How To Correctly Ask For a Promotion in BJJ

[@jwc7178]

I’d rather be a good white belt than a bad blue belt.

[@attkdriver]

Facts!

[@kraziemaniak5888]

And that would be me

[@justinjex1]

Dumb and obvious. No I would rather be a millionaire that earned the money… okay, seriously it’s a blue belt, not the ADCC championship.

[@mrjemenai]

How to ask for a promotion: Don’t. 😂😂😂😂

[@thomasorchard]

As a general rule, I don't ask about promotions. If BJJ is truly a lifelong endeavor, just enjoy the time in each belt. If you have a knowledgeable, well respected instructor then just trust the process.

[@thomasorchard]

I'm only a 2 stripe blue belt "hobbyist", so take my opinion with a pinch of salt.

[@xmanc5687]

@@thomasorchard Im 60 now and I’m a two strips purple belt. I don’t even worry anymore about stripes or being promoted. I do set goals, but if I don’t reach them, I reevaluate and don’t get angry or frustrated.

[@scottbelanger9531]

I was not going to watch this video because I would never ask for a belt, and then realized it was my question lol. I have since spoken to my instructor. And he told me he honestly doesn't know why he kept me at white belt for so long. He feels he is old school and likes to promote people the way he was promoted which was when he was certain they were ready. Which makes complete sense. It was a much longer conversation, but I will keep it brief. Thank you for responding to my question. I really appreciate you taking the time.

[@KamaJiuJitsu]

I appreciate you contributing to the conversation by submitting an interesting comment on the last video. And congratulations!

[@scottbelanger9531]

@@KamaJiuJitsu Thank you!

[@gymlaxbro]

If you think you deserve to be promoted go double gold back to back at a few tournaments and prove it

[@KamaJiuJitsu]

That’s not enough.

[@tededo]

Love your story. I'm a senior blue belt (early 2000s), and our instructor invited the class to the bleu belt test soon. I asked him if I cold re-test for the blue. To which he replied to me: keep your blue, and in due time, we'll test you for the purple. I never spoke to him about belt color afterward. I am improving, yes even at 50, at a rapid rate, think I love my new skills better than wearing a new belt. I do play defense a lot, counter sub, rinse and repeat. Former powerlifter, I tone down my muscling game a ton, and this works. Lower belts love to roll with me, and they tell me often. I put myself on the worst possible positions, then reverse, sweep or counter. I improve, they improve, we all have fun, and now I stop thinking about the purple, cause in the end, I rather damn good than earn a purple and be overrated.

[@whoanellynelnel3874]

Got your purple yet?

[@eriktaylor1225]

You DON’T

[@justinjex1]

Don’t even need to watch this video to comment. Since you can literally look at multiple videos with the same theme, where is the problem? Is it the individual or the community at large. I am a physician for now over 20 years (god I’m getting old) but the point is that I knew what was required to progress. It did take a long time. Literally 13 years, but I did not have to wonder. The attitude that make BJJ difficult it that there are many gyms that pride themselves in the grind. Totally get it if thats your deal, but to all the gym owners, its also a business. Some gyms have proficiencies and a set of objectives. Others do not. I am amazed at how the students defend the idea that the professor will just award belts if they see fit and sometimes not. Quite frankly, that discrimination is why a lot of people leave. It takes time, but just how long and what is required is nebulous. Jiu jitsu is phenomenal and I love it. Don’t care for the variables that are associated with the belt system. Influential professors need to unite and fix it. I know it won’t be perfect but it would be better.

[@dragonballjiujitsu]

I never asked for promotions. I was also a blue belt for 16 years...lol

[@andrewkim6037]

Respect.

[@Notozziizzo]

Bluebelt mafia

[@lucianostraulino3938]

Love your content, you & ChewJitsu impacted my game huge as a new white belt, thank you 🙏🏾

[@MrEmperorHD]

As a father, sometimes it can be frustrating training with a kid there. You shouldn’t have judged him after the one interaction with his son without having context. Especially as someone that didn’t have a kid. It just comes off as judgy when you say hey, because you got loud with your kid, I don’t want to train with you. Furthermore, how can you tell him not to come back while you’re training there? That just seems like entitlement. I hate when I see smaller people tell big guys to tone down meanwhile they are going 100% strength themselves.

[@KamaJiuJitsu]

As a father of a (now) Marine Corps officer and a daughter in trade school, I take exception to your comment (exception, not offense). The fact that I was not a father at the time is irrelevant - young kids are (IMHO) innocent and in need of guidance and patience, not (verbal) abuse. I was there (you were not) in the middle of it and it made me seriously uncomfortable. As far as choosing not to train with/teach him again… if I don’t like you, I won’t teach you or train with you, just as if you don’t like me, you won’t allow me to teach you. We are all free to decide (judge, if you will) who we associate with, and I decided to no longer associate with him. So tell me, why are you telling me not to judge him while judging me?

[@MrEmperorHD]

@@KamaJiuJitsu I myself am currently serving active duty Army. 10 years now. I wasn’t necessarily being judgy on you but I train BJJ and fight mma and I’ve seen it time and time again that many upper belts in the community have this sense of self entitlement and double standard about them. I made my comments about the child situation because I know how it can be bringing kids to the gym while trying to get rolls in. They are innocent but my 4 and 5 year olds know right from wrong and how to behave. I don’t yell at them or call them names but I’ve gotten loud with them before by telling them to sit and be patient while I finish training. I don’t believe that makes me a bad father. And I didn’t see any profanity from him or name calling (which is what abuse is in my opinion). I still respect the community and I’ve watched other vids from you before but that comment bugged me as I was already having other issues with the community at large.

[@KamaJiuJitsu]

I think you and I are on the same page on this one. One solution we’ve implemented in our DFW campus was to build a kids lounge (compete with windows so we can view them from all three mat spaces so we can keep an eye on them) while we train so we can talk to them if we need to. I guess everyone has their way to deal with things, but that guy was way out of line at the time in my mind. Had he excused himself from the mat to talk to his son in private, I’d have given him the grace required by the situation. By chewing him out in front of me when he was just being a little boy, no bueno. When my kids were young and if I knew I wasn’t going to be able to have them in the academy without making my training partner(s) “suffer” through my having them in the academy, guess what, I took them out and hung out with them and I didn’t get to train that day. And you know what? Missing a training day to spend time with my kids… i made that trade hundreds of times and wouldn’t have had it any other way. Another solution, is for academy members to seek volunteers (or better yet, hire one of the teenage members) to babysit the little ones while the parents train.

[@Brandon-ob9rg]

Promoting someone before they're ready is a curse upon them!

[@LC-hv1qn]

That must have been a shitty blue belt.

[@78logistics]

At 63 much more interested in being a good white belt...if a promotion comes someday fine. I really don't give whit whether or not it is this year,next or never. I leave the politics of belt chasing to others. Having too much fun at my present plebian level.