Blue Belt Memories
Kimberly Souza, Master Francisco Mansur, and myself with utterly ridiculous hair.
I received my blue belt under Claudio Franca, one of Francisco Mansur’s top students. Even after moving to San Diego and training with Roy Harris, I would occasionally end up back in Northern California and hang with my old crew.
At Claudio’s San Jose academy, Garth Taylor and I rapped out about my upcoming promotion to purple belt. I also mentioned that 2 others were going to be promoted around the same time, Kevin and Luke. Garth was Luke’s wrestling coach in high school, and the one who got him involved in jiu jitsu. Luke and I moved down to attend UCSD at the same time, and we both began training under Mr. Harris.
Garth, having known Luke as an undersized kid who was often whooped on, voiced his opinion that Luke probably shouldn’t be promoted just yet. Let him dominate at the blue belt ranks for awhile was his reasoning. Garth was a black belt, and I had no reason to disagree.
Back in San Diego, Mr. Harris and I were chatting after class and I relayed Garth’s opinion that Luke shouldn’t be promoted. I will never forget how his face changed, not into an expression of anger, but simply a stone cold visage. Then, I generously volunteered “I’m not in any rush to be promoted. Take your time.”
“Don’t worry,” he replied. “I will.”
I cringe when I think about that conversation. Me, a blue belt with a couple years of experience, telling my instructor who and when to promote. The man who taught, coached, and encouraged me, who knew my BJJ inside and out, who could shut me down at any time, with a depth to his game that I really could not even conceive of, was the man I was giving advice to. Unbelievable. I needed to trust more and realize that he was growing me, and others, at the right rate for long term success and a true understanding of BJJ.
Mr. Harris did take his time in promoting me, receiving my purple belt after 5 years of training. Luke morphed into a total and complete stud, with a superhero like physique and a slew of the hottest girlfriends San Diego had to offer. I’ve never forgotten that conversation, and keep it in mind as I have now become the professor, and continue to grow my students and friends, one at a time, in the way that serves them best.
It’s easy to get caught up with belt colors. Pride and ego play their roles well. But, taking a step back provides a better vantage of many of the truly important things in jiujitsu…crisp, fluid technique, awareness of our bodies and also our partners and even the camaraderie with our teammates. My belt color never saved me against anybody…but, my technique has.
James
on Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Cool post, Roy. Kind of cool seeing a picture of you with Professor Mansur when you were a blue belt and think back about how we bumped into him at the US Open (you as a black belt).
James: Very well put.
TJ from Bend, Oregon
on Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Mr. Dean, thanks for the inspiring post. I am going through something similar in that I am a 3 strip blue and I find myself wondering and expecting when my instructor will promote me to purple. Your post helped to remind me what is important. I also appreciate you indicating how long it took you to go to purple from blue.
Cheers and keep up the great work!!!
Kevin
on Thursday, January 07, 2010
Great post.
I think something even more insidious than belt envy is belt stripes obsession.
My personal (and unqualified in this context) opinion is that I think people should be promoted based upon merit: accumulation of skill, mastery of technique, composure at all intensity levels and contributions to your academy and fellow training partners.
Stripes are an interesting administrative aid but generally have no congruent meaning outside of one academy to the other. Further, rather than focusing on the things above, stripes often engender a perverted sense of time-based entitlement associated with when someone gets or expects to receive a stripe. Get 4 stripes, prepare to be promoted…
Personally, I’d rather work my butt off for however long it takes for my instructors to one day pull me out of the line and tell me that they think I’ve arrived at the point where I’ve earned my next belt—or not.
I’d rather be a white belt for 10 years with a solid game.
Of course I say that now 3 years in. If you’d asked me that when I started I’m sure (like your experience above) I’d run my mouth telling you all about how awesome I was and how I couldn’t wait until I was a blue belt
Thanks for the reminder, Roy.
/Hoff
Christofer Hoff from Boston, MA
on Thursday, January 07, 2010
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
Steve from Bend, OR
on Friday, January 08, 2010
Very interesting and humbling perspective. Like most things in life.. if we only knew then what we know now.
The anticipation of promotion can be somewhat consuming at times, even for the best of us.
Very well said and a good lesson for everyone to adhere to.
If pateince came in bottles water, undoubtedly most everyone would buy it and stock it but I wonder how many people would continuously drink it?
Solomon from atlanta
on Saturday, January 09, 2010
I still remember you when you were a blue my friend. You received your purple shortly after our first meetings. Man, how time flies.
Mars from San Diego
on Tuesday, January 12, 2010
I believe we first met not long after you received your purple, Roy. I remember that first time rolling with you - me as an “experienced” white belt and a post-surgery arm that I couldn’t yet push with, and you being the ultra-smooth, patiently flowing senior who ever so skillfully let me into the game for the most enjoyable rolling I had ever experienced to date. I remember thinking how much more fluid you seemed than anyone else I had ever rolled with - it remains one of my favorite memories of my BJJ journey, my friend. Still, I remember how humble you were, when talking about your experience rolling with (I believe it was Kyle), saying, “You have to FEEL the brown on the mats…. truly, it’s another level!”
While your youthful inexperience might have put your foot in your mouth in front of your instructor, you are definitely one of the shining stars in Harris International today. Your impressive skills combined with that sustained humility are both admired and inspirational to many of us. Thanks for sharing!
Adam from Binghamton, NY
on Tuesday, January 12, 2010