Originally Posted by
Mr Fantastic Shawn Murphy
Hi folks,
I know that the consensus is that if you're belted from another school and come to 10th Planet then you're considered that belt. How do people generally feel about the other way around?
I haven't trained for a while (4 to 5 months or so) and I found an old coupon to go to Tristar for 20 classes for $20. Should I wear my blue belt if I go there? Since I don't train gi I'm a little worried of not representing 10th Planet very well. I've rolled in the gi less than a dozen classes.
Thoughts?
Also, doesn't Zahabi dislike 10th Planet? I might be fabricating that from fragments inside my terrible memory.
Thanks folks!
Not too difficult a question.
For a gi to gi school, or no-gi to no-gi school situation, it is as follows:
1) If you are VISITING another school, you wear your rank... think about it, you are visiting, you are still on your original team, when you go back to your team, you are still your rank.
2) If you are JOINING another school, somewhere on the application, there will be a place that asks for your experience. You state that, and if there are any concerns, you talk to the instructor about it. But... fully expect that if you are not on par with the new schools students, expect to be demoted. Likewise, you can probably expect a new belt if you are on top of everyone. When at a new school that you have officially joined, you have to respect your (new) instructors judgement. It makes no difference who your old instructor was, Eddie, or otherwise, nor does it matter who schools who on average.
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Now for a no-gi to gi crossover or vice versa...
1) if you are just VISTING, I'd say wear whatever you are comfortable with, I would err on wearing your rank, cause that's what you are, but inform the instructor (or since you are in his/her school, just ask what you should wear - it's their place) of the situation. Most won't care since you are visiting, so you should expect to wear your rank, but in the meantime when meeting the other students, you simply say.... I train either gi or no-gi, as the case may be, and have little or no-experience in the other.
2) If you are JOINING a school, and doing a crossover, then for sure, then by all means, you should ask the instructor what to do, or reveal your experience like you are supposed to, and let them decide what to do your first day.
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In both number 2 cases, you should fully expect that the instructor decides what to do, even if you are a brown belt.... you may be asked to wear the white, until evaluated, or your current rank, until adjusted. Seen it plenty of times.
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For your Coupon situation. Coupons or promotions are given under the understanding that you are going to join the school. So I would err on the side of being honest... so that goes
1) if you plan to only train there 20 times and leave, you are a visitor trying to save some cash, in which case, me personally, I wouldn't do it. But if that is your plan, I suspect you will still have to fill out some form that asks about your experience, or the instructor will ask about your experience, you be point blank, tell them what's up, and go with whatever they say.
2) if you plan to use the coupon and are interested in training further, it's still the same thing. Especially since it's a crossover.
In the end, it doesn't matter if 10p white belts school other blue belts at other schools, or what the 10p policy is, you are walking into another academy, and the instructor there decides who wears what... but what I've written above is the general policy from all places I've trained at or visited. I don't train at a 10p place, but if I were to pop in with an intro coupon, I'd definitely ask, be point blank and ask the instructor what to do, and respect their decision. Maybe, I'm old school, lol. Even if I were a black belt in gi jiu jitsu and showed up to a 10p school to join, I'd do the same thing and have no problem reppin' the white until told otherwise, except for the fact that if I went to an IBJJF tournament, or something of that nature, you really aren't supposed to enter as a lower rank, so I would also discuss that with the instructor. On that note however, if you go from one legit school to the next, that isn't an issue...
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