Do you think you will get a black belt?

I got my brown belt the end of last year, I don't feel that I deserved it at all. I'd prefer to go back to purple to be honest.

Impostor syndrome means you're on the right side of the Dunning-Kruger curve. Being at the teaching level comes with a lot of responsibility and pressure to be demonstrating perfect knowledge and technique every time.

Sometimes folks act like getting rank is a gold star saying they know things and don't need to improve. The best of us try to live up to the title by honing our skills and becoming better students so our students can surpass us.

It's contradictory, but thinking you don't deserve something oftentimes means you absolutely do. You earn the rank once, but you re-earn it every time you step on the mat.
 
Impostor syndrome means you're on the right side of the Dunning-Kruger curve. Being at the teaching level comes with a lot of responsibility and pressure to be demonstrating perfect knowledge and technique every time.

Sometimes folks act like getting rank is a gold star saying they know things and don't need to improve. The best of us try to live up to the title by honing our skills and becoming better students so our students can surpass us.

It's contradictory, but thinking you don't deserve something oftentimes means you absolutely do. You earn the rank once, but you re-earn it every time you step on the mat.
Yes the impostor syndrome, I feel it as well and sometimes earning a belt put somehow some pressure on us and inferior complex , before earning my purple belt I hated to go to the gym but now I feel it's a necessary as my young partners are becoming better at equal skills and mat time, at the other side I try to craft new skills by drilling/rolling and changing my game to become a better passer ...etc
 
I don't know. I would like to say yes. Switched to judo after a couple years of bjj but now back to bjj. Hoping to get my judo black belt by year end if the gym ever opens back up and probably blue in bjj within a couple of months (only been back to bjj for 4 months).
 
I'm a couple of years at brown so maybe i'd have got it this year or next if we'd got to train for more than a few weeks since early March. The rate things are going with lockdowns i'll have regressed to White Belt by the time we're back training normally so will get to start learning how to hip escape and bridge again :)
 
I'm a 3 stripe brown, compete, and teach several classes a week. Reckon I will pretty soon.
 
Maybe not. I got purple in December 2019, but I haven't rolled in 9 months. My current goal is to be a really good purple. If I accomplish that before my body gives out, then I'll be happy. I'm 56, so I'm running out of time.
 
Maybe not. I got purple in December 2019, but I haven't rolled in 9 months. My current goal is to be a really good purple. If I accomplish that before my body gives out, then I'll be happy. I'm 56, so I'm running out of time.
I am sure you will if you manage to train smartly and efficiently
 
I'm 41 and still a blue belt. Started at 34. I train consistently (outside of injuries and sickness anyway) but obviously i'm just not improving enough to move up the tree faster. Things do not bode well for me on that timeline, unless i get one of those charity "he's an old guy whos been around a long time" black belts. I have no plans on stopping but yeah - i'm feeling the difference in my body already and i just cant see how i could be competitive even in the gym against younger guys in the amount of years its probably going to take me to level up to brown let alone black. Already i struggle against the younger blue belts who don't have kids and can train harder, more often. I'm hoping to hit purple at least but i'm definitely not holding my breath for this year.
 
I'm 41 and still a blue belt. Started at 34. I train consistently (outside of injuries and sickness anyway) but obviously i'm just not improving enough to move up the tree faster. Things do not bode well for me on that timeline, unless i get one of those charity "he's an old guy whos been around a long time" black belts. I have no plans on stopping but yeah - i'm feeling the difference in my body already and i just cant see how i could be competitive even in the gym against younger guys in the amount of years its probably going to take me to level up to brown let alone black. Already i struggle against the younger blue belts who don't have kids and can train harder, more often. I'm hoping to hit purple at least but i'm definitely not holding my breath for this year.

I am 42 ans , I started at 34 currently a purple belt and I understand where you get through,
- First you should not compare with the young guns, they have time to train and if you can train twice or 3 times a week due to your professionnal and private/family committement it's still really good.
- At my gym I have youngsters of 16-18 years old blue belt but with more than 10 years of training and 2 hearts 3 lunges, several of them are from Daghestan with a wrestling background so I went through several grinding at each training session, when I was a blue belt, I was solely focused to reinforce my guard game and counterattacking but the speed reaction against the youngsters owerwhelmed me and I started to doubt about myself but I kept training for the fun. But when I got my purple belt after more than 3 years as blue I decided to revamp my way to train as I am still single with no kids (well it happens), first I train an average 3-4 times a week and I added 3 weekly sessions of S&C, circuit training and heavyweightlifting. But when I roll I focused about the technical flaws I need to correct:
- against a fast and agressive partner: defend, recover scramble and sweep
- against a tough guard player: playing passing (as I am not so good yet for passing)
- against a weeker partner: opening my game and try new risky techniques even if you are caught and have to tap
- against a even partner: just roll at 100%
At our age, we cannot be so physical as the youngster but we can manage to be explosive at some precise moment.
Therefore it will reduce my injury rate and maximise the technical progression

have some good rolls
 
I am 42 ans , I started at 34 currently a purple belt and I understand where you get through,
- First you should not compare with the young guns, they have time to train and if you can train twice or 3 times a week due to your professionnal and private/family committement it's still really good.
- At my gym I have youngsters of 16-18 years old blue belt but with more than 10 years of training and 2 hearts 3 lunges, several of them are from Daghestan with a wrestling background so I went through several grinding at each training session, when I was a blue belt, I was solely focused to reinforce my guard game and counterattacking but the speed reaction against the youngsters owerwhelmed me and I started to doubt about myself but I kept training for the fun. But when I got my purple belt after more than 3 years as blue I decided to revamp my way to train as I am still single with no kids (well it happens), first I train an average 3-4 times a week and I added 3 weekly sessions of S&C, circuit training and heavyweightlifting. But when I roll I focused about the technical flaws I need to correct:
- against a fast and agressive partner: defend, recover scramble and sweep
- against a tough guard player: playing passing (as I am not so good yet for passing)
- against a weeker partner: opening my game and try new risky techniques even if you are caught and have to tap
- against a even partner: just roll at 100%
At our age, we cannot be so physical as the youngster but we can manage to be explosive at some precise moment.
Therefore it will reduce my injury rate and maximise the technical progression

have some good rolls

thanks mate, appreciate the response. I'm doing my best - with 3 kids and full time work it can be hard. Things going well, i can manage to train BJJ 3-4x a week and one judo session, with a couple of light S&C sessions around rehab / joint stability. Against the young athletic guys i just find it tough to counter the level of energy and speed they bring. I'm working more on guard retention against these guys but it can be tough going against a guy who is as stronger, younger and faster than you who doesn't show up training already tired haha. I guess we just have to do our best hey.
 
Last edited:
Maybe in 15yrs. I'm still a spazzy white belt. Only can go 2x a week. Hopefully I can go more in the next few months
 
i've been a brown belt for several years now and i honestly don't care if i never get a black belt.

i know how good i am, i know where i'm lacking. i'm not competing, i do this solely because i love the sport. i'm too old to care about the gym status of the belt.

honestly, guys, what matters more is do you think you'll still be doing jiu jitsu when you're in your 60s and 70s? i sure hope so.
 
Covid will delay it a little, but if I'm injury stable, I think that I have what it takes. I'm a blue belt, about to get my purple belt pretty soon when we get back.

I work hard, always improve, I perform well against most guys. I'll just keep on going to class, roll a lot, stay focus and I'm pretty sure it's gonna happen.
 
honestly, guys, what matters more is do you think you'll still be doing jiu jitsu when you're in your 60s and 70s? i sure hope so.
Just turned 31, to be honest I think it is super likely I will quit once I start feeling old.
 
Just turned 31, to be honest I think it is super likely I will quit once I start feeling old.
i'm 33. i have had plenty of injuries and feel worn out already.

but that just means i can't do raging crazy life and death sparring sessions with guys who outweigh me by 100lbs anymore.

i'll just have to take it easy most of the time. quitting altogether doesn't sound good to me at all.
 
Back
Top