Why Have Belts in Jiu Jitsu If They Aren't To Be Pursued? - Jocko Willink

Join the conversation on Twitter/Instagram:
@jockowillink @echocharles
Excerpt from JOCKOPODCAST 86

[@MrWesford]

“Take your medal, your trophy, your belt, celebrate the rest of the day. Put it on the shelf, forget about it, keep working” - John C Maxwell

[@dillonsmith-6982]

Maxwell’s a genius

[@pauldickinson3961]

Jocko could read the ingredients off a cereal box and still inspire me.

[@mannyclav]

*breathes into mic*

[@luisedward282]

Instablaster.

[@Darlexis]

“YEAST”

[@jtr2087]

(Deep breath) “High Fructose Corn Syrup is a sugar coated LIE!”

[@Eng_Simoes]

Oat meal? Good.

[@CaseyBurnsInvesting]

Focus on mastering your craft, not rewards. Great life advice.

[@crazymacedonianboi]

💯💯💯 always!

[@corynorell3686]

You are one consistent man. I see your damn face on 90% of videos I watch like this.

[@crazymacedonianboi]

@@corynorell3686I’m only on JW vids . but it’s because we’re good looking guys ! I was going to audition for Disney but they expelled me!

[@GR-uc1gq]

@@corynorell3686 Dave Ramsey?

[@pflo7795]

Echo’s arms have 3rd degree black belts of their own. Geez. He’s a big freakin dude.

[@MMA_Jackal]

Mexican supplements

[@dm8127]

This is why I'm glad to have started jiu-jitsu later in life after I "figured out" (aka finally listened to what older wiser teachers have said for centuries) that the true satisfaction comes from being grateful to even be able to participate/train, to grow and achieve personal goals when it is time , patience, and being truly happy to see others have success for their own good. The journey has been so much more enjoyable this way versus hyper competitive, trying to force feed progress, and forgetting to enjoy it.

[@chongxina8288]

I’m 32 and about to sign up again, this is good stuff. Well done mate. 😬👍 I feel like I’ll have a much better approach this time round. I took it before to supplement boxing as I had a white collar fight. (Won.) it’s weird to go from boxing where I’m skilled to something where I get beat up by blind guys. (Actually happened.) Now I think I can just enjoy the process of martial arts a lot more. My body needs work. Age is a number. You can defy it to a larger degree than people realise I think. I’m looking at full MMA training but extra emphasis on going to the BJJ classes.

[@strong.fit.active]

Well stated!

[@TheDxbrown]

When I realized that I’m not going to stop BJJ once I get a Black belt, that’s when I stopped focusing on it. I’ll never know it all, but I just enjoy learning it.

[@hbi1994]

Had that mentality with boxing in the past, but learned it's advantageous to be the best at a lower-tier ranking/status (underrated) than to be average at a higher caliber. Best example are those who are above average amateurs and decide they're ready to be a pro. They become pros and quickly learn they aren't cut out for it and eventually quit. Those who are exceptional amateurs master their craft before they go pro and as a result, do phenomenal. Same thing even applies to weigh classes within given sports.

[@crazymacedonianboi]

I’m not really experienced but I’d be one strong featherweight or batamweight in mma. it sure helps . plus my pain tolerance is up there. I’ve known a few other people with higher ones tho.

[@prandz420]

crazymacedonianboi 1903 lol what. Pain tolerance alone is going to get you nowhere

[@xCHILDOFGODx]

The destination is the journey. Belts are the recognition of great consistency and hard work throughout the journey. They are not to be pursued on purpose but obtained through the journey without the thought of them being the goal. Enjoy the process. More then the journey and the destination. And the belts will come without even being a concern. Long story short. Focus on the training and ignore the promotion. By doing so. The promotion comes unknowingly and the journey never ends. Never train for a promotion. This mindset ends most jiu jitsu journeys.

[@ryanflynn3861]

I'm an artist, painter to be precise, and i love how his take on mastering your craft can be used is in such a variety of settings. A while a go I stopped trying to get that show, or that recognition and just started focusing on becoming a better artist, and I now enjoy painting more and have trained myself to be a portrait artist in a few short years.

[@definitelyadarkangel9225]

This podcast and all the talk of discipline put me back on the path to improve myself. Starting jiu jitsu again from rock bottom after 8 years. I feel bad in hindsight because when I was training I got really frustrated with not getting my blue belt even though I crushed most of the people who did routinely. I thought of it as really demoralizing back then but hearing jocko it makes me realize it had more to do with my coach believing I had a lot more potential than I realized. Makes me feel guilty but that just means it's time to get after it again and not squander this second chance.

[@RuariJ]

In the art that I've studied, the Soke (big chief man) in Japan, heard a western guy complaining about not being promoted in class and he straight up promoted him to black belt!. Like, great you have the belt now, are you better? Did your skills improve? Totally humbled that student. Was a good lesson to show that the rank doesn't matter, the he skills do.

[@subsonic9854]

Why had he not been promoted to black belt though?

[@michaels9388]

@@subsonic9854 Sounds like he wasn't near black belt, but since he was heard complaining he was promoted to black so he'd learn the lesson that it's not about the promotion. Promote a blue belt to black and that promotion is meaningless, right.

[@subsonic9854]

@@michaels9388 Sure, we are clearly supposed to assume that, but I'm also interested in knowing the specific reason because it might not be the guy's fault, but his instructor's. Perhaps he didn't know the specific area he needed to improve in due to unclear criteria for promotion.

[@RuariJ]

@@subsonic9854 the guy was pretty low down, would be the equivalent of going from blue to black. And the Soke is not his instructor, just the grandmaster of the art itself, the guy had come from the US to Japan to train and see the main dojo. He was talking about grades to another student and the Soke overheard him.

[@subsonic9854]

@@RuariJ Going from blue to black is only a problem if the practitioner is not qualified, isn't it? I will just assume that the Soke already knew how qualified that guy was. I do get the point of your story, but aren't we also a bit too belt-centric by judging him by his belt level but never mentioning his skill level? To compare, when Lomachenko chose to fight Salido for a title in only his 2nd pro fight, people were shocked and interested to see if he could walk the walk. Sure, they looked at his great amateur record as well, but the focus was on his ability and experience, not on whether he had won minor pro titles.

[@jn7891]

This is the video I needed today. Thank you both for the context and perspectives.

[@TheDragert]

"Level nine defense mode." I laughed.

[@bluebird7108]

"Don't let your craft become your master". Profound!

[@justinthen7631]

"when you stop focusing on getting the belt... You get the belt" - echo Charles, black belt

[@christianbruce2990]

I loooovveee these talks about jujitsu. I could listen to it all day.

[@jeffwise6937]

"He straightened my arm out real far." - Jocko

[@TheXabl0]

If you never were rewarded any belt but could tap out black belts, that seems more badass than anything

[@dsharkyo]

that sounds like the plot for every manhwa ever

[@TheXabl0]

@@dsharkyo lol any good recommendations for manwha?

[@erenrathe4293]

@@TheXabl0 HolyLand is a good manga

[@lexlibovych4584]

Khabib is a good example

[@maxanderson3733]

@@lexlibovych4584 oh really? He never got promoted to black belt?

[@betterhappensdaily]

The rewards are a byproduct of the actual goal! Love it!!

[@motamanifest]

One of the best duos. I love ya, I started bjj because of listening to the podcast. Purple belt. keep showing up.

[@matthewteichert6631]

How long did it take you?

[@motamanifest]

@@matthewteichert6631 started in 2017, 2 a days, training 4-7 times a week. No UFC or mma aspiration. Love working out. only major break was 3 months at purple.

[@lobo_solo214]

@@motamanifest congrats bro, that's awesome. That's what I'll do to.

[@mriegger]

6:36 God damn these two have great banter.

[@sirpibble]

It's easy to stop caring at purple belt because at that time blackbelts acknowledge your abilities. You're "part of the club" Blue belts arent. Blue belts are just white belts that didnt quit yet Having a blue belt just means you showed up to class long enough Having a purple means you're actually good at jiujitsu

[@prandz420]

Agreed. At purple belt you should be able to do everything and have maybe one or two moves that black belts have to be careful of.

[@dgd947a15fl]

Don't they normally define blue belt as "can consistently win against larger stronger opponents who are untrained".

[@levrai944]

@@dgd947a15fl absolutely! The man himself, Helio Gracie said it best. Most 90% of ppl quit BJJ before getting to blue

[@Larry1077]

I've been taking TKD for 10 months, and I'm about to change over to BJJ. One of my issues with TKD is it's all about preparing for a belt test, as opposed to just learning. I just want to show up and get better every day, I don't want to worry about testing every 8 weeks.

[@mikemetres-yc6gr]

I was in a karate dojo for about 5 years and all they focused on was stripes and belt tests. Very shallow and short sighted.

[@mauricelangley5033]

I did TKD years ago, I forgot about the emphasis on the upcoming test.

[@matthewcornwell1038]

A month in and my wife says I’m addicted. All I want to do is do jiu jitsu. I watch videos most of the day, I train every day. Wether I’m learning a new technique and rolling or lifting, my mind is fixated on being a warrior and champion. I just started so I hope my addiction is normal 😂

[@tharrrrrrr]

1 year update?

[@nickbohman2997]

@The Greg Show yeah real jiu jitsu’s about consistency over a long period of time and enjoying the journey like Joko said. Also a three year white belt 😂

[@Lifecounselor710]

You still addicted? 😂

[@matthewcornwell1038]

@@Lifecounselor710 yep. Hasn’t changed 😂

[@matthewcornwell1038]

@@tharrrrrrr my bad. Still going strong 3 years later.

[@philippzink7712]

Beautiful Stuff guys!

[@onerider808]

"All I need is a rock and a hill." That's freakin beautiful, man.

[@robertsunday8445]

The pure love of the art is the most important thing being in the moment

[@Dbunkr55]

It really is funny, at my academy it's like, "just focus on the journey.. BTW, promotion ceremony this Saturday, 8 hours long, everyone should be there..."

[@apollospayne]

😅

[@justingillette8287]

I can only speak of Jiu Jitsu as a novice white belt, but i imagine it rings true to all marshal arts. If a person's recognition is his leading motivation, then their progress will be hindered. When I started, I had hoped that I would be a natural. I wanted to excel quickly. I thought I had what it takes to excel. I may or may not be excelling today, but I quickly decided that my motivation and focus was off. I wanted the destination so to speak, I was neglecting the journey, in many ways was thus not on a journey toward advancement. Once I slowed down and started to learn my place as a white belt, I find it fulfilling and in a way I am in no hurry to move up in belt rank. at first i wanted a blue belt to quickly get out of the new guy spot light, i thought i could blend in once in the blue belt realm, problem is once you get that belt there is this sort of expectation placed based upon the belt you wear. it is easier and in ways more fulfilling to be underestimated than overestimated, i am today in no hurry to advance outwardly, I am enjoying the inward advancements much more meaningfully. I am also thinking that that is the path to advancements!!! The more time spent as one rank the better you can understand what it means to advance, if a black belt is given to you on day one it has little to no meaning but if it takes you 20 years to get it, fairness out of the question you will have had a lot of time to consider its use and meaning, you may actually make a better black belt than the guy who was given one much earlier, maybe

[@subsonic9854]

It is always easier to be underestimated or to be the underdog. The pressure of being at the top, or of always being expected to perform well or at the highest level is extremely stressful and can easily destroy a person mentally. You and I can afford to be underestimated because we are just normal people who may or may not succeed but have "real" lives which are more important than martial arts. The whole idea of the journey being more important than the destination is only true for hobbyists. Pro fighters and athletes are completely different from us. They are talented, skilled, have killer work ethic, have to constantly learn and evolve, and can't have an "off" day or else they'll get their ass kicked and be shunned by their peers or fans or even their own instructors or training partners. And they have to accomplish their goals while still young and strong. We can afford to take our time and be underestimated because we are nobodies.

[@andrewapicello7337]

"All I need is a rock and a hill" ~ Jocko

[@cypresshill8329]

We dumped belts in our Karate style in 2000. They were counter productive for new starters and even more intimidating for people thinking of starting. We still graded but belts weren’t necessary as the persons ability demonstrated skill whilst we also included instructional techniques within grading. “Markers” may work very well in general education. How many of us wore rank in OIF or OEF ? (Besides the Kuwait Special Kommando’s)

[@subsonic9854]

Did your grading give people ranks? Aren't ranks just belts without the cloth? And which ability demonstrated skill? Ability to demonstrate techniques, win in sparring, use techniques in sparring, use techniques in tournaments, win in tournaments, etc? Also, did age play a role in grading, since older guys might be more technically skilled but lose to younger, stronger people? I'm really getting confused by this no-belt philosophy.

[@cypresshill8329]

SuB SONiC Good points mate. No, our gradings were a combination of all you mention plus cognitive ability to problem solve, humbleness, respect et al. No segment was anything other than ready to take more responsibility or not The philosophy is hard to understand however is based on allowing failure and growth. Nobody gets everything right, as we both know. With respect

[@subsonic9854]

@@cypresshill8329 Thanks for explaining what you have. I agree with you in principle. I've never cared much for belts, ranks, or even formal education. I like to train and learn without any formalities. I just think that the current arguments against belts are missing something. Cheers.

[@PhilVarberg]

Jocko, you should read the 4 Tendencies by Gretchen Ruben. It categorizes people by how they respond to internal and external expectations. This podcast segment speaks specifically to your tendency when you said you’re not normal. I think you are a CORE UPHOLDER which is the category that responds well to internal AND external expectations and is the 2nd least likely Tendency. The most common tendency is Obliger which doesn’t respond well to internal expectations but responds well to external expectations. Belts can provide for obligers the external force and motivation that can keep them moving towards a goal. These are my observations at least. I’d be very interested to have you read the book Jocko especially because one of the observations in the book is that the rarest tendency, Rebel, who responds poorly to BOTH internal and external expectations can gravitate towards careers where expectations are very high, like the military. It would be interesting to hear your take on the tendencies of the men you trained and fought along side as well as the new perspective it may give you towards their actions and responses in circumstances you’ve encountered. I would love to hear your thoughts!

[@fancybullz]

Thanks for the video, white belt currently and working hard weekly to improve

[@jonathanmendiola5342]

It's so cool to hear this. This is a typical conversation had after every class. Belt promotion: Your goal is to learn and apply. The belt is a semi-accurate way of sorting talent decided by your professor. Not your goal. I say semi-accurate because there is a vast distribution of skill among belt levels. The biggest disparity is at black belt. That said, 1 year white belts are better than new white belts. Blue belts are better than white belts, and so on. Thats the rule. But there are exceptions. There is also specialization. Some guys are better at one certain thing than other guys. That might produce wins on the mat, or even some tournaments. It doesn't mean that you are ready for the next level. That specialization may even hinder your learning. I had a blue belt come into my class. He could do baseball choke. He tapped out a few guys and even made me run and defend it. But the minute he misses that choke, he done. Even if he is able to tap out purple belt, doesn't mean that he is a purple belt.

[@Phenomenaman]

This is a very useful conversation. Thank you and I express my gratitude.

[@boldbearings]

Liked and subbed, I can't get enough of these...Training is great, but what does a warrior diet look?

[@memph1sperez]

MRE🤢

[@yeetsin560]

KFC?

[@netero3233]

“Your belt is coming one day” watching this a few days after seeing Echo just get his black 🖤

[@sweetchildofnine6677]

BEHOLD

[@HigherSpiritPrimate]

That last line from Echo tho 😅🔥

[@nathanielbeard8086]

Yess a new video

[@olivergiroux517]

I realized that at white. Was there for 4 years and I knew my game was above it but I have a feeling my coach made me wait for this reason. Every coach has different expectations for each student and no belt is equal. Looking back at how frustrated I used to get to the point it made me care less, I’m so glad he made me wait because it’s one of the most valuable lessons you can learn. The belt is there to hold on your gi, a black belt is the white belt that never gave up.

[@jamescook1450]

How often are you training to still be a white belt that far in?

[@art-tb3um]

Throw my belt away and the art. Jiu Jitsu taught me how to live , set goals and commit.

[@judecale8076]

Man this is a funny guy talk!

[@ashhansen7659]

I like the idea of making your belt lighter after a promotion. I had my blue belt for approx 4.5 years of training. 2.5 yrs 1st then had 7 yrs off came back had to get back in shape and change my game over 2 yrs. Getting the purple belt was huge because of the idea I had of what it meant and the 11 odd years it took for me to get it. You think the pressure is off? It isn’t. But once you get into the groove getting into a consistent training routine. You make that belt lighter and start feeling better there. I definitely think you care less about ranks when you hit purple and focussing on your own techniques / training and have the maturity to just enjoy training.

[@MrBlackyist]

Got my first ever submission and was looking at my instructor like where's my black belt?

[@Kevin-cr7dp]

Its tough to beat that depression cycle sometimes. You work and work and work, deal with so many injuries and then you get in your own head about a belt or even a stripe. I'm not saying it's right, but it IS natural. I don't mean jealousy that others get promoted, but you just get in your own head about what you're doing wrong or if your gym doesn't really want you there or any number of other scenarios that run through your head.

[@nilsbogdanovs6302]

Damn, the craft actually mastered me...

[@SRGDrakeBadAss]

When I first started as a white belt I thought I would be chasing a belt. A couple months in and I was in the gym 4 days a week for 2-3 hours a day and never thought about a belt. I was obsessed!

[@asap-fitness]

@GregLurik Official ouch this hurts:/ no. Moved and haven’t found another gym yet..

[@tig3r_lily]

I start my first day of BJJ (any martial art) Monday morning at 11:30. All because of this podcast. I had to get on the path and at the end of each PC what do we say... we're doing jujitsu. So now I am.

[@codywelch6608]

How's it going now?

[@jakelopez4037]

Makes sense. if I have questions where can I send them for the Jocko podcast ?

[@robcubed9557]

My $0.02, belts reflect experience and knowledge but they don't reflect size or strength or stamina. A lot of people don't realize how much natural athleticism and brute force plays a role in combat sports. I saw a mid 50's 180-lb black belt struggle against an early 20's 280 lb white belt (admittedly this white belt was on his 4th stripe and also trained no-gi so he wasn't untrained) just due to the size and stamina difference.

[@fmpipeline]

And the other aspect they didn't talked about: carrying a larger responsibility. Just 1 more stripe drives me to go even harder to "justify" my instructor's decision

[@prandz420]

When I knew I was coming up to brown I started training like twice as hard because I don’t wanna be an average brown belt. I basically still never wanna tap to a purple belt again despite agreeing with everything these guys say

[@ashtonwills507]

so at my gym i feel like im the only white belt that shows up consistently and frequently. so i feel as if its hard to track my progress with all the purple and blue belts at the gym. ecsppically when we get to rolling. because i know there taking it easier on me and letting me experiment with things. but i don't see the progress. until i roll with a another white belt. it feels like a treat to roll with some one in my skill level those few moments. so up till that point ranking up for the sake of ranking up feels like its been beaten out of me. I'm 6 months in and i just like rolling i like the mind games one can play with one another. I don't know I've also done a lot of other martil arts where there isn't a rank and its just skill like. Boxing and mauy tai so progress is never noticeble in my eyes. but i will say when i did get my first strip i was shocked and surprised it was cool to get recognised for my self improvement. idk say I'm full of shit don't say it there's my two cents on it, as a whitbelt.

[@coreyblake6264]

Da Knowaa , dude got me good lol 😆

[@carlmessing1723]

Bruce Lee once said belts are made for holding up your pants

[@rh1217]

😅 Bruce Lee's mindset

[@subsonic9854]

Didn't you know that Bruce Lee was an advocate of martial arts suspenders? Dan Inosanto is the only guy he promoted to red suspenders. His other students are black suspenders or lower.

[@bane3991]

If that was true than what's the purpose of changing the colors on the belts?

[@Lifecounselor710]

When you focus on the belt when you get it your realize it doesn’t change anything. Focus on the learning. Learning something every class and your winning.

[@j0.ZEF-Who]

Brandon you just got told bro !! Stay strong , Get some !!

[@kyle52245]

Like Jocko said, A 68 yr old purple belt who trains 5 days a week could have and deserve his purple belt, but he probably gets mangled by some 24 yr old 3 stripe white belCHe D1 wrestler. That white belt might not deserve his blue belt yet.... At my current understanding of BJJ, the belts represent your commitment to the martial art, not how good you are.

[@Patrick-sh9tt]

A 24 year old is judged against his peers not against a 68 year old man. Hence age and weight categories in competition.

[@chrisjanuary6018]

Ivd only been training jiu-jitsu for 3 months now. Went from two night first two weeks to i train 4 to 5 dsys a week i was 250 when i started im down to 222. I wake up at 430 am 4 days a week and run 2 miles. And its all because of jiu-jitsu and the motivation it gives me to want to be better

[@GR-uc1gq]

Nice, how's training now a days?

[@chrisjanuary6018]

@@GR-uc1gq lmao tore both shoulders

[@BlakeLovesPoland]

@@chrisjanuary6018 NOOOOO

[@chrisjanuary6018]

@@BlakeLovesPoland yea fucking sucks lol no more rolling for me lol an i was one stripe away from blue but unfortunately i use my arms and shoulder alot to make a living so cant risk the injuries anymore

[@BlakeLovesPoland]

@@chrisjanuary6018 that’s so unfortunate man

[@jedsanford7879]

#1 reason I want to rank up. At white belt I'm stuck rolling mostly with white belts and its crazy out there man. I need some skill so I can roll with some higher belts and not have to deal with the egos.

[@Dogzallday]

I love my white belt. I competed for first time not long ago and I hope to do a few more and become the white belt in my division for as long as I can till my professor decides I should forward

[@corynorell3686]

To those who chase belts: when someone attacks you, you stop and let them know what color belt you have and let me know who wins the fight.

[@bengough6955]

I think the Belt system (much like a grading system in music: Grade 8 Drums woooo...pfft) stops being important once the person has developed some skill. As a White Belt I love the idea of ranked progress Blue, Purple etc... But I imagine, much like learning music, that once I had gotten a certain level of skill the actual rank meant less than the skill I was pursuing; but it takes a while for people to get to that level

[@ccheval4857]

Remember failing judo brown belt. I just trained more and harder and got it 6 months later. Maybe it's because I started at age 15 with Ju jitsu and age 4 with judo, but belts seem to matter less in jitsu then in judo.

[@ByWayOfDeception]

You can be frustrated and crazy but let the feelings pass. Feelings aren’t wrong. Letting them dictate important actions and decisions is wrong.

[@jacobjohn378]

"Rock and a hill", it doesn't need to be complicated with BS. Wake up, work hard, and enjoy life. 8:08 to 9:45 is gold. I would enjoy watching media, social groups, or anyone try to criticize Jocko. What would they say about him? Maybe: "His character is too tough, it makes us look bad"

[@erikhart9840]

Maybe a new video on college to help us young lads crushhhh it

[@jonathontoynbee1558]

Skills pay the bills 😉

[@jgonzo443]

Good thing about belts is they pressure you into performing and continue working. You shouldn't chase them but you should welcome them.

[@austinkopp9811]

Perfect process beats increasingly fictitious goals and aspirations.

[@raycora7062]

Dear Jocko put your shit together , and organize your videos in play list, it would be easier for new listeners like me, to go through your amazing library of wisdom.

[@iamtheteapot7405]

When is Jocko getting that black and red beltchi!?

[@KrispyKreme50]

I get up at 10:30 and I’m a lifer white belt. 😂

[@AJ-zd7lr]

4:47 what a savage hahaha

[@chidumekenta2915]

Jocko was a jiu jitsu black belter in 2005. Jesus!

[@captainomoplata643]

Belt for hold up pants

[@mattd5619]

Belt loops for hold up belt. Who is real hero?

[@NDSTRUCTIBLE1]

I started wrestling when I was 7 years old and still train occasionally in my late 30 and still train at my old HS. BJJ is great as far as techniques but many BJJ schools are shit. Wrestling are all built on work ethic. The discipline you need in life. Nothing will push you like solid wrestling. BJJ is amazing for fighting and transition on the ground. The Martial Arts academy I joined in HS was JKD but it was treated as a philosophy not a style. They had 4 Coaches a Judo/BJJ coach, Karate/Boxing/JKD coach, Muay Tai coach, and Catch Wrestling coach. The problem I had was focus was split too much. If you walked in with no prior Martial arts you were going to be overwhelmed. Which end up being the biggest reason for it failing. Here is my issue... it was before UFC took off. Had it opened 3 years later it would have worked. For me quality Karate and Wrestling is the best start for a kid. Then add BJJ/Judo/Boxing/Muay Tai. At 9-10yo get your hunting licenses learn to shoot. At 14 join ROTC and play Football and Wrestling in HS. At 16-18 get some medical training if you dont join the military. Which I wouldn't at the moment. We are a joke atm. At 18-21 take more fire arms training. Then continue training

[@ditunnod]

I come from a TKD background trained by a 9th degree black belt and a 5th degree that was Korean army champion and on the national demo team. I hated testing for new belts but had no problem as a green belt out sparring black belts that learned the forms and tested too quickly. Belt color does not make the fighter.

[@connormcenhill6090]

TKD is really bad for this

[@JoeSmith-gp5dm]

I would love to get ranked up but I don’t want a belt if I’m not performing at the level to have that belt.

[@rcmag13]

I think I tried the burpee thing before, I got 20 burpees the first minute and then only 6 the 2nd minute etc. It seems a lot harder than it sounds

[@DocSportello500]

Echo is right, you are not getting your belt from yourself. You need someone else to gauge you. Someone who has experience and knows the levels. There is nothing worse than being fooled into thinking you are ready and Jocko is right. Forget about the belt, an mma guy might rock your world still... but when coach says it's time, believe in him and believe in yourself and rock that belt test.

[@walkerknight9625]

Getting judged by your instructor. Basic stuff. Thats what makes us military guys strong in some ways. Control your thing? I love it as NAVY and I know I am not normal either. But who just got their BB not so long ago? Love it!

[@Hiaki1000]

nothing wrong with belts being your extra motivation imo - it just can't be the only motivation.

[@user-kz4ql4md5m]

I started jiu-Jitsu in 1994. I don’t win a belt. Not even a blue belt. I’m an expert, but I don’t have an actual belt ranking.

[@C4customs420]

didnt get promoted GOOD!!!!!!

[@thetwaige7482]

When I get back home I’m going to start taking lessons. My perspective on jiu jitsu is that it’s learned for self defense. What belt you’re wearing doesn’t matter when you’re in a fight. I agree that the belts don’t matter as much because at the end of the day you can either beat someone on the mats or they will beat you.

[@subsonic9854]

But if your BJJ instructor tells you that you can't defend yourself well enough in a real fight unless you're a purple belt, then becoming a purple belt, and understanding the progression of skills and techniques you need to become a purple belt, rather than just randomly training hard, will be an important goal for you.

[@thetwaige7482]

SuB SONiC Your instructor shouldn’t say that once you’re a purple belt you can defend yourself in a real fight. They should say by the time you’ve earned your purple belt you will have gained the skills needed to defend yourself in a real fight. It’s a simple twist of words but it can put people in two completely different mind sets. 1 which is discouraged in the video which is getting your belts as fast as you can. 2 which is encouraged, the mind set of learning as much as you can and training hard while getting your belts along the way.

[@subsonic9854]

@@thetwaige7482 I don't completely disagree in my personal practice. I do like to learn and take my time and so forth. But objectively, I don't see issues with more driven people who set the belts as goals. In other fields, we praise people for learning quickly and rising through the ranks (ex: finishing school quickly, getting a degree in 3 years rather than 4, getting a PhD in your early 20s). I think the issue is that belts should be ranks, but they are treated as rewards. As for what your instructor should say when you get a purple belt, it's not a problem if the instructor actually knows what he can impart and how to test you for it. When you graduate from grade school, you should be able to add and subtract in different contexts (personal finances, office work, understanding whether a cashier gave you the wrong change, etc). If not, it's a failure of instruction. Similarly, whatever a BJJ instructor claims you will / will not be able to do at a certain rank, whether in sport / street / gi / no gi / war / riot etc, he should be able to test you for it. Whatever the mindset of the student, the instructor can use objectively testable criteria for ranking.

[@sirchompsalot4967]

6:30 LOL. Belk-sh

[@bengough6955]

10 burpees on the minute every minute is a brilliant little challenge. I got up to 27 minutes and stopped doing it because I got tendinitis in my elbow XD love Burpees... i KNOW that is not the point of this video but have to highlight it

[@bane3991]

Belts are just a bonus. I don't know if anyone 100 percent completely doesn't care about belts. But from my point of view I care very little. If I don't get promoted from here on out I would still train I wouldn't care. Belts are more so the cherry on top. I'm happy with the ice cream and the chocolate syrup, the cherry is not a necessity.

[@1997ghost1]

"As a grown ass adult" that's the first time I have ever heard Jocko swear. I know it's not a really bad swear word. All I'm saying is my momma would've washed my mouth with soap back in the day. Really funny hearing Jock say it though. Made me laugh.

[@MrHitch11]

In my police academy, we had to as a class do 100 burpees in 10 minutes. In the beginning...it was obviously a complete shit show...but by the end 98% of the class could do them. It was a cool way to watch the class get better, and we did them with boots and belts and vests on.

[@crazymacedonianboi]

hands up ur under arrest boi! 😂 interlock ur fingers now! and let me frisk u!

[@zanemoore1808]

Uhhhh 10 burpees a minute sounds pretty easy like first week biggest loser easy

[@MrHitch11]

@@zanemoore1808 👌

[@MrHitch11]

To be fair....we we were doing supermans

[@johnmedige1612]

Everything is about be at the level...maybe not belts..but isn't it great to get recognized......ego is a thing but a good thing sometimes

[@justinbutcher2183]

I have a great story about this kind of thing I'm a Blue Belt I get my ass kicked by wrestlers who have trained for 2 years and they're 18 years old mind you I'm 30 years old but I'm five six and they may be the same height as me so virtually identical weight but they have more idea and skill on being extremely aggressive and passing my guard the master the art of passing guard and dominating from top position I just started jujitsu as a hobby a few months back last year and I made it to Blue Bell that's where I'm at that's all it is it's just showing how much time you've been there I've still don't know the moves super well and I still train a lot sometimes I forget how to do something and I'm like oh yeah I did it and then you know I go to work I go throughout my day but yeah I have experience where I thought I was cool because I got four stripes but then I find a white belt who's a D1 wrestler and he just demolishes me so my idea belts are belts are absolutely meaningless it just depends on the person's background and how much they have done something else and grappling arts because it doesn't have to be jujitsu related to get dominated and jitsu when it comes to grappling

[@marcobala9284]

What does he think about competition level black belt vs regular black belt??

[@whiteyduvall69]

I too would like to hear their thoughts on this.

[@bobvanbutselaar]

The difference lies in the focus. Process focused or goal focused.

[@subsonic9854]

Why not do both?

[@LukeC908]

I’m just starting Jiu Jitsu, so I’ll just speak in terms of career promotions, but if your primary objective is to get promoted, both not getting promoted and getting promoted will jam you up eventually.

[@marcinolszewski2260]

For me a belt is an indicator of how hard can you go on certain person in sparring. It's not your fighting record.

[@Crystals10000]

my other favourite one is oh this belt cant beat this belt...no its about the individual

[@Merzbjj]

Very nice 🔝🔝🔝

[@twalker2048]

Belts should be connected to objectives. Not everyone is a subjective learner. Some are objective learners. This is the major problem in scope creep in BJJ.

[@checarsner]

I was once given a belt in BJJ because I was quitting the studio I was at. I think they thought I was frustrated. I wasn't. I was moving across the country.

[@subsonic9854]

Their train of thought must've been something like, "he's running away from us. He now understands the most important principle of self defense." It was a legit promotion!

[@checarsner]

@@subsonic9854 Legit LOL