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What Should a Black Belt Know?
1 year(s) ago • 2424 views • 31 replies
VCBlack belt 3rd degreeVerified
1 year(s) ago
1. must have and/or willing to trade their thick mane of hair for a piece a black cloth around their belly
2. can identify the type of fabric used in any gi and corresponding detergent for best cleaning results
3. knows how to mismatch a white top and blue bottoms like it's the latest SS25 collection
4. be able to confidently use the word "Slay" in context of the latest nogi submeta bolo technique
5. possibly still rocking a Nokia 3320, pager and a denim bum bag with Megadeth patch (velcro wallet optional)
2. can identify the type of fabric used in any gi and corresponding detergent for best cleaning results
3. knows how to mismatch a white top and blue bottoms like it's the latest SS25 collection
4. be able to confidently use the word "Slay" in context of the latest nogi submeta bolo technique
5. possibly still rocking a Nokia 3320, pager and a denim bum bag with Megadeth patch (velcro wallet optional)
WMBlack belt 5th degreeVerified
1 year(s) ago
1. must have and/or willing to trade their thick mane of hair for a piece a black cloth around their belly
Wearing a mustache, should be mandatory, during their first year as a probationary black belt.
Those that cannot grow proper mustaches, can wear a fake mustache, in the tradition of Egyptian Pharoahs, male and female, that wore fake Pharonic chin beards.
Those that cannot grow proper mustaches, can wear a fake mustache, in the tradition of Egyptian Pharoahs, male and female, that wore fake Pharonic chin beards.
MBrown beltVerified
1 year(s) ago
Thanks for your feedback, everyone. I suppose I'm a little surprised that nobody included anything about BJJ history, including lineage. In fact, it appears as though the only folks who chimed in regarding what a bb should KNOW (independent of character/ability/maturity/etc) were the judo guys. I appreciate that BJJ, for the most part, puts heavy emphasis on measurable practice vs theory, but shouldn't black belts actually know some basic facts and stuff too? Or is that not important? I remember when I first started training in 2004, my instructor (Saulo Ribeiro) had a poster on the wall with some Portuguese phrases, numbers and lineage facts that you had to know to test for BLUE belt. Does anyone train somewhere where their coach does something like this for any belt level?
My former Coach for example has a part besides the practical belt exam for blue belt, about theory and some questions in relation to history and origins of BJJ.
All my guys have some basic knowledge about origin and history of bjj.
I am „nerd“ myself in relation to that topic and read all that stuff from „slideyfoot“, the GTR- global training report team, all Roberto Pedreira books (Choque, etc.), stuff from Marcial Serrano, Geo Omori; Robert Drysdale Books „closed guard“ and „the rise and evolution of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu“….
There is so much stuff out there and since the Brazilian national bibliotheca digitalized a lot of stuff from back then or the guys above interviewed time witnesses, there is more than the „old story“ of some Members of the Gracie family told about the origins and history…..
In relation to your first question, what a Blackbelt in BJJ should know/ be from my point of view:
In my opinion, to quote a Blackbelt friend:
-knowledge
-skills
- attitude
So of course a strong knowledge and skill of the fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Performance on the mat, but also good teaching skills (not only show moves, but also be able to teach „why“), an open mind for the evolution of the art (always student, sometimes teacher), a „good“ character and someone who is able to and wants to help other people,
Time in grade is really individual: are you a younger athlete and do you train 2 times a day, 6 days a week or did you start late on a recreational level 3-4 times a week.
One might be a Blackbelt in 6 years and the other one needs 16 years…
Do you have lots of self defense in your curriculum or do you even only want to enjoy the sport? There are differences in approach and different levels of what a BJJ Blackbelt is!
All my guys have some basic knowledge about origin and history of bjj.
I am „nerd“ myself in relation to that topic and read all that stuff from „slideyfoot“, the GTR- global training report team, all Roberto Pedreira books (Choque, etc.), stuff from Marcial Serrano, Geo Omori; Robert Drysdale Books „closed guard“ and „the rise and evolution of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu“….
There is so much stuff out there and since the Brazilian national bibliotheca digitalized a lot of stuff from back then or the guys above interviewed time witnesses, there is more than the „old story“ of some Members of the Gracie family told about the origins and history…..
In relation to your first question, what a Blackbelt in BJJ should know/ be from my point of view:
In my opinion, to quote a Blackbelt friend:
-knowledge
-skills
- attitude
So of course a strong knowledge and skill of the fundamentals of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Performance on the mat, but also good teaching skills (not only show moves, but also be able to teach „why“), an open mind for the evolution of the art (always student, sometimes teacher), a „good“ character and someone who is able to and wants to help other people,
Time in grade is really individual: are you a younger athlete and do you train 2 times a day, 6 days a week or did you start late on a recreational level 3-4 times a week.
One might be a Blackbelt in 6 years and the other one needs 16 years…
Do you have lots of self defense in your curriculum or do you even only want to enjoy the sport? There are differences in approach and different levels of what a BJJ Blackbelt is!
