What's The Deal With BJJ Belt Tests?

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VIDEO DESCRIPTION

Rick Ellis discusses his belt tests in Jiu Jitsu, exploring why they can be a very powerful rite of passage.

[rockymarcianobrasil]

I am Brazilian and over here more and more academias have belt tests. It's a nightmare that lasts for months. The level of skills and number of techniques have no end. And it turns Jitsu from fun into tons of worries.
This demonstration thing sounds fun. Roll with the flow.
The real test is and day to day. Is embracing the journey and fighting kids, monsters, new guys and shortly debriefing the training in a way that helps you being aware of how good things went and keeping in mind most of the new informations lightly and effortless.

[willb]

I've only had one demonstration or test and that was for my Combatives belt. It's still considered a white belt and maybe 40-60% to blue belt.

I got to watch others months ahead of me testing and it helped me prepare. I'm older and with a few impairments and when I got there I gassed out too. My coach was even cooperating with me.

I got to watch the videos and even though they passed me, I need a lot of work.

Then I watched a young man who also takes wrestling do all 5 tests in less than an hour. He barely breathed hard. It was that easy for him. Fitness and youth really go a long long way.

So I'm still working hard at it and I do highly appreciate the tests.

[kennetholsen]

Also from a Roy Harris lineage.
I am split, it's very proscriptive, and very focused on that type of pedagogy.
However it does keep the standard up.
It does force people to have a well rounded skill set.

[robmaviglia]

I follow you and your fantastic channel since I started practicing bjj (2 years ago), , , I'm a 2 stripe white belt (of 49 years), and I found "here" a lot of interesting contents, , , tnks 4 that

In the gym where I go, every time is a test on the mat, that is the way our professor (a fresh black belt of 40 years) runs his dojo... as you perfectly now (you told it multiple times in videos), there are good days, and horrible days, ,, consistency and perseverance are rare qualities, and make the difference.

[danilecashin]

Jimmy purple belt demonstration was what introduced me to roy and his teaching. Ive been following him and now your work as well 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[DrBillRoach]

The Gracie Combatives test is by definition a demonstration. I started at a CTC and went through that test. People joke about it but that test was rough.

However, now I train at a school that doesn’t require tests. I am a brown belt and haven’t had a test in years. There are strengths and weaknesses to both approaches.

I also have black belts in other martial arts. Both required tests all along the path. You definitely prepare differently for a test and have to “own” the techniques for the day. I also will never forget those tests days until the day I die.

In short, I like the demonstration approach.

[kenaikyoshi]

Beautiful. Thanks for the great content, as always

[BachausX]

Coming from a Karate background, I like the tests they make sense. I know what is expected of me for each belt, and still get to build skills based on our inclination and body capabilities for a quiver of techniques to draw from.

[juliusthompson]

We have a very similar approach to are testing at the school I train at, and I honestly love that approach. I like the pressure of expectations and the eyes being on you. I just received my purple belt and the way that test grew from blue to purple was huge. The number of guard passes (20+), sweeps, escapes, takedowns, and combinations. Then the shark tank. For me it was just the right amount of physical and mental stress. That going through it allowed me to feel that I earned this rank.

[ravilangabriel]

One the best channels. This demo and rite of passage should be passed on

[ericparis]

Great video! I think from the outside at the time the old school guys like me did see it as strange and karate like or like a belt sale for a school that needed to pay a light bill. It looked like that from an uneducated person like myself. I could have mistakenly made this assumption. However I think your description of the experience brings nuance and shows you have to do whatever you feel is necessary to demonstrate your knowledge and skill. I look up to great martial artists and you guys certainly are that. I think most coaches do a similar thing just through time and observation instead of a making sure before the promotion. These videos are great, thank you.

[christophervelez]

I think the test is good as long as it is not charged. The fact that you're not paying to test allows for the test to remain with integrity. Where I think most people have an issue with tests when money is tied to it. I think the belt test can be good especially for people that aren't competing to put something difficult to mark the occasion.

[terrynichol]

Everyday on the mats is a test with your coach or professor and your training partners, your professor will know, that's the test

[robertarcher]

The school I attend requires two-part tests with a demonstration of techniques, and live rolls that include a 10-minute shark tank to wrap up the rolling. To pass the tests I've been fortunate to be able to take part in privates with Coach to go over the techniques that are required. The techniques are tailored to my skills based on the test requirements, including multiple takedowns, guard passes, submissions, submission escapes, etc.

[TheTrudean]

Listen, Blue Belt requirements changed my life as a white belt. Now, as a Brown Belt, I still cycle through some of those old videos.

[JVs_Adventure]

My gym does a test for blue and purple. My fiancé and I have started planning the structures for our blue belt tests. It has been an amazing experience to work on this together highlighting the differences in body type and strength.

[andrewmc]

I have mixed feelings - as a 50 year old in a class largely dominated by people 10-30+ years younger, the thought of testing out from blue to purple and rolling with other blues / purples / others fills me with dread for a demonstration - there is just not a significant enough gap in skill level v youthful strength and exuberence that wouldnt mean I dont end up on the losing side. I think there is a lot of merit to the "kata" type approach, almost every single time I leave a class I think about a situation and realise I knew I could have done something else, I just do not consider it at the time, for example I got caught with a double leg by a young wrestler and all I could think was "oh s&&&" but when I left I was like why didnt i hit the guillotine and sprawl, I obviously know it, I just didnt think of it

[FR-tyvn]

I love ❤ all the Roy Dean demonstrations - I train under Royce black belts and we test for every belt - blue was tournament style - purple was mainly self-defense - brown is coming up for me, will be self-defense and yes, we roll as well…I always wondered if those who are fresh go a little lighter knowing the person testing under Roy has it all in the line and is already tired…or it’s really no mercy?!

[RicoMnc]

I was tested for my blue belt. It was at one of multiple locations of our "brand" of school which did not have regular presence of a black belt during our training. The main instructor at this school was a brown belt, but he was a very excellent instructor, plenty capable of taking white belts to blue belt. FWIW this school did not stripe white belts at all. We were the newest school and had mostly white belts.

The other locations did not test for blue belts because they had black belts there who were able to train and observe the progress of their students and award a blue belt when they were satisfied with the progress.

Sometimes students from our school would travel to another location to test, and other blue belts there would sometimes comment they weren't sure they could pass this testing. I'm sure they could.

It was all but a done deal by the time we tested. Our instructor had already let us know he was focusing our training on preparing for the test a few weeks ahead of time. Our testing curriculum only included about 40 fundamental BJJ techniques, but added about 30 from the traditional Gracie self-defense curriculum, sometimes called "Gracie Combatives". Not all of them were tested.

I remember three distinct reactions from the grading black belt. 1. "Good", 2. "Eh, ok", 3. "oooh, we gotta' fix this", the last one followed by a discussion and going over the technique again. I mostly got the "eh", with a couple "good", and only one remedial review, heh.

Nobody failed that session.

[Tomclarkdeathshred]

Is it normal to kind of want to stay at a certain belt? I’m 4 stripe purple and loving it here! Grading is coming up and I have mixed feelings and it not that I’m someone who has that belt but gets smashed by blues and purples. Maybe it’s my ego wanting to feel like I’m decent for my belt?