I’m 43 yr old guy and I got my purple belt in March. Everyone comes for my head. My toughest rolls are the young mid to high level blue belts. I still shut them down but some tough freaking rolls.
Congratulations on the Purple Belt! I experienced the same thing with the Mid / High Level Blue belts. There's two or three 20 something blue belts that have wrestling backgrounds that give me a good run for my money. Keep training and thanks for replying!
Being an older person just puts you at a disadvantage, don’t ever feel like you shouldn’t be your belt just because a 20 something year old tapped you in a role because they were bigger and younger, sometimes size matters. That doesn’t make your belt or knowledge any less valid
Just got my purple belt in February and I completely agree. I’m 34 and those early 20 guys are ruthless. They use their size to smash. I compete at featherweight and these boys have 40-50 pounds on me. Fun times lol
Been on the mats 13 years…. Blue belt was the hardest. Plateaued hard as shit. For years. Purple, nothing but fun. Can hang with blacks and browns, can smash 90% of the gym with ease.
For me it was blue. I think thats true for most people and thats why they quite. Normally you are only at white for 1-2 years. Most stay at blue for 4-5 years.
@EverybodyLovesGreg My instructor told me we needed 2-3x practices a week to progress white belt. I started doing bare minimum which is 2-3 practices a week. I didn't get my first stripe for 4 months. Meanwhile a person my age and who came in the same exact day but practiced 5x a week got his first stripe the first month. However he quit right after that and I know his mom forced him to come . I think they had an agreement with the instructor that if he went long enough to get his first stripe she wouldn't force him to go anymore. But regardless even if that weren't true the consistency at which he practiced was more deserving of that first stripe than me. I had no issue with it as I wasn't taking it serious. I could have been going 2 times a day for 5 practices a week like some people do ( we have day classes and night classes that involve striking coaches )
I've always thought that people that explicitly train just for belts (and not for themselves) quit after blue, because they kinda reached a goal, but they then realize how long and painful road it is to black belt and they stop. Wrong priorities. I could be wrong, though. Same analogy would be to work just for a big paycheck while you're actually not enjoying the work that you do. It's a recipe for never being happy and content, nobody would keep doing that.
Hardest depends on your gym culture. In some academies, upper belts roll together and dont want to have any part with the lower belts, so their rolls are comfortable...Unless they mutually agree to go hard in some days. Now all that is relative. A comp brown belter wont have nay issue with most belt holders, but a black belt hobbyist might struggle with even the gifted athletic white belt.
True. I'm combating a lumbar spine injury that occurred during a comp several years ago. It recently was reinjured unintentionally and it is annoying just enough to make me want to take some time off. However, it took almost 2 years('ish) to heal up the first time. Luckily other than that , I haven't experienced any other 'major' injuries.
4:33 - Y'know, I thought the same thing, until I read in a comment on some video a person said something to the degree of "I'm a no-gi purple belt" or some such nonsense. 🙄 Thanks for the great video, man!
I'd say white belt is the hardest purely because it's the phase you don't know anything, you are 25 years old, and you are going to have a lot of college 18 year olds with rich parents paying for their classes snickering at you, with a coach who probably has no interest in you cause he knows you won't compete much since you have a full-time job. Good luck getting through it
Luckily that doesn't happen where I train. I started BJJ at 36 and wouldn't consider a gym with at atmosphere like that nor a coach that really doesn't put in the effort. I could be wrong but I don't think a gym of that description would last very long in Northern VA.
Opposite experience I’m currently having as a new white belt. Coach couldn’t be nicer and the people I train with are hilariously nice. A purple belt has taken me under his wing and always drills with me and then rolls afterwards with more experienced people, leaving me with the white belts. I say to anyone reading OP’s comment, if this is your experience, change where you are training.
Started when I was 39 in pretty good shape at 6'1" and ~185lb. 17 months into the journey, I've been going 5-6 days a week for at least 12 of those months, did two local comps, and I do not want a blue belt. We also don't do stripes where I train. What our instructor expects out of blue belts, I have no idea, but it's sure fun visiting other place's open mats and catching people off guard, "how are you still a white belt?!" I dunno, m8, and I'm not about to ask lol BUT for the people I've trained with who got their blue belts after less than a year, I can definitely tell a difference in their game - like they weren't ready for it. Seems that's one thing that sets up the blues to quit is an early promotion for them to grow into.
I’m currently 37 yrs old,I started at 325 also 5’8 frame. I been at this new gym for about 5 weeks now and I’ve dropped 15 pounds I have about 1-1.5 years experience and it almost feels like I’m never going to transition to blue belt lol. I know I’ve progressed because not to sound like I’m bragging but I’m now able to submit blue belts and purple belts 2/5 the time but yet I’m still a plain ole stripe less white belt. They me told I’m getting better that to keep up the good work lol. Did you lose all your weight from just Bjj?
I lost the first 15'ish lbs strictly with Jiu Jitsu. Around 2019 I changed my eating habits and then lost the other 35lbs. However, I think I lost more than the 50lbs that can be measured via a scale. My body composition changed heavily as well, and I gained noticeably more muscle around my shoulders, chest and legs. I do have a friend who started and 300lbs and dropped to about 235lbs strictly from BJJ. Keep consistent and you will notice more improvements.
it's always white and purple. white belt: you're going to get destroyed for the first 6 months. purple belt: getting to it is a loooong journey that most people wont ever reach. When you do reach it, expectations are high.
I find it’s a combination of age and belt rank. The older you are as you achieve senior belts, the weight of the X on your back grows in proportion. It really depends on perspective.
For me it did, without a doubt. As your skill improves and you get in better shape, you'll be able to roll longer with less energy. If you have good training partners, you'll be able to have training sessions that are super enjoyable... especially if you like problem solving. IF you have training partners that are more focused on "beating" you every round you may find it hard to enjoy along the way. Even after several years in, I have some training partners that simply just try to over power me rather than figuring out the technique needed to get passed a specific position I put them in. THAT isn't enjoyable and is rather annoying... but it gives you another problem to solve ;) The TL;DR - Yes it gets more fun as you progress.
It really depends on the academy culture where you're registered. Some schools are unforgiven toward all its members and the drop out rate it high, while other schools embrace the rolling for fun culture. It doesn't get more or less fun as we progress. Some students are fun to roll with, others need to be avoided when possible cause they're nightmares bringing hell with em each time roll.
@alexd1696 many charge for promotions or stripes. Or even private lessons. Privates are a form of rip off. I wouldn't say paying extra is the norm, just that a large minority of gyms do this. Or charge a huge monthly cost for not much real tangible training. Gracie Combative gyms(Rener and Ryron Gracie) are a perfect example. To get promoted, you pay extra to make a video. Also the monthly cost of close to $140 is outrageous. Lastly privates are $60+ per session. Plus all gi, even though the vast majority is going no gi. A type of gym that doesn't do this is 10th Planet. All no gi, teaches real world self defense. As well as sport, combat, and elite level practitioners.
@@coachmiller202 Ah, guess I'm fortunate in my area then. Equivalent of $85 per month, gi was provided for no extra cost, and no charges for anything related to promotion. Though emphasis on real-world self-defense would probably cause me to look elsewhere for a different gym. I used to train rock climbing for many years, and never did I ever consider that the training was worthwhile on the grounds that I might one day be able to out-climb rising flood waters. It was just a bit of fun a few times a week with incidental skill development, and that's what BJJ is to me too.
@alexd1696 agreed on the skill development. It gets addicting for sure. I came from a wrestling background, so this was a natural transition for staying in shape, learning new ways to control other humans, and make myself as close to undeniable defending myself and family. I would look around your area for a 10th Planet. I have been with 6 gyms prior to them. They are on another level. I also luck out by having one of the best coaches here in Rochester NY. Chris Herzog. Not all gyms are created equal. It sounds like you have a great mindset for this BJJ journey. Good luck brother.
@@coachmiller202 I went to a 10th planet gym and I didn't feel they took the training and discipline as serious as the gracie barra gym I swapped too. It costed 100$ a month but there are no private or scam fees. All practices are in person with other people and there are gi and no gi practice sessions. And gracie barra gym competes every single time there is a tournament
But what if as a blue belt you’re putting the purple belts in their place? I’ve literally made some white belts remove their stripes. That was the biggest compliment.
Well ... it all depends on several factors imo. The belt ranking system isn't really a fool proof method of gauging someone's skill. For example... I know a high level wrestler who was giving Blue/Purple/Brown belts a run for their money overall. Position domination was actually really impressive to watch, however submissions and playing guard was lacking. Additionally Age and athletics also play part... one of my favorite training partners is a blue belt from a affiliate gym that is 20 years younger than me and far more athletic. If I allow him to move around uncontrolled , I will burn out far quicker than he will. Is there a size difference? There's alot of factors at play other than a purely belt based evaluation. In the long run, everyone has to realize there is going to be someone who's bigger, stronger, younger, quicker, more experience/ former D1 wrester etc... "losing" during practice really isn't a big deal. My favorite training partner as of last night is actually a "White Belt". BUT... he is also a high level Judo Black Belt, a Sambo'ist 15 years younger and a semi-professional athlete. Our first roll, I ended up burning myself out, but I managed 2 sweeps on him and controlled him the entire 5 minutes. The rest of my rounds were rough because my forearms were burnt out, my energy was spent and quite frankly I needed a nap. My 'win' against him, caused me to have very rough rounds with folks I generally don't have much trouble with. I would suggest not working over the white belts to the point where they quit or take their stripes off. Alot of your best training partners will take time to skill up. But they won't turn into a good training partner if they're demoralized and never come back. I'd be happy to continue this convo... I hope to see you in the chat section again.
I’m 43 yr old guy and I got my purple belt in March. Everyone comes for my head. My toughest rolls are the young mid to high level blue belts. I still shut them down but some tough freaking rolls.
Congratulations on the Purple Belt! I experienced the same thing with the Mid / High Level Blue belts. There's two or three 20 something blue belts that have wrestling backgrounds that give me a good run for my money. Keep training and thanks for replying!
Being an older person just puts you at a disadvantage, don’t ever feel like you shouldn’t be your belt just because a 20 something year old tapped you in a role because they were bigger and younger, sometimes size matters. That doesn’t make your belt or knowledge any less valid
@ Booker true!
@@booker4984 54 y/o, 4 stripe blue, soon to be purple, and this is so true. It's painful....but true.
Just got my purple belt in February and I completely agree. I’m 34 and those early 20 guys are ruthless. They use their size to smash. I compete at featherweight and these boys have 40-50 pounds on me. Fun times lol
Been on the mats 13 years…. Blue belt was the hardest. Plateaued hard as shit. For years. Purple, nothing but fun. Can hang with blacks and browns, can smash 90% of the gym with ease.
Purple belt was damn awesome. IMO, brown belt is too ... I just have to get used to people being a bit more formal/respectful with me.
For me it was blue. I think thats true for most people and thats why they quite. Normally you are only at white for 1-2 years. Most stay at blue for 4-5 years.
I'll agree with you. I've come to realize a my experience is probably a little outside of the norm.
@@boozeandbjjpodcast8680 Mine as well. I was a blue belt for around 15 years...lol
may be how your training or your just burnt out @EverybodyLovesGreg
@EverybodyLovesGreg My instructor told me we needed 2-3x practices a week to progress white belt. I started doing bare minimum which is 2-3 practices a week. I didn't get my first stripe for 4 months. Meanwhile a person my age and who came in the same exact day but practiced 5x a week got his first stripe the first month. However he quit right after that and I know his mom forced him to come . I think they had an agreement with the instructor that if he went long enough to get his first stripe she wouldn't force him to go anymore. But regardless even if that weren't true the consistency at which he practiced was more deserving of that first stripe than me. I had no issue with it as I wasn't taking it serious. I could have been going 2 times a day for 5 practices a week like some people do ( we have day classes and night classes that involve striking coaches )
I've always thought that people that explicitly train just for belts (and not for themselves) quit after blue, because they kinda reached a goal, but they then realize how long and painful road it is to black belt and they stop. Wrong priorities. I could be wrong, though.
Same analogy would be to work just for a big paycheck while you're actually not enjoying the work that you do. It's a recipe for never being happy and content, nobody would keep doing that.
Hardest depends on your gym culture. In some academies, upper belts roll together and dont want to have any part with the lower belts, so their rolls are comfortable...Unless they mutually agree to go hard in some days.
Now all that is relative. A comp brown belter wont have nay issue with most belt holders, but a black belt hobbyist might struggle with even the gifted athletic white belt.
I would argue, the white belt is the most difficult to obtain. Stepping on the mat the first time is the biggest challenge for most people.
I'll agree with that.
I agree but would add that staying consistent in white belt is the hardest.
Walking in the first time is hard but it’s nothing compared to a decade or more of trying through injuries, staying consistent and motivated.
True. I'm combating a lumbar spine injury that occurred during a comp several years ago. It recently was reinjured unintentionally and it is annoying just enough to make me want to take some time off. However, it took almost 2 years('ish) to heal up the first time. Luckily other than that , I haven't experienced any other 'major' injuries.
cool video! I like to hear different perspectives on ranking up in BJJ, it's interesting to see how different everyone's experiences are
Thanks for the reply! Yeah I've seen a few people's experiences deviate in small and major ways when it come to BJJ.
Most people never even put on a white belt so your prob right
I agree, am 33 white belt and dawg am getting my ass kicked DAILY! but am loving it!
Thanks! Keep training and always try new techniques! I honestly wish I started at 33!
4:33 - Y'know, I thought the same thing, until I read in a comment on some video a person said something to the degree of "I'm a no-gi purple belt" or some such nonsense. 🙄
Thanks for the great video, man!
I'd say white belt is the hardest purely because it's the phase you don't know anything, you are 25 years old, and you are going to have a lot of college 18 year olds with rich parents paying for their classes snickering at you, with a coach who probably has no interest in you cause he knows you won't compete much since you have a full-time job. Good luck getting through it
Luckily that doesn't happen where I train. I started BJJ at 36 and wouldn't consider a gym with at atmosphere like that nor a coach that really doesn't put in the effort. I could be wrong but I don't think a gym of that description would last very long in Northern VA.
Opposite experience I’m currently having as a new white belt. Coach couldn’t be nicer and the people I train with are hilariously nice. A purple belt has taken me under his wing and always drills with me and then rolls afterwards with more experienced people, leaving me with the white belts. I say to anyone reading OP’s comment, if this is your experience, change where you are training.
Sorry you had to a shitty experience as a white belt lol, but that’s not the standard.
Started when I was 39 in pretty good shape at 6'1" and ~185lb. 17 months into the journey, I've been going 5-6 days a week for at least 12 of those months, did two local comps, and I do not want a blue belt. We also don't do stripes where I train. What our instructor expects out of blue belts, I have no idea, but it's sure fun visiting other place's open mats and catching people off guard, "how are you still a white belt?!" I dunno, m8, and I'm not about to ask lol BUT for the people I've trained with who got their blue belts after less than a year, I can definitely tell a difference in their game - like they weren't ready for it. Seems that's one thing that sets up the blues to quit is an early promotion for them to grow into.
Sandbag the shit out of em
While less than a year is definitely too quickly to get a blue belt, it sounds like you are sandbagging pretty hard-core, no offense
This is really cool. I’m a blue belt and the purple belts are the toughest. I think blue belt and purple are the hardest
Wait til Purple belts are easy for you ;) Hard to imagine, but I hit that point and it somewhat threw me through a loop.
Great video, congrats on your journey.
Thank you! You too!
The hardest belt to overcome is a white belt with 1 stripe, I am 5 years old white belt with the same 1 stripe 😅
I assume you're older than 5 years old ^_^ White belt is def hard though, its the only belt you have to choose to put on.
Hardest belt is white belt.
I’m currently 37 yrs old,I started at 325 also 5’8 frame. I been at this new gym for about 5 weeks now and I’ve dropped 15 pounds I have about 1-1.5 years experience and it almost feels like I’m never going to transition to blue belt lol. I know I’ve progressed because not to sound like I’m bragging but I’m now able to submit blue belts and purple belts 2/5 the time but yet I’m still a plain ole stripe less white belt. They me told I’m getting better that to keep up the good work lol. Did you lose all your weight from just Bjj?
I lost the first 15'ish lbs strictly with Jiu Jitsu. Around 2019 I changed my eating habits and then lost the other 35lbs. However, I think I lost more than the 50lbs that can be measured via a scale. My body composition changed heavily as well, and I gained noticeably more muscle around my shoulders, chest and legs. I do have a friend who started and 300lbs and dropped to about 235lbs strictly from BJJ. Keep consistent and you will notice more improvements.
Keep it up
They are letting you sub them most likely. You just aren't ready yet or you would be there.
it's always white and purple.
white belt: you're going to get destroyed for the first 6 months.
purple belt: getting to it is a loooong journey that most people wont ever reach. When you do reach it, expectations are high.
I agree!
I find it’s a combination of age and belt rank. The older you are as you achieve senior belts, the weight of the X on your back grows in proportion. It really depends on perspective.
I'm currently a 4-stripe white belt and I'm wondering if BJJ gets more fun as you progress. Any thoughts on that?
For me it did, without a doubt. As your skill improves and you get in better shape, you'll be able to roll longer with less energy. If you have good training partners, you'll be able to have training sessions that are super enjoyable... especially if you like problem solving. IF you have training partners that are more focused on "beating" you every round you may find it hard to enjoy along the way. Even after several years in, I have some training partners that simply just try to over power me rather than figuring out the technique needed to get passed a specific position I put them in. THAT isn't enjoyable and is rather annoying... but it gives you another problem to solve ;)
The TL;DR - Yes it gets more fun as you progress.
Thanks so much for the response!@@boozeandbjjpodcast8680
You are most welcome. I hope to see you around the comment section again. Enjoy your training!
It really depends on the academy culture where you're registered. Some schools are unforgiven toward all its members and the drop out rate it high, while other schools embrace the rolling for fun culture. It doesn't get more or less fun as we progress. Some students are fun to roll with, others need to be avoided when possible cause they're nightmares bringing hell with em each time roll.
@@tededo great input! Hi Ted!
What about white and red belt
At the time I made this video I only had experience from White to Purple. Not sure what to say about White/Red. What do you think ?
Please turn the volume up!
Sorry about that, it's one of my earliest videos. I think we got the audio levels worked out a bit better now.
The audio is super Gimped
Yeah I know, it's an old video. I'll try to see if I can fix it. Sorry about that.
the audio is terrible
Sorry. It's an old video, we've fixed the audio since then.
100% no gi.
Do not attend a gym with stripes. That is only for the gym owner to make more money.
What money? Not a single one of the BJJ gyms in my area charge for anything related to promotions, including stripes. Is this not the norm?
@alexd1696 many charge for promotions or stripes.
Or even private lessons. Privates are a form of rip off.
I wouldn't say paying extra is the norm, just that a large minority of gyms do this. Or charge a huge monthly cost for not much real tangible training.
Gracie Combative gyms(Rener and Ryron Gracie) are a perfect example. To get promoted, you pay extra to make a video. Also the monthly cost of close to $140 is outrageous. Lastly privates are $60+ per session. Plus all gi, even though the vast majority is going no gi.
A type of gym that doesn't do this is 10th Planet. All no gi, teaches real world self defense. As well as sport, combat, and elite level practitioners.
@@coachmiller202 Ah, guess I'm fortunate in my area then. Equivalent of $85 per month, gi was provided for no extra cost, and no charges for anything related to promotion.
Though emphasis on real-world self-defense would probably cause me to look elsewhere for a different gym. I used to train rock climbing for many years, and never did I ever consider that the training was worthwhile on the grounds that I might one day be able to out-climb rising flood waters. It was just a bit of fun a few times a week with incidental skill development, and that's what BJJ is to me too.
@alexd1696 agreed on the skill development. It gets addicting for sure. I came from a wrestling background, so this was a natural transition for staying in shape, learning new ways to control other humans, and make myself as close to undeniable defending myself and family.
I would look around your area for a 10th Planet. I have been with 6 gyms prior to them. They are on another level.
I also luck out by having one of the best coaches here in Rochester NY. Chris Herzog. Not all gyms are created equal.
It sounds like you have a great mindset for this BJJ journey. Good luck brother.
@@coachmiller202 I went to a 10th planet gym and I didn't feel they took the training and discipline as serious as the gracie barra gym I swapped too. It costed 100$ a month but there are no private or scam fees. All practices are in person with other people and there are gi and no gi practice sessions. And gracie barra gym competes every single time there is a tournament
But what if as a blue belt you’re putting the purple belts in their place? I’ve literally made some white belts remove their stripes. That was the biggest compliment.
Well ... it all depends on several factors imo. The belt ranking system isn't really a fool proof method of gauging someone's skill. For example... I know a high level wrestler who was giving Blue/Purple/Brown belts a run for their money overall. Position domination was actually really impressive to watch, however submissions and playing guard was lacking. Additionally Age and athletics also play part... one of my favorite training partners is a blue belt from a affiliate gym that is 20 years younger than me and far more athletic. If I allow him to move around uncontrolled , I will burn out far quicker than he will. Is there a size difference? There's alot of factors at play other than a purely belt based evaluation. In the long run, everyone has to realize there is going to be someone who's bigger, stronger, younger, quicker, more experience/ former D1 wrester etc... "losing" during practice really isn't a big deal.
My favorite training partner as of last night is actually a "White Belt". BUT... he is also a high level Judo Black Belt, a Sambo'ist 15 years younger and a semi-professional athlete. Our first roll, I ended up burning myself out, but I managed 2 sweeps on him and controlled him the entire 5 minutes. The rest of my rounds were rough because my forearms were burnt out, my energy was spent and quite frankly I needed a nap. My 'win' against him, caused me to have very rough rounds with folks I generally don't have much trouble with.
I would suggest not working over the white belts to the point where they quit or take their stripes off. Alot of your best training partners will take time to skill up. But they won't turn into a good training partner if they're demoralized and never come back.
I'd be happy to continue this convo... I hope to see you in the chat section again.
@@boozeandbjjpodcast8680
Well said!