Are you looking to reach the rank of Black Belt in your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) training? If so then at this point you might be asking “What’s does my instructor look for when he promotes?”
Every instructor is different and what they look for in a promotion depends on a lot of factors. Factors like time in, your skill set, tournaments and of course who you are as a person are common areas.
These are the types of things I’d be looking for out of my students. Below you’ll find a list of 4 different things that I look for in a belt promotion. These are the more important areas a student should be working on if he/she plans to move up the BJJ ranking ladder.
#1 – The Right Attitude
In order for you to get to black belt you’ll first need to have the right attitude. A bad attitude will almost always hold a good student back. Be polite and helpful to your fellow classmates. Be a positive role model for others to follow.
I can tell you for certain that lots of instructors hold students back if they’ve got bad attitudes. Yes, it’s that important.
Moving up in rank has a lot to do with you as a person, how you act and how you treat others. Be a nice guy, help folks out and all that good stuff. You’ll move up the ranks faster and the bonus is that you’ll be well liked among your fellow teammates.
#2 – Your overall BJJ skill set
Obviosly, your mat skills are a factor in you getting promoted. As your skills increase so too should your rank. Most instructors would like you to be able to “hang” with students at the next belt level.
If you’re able to beat all the students in your current belt rank that’s good too. By “beat” I mean get into better positions and, for the most part be able to submit them.
Remember that beating your teammates in class isn’t a big deal. It’s something to look at but only a small piece of the puzzle.
#3 – Knowledge
How much do you really know about BJJ? How many techniques do you fully understand? Can you apply your techniques while rolling “live” with a good training partner?
The more you know and the better you understand it all the better the chances you have of getting to the next belt. Knowledge is a good, and being able to appy that knowledge in live situations is even better.
#4 – Time In
How long have you been taking BJJ classes? This is an area that counts for a lot too. If you’ve spent a long time taking classes and on the mats, you should be moving towards being promoted.
Here’s the thing, time in means more then “talent in”. Many students won’t be the most talented in the room but in the end they’ll make it to black belt, why is that? This kind of goes back to the whole attitude thing.
Good students will show up to class with a smile on, time and time again, year after year.
It’s true, it does takes more then just being a body in the room to get promoted. But if you show up, train hard and have the right attitude you’ll move up in rank sooner or later, regardless of talent.
There you have it. My tips on what it takes to gain rank in BJJ. Stick to your classes and so what I talked about. You’ll get to the top of the hill no worries.
Below I included some great Brazilian Jiu Jitsu youtube videos. Check them out.
