to me a purple belt is someone who can really pressure you with non stopped chained attacks from every position be it simply passing or submission attempts. Just flat out overwhelm you with knowledge and experience from everywhere. [...] A purple belt in my opinion should have an amazing A game and a really good B game already developed and not have any glaring weaknesses.

Whoa.. you hold us to a high standard. :D

Ha - yeah, I can't say I'm too worried about standards white belts conjure up for higher belts. I pay attention to the standards black belts set, as they are the ones giving out rank. ;)

I feel like if your going to do stripes they should mean something and not just be attendance based or well its another promotion day but your not ready for your next belt so here's a stripe. Not in any order: Stripe #1: Ability to survive. Escapes/Reversals/Movement Stripe #2: Ability not to get guard passed (Guard Retention) & ability to sweep opponents removing their posts. Distance/Space management. Able to Manipulate Opponent with strategy. Stripe #3: Ability to pass guard and not get swept. Having good balance and post awareness. Comfortable in neutral and 1/2 guard positions. Stripe #4: Ability to control your opponents. Maintaining and transitioning through positions while going for submissions and able to start chaining controlled methodical submission attempts together. Being promoted to Blue Belt: - Having a Plan A & B from every position. - Being able to be calm and relaxed and not stressed in any position. - Being able to easily manage a larger/stronger opponent with less experience. - Know how to transition to any position near the current position like a video game controller. Forward, Backwards, Left, Right etc., while still understanding the need to either create or remove space, being aware of your posts and posture while controlling your opponents. Overhook/Underhook crossface awareness. - The general ability to flow with your opponents with no need to try and win every roll and be able to learn something from any roll by either letting the other person work or understanding what you need to focus on to get better. Improving your weaknesses as your opponents most likely will take the path of least resistance.

I'd be a one stripe white belt then. I think having the 'unpassable guard' is a valid strategy for some, but not all. The only times i've been in guard in matches are when i've picked up a guillotine standing and pulled guard to try and finish it, i wanted a rest because i was tired, up on points and felt like stalling or because i reversed a position into it. It's not like having your guard passed is a death sentence, even at the UFC level. Derrick Lewis is a BJJ blue belt and not an ex-wrestler, take a look at him in bottom side control, dude just stands up! It's actually pretty hard to pin someone in side control, if it was easy then wrestling matches wouldn't last very long. I appreciate that playing guard in training will to some extent make you a better guard passer, and I do. But let's not pretend goal keepers are the best penalty takers in football because they understand the flip side of things better. We have a competition checklist for white belts White Belt: - Minimum 1 high percentage escape from closed guard, mount, side control, rear mount - a high percentage triangle and armbar escape - guillotine defence - 2 high percentage submissions from side control and mount - 1 sweep from guard - a decent rear naked choke - 3 takedowns Once they have that, throw yourself into competition and the mats don't lie. I first competed 4 months after starting BJJ, to be precise the competition was the third time i wore a Gi. I don't think people should be prescriptive about how you get your wins and if you're winning, then you're on your way to blue. I realise that sounds like blasphemy to some people, but i have 4 counters: 1. I think it's very limiting for white belts to decide they are going to do a particular style, they simply don't know enough about the options to make that choice 2. Linked to the point above, it's limiting for white belts to think they are immediately good at something because they have quick success with it at white belt level 3. There are patterns of neglected techniques becoming more effective as they get neglected from training (e.g. leg locks). 4. With such rigidity, you wouldn't have people in BJJ like Gilbert Burns who is frankly BJJ's best chance of having a UFC Champion anytime soon. There was no mentioned of takedowns in the white belt stripe criteria, if someone came from to BJJ from Judo, i think it would be silly not to take advantage of their stand up skills. All in my humble opinion.

Cool ill stop giving my opinion on anything since it's worthless and all you black belts can gather in a circle and do your thang. Good luck.

People don't like it when you speak your mind. In order to sustain themselves they need to put down others. Last time I am replying. Again good luck.

People don't like it when you speak your mind. In order to sustain themselves they need to put down others. Last time I am replying. Again good luck.

Well I am just a white belt...but to me a purple belt is someone who can really pressure you with non stopped chained attacks from every position be it simply passing or submission attempts. Just flat out overwhelm you with knowledge and experience from everywhere. They can easily escape and reverse every position as well without even thinking about it. It has just become natural and instinctual to the point to where they should be a step ahead of someone not at that level as they no longer have to really think about any basic movements...the body just does it without thinking. The only thinking at this point should be strategy based. This may be more of a 2 to 3 stripe purple belt thing. But to me that is the difference.

Ultimately, no matter what your rank is or who gave it to you it will eventually become apparent if you are legit or not. Some will be exposed through their lack of knowledge while teaching, others in competition or during open roll. If you are wearing a belt you don’t deserve or didn’t earn, it’s a bad idea. You WILL be exposed.

James, is the purplebelt-you up to whitebelt-you's standard?

Just register yourself and compete in higher categories without announcing it as 'promotion' anywhere.

But then what belt would i have worn on the day? If i turn up in my 4 stripe white belt then grappling industries would know what i've done and probably not let me compete. If i put on a blue belt i wasn't awarded then doesn't that go against the entire purpose of the site?

And the comment everyone will make is go do Worlds or Pans or something but that's the dumbest comment in the world. The goal isn't to win championships it's to get better at jiu-jitsu through constant tough competition matches non stop.

I think you're misunderstanding why people are suggesting this. You're constantly complaining about the tournaments you go to not being difficult enough and that you're not getting enough of a challenge. Perfectly understandable, but then the logical response from everyone will be that you should go to tournaments where the competition is stronger and closer to the level you want to compete at. You can do all the tournaments you regularly do AND Pan Ams or worlds. Those aren't mutually exclusive. And, at least in Germany, the entrance fee for NAGA is almost the same or comparable to the IBJJF Europeans, so you wouldn't be spending more. There's no real reason to not do the larger tournaments if you want the challenge. But only doing the tournaments that you know don't have the challenge that you are looking for, and then complaining that it's not challenging on the internet to random people you've never met just seems counter productive and a little disingenuous.

Pans and World's cost over 1000 if not 2000 dollars to attend

Um, what? I just looked this up. Maximum fee for IBJJF NoGi worlds is 175 USD. https://ibjjf.com/events/[...]nship-2022

Basically you have to do what I did/do. Only compete at tournaments that allow you to compete up and not at the ones that do not. Ones that allow it: - Newbreed - Naga - Fuji - Nuway Combat (BJJ Fanatics)

So 3 that don't operate in the UK and NAGA who last ran a competition in the UK in 2019. Interestingly grappling industries will now let you compete up 1 division NoGi.

It's a blue belt. Back in the day when there were only one or two blues in the area it was a big deal. Today, given the variation in blue belts I have come across, this should absolutely be a non issue. Yes a purple should be able to promote to blue, not ideal, but I have no issues with that. Should the purple be allowed to give stripes on the blue and if so how many?

I also no longer think that a Purple Belt is an advanced belt. It is just intermediate with Blue Belt being a beginner belt and White Belt being novice. It's normally not until someone is getting close to Brown Belt that they are what I would call advanced.

That is how I've felt at every belt level. The one concept that has been true throughout my journey is that you grow into your belt. I've never felt 'ready' and 'defending the belt' has always been stressful for me. The question of promotion to next belt levels, for me, is simple - can you display some variation of jiu jitsu techniques against a resisting opponent at your belt level or higher consistently? If the answer is yes then you are ready for the next level, except for black belt. At that level, I think you must be able to do it against high level black belts or be able to teach your game to others. Maybe that criteria should be reserved for black belt degrees, but at brown belt, I think you should be giving back to the art through competition or teaching to advance to black belt. Having said that, I have no opinion on blue belt promotions. You can promote yourself and it wouldn't bother me.

I understand the cost situation you are in. It has stopped me in the past from attending some tournaments due to the locality of it. My cousin who operates a school in Fayetteville would drive and sleep in his car while traveling twice a year. If there is a will, there is a way. Have you tried competing in the ibjjf Opens near you? I know they have one in Chartlotte and Atlanta throughout the year.