SBG on BJJ Belts

**Student** · Posted On: 3/13/2006 8:06am

Not sure if this is posted in the correct forum - and I did do a quick search and did not see this mentioned.

For those interested, Matt Thornton updated his Aliveness 101 Blog and the topic is 'About Belts'.

It's a pretty long article but definitely interesting to read.

http://aliveness101.blogspot.com/

**sui generis** · Posted On: 3/13/2006 1:11pm

Nice find - thanks for posting :happy3:

**PirateJon** · Posted On: 3/13/2006 1:26pm

I also want to point out that not everyone wants to, or needs to, compete.

If I as a Coach make public competition the sole criteria for measurement I use, then I leave out a huge percentage of people who might find tremendous value in BJJ.

In addition I think the teachers, or coaches who try and tell others that they "Are not living up to their potential" or other such bullshit need to find new jobs.

I have written before about the poison teachers, but suffice it to say that it is never our job to tell others what they "should" be doing with this Art form. Some may just want to roll, or move, or play. And that is exactly as it should be.

Some people around here would do well to keep that tidbit in mind.

**UpaLumpa** · Posted On: 3/13/2006 1:49pm

I cannot stand thorton with his overly pedantic and nauseating self-congratulatory writing style.

Seriously, shut the **** up and train.

**gojuJKDdude** · Posted On: 3/13/2006 7:40pm

I think Matt is great but I agree somewhat with UpaLumpa. He is a pseudo intellectual, I dont think he understands half of what he writes.

***JohnnyCache*** · Posted On: 3/13/2006 8:09pm

Originally Posted by PirateJon

Some people around here would do well to keep that tidbit in mind.

Yeah, true, but what about seeing to it that they should be able to compete?

I mean, if someone trains everyday with a nationally known fight team, but doesn't compete, I'm going to assume their skills are being vetted somewhat, but it's still because of the competition policies of the school . . . sparring with competitors is competition by association.

It's when nobody from the school ever steps up that you have to start to wonder.

**Shillelagh** · Posted On: 3/13/2006 8:21pm

I think that has nothing to do with his writing style and everything to do with his personality.

Not that he isn't a good coach, I just think he's his own biggest nuthugger.