Hey, I’m a Blue Belt
Thanks to the wonders of Facebook, I was recently reminded that I was awarded my blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
Four years ago.
It’s not an unheard of amount of time to be a blue belt but it’s long enough that I’ve begun scheming on ways to train harder, be more consistent, and start competing again. All of which are good things.
I suppose it’s my penance for being involved in a past life with Seibukan Jujutsu. Called a cult by many people, it was a martial art that awarded black belts in twelve, nine, or even six months. This depended on both how hard you trained, but also how much money you could pay. I was willing to do both and acquired many black belts over the years with very little time.
When I left my teacher in protest of all these practices (and wrote a book about it, just to make sure I was never welcome back.), I started over in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), known for being stingy with awarding belts. On top of that, I changed schools twice, which slowed my progression even more. Instructors need time to get to know a new student, and also to leave some sort of imprint on them.
I’m not complaining. After all, the belt doesn’t matter. I should know, I vividly remember being rag-dolled by white belts for several months despite all of my black belts and supposed expertise.
But the belt is important to us…
But in another sense, the belt does matter. Or, rather, the desire to get one.
Saying the belt doesn’t matter is pretty much a mantra at this point. New students repeat it largely because they think that they should. Which is silly, because all white belts dream of the day when they’re not white belts any longer. Black belts are different, of course. They really don’t care about the belt. But it’s easy to say something doesn’t matter once you already have it. That’s why poor people rarely say money doesn’t matter. It matters a great deal when you don’t have any.
Martial arts has a complicated relationship with ranking systems. Viewed as a necessary evil, I’ve yet to meet anyone that doesn’t have a few critiques about them. But I’ve also never met anyone who disliked them enough to not use some sort of belt or certificate system. Ultimately, we have to use these imperfect structures. Some people use them as a means to reward progression. Other times it’s to separate competitors, or to denote seniority.
But despite all of us agreeing that we need rank for something, nobody is running around talking about how acquiring belts is the point of training. Even Seibukan Jujutsu staunchly refused to acknowledge that belts mattered, although in reality, it was the driving force behind the whole enterprise (we paid hundreds of dollars per promotion).
…And That’s Healthy
I’ve come to believe that wanting a belt is a totally normal and healthy thing, especially for newer students. It shouldn’t be something that we only whisper to a close friend when we leave the dojo late at night. We can downplay it all we want but the belt is more than just “the thing that holds your pants up.” It’s the most powerful symbol in all of martial arts. If it was just a thing, instructors would simply throw it at you in the locker room after class. But they don’t. They present it to you in front of a class full of other students. And if it was just a thing, we wouldn’t all have grins on our faces as our instructor gives it to us nor would we put it on Instagram afterwards.
Your belt promotion is a public acknowledgment of your progression, a teacher saying that he or she approves of your skill, and that they’re willing to endorse you. Once they tie it around your waist, you are representing them. When you train at another school, do a public demonstration, or compete, people will judge you and judge your teacher (fairly or unfairly). It’s our community’s version of knighthood, becoming part of the tribe. That’s important and it should be.
So why not encourage students to think about the thing they’re already thinking about? Tell them to train hard, show up early, and stay late. Offer private lessons or help them get ready for a tournament. Make the belt a healthy motivator, even when it’s a long ways off.
For another great Martial Journal musing on belts and rank, check out Ron Amram’s article on the site.
If you want to read other articles by me, click on my profile link below. I also have a book called “The True Believers” about training in Seibukan Jujutsu and a few other arts along the way. You can also listen to two podcast episodes I did about my time there on whistlekick Martial Arts Radio and Martial Thoughts.
How important are belts to you in your training? Please let me know by leaving a comment in the comment section below.
He runs a site called HighPercentageMartialArts.com, dedicated exclusively to statistics in martial arts.
He wrote a book about fanaticism in martial arts, called The True Believers.
- I Spent Seven Years Ignoring Signs, Losing Friends, and Paying Money Before Asking Myself THIS Question: - November 26, 2018
- In An Insane World, Martial Arts is Connecting People - October 30, 2018
- Why I Changed my Mind About Competition - October 22, 2018
Great article!
It’s a conversation I’ve had more than once. As someone who teaches children (starting ages are usually between 5-7), I’ve come to realize how critical a role that belts and promotions play in the early years. I can’t tell a kid who is 5 years old that it will be 5 years (at least) until he’s ready to test for junior black belt. All he knows is that he is already 5 years old and it’s going to take another lifetime until he gets his black belt. At that age, the concept of the passage time has little meaning.
But, if I tell him that he can go from white to yellow before school is over, or summer is over, etc., then that belt becomes a short-term goal that is easily achieved. As he gets older and gets a few of the lower rank belts, there will be longer periods between testing but that’s fine. Whether it’s three or four months from white to yellow, or a year, or… that next belt is within reach and takes his mind off of that “another lifetime”.
And, yes, that same need for short-term goals on the road to achieving the long term goals is as critical for adults as it is for kids.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Nice article. I agree, this is one of those paradox of martial arts. A belt both is a thing, and is not a thing. Thanks for putting some of that into perspective.