I think the politics in BJJ is going to go away with more BJJ around and especially
more university and non-profit clubs.
Tomas
more university and non-profit clubs.
Tomas
Originally posted by Yrkoon9
I guess I need to explain a few things further.
In Judo I was promoted faster than other students who trained with me because I did well in competitions. My first Judo competition I had 7 matches and got 3rd place. I competed less than 3 months later and got 1st. In that time I did a lot of studying and as our belts were broken down into categories of 8 throws and a corresponding number of newaza techniques it was very easy for me to learn them. I bought a book, learned all the rules and terminology and kept competing. I went got green belt in like a year. But that still kept me in the novice division. Which meant I was still able to crush the little white/yellow belts.
In order for me to compete against higher level guys they promoted me to brown very early. Most tournaments did a brown/black division, and everyone else in the novice division. So although I 'knew' the techniques neccessary for promotion it was more a justification for better competition for our club. Looking back I was pushed through rather quickly. And to be honest, I didn't have the time in grade to compete with these black belts. I got Ipponed fairly frequently in competition.
But the politics of Judo were almost zero. Formal training, formal competitions, and then formal promotion. Easy.
BJJ has been much harder. I have been promoted again by performance and competition sake over anything else. I got my blue in less than 6 months because of my Judo background, fierce competition schedule, and training discipline. But I sorta hung back at blue and quit for a while. When I came back I had to climb the conditioning & injuries hill again. Then we moved. I got with another instructor and althrough I was already a very seasoned blue belt there was no way I was going to get promoted. I had 'earn' my promotion from the new instructor. He wanted to see loyalty. He wanted to see me win divisions. He wanted to see me tap out every blue belt ever created. Unreasonable expectations. I should have been a purple belt long before I was promoted.
The politics are weird with BJJ. Of course you have to be able to eat most blue belts. But you also have to demonstrate loyalty, etc. On top of that my instructor is notorious for not promoting people, and is a Carlson black belt. A double whammy in terms of Americans getting a belt. He wanted me to keep winning for him as a blue belt. I was tired of winning as a blue belt. I wanted stiffer competition. So I bought a purple belt, told him I wasn't ever going to compete again as a blue and if he wanted me to compete for him he would have to give me his blessing to compete in purple. He VERY grudgingly did so. My first tournament I lost to a referee decision. So he could smugly sit and say I wasn't ready. Months went by and I competed again as a purple. Didn't make it to the finals. Got 3rd. He had to admit I could hang there. But wouldn't test us. Months go by. FINALLY get promoted. Took fucking forever. If it were Judo it would have been done. None of this egotistical instuctor bullshit.
So what I am saying is I had to jump through more hoops in BJJ. Judo was real easy. Learn the technique and then compete and win. BJJ I had to win, but I had to win win win win win. Then demonstrate loyalty. My instructor wasnt going to take me as a student and promote me to purple a month later.
Now to finish off the bullshit the tests are insane. I have described them elsewhere. Suffice to say in order for me to get brown I could die in the test. I think its crap. So I don't think I will get brown from him. Too much of a hassle.
In Judo I was promoted faster than other students who trained with me because I did well in competitions. My first Judo competition I had 7 matches and got 3rd place. I competed less than 3 months later and got 1st. In that time I did a lot of studying and as our belts were broken down into categories of 8 throws and a corresponding number of newaza techniques it was very easy for me to learn them. I bought a book, learned all the rules and terminology and kept competing. I went got green belt in like a year. But that still kept me in the novice division. Which meant I was still able to crush the little white/yellow belts.
In order for me to compete against higher level guys they promoted me to brown very early. Most tournaments did a brown/black division, and everyone else in the novice division. So although I 'knew' the techniques neccessary for promotion it was more a justification for better competition for our club. Looking back I was pushed through rather quickly. And to be honest, I didn't have the time in grade to compete with these black belts. I got Ipponed fairly frequently in competition.
But the politics of Judo were almost zero. Formal training, formal competitions, and then formal promotion. Easy.
BJJ has been much harder. I have been promoted again by performance and competition sake over anything else. I got my blue in less than 6 months because of my Judo background, fierce competition schedule, and training discipline. But I sorta hung back at blue and quit for a while. When I came back I had to climb the conditioning & injuries hill again. Then we moved. I got with another instructor and althrough I was already a very seasoned blue belt there was no way I was going to get promoted. I had 'earn' my promotion from the new instructor. He wanted to see loyalty. He wanted to see me win divisions. He wanted to see me tap out every blue belt ever created. Unreasonable expectations. I should have been a purple belt long before I was promoted.
The politics are weird with BJJ. Of course you have to be able to eat most blue belts. But you also have to demonstrate loyalty, etc. On top of that my instructor is notorious for not promoting people, and is a Carlson black belt. A double whammy in terms of Americans getting a belt. He wanted me to keep winning for him as a blue belt. I was tired of winning as a blue belt. I wanted stiffer competition. So I bought a purple belt, told him I wasn't ever going to compete again as a blue and if he wanted me to compete for him he would have to give me his blessing to compete in purple. He VERY grudgingly did so. My first tournament I lost to a referee decision. So he could smugly sit and say I wasn't ready. Months went by and I competed again as a purple. Didn't make it to the finals. Got 3rd. He had to admit I could hang there. But wouldn't test us. Months go by. FINALLY get promoted. Took fucking forever. If it were Judo it would have been done. None of this egotistical instuctor bullshit.
So what I am saying is I had to jump through more hoops in BJJ. Judo was real easy. Learn the technique and then compete and win. BJJ I had to win, but I had to win win win win win. Then demonstrate loyalty. My instructor wasnt going to take me as a student and promote me to purple a month later.
Now to finish off the bullshit the tests are insane. I have described them elsewhere. Suffice to say in order for me to get brown I could die in the test. I think its crap. So I don't think I will get brown from him. Too much of a hassle.
Comment