What belt rank are you?

[Szczepankiewicz]

A black belt means you're finally at a stage where you can start training with a solid foundation.

In our art it means only that you've 'mastered' the basics and are now ready to get down to some serious training.

Crosstraining is also required at this level. You must prove to yourself that you know what you're doing and that what you know is useful.

I could shoot someone just as easy as a white belt as I can now...

Spanky

[Sean Dempsey]

If someone trains really techincal GJJ, the belts will be a *great* indicator of their skill.

There's no such thing as a "Gracie Black Belt" that "can't fight". Same for purple and brown.

Other arts and schools might be more lax or whatever, but it's damn near impossible to progress through the belts in GJJ without high technicality and high skill.

For anyone who doubts, find a Gracie or affiliated school and ask to roll with a brown or purple belt.

I think GJJ is one of the hardest and most accomplished MA's to get a black belt in. Unlike other things like TKD or whatever, you have to get your blackbelt from someone in the family, Rickson, Renzo, Helio, or someone like Pedro Sauer or Sylvio Behring. I get my belts from Pedro.

[Sean Dempsey]

Oh, and I should add it takes about 10-12 years of strict, technical training to get a GJJ black belt... if you ever get that far. Most don't.

[platinum_angel]

do you still start at white even if you are a BB in BJJ. sean

[Sean Dempsey]

Gracie JJ is encompased in BJJ, but not all BJJ is encompased in Gracie.

I just say Gracie because that is the type I am specifically involved in.

I can't say for sure, but I think most BJJ "schools" respect the belt levels of other well known trainers. Machado's, Behring, Sauer, they are still legitimate belts.

so no, probably not, if you were a black belt from one of the non-gracies, you'd probably still be regarded as one by Gracie schools, since BJJ started with Helio Gracie, it's all related.

[akja]

Originally posted by SweepEm
I'm curious what type of martial artists we have here on the forum and what ranks.

I train with Jiu Jitsu black belt Rey Diogo, the Carlson Gracie team in Los Angeles.

www.reydiogo.com

I've trained Kung Fu, boxing, a little Judo and Muay Thai. I'm only training in BJJ and am a purple belt.

5th Dan Kempo Ju Jitsu and under the guidance of my Instructor Hanshi Lou Angel am recognized as head of my own system.
http://www.louangel.com/

I have and still train in several arts that eventually will be a part of my school (separate classes) but for now my concentration is grooming instructors so that we will grow and "survive" for future generations.

[NWPTrainer]

Well, let's see.

I have three black belts. One is a dressy one with a pretty brass buckle, and one is a casual one with a simple but elegant silver buckle. The third is a cotton webbed one that the army issued me to wear with my Class A uniform. It has a pretty brass buckle also.

I have three brown belts also. One is a dressy one with a pretty brass buckle. One is a casual attire tyoe with a brass buckle. The third is a thick tooled leather one with a big Hereford Steer head on it that I wear when i go to redneck bars and rodeos.

I have a green nylon webbing rigger's belt that I used to wear with my BDUs. It was custom made for me by a rigger in the army so I could use it as an emergency rappel device for CSAR.

That's about it on the belt front, but I also own a pair of braces (suspenders) to wear with my tuxedo...They are black and have the button holes so they attach to the trousers.

Serisouly though...

As a kid I earned a 2nd degree black in Songahm TKD, then moved on to the FMA and Muay Thai. No belts, but I was rated as an instructor in the FMA system.

As a soldier, I boxed, wrestled, and did the Gracie JJ thing, as well as learning and teaching a couple of different defensive tactics systems, and close-quarters shooting.

It doesn't matter. You can be the most technically proficient martial artist in the world, but if you don't know how to deal with the adrenal dump and the hijacking that ocurs by your amygdala, you'll get your ass kicked.

RLTW

[SPUNKYGRRL]

kuk sool won - red belt

[kh_s]

I quit about 1 year ago. I was told they teach Muay Thai, but actually I was doing taekwondo. I was suppose to get my yellow Belt (not like I care) right before testing I quit because I was paying for something I didn't want to do. (300 bucks for 3 months)

errmm, did I say they don't teach MT? Well he only does it once a week, the class wasn't near intense either. but I can't blame him, it seems he is more into TKD and tournaments.

[Strider]

? Didn't wanna pay that much? What? 300 dollars for 3months. Which is 100 months is very reasonable. Your not gonna find any quality martial art places for below that. For something less then that you would probably be going to Genghis Khan TKD or some crap..lol. c'mon
c'MON!
c'MON!!!

[BadgerFu57]

Originally posted by highgrindr
blue in american kenpo, and i also incorporate dim-mak with kenpo..... does it bother you guys as it does me that a lot of blacks belts in schools cant even fight?

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS and even worse most instructors cant fight.

[BadgerFu57]

Originally posted by Strider
? Didn't wanna pay that much? What? 300 dollars for 3months. Which is 100 months is very reasonable. Your not gonna find any quality martial art places for below that. For something less then that you would probably be going to Genghis Khan TKD or some crap..lol. c'mon
c'MON!
c'MON!!!

Actually a McDojo has me payin 89 a month and it sucks butt. A great place had me payin (BJJ and Vale Tudo over the summer) 60 a month. Now I just wrestle at school.

[MrPoopy]

I don't consider my McDojo Brown Belt as an actual accomplishment hehe.

Jared, what martial art are you doing?

I'm a white belt in not one, but two different martial arts! BJJ and Judo.

I think if I were tested I could probly move up to orange in Judo but I don't care about the belts. I just go because it's fun.

In BJJ, I'm still a ways from blue belt. As many of you know, the step from white to blue is a pretty big one.

[MrPoopy]

? Didn't wanna pay that much? What? 300 dollars for 3months. Which is 100 months is very reasonable. Your not gonna find any quality martial art places for below that. For something less then that you would probably be going to Genghis Khan TKD or some crap..lol. c'mon

I'll debate you on that. I was paying 50 dollars a month for BJJ and it was good instruction. The instructors attitude outside the class turned out to be below par, but I can't lie about the things I learned from him in the class. His instruction was very good.

My current Judo instruction is free. And as far as quality goes, it's taught by some of the best Judo guys in Kansas.

So I guess it depends on how you define a "quality martial art place".

[cakegirl]

Brown belt in Shotokan Karate (going for black belt in - eek - 65 days!)
White belt in BJJ. Been training 18 months, just haven't graded yet.

Cakegirl