Gi and the belt system ...

[Eric "Tiger Blood" Safier]

I train once a week at Gracie Barra jiu jitsu and I have been training with them over 4months now. I'm a white belt with no stripes. We have class 2 times a week and like I said I only go to one of those due to my work. So I was in class this week and noticed that someone who started after me had "earned" there stripe...This person doesn't even know how to tie there belt correctly . When we do roll I destory him. Question the belt system just based off attendance ? So if you really don't know the fundamentals you can still be promoted? Another funny aspect is I've started using some of the 10th planet system in class and have been giving the blue belts problems with the lockdown and swipes from lockdown. I've been told not to do things I'm not familiar with ...But it seems I'm doing really well with it since I'm trapping everyone in class with it

[Patrick Carey]

don't think of it dude, stripes and belts don't mean shit

if your instructor tells you not to use lockdown, don't use it. you can use it after someone flattens you out in half guard but that's all I'd advise. at this point it's better for you to work on stopping the crossface in the first place and working traditional half guard and z guard.

just put the reps in and you'll get a belt

[Jay Chow]

Don't listen, don't do things you aren't familiar with? That's the most narrow minded approach you can have. Just keep doing your thing!

[Muhammad Abdou]

if you dont experiment, you wont grow... you can find people with this attitude; that looking outside the box is a bad thing-in all martial arts... i find them very annoying. in my opinion, every aspect of a martial art must evolve by finding the most effective techniques through trial and error

[Benjamin Salah]

I use to think that a belt actually meant something but after doing martial arts my entire life i've come to the conclusion that it doesn't mean shit. It's all about the knowledge and experience that you gain that's important. I do things not to earn a belt but to be the best that i can be and if that doesn't earn me a rank well screw it.

[Logan Hutchins]

I train under a Gracie Barra instructor, and he stresses coming to class 3 times a week to get to the next stripe. But I have found he really only gives stripes after you show significant improvement. Like I got a sub on a blue belt and got another stripe. That may just be my teacher though. I don't understand why he wouldn't want you to use the lock down, that's just stupid.

[Nick Powers]

Don't sweat it, bro. The other day, someone in the beginners class got their first stripe, and I got left with none. I had been drilling with him earlier that day and it kind of baffled me that he'd been given a stripe before I had, but the more I thought about it, the more I just told myself that I had to work harder.

It certainly wasn't based on attendance, because I go just as much if not more than he does. My instructor, Master Dedeco, is a 4th degree black belt under Liborio, and got all the way up to his brown belt under De La Riva, so he's as legit as they come. Everyone he's been teaching since he came to the US in 2003 told me, "Whether you know it or not, Dedeco's watching you" and that he'll know when you deserve to be promoted.

It's disheartening when you see someone you feel is beneath you get promoted, but it should only motivate you to work harder and harder to become the best jiu-jitsu practitioner you can be!

[J Grooms]

Yeah sure... having a belt is cool, but it doesnt mean anything.

[Budo_Jake]

Don't compare yourself to others. Just focus on improving your skills and helping your teammates.

[Ryan Marshall]

You gotta trust your instructor, perhaps he just expects a lot more out of you than others, that's not a bad thing.
When I was a white belt, I had the attitude that I'd rather be one of the best white belts than one of the worst blues.
It'll come, being a white or blue in my opinion should be a very fun time. Always learning new things and no pressure.