05/24/2026
With belt and stripe promotions happening in 2 weeks, I want to get ahead of any feelings of disappointment or discouragement. We have lots of belts to award this time, and as usual there will be lots in attendance who get a stripe and not a belt. As an instructor, assessing student growth and overall skill level is a unique challenge. It isn't impossible, but it isn't a perfect process either. Obviously skills matter, knowledge of technique matters, and the ability to perform those techniques successfully in a roll against a resisting opponent matters. And so does time and attendence.
But attendance isn't enough.
Practice makes permanent. Just attending isn't enough. If your training isn't purposeful, meaningful, and informed by proper technique down to the little details, then you might be practicing bad Jiu-Jitsu and that won't get you to the next belt either.
All of that said...
Are you training 2x to 3x each week, and you are paying close attention to detail--not just when watching what's being shown, but also attention to detail with everything you are doing while drilling? Or are you using drilling rounds as a social session to chit chat with your partner, and absent-mindedly practicing bad habits and failing to perform important little details? Are you staying after class to get multiple rolls, or are you leaving because situational rounds counted as hard training for you? If you're on one end of that spectrum, trading 2x per week might get you on the track in the picture, and if you are training a habits align with the other end of the spectrum, training +3x a week might not be enough.
Be honest with yourself assessment and you will grow better. Don't be discouraged if you think you're not getting a belt. Still show up. Keep training.