What to Focus on as a Purple Belt in BJJ (The Prototype Belt)

What does it mean to be a BJJ Purple Belt? What should you focus on at this stage of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu?

This is a question I received in the comments and emails I got from a previous video I did about the BJJ Blue Belt.

In the previous video I talked about the transition from BJJ White Belt to Blue Belt and how I consider the Blue Belt the buffet belt. A chance to sample the technical buffet line.

As a Purple Belt I consider it the Prototype Belt. The point in BJJ where you begin to set the foundation, the prototype, for who you will eventually become.

I know in my own game. I can look back at my game as a Purple Belt and I can see that I had the guts of my eventual game.

As a Brown and Black Belt my game became much deeper. It's sort of like the tip of the iceberg.

If you're a Purple Belt in BJJ and you're wondering what you're supposed to focus on. Always, consult your coach. But if you would like a suggestion. I would tell you to attempt to specialize and really begin to own a part of the BJJ game.

Make it yours!

I hope this video is helpful!
-Chewy

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If you’d ever like to train with the team and I. Check out my gym Derby City MMA in Louisville,KY.

[daniellawrence]

Objective as a purple belt... To crush your enemies... See them driven before you... And hear the lamentation of their women

[DoggosAndJiuJitsu]

It’s taken me a stripe into Purple to realize that the belt system is a gradient ramp rather than stairs to climb. I get submitted less, sure, but I still make all kinds of goofy mistakes.

[mrchoon]

I'd love to hear more about that "depth", the differences between purple and black belt, and what blown belt really means. And maybe you could talk about different levels of black belt, and what makes the top level masters so special

[laviothmartel]

Became a purple belt the other day . Felt undeserved. Next day I had some really good rolls though

[fartsare]

Chris Haueter said * at purple belt there are no more techniques, youve learned everything and now you have to put it together *...and I agree. Youve learned how write, now its time to create poetry

[Jack-srlq]

Your channel is by far one of the best BJJ channels on YouTube. This video couldn't have come out at a better time. I was promoted to purple belt a few days ago and I have been wondering what I can work on to take my game to the next level. Great advice as always and keep up the good work!

[ConveyApp]

Yeah, I was a blue belt for a very long time. I quit about 1.5 years into my blue belt in 2003. I came back in January 2020. I got my purple belt in March of 2023. So 20 years after I left BJJ I got my purple belt. From Jan 2020-Feb 2022 I was very lost in BJJ. I just could not get my groove. Now around March 2022 I started doing some private lessons with a very good black belt that I really related to with his game. I did about 15-20 private lessons with him, then I increased my training from 5 hours per week to 10-12 hours per week. 5 of those hours was strictly rolling at open mats in the area. I started kind of instructing on things I was doing well in live rolls when people asked what I was doing. That really helped me see the details of each technique and I started to self coach myself during rolls. I started seeing corrections that needed to be done in real time. Then I started understanding and seeing how each defense to a submission lead into another posable submission with little to know effort. Then I started seeing the position changes to submission to position to submission. Everything started to have a flow and a connection. I can go from a ankle lock to a north/south choke pretty effortlessly depending on skill level of my opponent.

Unfortunately I kind of messed my knee up and had meniscus surgery recently. I'm about 7 weeks post op and got back on the mats about 4 weeks ago. I tell everyone to take top side control and that I have a dead right leg that will do nothing. It gives me a huge handy cap. So the game I play is I can only roll to my belly, or I must stay in side control. Free guard passes to the right, I do zero defenses to those passes. This has developed some gems of skills and techniques I never even knew I had learned. I have never stayed more than a few seconds in bottom side control prior to my knee injury. Now I am forcing myself to suffer in it and figure out my options with little to know options. I have gotten crazy good at defending chokes, and armbars from mid level brown belts, and really giving some black belts a difficult time. I have been falling into some kind of darce and anaconda chokes, and figured this sweet North/South choke reversal to my own North/South choke. I can only really get the submissions on mid to lower level blue and white belts. I can't wait till I get my knee back. I have been developing a completely different game and its starting to pay off.

[SauceMario]

Being a purple belt now, I really have been drifting this way in my thinking. I don't feel like I necessarily need to learn more stuff (even though that's still fun). I feel like it's time to make my A game A+.

[thetornprince]

Chewy id like it if you did videos with your take on brown and black belt as well.

[David-cwed]

very helpful even as a white belt. Yes I learn techniques that I have not seen before, but my game plan has always been the same. The new technique just give me more options and different ways I can go when it does not work. And as a smaller guy my kimura does look different to most other peoples.

[dak]

Every time a watch a video from you im like

"damn I've already subscribed."

Good channel my man 👊🏻

[Kubalnw]

Thanks coach, I just got promoted yesterday, not sure how to start, but ended up starting with this video. Thanks so much!

[asteriskcolon]

What I am hearing, and correct me if I should not be hearing this is, when they're a purple belt they should be reaching a point where they're dangerous to black belts by mastering a few specific things unique to them, as well as having basic mastery of all the basic fundamentals (this is what they had to have to become a purple belt)

And once they hit that, you'd promote them to brown belt... the point where their triangle is scary to black belts is the point which they're ready for brown. And after that, its just adding depth to their personal, unique game as well as every other aspect (fundamental) of their game.

[sfcxxv]

Always the best there is! Thanks so much chewy! If work becomes this onerous next week I will take leave to come and train!

[sfcxxv]

Thanks so much chewy!outstanding, thank god you are my coach!John

[lucchomein]

Elliott Hulse of BJJ. Love it. Haha you rock Chewy!

[LifeGate]

Splendid Sir! | Multiplied Blessings & Super Thanks Sir ChewJitsu!

[shinobi]

I can't wait to get that purple piece of cloth

[ez]

@Chewjitsu can you do a video about anxiety going to class and talking yourself into not going? I have been dealing with this for years. Thanks and love the channel!

[khazmobliss]

More blue belt rants & videos please