1 lesson for BJJ from a belt promotion (Don’t chase rank)
Last night was a pretty special night for me. I had the privilege of promoting a purple belt to brown belt. This is a huge deal in itself, but it was made especially rewarding because he was my first purple belt. I promoted him to purple in January of 2012 and over the last 2 years I’ve watched him grow so much as a BJJ practitioner. He really came into his own during competitions as a purple belt, winning and medaling in several big IBJJF tournaments. He is also a pretty bright guy (he has a PHD), and his abilities as a BJJ teacher have come a long way. I watched him teach a class recently and I was very impressed with his ability to break things down and string together techniques. In my eyes and those of the gym it was a much needed promotion.
Maybe I am a little bit too emotional about these things or maybe I’m just good friends with my students. But I get so excited and happy every time I promote a student, especially when it is a promotion to a higher colored belt. I’m happy to see that they worked through the rough spots and hit the next level and I get excited to see how they will progress in the future. It’s an amazing feeling to watch my students get better and to know that I had a hand in fueling that progression. There is a slight sadness mixed in there though, albeit very slight, because when I promote someone I am moving them one step closer to black belt. It’s almost like a parent whose children are growing older. You’re happy to see the child grow into their own but still feel a slight bit of “meh” because you’re ending a particular period of their life and moving to another. Before the promotion last night I flipped through pictures of Rich and I from the last two years. Photos of when I awarded him his purple, him and I sporting medals at the Chicago Open, and some random photos of us training. It was just a neat and slightly emotional feeling to see how far he’s come in the last two years and how much we’ve both grown together.
One reason I think Rich has done so well as a BJJ practitioner and one piece of advice I would love share with anyone in BJJ is to make the most of each belt. Don’t chase rank. I see advertisements enticing people with tricks or secrets to getting their belt in 3.5 years, 4 years or 5 years. But in my eyes, what’s the rush? Instead of rushing through it, make the most of each belt. Train hard, get out and compete, be the best you can be and most importantly be sure to enjoy the moments you have on the mats with your brothers and sisters.
I was one of those people who were hell-bent on getting a higher belt. As a blue belt I used to wear a purple sweatband on my ankle as a reminder to work hard during training so I could achieve the purple belt. I ended up being awarded my purple belt in a rather quick 2 years. I quickly realized that this was kind of a mistake and that it would have been better for me to have a little “time in the sun” as a blue belt and just rack up experience and skill. During my purple and brown belts I lost the desire for stripes, belts and rank. I think this is what helped me get so much better during my purple-black belt phase. I lost my care about who I beat, how many pieces of tape I had or what color dye was used on my belt. I learned to just love training and enjoy my time on the mats and let things fall into place as they may. When I revisit memories in my mind, what stands out isn’t my belt level, it’s the people, the hard fought competition matches, the fun in the gym with my training partners, being covered in sweat and bullshitting after training, trips together, etc. The experiences are what I think is most important.
Do yourself a favor. If you find yourself being a little too focused on stripes and achieving rank. Just stop. Don’t rush it; just let it come when it comes. Instead of focusing on rank, focus on the training and the time spent with the people at your gym. Be a sponge, train hard, ask questions, get out and compete if you want, and be a regular fixture in your gym BUT don’t get so fixated on chasing rank that you’re not able to sit back and enjoy your time along the way.
Remember once you achieve the next belt, that chapter of your BJJ is closed. It’s done! So, think about how you will look back on it as a black belt someday. Did you do everything you could, did you make the most of the time in the gym at the belt? How would you like to look back on that chapter of your journey later?