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To stripe or not to stripe :)
5 year(s) ago • 1645 views • 22 replies
DSPurple beltVerifiedSerbia
5 year(s) ago
I was interested in the general opinion of giving stripes.
For example, my coach is against it due to his opinion that stripes are just pieces of tape without bigger meaning (in some cases he gave stripes to students).
So are you pro stripes of against it, and why so?
For example, my coach is against it due to his opinion that stripes are just pieces of tape without bigger meaning (in some cases he gave stripes to students).
So are you pro stripes of against it, and why so?
TPBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
Some previous striping discussion can be found here (not limited to black belts) :)
"Black belt degrees are bullshit"
https://www.beltchecker.c[...]171c441fb3
"Black belt degrees are bullshit"
https://www.beltchecker.c[...]171c441fb3
RDBlack belt 4th degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
I use stripes until they get the brown belt.
Don't really care what others do or don't do. Their house their rules.
Different strokes for different folks.
Don't really care what others do or don't do. Their house their rules.
Different strokes for different folks.
KKBrown beltPending
5 year(s) ago
I was interested in the general opinion of giving stripes. For example, my coach is against it due to his opinion that stripes are just pieces of tape without bigger meaning (in some cases he gave stripes to students). So are you pro stripes of against it, and why so?
BJJ Belts are often 2-4 years between belts even at fast promoting schools. Stripes give a fractional description to help motivate students, and well as help differentiate. I'd say they are a net positive. The difference in skill between a 1 stripe white belt and a 4 stripe white belt is often HUGE. Same with blue belts.
BWBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
BJJ is a tough art and promotions take a long time, as Karl said.
Humans tend to like / be encouraged by external recognition of their progress so I think stripes are a good thing.
I get not using them any more at Brown, as David said, by that stage you've probably been in the art long enough that the extrinsic motivation makes less of a difference.
At Overwhelm we use stripes for all belts.
Humans tend to like / be encouraged by external recognition of their progress so I think stripes are a good thing.
I get not using them any more at Brown, as David said, by that stage you've probably been in the art long enough that the extrinsic motivation makes less of a difference.
At Overwhelm we use stripes for all belts.
DHPurple beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
My instructor only stripes juniors - his reasoning is "adults don't need motivation to kill each other".
JPBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
I give them but I'd rather not. I'd prefer to just stick with solid belts, but stripes are kind of the standard, so I give them.
OMBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
I use the stripes as a representation of students technical development at white and bluebelt. It allows me to clearly communicate what needs to be developed and seems to encourage my students to develop a well rounded foundation.
I have never awarded one for purple or brown and probably never will.
In short I view them as a valuable tool when dealing with beginners and novices, when the conversation is techniques.
I have never awarded one for purple or brown and probably never will.
In short I view them as a valuable tool when dealing with beginners and novices, when the conversation is techniques.
JJBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I use stripes until they get the brown belt. Don't really care what others do or don't do. Their house their rules. Different strokes for different folks.
I like this idea.
Brown belts shouldn't need motivation and nor should instructors feel pressured to promote someone to black belt after they get a few stripes or a certain amount of time has passed.
I am in the belief that not everyone should be able to obtain a black belt anyways. Some people should be brown belts for life or until they have matured more which may take longer then the skill/time requirements.
Brown belts shouldn't need motivation and nor should instructors feel pressured to promote someone to black belt after they get a few stripes or a certain amount of time has passed.
I am in the belief that not everyone should be able to obtain a black belt anyways. Some people should be brown belts for life or until they have matured more which may take longer then the skill/time requirements.
Edited 5 year(s) ago
BJBlue beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I need some kind of warning that my instructor is about to do something crazy like promote me. A 4th stripe serves that function.
So, I approve of them.
So, I approve of them.
VCBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
I give out stripes and sometimes skip them. It all depends on the individual
TPBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
We don't do stripes for adults at our gym. Kids yes, they need this kind of encouragement.
Grown-ups caring about belt color is silly enough. (But we do care... that's why we're on a site called Beltchecker. :D)
Finding motivation from elsewhere than getting to the next rank I feel is essential in staying in the game for the long run. I'm on my 10th year of training & so far have been promoted twice. (I'm also not an outstanding player obviously.) Mostly matters for competitions that are divided by belt levels.
We are also a very low-hierarchy gym. Being a higher belt grants you no priviliges whatsover.
Stripes for white belts makes most sense, as the ability dispersion is huge, and it can take years to get to blue. Both for motivating the student and to display others that they already know a little something. For example, if I face an unknown white belt for a sparring round, I treat a 3/4-stripe very differently from a no-stripe (for the latter: control them as totally as possible, not giving anything unless in my terms, and staying in the safest postures myself until I know they won't spaz into something unpredictable and dangerous).
Grown-ups caring about belt color is silly enough. (But we do care... that's why we're on a site called Beltchecker. :D)
Finding motivation from elsewhere than getting to the next rank I feel is essential in staying in the game for the long run. I'm on my 10th year of training & so far have been promoted twice. (I'm also not an outstanding player obviously.) Mostly matters for competitions that are divided by belt levels.
We are also a very low-hierarchy gym. Being a higher belt grants you no priviliges whatsover.
Stripes for white belts makes most sense, as the ability dispersion is huge, and it can take years to get to blue. Both for motivating the student and to display others that they already know a little something. For example, if I face an unknown white belt for a sparring round, I treat a 3/4-stripe very differently from a no-stripe (for the latter: control them as totally as possible, not giving anything unless in my terms, and staying in the safest postures myself until I know they won't spaz into something unpredictable and dangerous).
Edited 5 year(s) ago
DSPurple beltVerifiedSerbia
5 year(s) ago
We don't do stripes for adults at our gym. Kids yes, they need this kind of encouragement. Grown-ups caring about belt color is silly enough. (But we do care... that's why we're on a site called Beltchecker. :D) Finding motivation from elsewhere than getting to the next rank I feel is essential in staying in the game for the long run. I'm on my 10th year of training & so far have been promoted twice. (I'm also not an outstanding player obviously.) Mostly matters for competitions that are divided by belt levels. Stripes for white belts makes most sense, as the ability dispersion is huge, and it can take years to get to blue. Both for motivating the student and to display others that they already know a little something. For example, if I face an unknown white belt for a sparring round, I treat a 3/4-stripe very differently from a no-stripe (for the latter: control them as totally as possible, not giving anything unless in my terms, and staying in the safest postures myself until I know they won't spaz into something unpredictable and dangerous).
Exactly, my personal opinion about stripes is quite similar to yours.
Kids, and a kind of spaz filter for white belts :)
Kids, and a kind of spaz filter for white belts :)
![Slideyfoot [jun]](userimg/5e25cf311adfd.jpg){kind=small}
SJBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
I don't give out stripes, because I don't like the belt being emphasised as the main sign of progress. I find that with stripes, it gets people into the habit of associating "I got a stripe" with "I got better", and equally dangerously, "I didn't get a stripe, therefore I'm shit and not getting any better."
I am very keen for people to just focus on improving, with belts as a nice side effect. Too many people treat the belt as a goal in itself, same thing can happen with stripes.
But yeah, I can understand the reasons why a lot of gyms use them, I'm sure it helps with retention. Though personally, if stripes were the only thing stopping somebody from leaving my school, I'd rather they left.
I am very keen for people to just focus on improving, with belts as a nice side effect. Too many people treat the belt as a goal in itself, same thing can happen with stripes.
But yeah, I can understand the reasons why a lot of gyms use them, I'm sure it helps with retention. Though personally, if stripes were the only thing stopping somebody from leaving my school, I'd rather they left.
JWBlue beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
In almost 3 years of training I got two stripes. I would be lying my ass off if I said they didn't matter to me. They were not the reason I kept coming or taking private lessons but it was an emotional boost for sure. That white belt life be hard, yo. lol
TPBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
I also dig the nature's alternative to striping to show that you've had it for a while... the belt wear & tear. (If you manage to not lose yours!)
If a white belt looks like James Jones's did (check the "Show me your old belts" discussion), you know that's not your ordinary white belt wearing it even without any stripes. Same with when the color starts to fade out and the belt is about to get snapped in a few places...
(Now of course this doesn't always work, because people use others' old belts and replace their belts, but anyway.)
If a white belt looks like James Jones's did (check the "Show me your old belts" discussion), you know that's not your ordinary white belt wearing it even without any stripes. Same with when the color starts to fade out and the belt is about to get snapped in a few places...
(Now of course this doesn't always work, because people use others' old belts and replace their belts, but anyway.)
DSPurple beltVerifiedSerbia
5 year(s) ago
I also dig the nature's alternative to striping to show that you've had it for a while... the belt wear & tear. (If you manage to not lose yours!) If a white belt looks like James Jones's did (check the 'Show me your old belts' discussion), you know that's not your ordinary white belt wearing it even without any stripes. Same with when the color starts to fade out and the belt is about to get snapped in a few places... (Now of course this doesn't always work, because people use others' old belts and replace their belts, but anyway.)
That's the reason why I only stick to one belt.
Ware and tear rules!
Ware and tear rules!
SJBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
I also dig the nature's alternative to striping to show that you've had it for a while... the belt wear & tear. (If you manage to not lose yours!)
My preference is to just know people. While having loads of students would be nice for my bank account, I like that because my school is around 80 students (before covid at least, lost a few), I know everybody. I know their name, how long they've been training, whether or not I need to be careful who I pair them up with, etc.
But yeah, if you're training somewhere with hundreds of students I'm sure that's harder, or if you're not like me and roll with anybody who asks at open mats/camps etc. ;)
But yeah, if you're training somewhere with hundreds of students I'm sure that's harder, or if you're not like me and roll with anybody who asks at open mats/camps etc. ;)
TPBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
My preference is to just know people. [...] But yeah, if you're training somewhere with hundreds of students I'm sure that's harder, or if you're not like me and roll with anybody who asks at open mats/camps etc. ;)
Then you come to a BJJ Globetrotter's camp open mat where there is 200 people rolling, and only roll with people you know. :)
For us others, these indicators are of utility in situations like this... Hard to argue knowing your training partners is the ideal situation though.
For us others, these indicators are of utility in situations like this... Hard to argue knowing your training partners is the ideal situation though.
Edited 5 year(s) ago
SJBlack belt 1st degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
Then you come to a BJJ Globetrotter's camp open mat where there is 200 people rolling, and only roll with people you know. :) For us others, these indicators are of utility in situations like this... Hard to argue knowing your training partners is the ideal situation though.
Yep, agreed: for people who actually roll with strangers, I can see the value. ;)
JJBlack beltVerified
5 year(s) ago
If a white belt looks like James Jones's did (check the "Show me your old belts" discussion), you know that's not your ordinary white belt wearing it even without any stripes. Same with when the color starts to fade out and the belt is about to get snapped in a few places...
lol I had blue/purple belts that I beat as a white belt complaining on facebook that they lost to a "brown belt".
And I have got to where if someone spaz's out on me I will give them the north south treatment and just not finish the submission and sit on their face until they calm down. lol
And if they are still having bi polar emotions about what to do with their hands I will enter their closed guard let them cross collar choke me and just put both my elbows on their chest and rest my chin on my hands and look at them dead in the eyes and look like I'm bored and eventually they will ask...
"what am I doing wrong"? and then I will speak to them lol
Until you make them ask the question what they are doing wrong they are going to continue to behave like a coked out Ozzy Osbourne in search of bats.
And I have got to where if someone spaz's out on me I will give them the north south treatment and just not finish the submission and sit on their face until they calm down. lol
And if they are still having bi polar emotions about what to do with their hands I will enter their closed guard let them cross collar choke me and just put both my elbows on their chest and rest my chin on my hands and look at them dead in the eyes and look like I'm bored and eventually they will ask...
"what am I doing wrong"? and then I will speak to them lol
Until you make them ask the question what they are doing wrong they are going to continue to behave like a coked out Ozzy Osbourne in search of bats.
BBBlack belt 2nd degreeVerified
5 year(s) ago
As long as there is consistency in giving them out then Im good with it. I always let people know why I'm promoting them, and will let them know what I expect in order to promote. If you are up front and don't use it as a power play, Im good with stripes. Also I have a huge problem with only giving stripes out at seminars that you are required to go to in order to get the said stripe.
