how long were you at brown belt?

You can see time in each belt rank on every profile :)

And even cooler, you can see world average for each belt here: https://www.beltchecker.c[...]hp?p=belts

Michael MeistrichOP

Brown beltVerified

34 forum posts1585/700

You can see time in each belt rank on every profile :) And even cooler, you can see world average for each belt here: https://www.beltchecker.c[...]hp?p=belts

man you aint playin around with the analytics on here lol

Vince Choo

Black belt 3rd degreeVerified

1126 forum posts21045/1000

this site is all serious data collection :)

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1900 forum posts3635/1000

Yeah, I love the data crunching on here, it's beautiful. :D

Coachpotato

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

776 forum posts1920/1000

Brown belts get stripes too? :O

Edited 5 year(s) ago

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1900 forum posts3635/1000

Brown belts get stripes too? :O

Depends on the club. If somebody trains under me, nobody gets stripes at any belt, I don't like them. But my instructor does give out stripes (though he didn't bother with them on my purple belt after the third one, they just fell off and I didn't replace them). :)

Coachpotato

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

776 forum posts1920/1000

I was trying to be funny. :D I have not had an instructor since I got my brown. Explains my lack of stripes. Also explains my lack or caring too much about stripes or belts.

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1900 forum posts3635/1000

I was trying to be funny. :D

Ah, fair enough. You have to wave a big red flag and shout THIS IS A JOKE, or I will assume you're being serious. I put it down to my German genes. :P

Blue beltVerified

621 forum posts3340/200

If somebody trains under me, nobody gets stripes at any belt, I don't like them.

What's your rationale for not liking stripes?

Vince Choo

Black belt 3rd degreeVerified

1126 forum posts21045/1000

stripes clogs up the washing machine ... if the belt is washed that is :)

Blue beltVerified

621 forum posts3340/200

stripes clogs up the washing machine ... if the belt is washed that is :)

That's why I always peel the tape off and sew white ribbon on instead.

I solve a lot of my problems with a needle.

Wait . . .

Bobby McMasters

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1272 forum posts12800/1000

I think I'm averaging like a stripe a year. My Beltchecker diploma already has "Brown Belt With 2 Stripes" on it so I'm not too excited about my next promotion. Don't want to be a total poser or something.

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1900 forum posts3635/1000

I think I'm averaging like a stripe a year. My Beltchecker diploma already has 'Brown Belt With 2 Stripes' on it so I'm not too excited about my next promotion. Don't want to be a total poser or something.

I've not had any stripes on my brown belt. I think my instructor has given up on me keeping them on my belt. ;)

As to Bridget's question, I don't like stripes for two main reasons.

1. They don't mean anything, because each school uses different criteria.

2. I feel it makes people more obsessed with promotion: "ooo, I'm a third stripe, that means I'm better than that two stripe. Why haven't I got my fourth stripe yet, I'm better than that person who just got one?" etc. I try to de-emphasise the obsession with belts as much as possible.

Vince Choo

Black belt 3rd degreeVerified

1126 forum posts21045/1000

I've not had any stripes on my brown belt. I think my instructor has given up on me keeping them on my belt. ;) As to Bridget's question, I don't like stripes for two main reasons. 1. They don't mean anything, because each school uses different criteria. 2. I feel it makes people more obsessed with promotion: 'ooo, I'm a third stripe, that means I'm better than that two stripe. Why haven't I got my fourth stripe yet, I'm better than that person who just got one?' etc. I try to de-emphasise the obsession with belts as much as possible.

or...
you can make that stripe(s) a 100% selfish & personal marker for how far you've gone in your journey... to tell you that you're moving in the right direction and almost at the next destination. Who cares where everyone else in the same train carriage is going. It's your trip and your next stop that matters.

Blue beltVerified

621 forum posts3340/200

1. They don't mean anything, because each school uses different criteria. 2. I feel it makes people more obsessed with promotion: 'ooo, I'm a third stripe, that means I'm better than that two stripe. Why haven't I got my fourth stripe yet, I'm better than that person who just got one?' etc. I try to de-emphasise the obsession with belts as much as possible.

Thanks for explaining.

I only think of stripes as a warning that, when I get to four of them, that damn fool will be promoting me to the next belt sometime in the next 6 months to a year.

I've never thought I was automatically better than someone with less stripes.

Then again, I think women tend to be a little less obsessed with hierarchical bullshit than guys are. Sophia McDermott says she has her students stand in a circle, not a line, and that they can stand anywhere regardless of rank.

Me: "I see what you did there."

Mark Dong

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

12 forum posts1750/1000

There are many schools that dont do stripes. At GB we do them because people want some sort of indication that we are progressing and moving in the right direction. My opinion really is forget about the stripes and belts. Just go and train and enjoy the ride! The belt only covers 1.5" of your body. The rest is up to you!

Christian Graugart

Black belt 4th degreeVerified

4323 forum posts39315/1000

I was a brown belt for about 2 1/2 years

2 years 2 months and 6 days ;)

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1900 forum posts3635/1000

Then again, I think women tend to be a little less obsessed with hierarchical bullshit than guys are. Sophia McDermott says she has her students stand in a circle, not a line, and that they can stand anywhere regardless of rank. Me: 'I see what you did there.'

Yeah, this is one of the reasons why I much prefer to train with women. In rolls with women, I've never encountered the macho bullshit that you sometimes get with men (I imagine it happens sometimes, but fortunately never to me). Plus I'm small, so women are often the closest to my size anyway.

Sophia is cool. She has been doing a lot of online teaching, one of my students is a big fan of her fitness sessions. Another of my friends also joined her more recent more BJJ focused program, which includes a grappling dummy being sent out to you.

Blue beltVerified

621 forum posts3340/200

She has been doing a lot of online teaching, one of my students is a big fan of her fitness sessions. Another of my friends also joined her more recent more BJJ focused program, which includes a grappling dummy being sent out to you.

I know; I'm a member!

I just got my grappling dummy last week and still need to stuff it.

And I may or may not be sewing Keanu Reeves' face onto it.

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1900 forum posts3635/1000

I know; I'm a member! I just got my grappling dummy last week and still need to stuff it. And I may or may not be sewing Keanu Reeves' face onto it.

Oh now you HAVE to do that, and I want pics. Many pics! :P

Michael MeistrichOP

Brown beltVerified

34 forum posts1585/700

i personally think stripes are important. these belts take a long time to get. its easy for people to get frustrated that they arent improving. often times you cant tell you are improving at all but others looking in can. and then boom u get a stripe. validation is important, its just human nature. i also think theres a big difference in between the beginning of belts and the end of belts. i was a purple belt for 8 years. my game was nothing like it was at the end of purple to what it was at the beginning. my skill level was vastly improved. granted i should have gotten a brown belt much earlier and didnt over some politics but whatever. same with blue belt from beginning to end usually a very big difference in skill level. giving people small goals to attain is important. i also understand the importance of not chasing belts. my goal has always been to get as good at jiu jitsu as i possibly can. this typically translates to "getting a black belt". if i got a black belt 2moro my skills would be no different than they are now. but having someone else say i agree that you are this skill level is nice

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1900 forum posts3635/1000

its easy for people to get frustrated that they arent improving. often times you cant tell you are improving at all but others looking in can. and then boom u get a stripe. validation is important, its just human nature.

Yeah, that's an argument I often hear. Personally, I think dealing with that frustration is an important part of the BJJ journey. I also think treating a belt as the main arbiter of improvement is counterproductive, so I'd rather not increase that connection by adding stripes to the mix. I want my students to focus on getting better at BJJ, not on getting a belt. As I always tell them, a belt is just a byproduct of improving, not the end goal.

But yeah, I can see why they are used at other gyms. To each their own, there is room for many different approaches in BJJ. :)

Michael MeistrichOP

Brown beltVerified

34 forum posts1585/700

You can see time in each belt rank on every profile :) And even cooler, you can see world average for each belt here: https://www.beltchecker.c[...]hp?p=belts

u know what would be cool that i noticed isnt on this site? a lineage thing on the profile.

Jarrell Garcia

Black beltVerified32 forum posts3095/1000

I was at brown for 4 years. I was just promoted to black belt 3 weeks ago.

Waiting for more votes for verification.

Jorgen Matsi

Black belt 2nd degreeVerified

1772 forum posts17315/1000

I was trying to be funny. :D I have not had an instructor since I got my brown. Explains my lack of stripes. Also explains my lack or caring too much about stripes or belts.

I feel you. I wrote many similar comments. Took me 3 years and getting a blackbelt to understand that in fact, I actually did care.

Bobby McMasters

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1272 forum posts12800/1000

Our promoting instructor can't award black belts for at least another 2.5 years or so, so I'm averaging about a stripe per year at this point in time. I'll take what I can get in my situation.

Drew Brunning

Black beltVerified

235 forum posts3190/1000

Our promoting instructor can't award black belts for at least another 2.5 years or so, so I'm averaging about a stripe per year at this point in time. I'll take what I can get in my situation.

Our head coach was otherwise going to be able to do black belt promotions in March, but covid has made that a question mark due to his time off. There's an affiliation head or other black belts in town that could be brought in to promote me when the time comes if it's before our head coach is comfortable receiving his second stripe. Does your coach have anyone else they affiliate with that they could bring in for you?

Bobby McMasters

Black belt 1st degreeVerified

1272 forum posts12800/1000

Does your coach have anyone else they affiliate with that they could bring in for you?

Maybe? But then I'd have to shell out more money than it's probably worth, kiss some asses I don't want to kiss, and there would probably be other strings attached as well that I'm not willing to accept. I think I'd be fine not being a black belt for another 10 years, tbh...

Christian Graugart

Black belt 4th degreeVerified

4323 forum posts39315/1000