Belt tests n such...

[Tony Green]

How do you guys feel about belt tests in Jiu Jitsu ? The only bjj school in my area requires you to take a test for your blue belt and for purple. I don't like the idea of belt tests at all, but the worst part about it is that they charge you to take the test. Its like 100 bucks for the blue belt test and I heard its way more for the purple test. It makes me think they are just in it for the money. Do any of you guys train at a school like this ?

[John Alighieri]

I don't think you should pay for belts. That's a ridiculous way to make some cash. You either got the level or you don't. That's proven through competitions and/or on the mat... I would stay at whatever belt you are and go on a crusade destroying people that paid to be promoted! Just to make a point on the silliness of it.
Some people would rather pay and get their belt than proving a point. It depends how badly you wanna walk around with a new belt.
A belt doesn't make you better... Training does

[Brian Debes]

I disagree with this. This exists in a number of forms. Forcing you to pay for certain seminars is another.
I say protest it as well. The belt itself means nothing.
Up until I was promoted by Eddie, I personally “crusaded” against the fact that wearing/competing in a gi was required for a promotion (which is pretty much everywhere outside of 10th planet).

[Tony Green]

I disagree with this. This exists in a number of forms. Forcing you to pay for certain seminars is another.
I say protest it as well. The belt itself means nothing.
Up until I was promoted by Eddie, I personally “crusaded” against the fact that wearing/competing in a gi was required for a promotion (which is pretty much everywhere outside of 10th planet).

Thats another thing , when Saulo visits the school you have to pay $80 unless you go to his seminar which is normally a couple days before he vists , then they knock the price down to $40... So if I don't feel like paying an extra $80 , I have to miss a day of training when I'm already paying $120 a month. lol

[Anthony Herrera]

I'm pretty sure it was Royce that said a belt only covers two inches of your ass, you gotta cover the rest.

[Nick Powers]

My school doesn't test for belts, but I can understand certain aspects of having to charge people for seminars and things like that. Despite the fact that BJJ is a passion for students and teachers alike, it's also a way they make their living. I pay $115/month at my school, and I have access to every single class they offer:

12-1PM Mon and Wed
6-7 PM Mon and Wed
7-8PM Open Mat Wednesday
630-730 AM Tues and Thurs
730-9PM Tues and Thurs
6-7PM Friday
Team Training with affiliate schools/members every Friday (alongside Alexey Cruz and Rafael "Formiga Barbosa)
11-12 Noon Saturday
10-12 Noon Open Mat Sunday (one hour Gi, second hour No Gi)

That's a LOT of training time per week. I obviously can't make every class, as I'm sure most others can't, but it sounds like a pretty damn good deal to me. Seminars aren't too common for my team, but paying for an annual seminar with Ricardo de la Riva or Ricardio Liborio is certainly worth it.

[Puchetta]

F paying for belt tests. I showed up one day & was informed I was being promoted about a week after taking 2nd in my first tourney. When our head instructors brother Diego Moraes came by for a seminar I was belted in front of our class then whipped after the seminar. We pay for seminars but they are always top level guys like Relson,Pe de pano, magarida. Even have Bellator 145 world champ Joe warren coming by this upcoming weekend.

[10th Planet Riverside, Ca]

How do you guys feel about belt tests in Jiu Jitsu ? The only bjj school in my area requires you to take a test for your blue belt and for purple. I don't like the idea of belt tests at all, but the worst part about it is that they charge you to take the test. Its like 100 bucks for the blue belt test and I heard its way more for the purple test. It makes me think they are just in it for the money. Do any of you guys train at a school like this ?

Besides the belt test cost you have the initiation fee that can be around $80/120 or more
in some of these BJJ places.
Also you might have to pay this fee every year. You have to buy a gi in most places too.
The gi is going to be around $150. So if they are charging $150 a month add $130 and
$120 to that for a grand total of $400 to start training. Then they only train no-gi on Friday
nights when nobody is there anyway. Of course you can buy a whole year of training for
a discount for say around $3,500. We should be able to sleep in the studio for that. I know
a guy who paid lots of money up front like that and then hurt his foot playing basketball
and never went to train grappling one day. Never got his money back either.

[Clinton lawrence]

i like the challenge of grading in our school it turns out to be a huge 50+ person rolls aka the smash session i skipped my first grading and i regret it do you not want to grade because of the money or do you not want to grade due to the risk of failure ???

[David Stager]

i like the challenge of grading in our school it turns out to be a huge 50+ person rolls aka the smash session i skipped my first grading and i regret it do you not want to grade because of the money or do you not want to grade due to the risk of failure ???

If the testing involves rolling against a gauntlet of guys then I'm all for it. But if it's just about demonstrating the techniques in some kind of jiu-jitsu kata, then forget it.