BJJ belts

[atlien]

A curious question for you BJJ guys:

Lets say someone trains an average amount about 3 classes per week. On average, how long do you think it will take them to get a blue belt or purple belt? How long do you think it should take them?

I have heard or schools with three year white belts and schools with guys getting their purple belts in three years. I'm just curious but I guess it doesn't matter because in the end you can't hide behind that belt when your on the mat.

[Freeform]

I've always been lead to believe that your Instructor will let you know when your ready for your next belt. I believe Dan Inosanto was doing 1 1/2 hr class with the Machado's 5 days a week for 4 years before they gave him a BB.

Col

[atlien]

Originally posted by Freeform
I've always been lead to believe that your Instructor will let you know when your ready for your next belt.

Of course your instructor will let you know. I am just curious what the average is, just trying to compare my school with others.

[Bon]

3 classes per week... it'll depend how much rolling they do outside of that class time as well as in class time.

I am looking at blue belt within 4 years training BJJ around 4x a week, which means 2 and a bit years to go hopefully. It might take longer.

I would say anything less than 3 years is really pushing it, unless you train 2x a day, 5 days a week or something then you could probably get blue in a year. It all comes down to time on the mat, get as much as you possibly can and roll with guys better than you as much as you can.

[pknox]

It also depends on whether or not you compete. If you are competing against and regularly defeating other senior white belts, and are also holding your own with the blues in your dojo, you are probably ready to become one. People who compete tend to increase their rank faster -- not always, but usually.

A couple of other comments -- realize that Inosanto's BB after 4 years is an extremely short time. The average is usually between 8 and 12 years. Guro Dan did train quite frequently, and he brought just a little bit of experience with him too ;). The only guy who did it in less time that I know of is BJ Penn. I believe he did it in 3 and change. Realize though that he trained like 6 days a week, twice a day, and he is freakedly gifted genetically.

Bon -- at 4x a week, I would expect you to get your Blue in less than 4 years. Depending on how you do in competition, plenty of people are ready to test for purple by then (or might even have it already). Here where I am (in NJ) -- the average seems to about 2- 2 1/2 years for people that train the standard 3x/week. If someone is fairly athletic, trains more often, or has a grappling background, they may be able to do it in between 1 1/2 and 2 years. This would assume they were competing - it would be near the top end of ranges for those who don't. It also may depend on access to BB's for doing the promotions. Some people don't see BB's as much, so naturally take longer to promote. It does vary greatly depending on your instructor, though. I can tell you this, though, Bon. If you do get your blue belt after 4 years at 4x/week, you will most likely be dusting the other blues, bro. Do you make up that time on purple? How long on average does it take to hit brown or black where you train?

[atlien]

thanks for your replies pknox and Bon. Yeah I was just curious cause it seems like at some schools it takes a relatively short time to get a blue belt but then a really long time to get a purple belt while other schools it is about the same for each.

For Example, school 1 will take 1.5 years for blue and then another 4.5 years for purple for a total of six. School 2 will take 3 years for blue and 3 more years for purple also leaving a total of six.

[Bon]

pknox, I am kind of with 2 clubs at the moment... At one club, I guess the average is 3 years, but there are belts being handed out just to get the number of colour belts up. There are blues and purples I can hang with, or only tap to once or twice in a wrestle. A purple belt should be tapping me like a little bitch. There are some blues and purples that own me though. :) The instructor at this club is a brown belt and has been training for 13 years, he'll be getting his black belt very soon I think.

The other club has very high standards, the white belts are very good. Some of the white belts are most likely blue/purple level since they tap me like a bitch. The purple belt I roll with regularly? Nothing short of phenomenal. I have 20kgs on him but it's no help to me at all, I do not even feel comfortable if I get a top position on him. When guys get their purple belts, their blue belts are so faded they're white so they do not make up the time spent on blue. There's only one brown belt at this club, a few blues and purples and a lot of white belts.

The thing is, I don't doubt the ranks of the guys at the second club at all. When you get your coloured belt, you'll know you're at that belt level if not past it. Some of the white belts at this club would own a lot of the blues and purple at the first club.

pknox, who do you train with? You might be familar with Gustavo and the quality of his students? He's a Gracie Barra which is what the second club is.

I think living in the US with many more BJJ students and higher quality instructors and students allows people to progress faster than over here in Oz. It has not been that long since we've had purple belts competing regularly I think, very often do we see brown belts compete (even then, it's 2-3 if we're lucky), let alone black belts. Some of our most senior students have been training for around 10 years who started out under a blue belt.

[Bon]

Why has this been moved to Jiu Jitsu?

[Freeform]

Because its about BJJ!

My comment on Guro Dan was to show how long it took an excellent technician like him training as hard as he did to get it. :D

And my other comment about your instructor letting you know, has to do with Maurico Gomes telling me that he normally just gives ppl their next belt when he feels they're ready for it, regardless of how long they have trained.

Col

[Bon]

Jiu Jitsu != BJJ. I thought Submission Arts/Grappling would be a better place?

[Freeform]

Now I always believed that Submission was cover by Freestyle and Sporting MA, and argued against the creation of that forum even though I'm a BJJer!

Col

[pknox]

Bon -

You are completely correct about knowing you've earned your rank when you get it -- that's one of the things that makes BJJ special. The ranks have not been diluted to the point of some other arts.

I didn't notice you were a kiwi -- I didn't bother to look left :). Your rank timetable would make sense then, as you do most likely have less access to higher ranked practitioners than we do here in the states. Here in my part of NJ (north and central), most schools are run by Royler Gracie/David Adiv (a Royler BB), and a small number by Renzo. There are a few Machado schools -- most of them more clubs than academies, but there is at least one large academy I know of. BTW, If your situation is typical, I'll have to watch out for you Aussies when I compete, as you will most likely have some amazing time in. Thanks for the warning! ;)

As for my training, currently I am training in freestyle grappling with someone who is a Machado representative (under Rigan). I am planning to switch over to a Royler/Adiv school shortly -- I am currently waiting on a new job, and can't train BJJ proper until the $$ situation improves a bit, or else I'd be there already.