My White Belt to Blue Belt guide for students lacking direction & needing help

Having clear direction as a BJJ white belt can be tricky. There is so much to learn it can often be overwhelming and leave students to ask for help.
It's extremely easy to get lost or develop shiny object syndrome. That's why having a white belt to blue belt guide can be very useful.
In this video, we will go over some blue belt requirements to help students understand how to go from white belt to blue belt in Jiu-Jitsu.
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VIDEOS MENTIONED:
- • How to Improve at Jiu ...
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00:00 3C's Model
01:23 White belt frustration
02:37 Consistency
03:23 Training session number
06:11 Consistency vs frequency
08:19 Competence
09:46 Bottom guidelines
12:53 Top guidelines
15:31 Competency level
17:04 Capability
19:38 Applying the 3C's framework
__________
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KZbin Video URL: • My White Belt to Blue ...
#ChasenHill #jiujitsu #whitebelt

[@ChasenHill]

What guidelines did you follow to become a blue belt?

[@cbrusharmy]

Roy Dean's and Rick Ellis' until I get a curriculum from my instructor.

[@jeerachi]

Dont think too much guys, train consistently, go all in and submerse yourself in the sport of jiu jitsu and you will achieve your goals

[@ChasenHill]

Thanks for taking the time to check out the video. I hear what you are saying, agree with it, and understand why there is simplicity behind it. However, over the past 14 years, I've literally seen hundreds of students quit and have more resentment for Jiu-Jitsu following this formula than I've ever seen work. 99% of students do not relate to the best sport guys in the world and never will. We tell students not to compare themselves, but at the same time, the best advice we give is to submerse themselves. If that level of simplicity brings comfort and benefits someone, fantastic. A lot of students hate hearing 'just show' and find it dismissive. There is a lot more to it than just showing up.

[@Thecelestial1]

Tom get my blue belt I attended class probably 4 to five hours a week over 3 days for a year and a half. I took notes on every lesson we did and made it a point to understand all the basic positions of the sport. I competed without being subbed although I did lose lol. I memorized the Gracie combatives and watched videos of people doing the test for it, great resource! I always made sure I could see the moves of the day and asked questions to understand why the body should be positioned this way or that to do the moves correctly and efficiently. Last I watched a ton of instructionals from Danaher, Ryan, Faria all kinds. A standardized curriculum should be given, but I think a lot of gyms want an ambitious carrot for you to chase and they hold people back on purpose. Just my opinion.

[@ChasenHill]

Wow! That's amazing dedication and willpower! I agree with you about schools should have a standard curriculum designed from the top down based on what they think their students should develop; however, don't sell your self short on the ownership you took! Taking the time to study, take notes, and be as studies as you were is a rare thing.

[@michaelmangan7963]

Our coach mentioned taking notes. That’s a good idea

[@yourlure]

Great work Brother!

[@Ink.johnny]

This is really good insight.

[@eddiewright5921]

Thank you for taking the time to produce this video. Now, i finally have a framework to go by.

[@alphabromega859]

Love the new content lately. Keep up the good work man.

[@ChasenHill]

Appreciate it! Thanks for the support!

[@patrickreagan7784]

After class last night I was thinking I needed to come up with a way to track my progress because so far it's been a mish mash.I like the structure and think it will help.Thanks! Oss

[@graphthis2249]

What a nice actionable list to strive towards :) Especially in a sport where many instructors when asked for advice will keep it vague and say "just keep showing up" or "work on the fundamentals" without actuall elaborating. I find with the advant of youtube it is easier than ever to find BJJ resources and instructors sort of leave that up to new students to do on their own. It's very much like when starting out as an engineer or prgrammer lol. I also think new students struggle with knowing what kind of questions to ask when looking for advice, at least I do/did. Looking at things from this frame imo helps prompt good questions like "I struggle with executing this attack, what alternatives can I research and or ask my instructor about that might suit me better?" etc.

[@peppertime1]

100% respect.... oss.

[@ChasenHill]

🙏 Thank you!

[@Unibot47]

Appreciate the video. I have been training with this gym since January 2023. I am now a 2 stripe white. Competed in October. Next tournament the gym is going to do as a team is in April. And I MAY be getting my blue belt around that time. I know a lot of people are dying to just 'progress' by way of belts, but I view these days as precious. I'm trying to hold onto this white belt as long as possible, and compete at least a handful of times. I just feel like it's kind of like your childhood where you're only a kid once until you're not, and then you never have that time back. Now is the time as a white belt that people have no expectations of you, and once you get that blue you're at the bottom of the barrel all over again in a much deeper pool since the spectrum of blue is so wide. Great info and insight!

[@ChasenHill]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Happy to hear you found it helpful!

[@PettersonKAG]

Used a “Fancy Spreadsheet” as described in video. I think is fancy too!

[@ChasenHill]

Fantastic! Spreadsheets aren't bad! I love them.

[@Ink.johnny]

I’m 40 and literally just started last week. I have no expectations of getting a blue belt for at least a couple years. I don’t know if it’s that important to me but I guess it is a good way of tracking progress. I just wanted to learn something useful while staying active. Your videos are very informational.

[@vrodsan]

Coach, it would be great if you can put together a concept chart like this for the other belts. Thanks for the video

[@ChasenHill]

Thanks for check out the video! I'll see what I can do. Up level concepts are much more vast than lower level. Is there a specific belt you had in mind?

[@vrodsan]

Thanks for the reply. I’m about a year into my blue belt, and it would be great to see your concept map for blue.

[@JW-wc6ol]

I started BJJ a couple months ago and this is a great guideline, thanks so much! Regarding the main guard, I recently learned about the rubber guard after a classmate told me about it and I think it looks awesome. I naturally have very flexible hips and I think I would enjoy that quite a lot. Is this too specific as a beginner to get into?

[@yoitsrami]

Great video, today is my first class. I’m 31, I’m kind of nervous but looking forward to it. I hope I can stick with it

[@Rye_-kq3jn]

How’d your first class go?

[@cheyennemeredith1174]

Character development is also important. How do we respond when losing, fatigued, outskilled, surprised, against more powerful opponents or idiots? How are we on our worst day? Can we keep our composure during difficult moments? The new guy, is he left in awe of jiu jitsu after a round with us or does he not want to return because we had a bad attitude about working with him? Or did he give us a reality check that we've yet to receive promotion for legitimate reasons? Character, skill, technique, experience. Wya? I got my blue belt after my lone MMA fight. I was training out of an mma-oriented Carlson Gracie school. I've always bounced around gyms since starting and when I get purple it'll be cause I sold my soul refusing to sacrifice quality for an easy promotion. I don't want a belt I can't back up, even after weeks of scarce training. Either you got it or you don't.

[@KazzArie]

Amazing. As commented on your other videos, I'm a 41yo white belt. Started Jan 31, 2022, at about three days a week. June-July 2022 I learned enough it became more fun and increased training volume to 5-6 days (Monday-Saturday) a week since then. ~260 weekdays per year for going on two years. A *really* good blue recently complimented me that I've got more mat time than most of our other blues. I think my instructor is holding me back thinking I'll quit shortly after promotion (half kidding).. perhaps the "old ways" said white to blue is two years, no exceptions. He got his black from Kurt Osiander 6+ years ago 🤷‍♂ long as I'm having fun, learning every day, and not getting injured, the color belt I'm wearing means nothing. The people I train with every day know what my white belt is capable of 🤙

[@KazzArie]

@@kodiakcombatcollective Being old as I am, I'm just a hobbyist that takes it seriously. Working from home, the gym is only 5 mi away and serves as my exercise and social outlet. If I were younger or a really serious competitor I'd consider moving but traveling further and maintaining my 5-6 days/week is not something I could do with three little kids. While I was half joking, it does make me wonder what the lag is. Not just for my own promotion but others as well.

[@ricardogalindo8794]

​​@@kodiakcombatcollectiveI'm going through what he is going through. I go 3 days a week: I've been at it 2.5 years. Apparently, by professors ' opinion I'm "close to blue belt" but require "small modifications." Meanwhile, a 3 stripe white belt got promoted to blue on today's promotion ceremony, n myself as a 4 stripe white belt didn't... I see that this same student has the same level in skill n movements...but I also see that this student is friend friend with the professor, so much so that they follow each other on ig...but professor doesn't follow me... I thought the small modifications were to be taking place throughout one's journey? I've gone to other foreign bjj academies, where I've been complimented as "feeling like a blue belt"...but apparently at my academy....I'm a 4 stripe white belt, 2.5 years...by the math...I'll be blue belt by May 2024, 3 years in. Is this right? Because I'm feeling like my current professor promotes based on favoritism.. if I don't get blue by next ceremony...should I be thinking about possibly transferring to another academy? I'm debating so now.

[@aristolochene]

why don't you compete to see how you do against others at your age and experience

[@KazzArie]

@@aristolochene did two times. One 7 mos in and the other about 20 mos in. No golds but it was fun. Now I’m blue as of about a week ago which throws a wrench in the works. Not sure when I should jump in with the senior blues. Maybe sooner rather than later?

[@alo2832]

Holy shit this video helped me so much, I am so bad I’ve been training for a year and I only have 1 stripe and I go about 2 times a week, we learn a couple of techniques every session and that is way too much I forget them at the next day anyway so I feel like I know as much as when I started with BJJ. Honestly I don’t even know how I still go to the sessions because they are not even fun because I’m still the worst in my gym.😢 Just going to the session doesn’t help, I forget most of the complicated techniques when I don’t even know the basics. the spreadsheet does help a LOT

[@bobbydabutcha]

Man I wish I had this layout as a White belt from 2018-mid 2022 lol. On the bright side, my defense and escapes is through the freaking roof as a Blue belt for the last two years. Right now, I'm focusing mostly on Judo take downs, sweeps from both closed and open guard and tightening up my offensive and positional sequences. The fundamentals are as always an ongoing process.

[@medicineandbrazilianjiujit8511]

Thank you for this excellent video! At our Academy, the instructors also add: 1. Does this white belt have the neuromuscular control to move in jiu jitsu ways at all times? 2. Does this white belt have the emotional regulation to use that neuromuscular control at all times? 3. Is this future blue belt a safe training partner at all times? Certainly don’t want to promote a total spaz to blue belt! Too dangerous. Thank you for this great video Nikolas

[@ChasenHill]

Thank you for the kind words and support! I love those requirements! I would be curious to know how he determines those aspects!

[@medicineandbrazilianjiujit8511]

@@ChasenHill Hi Professor, Thank you for your response. Our coaches observe the following very carefully: 1. Do teammates greet him warmly when he shows up, or do they avoid him? 2. Are teammates willing to roll with him over and over, or do they roll with him once, and then avoid him like the plague? 3. When rolling with a less skilled opponent, is he cranking up the spaz factor because he can’t tap him, or is he keeping it playful and steady at all times? 4. When the roll is over, does his training partner have a smile on his face, or is he limping to the edge of the mat holding his elbow? 5. Are his teammates willing to roll with him night after night, or avoid him after rolling once? 6. Our coaches will flat out ask teammates, do you feel safe training with him at all times? If no, why not? Thank you for your excellent videos!

[@ricardogalindo8794]

​@@medicineandbrazilianjiujit8511wow! Fantastic! I'm a 4 stripe white belt, 2.5 years, n yesterday was promotion ceremony. I wasn't blue belt, but n aggressive type of white 3 stripe belt was, who I don't like rolling with because he rolls at 100% ( n heard other 2 partners mentioned they don't roll with him) get blue belt over me. I know it shouldn't bother me, but when I see how friend friendly the professor is with him...I can't help but feel that I was skipped over favoritism. I shouldn't feel this way...but when I traveled at other academies in Mexico n was told that I "feel" like a blue belt...I feel like I'm not getting recognized n being put behind based on favoritism. I know I just have to keep rolling ...but math wise....I'll be blue in 3 years...when I know that I feel that I'm blue belt now. N yeah! There is that ideology that we shouldn't questioned the black belt professors, full respect, but favoritism n liking a student will impact judgment. And I know! I'm. Teacher by career, I know that it does.

[@SM-ov4vl]

Can you do one for blue to purple please?

[@ChasenHill]

I'll see what I can do, that would probably be a much longer video!

[@XieTianXieDi888]

I discovered after a year my gym has fundamental classes on Saturday mornings. I still haven’t gone. I’ve been going to the colored belt classes for a year and a half! 😂

[@alo2832]

That’s rough

[@ryanrpggamer3902]

The one academy I received my blue belt was the Gracie academy they have a Gracie combatives program I attended like 140 classes it’s curriculum is like 36 techniques in 23 classes do each class 3-4 times and reflex development class not really rolling it’s a partner drill where they create openings and you react to them I think 10 of those to get a strip and start rolling after the first stripe so like 30-40 classes

[@Calwinn]

You're not a blue belt without extensive rolling experience imho

[@ryanrpggamer3902]

@@Calwinn took me like 6 months to feel like a blue belt at a gym not an academy

[@nathanslaman8695]

I’m 51 and two months in. I study and drill a lot in class and don’t just go balls out

[@CynicEidolon]

How many black belts I gotta sub to get my blue belt?! 😂

[@ChasenHill]

Hahah! 72 and half...

[@CynicEidolon]

@@ChasenHill 69 more to go! 😅

[@78logistics]

Fact of the matter is I don't car.e . If blue comes fine, if not fine. All this presentation does is complicated things for me. I probably will switch to No Gi and be done with belts to be honest

[@ChasenHill]

Thanks for checking out the video. I understand how it can initially seem overwhelming. But saying you'll switch to No-Gi only doesn't make anything less complicated. All the belt does is represent an assumed amount of knowledge and skill that you've developed. Usually, a blue belt means someone has progressed from beginner to intermediate. So, whether you are training in the Gi or No-Gi that progression track doesn't change. The techniques might vary, but you don't go from beginner to expert in anything. There are steps in between. AKA blue, purple, brown. In my opinion, where students get frustrated is not understanding what it means to no longer be a beginner and now be an intermediate student. And it's not their fault; it's poor leadership and direction from their instructors. This video lays out what I deem an intermediate student is. I wish you the best of luck on your journey!

[@tonyhew8482]

I think I'm like the worst wb ever I have 4 stripes a stripe a year, 4 comps , 2 silvers very small brackets, I get beat by much newer guys and now haven't trained for months after injury resulting in surgery. I feel this maybe the end of my journey but I sure will miss it.

[@alo2832]

Same for me I have trained for 1 year and I only have 1 stripe I forget all the techniques… I am the worst in my gym after 1 year

[@tonyhew8482]

@alo2832 keep going and get some consistency it will all come.together.

[@alo2832]

@@tonyhew8482 that is not working. I have been consistent for 1 year 2-3 sessions per week and just going to the training doesn’t help at all because we learn way to much techniques while yiu can’t remember all of them. I’d rather just revise the techniques from the last sessions so we don’t forget them instead of lerning more techniques which I am going to forget anyway. I needed this spreadsheet really bad. I had no orientation

[@cravenmoorehead5657]

I’ve been going four times a week for the last 14 months and I’m still a white belt

[@Bradley9967]

224 times. It depends on the academy, sadly. But when you get your blue, you will be a solid blue belt.

[@cravenmoorehead5657]

@@Bradley9967 yeah they brag about how slow they are to promote which shouldn’t be that way. It should just be fair based off standards and performance. Holding back someone just because it’s edgy is demoralizing to the person striving to achieve a goal. 🥋

[@Bradley9967]

@@cravenmoorehead5657 I completely agree. It's shocking to me to brag about such a thing. This comes across as 'we are so bad at teaching that it takes longer for our students to get the next belt'

[@makkavelli3972]

No one can train that much,,,too many knee and Acl injuries,,due too rock hard matts in most gyms,,they need too start laying down soft foam for matts then less injuries,,the Bjj governing bodies need too make this Compulsary for all gyms...

[@78logistics]

Had to switch gyms after 15 month because I moved. And again after another year when I was probably close to blue because of a delusional woman less than half my age. Been at the new gym three months and looking at a change once again. I am happy being white until I cease rolling. At 64 this is all about participation not belts given most subjectively. Each to their own. The current school gas not changed his curriculum in almost one month. Seems a bit excessive in length.

[@itierney]

Good content but the editing is annoying. Your are punching in constantly for no reason. It’s distracting,