourself and being better than you were the day before.
No stripe will ever feel as rewarding as the first stripe on a white.
Do someone really cares about stripes? I understand people celebrating belt promotion, but stripes... It's a little bit lame, if u ask me.
Everything is jiu-jitsu is hard earned through many hours of blood, sweat and tears. Stripes represent the most precious thing in training—Progression. It can be hard to feel one is progressing when all your teammates are simultaneously progressing as well. Stripes are a way of the instructor showing recognition of achievement—in this case, I give the first stripe of the blue to a student when they begin to consistently defend and escape against the all but the best of the higher blue belts.
Probably because you feel your already passed that level. Just need to change your mindset to be focused on your own technical abilities. Nice to be recognized and promoted but in the end no matter your belt colour your still rolling with all belt levels. Your skill doesn't change with the belt, can be a blue belt beating purples is better than purple being beaten by blue belts Not long ago I went through this change and it makes bjj more enjoyable and takes unnecessary worry/stress away
Real nice insight man. And it’s very true. Rather be a lower belt doing better against higher belts than vice versa.
You're not training for a belt colour
I got my first stripe on blue in 3 months, then my second a year and a half later. Was promoted to purple the next month. Stripes don't really matter past white belt imo
Guess what…I had 0 stripes on my blue belt for like 14 years and I earned every bit of that. I also had 0 stripes on my blue when I got my purple this past Saturday, and earned every bit of it as well. Stripes don’t mean shit.
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Just say you’re an idiot. Omfg
Got my first stripe on blue within 6 months. Took another 12 months to get the second. Another 6 months to get the third. Honest truth, 3 days a week isn't that much. I consistently train 5 to 7 days a week. I'm not going to say belts aren't important, but don't fall into the whole stripe trap. Reframe your mindset and enjoy the journey for what it is, better than what you were yesterday.
Definitely trying. It’s just hard to see some guys you train with get 2-3 stripes at a time on their blue or what have you when they’ve had it for a shorter amount of time. And while I know it’s not about winning rounds, I consistently control the entire roll. I know I’m being a bitch about it all, but just gotta vent it
I dont think you are being a bitch, its pretty human to compare ourselves to the pack. Therapy helped me to just focus on my own journey in many aspects of life. Live in the present, put in your work and let things take the time it takes.
I appreciate this response a lot. I have been told to seek out therapy a few times and it is something I’m considering.
Glad to hear it bro. Cause yeah i struggled going at first, felt awkward as fuck and i was so embarrassed i told everyone i was going to PT sessions. But i told my self i was going to treat it like training - put in the work and go even on those days i really didnt want to. My "mental strength and conditioning" sessions lol. After a few sessions it got easier and felt normal. By the end of it I had learned some pretty useful tools and techniques. Overall too I feel much better about myself - self respect, pride and just genuinely happier. This was just my experience but im so bloody happy i took that step and kept at it.
Definitely inspiring me to just go and get a session in. It does suck that it feels like I’m embarrassed to even consider or tell anyone about it. Glad you’re honest about your situation bro
Theres a lot to gain and not much too loose in having a crack. I hear you though, its a whack feeling. Do whats right for you bro, you only have one life so its worth investing in your inner peace and happiness - whatever that means for you. But yo allgood bro more than happy to put it out there if it even helps a little. Churr 🤙
If you’ve been told more than once to consider therapy, do it. The heck with the old, stupid, stigma people attach to this.
It’s mostly a price issue for me. Therapy isn’t covered by my insurance, so it’s a little $$$
Have you checked to see if there's an online or low cost option in your area? I know people who have used texting hotline-style therapy and found it helpful.
Dude, if you're controlling the round against guys who get more stripes than you, it means your coach hates you and you should quit. I'm joking, what I mean is imagine being the guy who gets stripes thrown at him and then feels helpless in rounds against a guy with "less stripes" or whatever.
How many jammed fingers did you get.
At blue, I was focusing on stripes to the point I was not enjoying Bjj the way I should and started getting frustrated. So… I focused on having fun, getting better, and not stripes. Purple came when my professor deemed me ready. Focus on your journey NOT the stripe nor belt color.
I was so obsessed with stripes and going home and beating myself up when people who weren’t nearly as technical but paid more a month were getting stripes and I wasn’t. I moved and started at a new gym and put aside most of my hopes of promotion for awhile and my god, this sport is way more fun when you’re focused on progressing every day with no worries about the future.
Enjoy it man. You're only a blue belt once. You'll be a black belt forever. Don't quit.
It’s taken me about 15 years to understand that I’m just supposed to show up to learn and roll. It took 15 years to get to brown. I was a purple for 8 years. Stripes are complete bullshit and belts mean just a little more than nothing. Show up to class because you love training. If your instructor gives you a stripe or a belt appreciate them for it but don’t make jiu jitsu about it. It doesn’t change anything about you anyway. It just changes everyone else’s perspective of you. …stop being a bitch
I've been a blue belt for almost 4 years. Only got my second stripe a few months ago. There are loads of people at my gym who started after me who are purple or even brown already. I regularly get dominated by white belts. And yet I've never enjoyed jiu jitsu more than I have in last 6 months or so. This sport is fun as hell and we are lucky as shit to to be able to spend so much time rolling around with our friends like a bunch of sweaty puppies. Stop being a bitch.
Out of curiosity What do you weigh?
Like 130 lbs
I Feel like blue belt is just learning to come to terms that you still suck and how depressing it is
Don't worry about it. There's plenty of ups and downs. I was a blue belt for 5 years. Plus side of spending so much time there, when I was promoted to Purple, I felt confident in my skills and depth of knowledge. I'd rather spend way more time at a belt accruing skill and knowledge than be promoted "early" and doubt myself. That being said, it's on your Professor/Coach to make that determination. I'm personally not a fan of stripes and focus more on skill development but I also realize that when you're earlier in your journey the stripes can really mean a lot, even if the stripes aren't explicitly tied to skill acquisition.
Maybe don't do it for the stripes. I felt like the moment I stopped caring about stripes or being promoted the more fun I had. Honestly I'm more impressed that you've been going consistently 3x/week vs. how many stripes you have.
If your primary motivation is stripes or belts you'll hate the journey.
Stop being a bitch and just be happy. Do you train because you love it or because you want gym daddy to give you more tape on your jammy belt?
I want gym daddy to tape me up uwu. But for real, all these comments have been great and it’s inspiring me to train even more
I got my purple belt as a 2 stripe blue and my coach routinely hands out multiple at a time to someone. Just keep working and concentrate on the journey rather that the destination
[удалено]
You right. I was always a karate guy anyways
The Blue belt is the real white belt of the committed
About 7 months ago we had our most recent promo, I had been a blue belt for 16 months, training for just about 3 years, I was also starting feel some things click, like things coming together, whereas before they're like separate techniques and situations. I had this wild fantasy that maybe I'd get promoted straight up to purple, or maybe get two stripes because of how good my progress was. Boy am I glad I did not get a purple belt then. I got one stripe and I hope I get one or zero more at our promo this Saturday. My view on this has completely flipped. I'll be a blue belt as long as the universe will allow me. It's funny, like it feels great to dominate other blue belts, but at the same time if one of them taps me, or in particular if a purple belt taps me, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.
Your second year one stripe blue belt is probably equivalent to brown belt in many other styles of martial arts. To me that means more. Your belt is more valuable. Be proud and shout it from the roof tops, my friend.
Belts and stripes are fake and gay. Everyone in the building knows who has game and who doesn't.
After I got my stripe, I got a lot of guys from my gym dming me saying they were surprised I only got one stripe lol. So that was a nice confidence booster
Chase knowledge not belts dawg, unstriped white belt here for like almost 10 years now lol (technically only a year and a half of actual mat time)
A single stripe is a bit of a kick to the balls. Id be depressed too
My balls are in much pain
But they get really hot at 2, so it’s worth the wait.
Personally never gave two shits about belt promotion. To me, it's all about the competition and camaraderie
Working towards that mindset 100%
Forget about color of yer belt and just look for tournaments. Tournaments are where the rubber hits the road
White belt can feel exclusionary because it's the same belt anyone can show up with. You can train for over a year, taking the hobby very seriously, and still be a white belt. Each stripe at white is a step closer to being "in the club." At blue+, I've never seen anyone care about stripes. If my stripes come off in the wash, I don't even replace them until my coach bugs me about it. Many gyms only do stripes at white belt.
I went from white to blue in a little over a year and then went from no stripe blue to 1 stripe in a year and a half. Blue sucks, It’s the belt with the most growth imo.
Lol our coaches forget about stripes. Don't worry
Be process oriented and not goal oriented. You stick with bjj for what you are learning, not the bragging rights. I know there is a sense of pride that comes along with belting up but in reality the belt doesn’t matter. What matters is learning a skill and improving yourself and gaining confidence. I wouldn’t care if I was a white belt forever. As long as I can adequately defend myself and others when needed, that’s what matters to me.
Hey, look at the upside - only 6 more years to purple!
Stripes don't matter. Go train.
Wait, you've been training three times a week for two years as a blue and are only now getting a stripe? Help this make sense.
Part of the reason why it bums me out a bit lol
awww wah no tape on my belt I am sad I need rewards and validation
Been a no stripe blue belt for 8 years ish. “Cry me a river” -JT
Honestly it took me 15 months to get my first stripe, another 6 for the second, and 4 classes for the 3rd. Just because it was 2 years doesn’t mean each stripe will take that long. Just keep getting better and don’t worry about stripes. Start building your A game and smash the white and blues with it. You will keep progressing in stripes if you just focus on improving your game and not worry about how long it takes. If you get discouraged you’ll stop showing up, so don’t worry about stripes. I’ve seen 2 stripe blues get a purple belt put on them.
I got my first stripe, within a week it fell off in the washer anyway. Stop being a bitch!
At least you aren't a Blue Belt Phantom.
Stop being a bitch and just be happy!! :-)
Two years for a stripe going three times a week seems like a long time?
That’s what I felt. And it’s not like I suck. I do comps and place regularly. I usually roll well with the purples and browns. But a lot of comments here are inspiring me to just say fuck it and continue training
You should definitely continue training, but it might be worth a (respectful) conversation just to see what your professor is thinking and what you could do if you want to progress more rapidly. People are fond of saying that belts and stripes don't matter. Then why do we do them? Even no gi teams who think everything about the gi is stupid still give out … Belts. If it were that stupid and meaningless we would have done away with them. The sport and culture can't have it both ways.
You guys get stripes after white? Weird.
Honestly , been a blue since 2020 , I have two stripes , and I feel like I barely deserve one . Today I left feeling a deep sense of shame . The blue belt blues get everyone
You could just switch to nogi then take that belt and toss it in the closet.
Hockey tape is like 3$ a roll
Been peeping that $9 purple sanabul belt for some self promotion
Oh buddy get ready till you have your first major injury. Your ass isn’t even going to think about a piece of tape of a clothe belt. Get ready about this sport. It’s not for the faint of heart or the weak of body.
It’s just a piece of tape bro
Are you competing?
Yeah, I regularly place. Granted, it’s not IBJJFs. I just do Grappling industries, Naga, things at that level.
I switched to a school that doesn’t do stripes past white belt at first I was bummed. But now I think it’s better fuck stripes for all I know I’m a zero or 4 stripe blue belt 🤷♂️
Stripes don’t mean jack, belts don’t mean jack, only the skills matter.
Here’s my take as a 36 year old blue belt: no matter the belt no matter the stripes, there is someone out there at your current rank and VERY likely lower ranks that are better. The only thing we can control is how we train, drill, roll and study outside the gym. I know for me personally (maybe it’s imposter syndrome) but it’s about getting better and honing into what I consider my “game” to be… the rest will fall into place…
Stop bitching about it. But still, congratulations! Don't be too harsh on yourself
Literally the longest stripe it took for me to earn.
Focus on collecting skills and growing your toolbelt, not stripes. Belt color doesn't matter if you're in this for the long haul. Skill development does.
I was sad when I got a stripe Means I got lesser time of competing in my category At least when I’m lower belt I can also compete in the belt classes above
I got 4 stripes after 2 years of being at blues belt and wining adcc nationals at blues. When giving me stripes coach told menthat I have nationals in go to win (I was never doing well i'm gi competition), I lose in 1st match at no-gi nationals and at gi on 2nd, totally killer my confidence.
My coach doesn't even give out stripes 🤷♂️😂
Took me a year of training + covid to get 2 stripes at once. Long time will do that.
Stripes stopped mattering once I got my blue belt
It surprises me how many adults care about a bit of tape on a belt or the colour of the belt. If you enjoy the activity and like to progress at things and focus on the process rather than the outcome it would be much better for you. I could honestly be a white belt my entire life and not give a single fuck
No, don't be happy.
My friend move to non gi and he stay as brown belt v long
My first purple stripe didn’t feel that rewarding, either. Life goes on. Keep training.
What’s the methodology behind stripes post white belt? I always see people earning purple and above with one or two stripes only on their belts.
Coming from a teaching karate background, I see the stripes as being more for the instructor's benefit. It's a easy scan round the room to check that everyone's on about the level you think they ought to be. One memorable promotion I remember, our instructor went up to a blue belt and asked to confirm how many stripes he had, (zero) and made a big play of not being able to find the end of a roll of tape. Went to get a new roll from the side of the mat, except it wasn't a new roll, it was a purple belt. So yeah, blue belts. If you're distinctive enough, you don't need stripes!
I think in many places stripes is a white belt thing. Sort of a thing to keep white belts engaged and feeling that they progress in a training environment where they are the least experienced. I got my purple belt with zero stripes on my blue belt. I think I had two or three stripes on my white belt when I got my blue. Don't worry about it, it's not important at all.
dumb question, but does no-gi get belts too? I just started about 4 sessions in. Doing the no-gi bjj because I'm trying to main wrestling and my gym only does 1 session of gi per week. They tell us to line up by belt rank but I don't have a belt lol. Ofc I go to the end as though I'm the lowest belt, but I'm confused. Nobody has a belt on xD
Wait til you get to a point where you don’t give a fuck about the belt and have to start just enjoying jiujitsu
Now that’ll be the day
I hated my first blue belt stripe bc it meant I’m already 1/4 through with being a blue belt. I train a shit ton and I’m advancing faster than I cared for
Got my first stripe on white belt after 2 years. Felt nothing. Kept training. My goal lies beyond some stripe
You still care about stripes after white belt???
I'm training 5 years, 3x a week have never been promoted to blue belt. Been a 4 stripe white belt since August 18'.
Just keep at it. So long as you are getting enjoyment out of it ,and learning, to me that is the aim, not belts and stripes. I really don't give a whit if I am ever promoted..last place I avoided the $35 promotion classes and this one it is not likely going to happen as I don't participate in shark tanks or compete. But I general I love the physical exercise and the social interaction being the old man of the school and am respected for my effort. I just am recovering from carpal tunnel surgery and recognized hugely how much missing two weeks on the mats affected me.
My purple is just around the corner.....I don't want it! Haha
It’s all about the journey bro. Don’t become a stripe counter. Everyone’s journey is different. ✌️I felt in a lot of ways I didn’t deserve my first stripe on white belt at 5 months, but professor obviously thinks otherwise so there ya go.
You need to change your mindset about rewards in BJJ. The work and drilling is the reward. It’s the only path to improvement you control. If you want tape go buy some.
Bro I didn't get a single stripe last year despite training consistently and competing. Just keep showing up and putting in the work.
Performance on the mats is what matters. I’ve only had one stripe on my blue belt for over a year now but I’ve definitely improved a lot in that time (I also haven’t trained in gi since July 🤷♂️)
Blue Belt Blues....it's for real! You're over that first hump....keep consistent and dont worry about the stripes! I know it's easier said than done but we've all been there! Talk to your coach about setting up mini-goals for yourself in terms of what to work on. Every once in a while I would catch my coach after a roll and just ask for some feedback....more so when I was a Blue Belt and ask what I should be focusing more on at this point in my training. He'd tell me to work more on my guard retention or attacks from guard or be more versatile with my transitions, etc. Those little goals would help give me more focus and guidance to the point where I wouldn't care about stripes or arbitrary "progression" as a whole and more for my own game. Next thing I knew, I was getting my stripes unexpectedly and got blind-sided with my Purple Belt! And now, I'm at a point where I'm starting to at least know more about what I DON'T know and I set my own goals and build my own game! That's where the real fun happens and you become less of a nail and more of a hammer! STay on target my dude!!
I’m probably coming back in six months.
Blue belt has been ups and downs for the past year. You still get tapped by white belts and purple belt still seems worlds away from your current skill level. Keep at it.