Now that you are a bonafide BJJ John Wick with that shiny new white belt its time to earn that first stripe!

During the last promotion I was a part of one of the guys beside me said “The white belt you get for free” as someone was getting their very first BJJ stripe. One of my favorite times to be in class is when a new white belt gets their first stripe. There is just something magical about that to me. In my experience that first stripe meant I knew something, even if it wasn’t really anything much more than a take down or two. Not only that, but I was now part of the team. I could show my move or two to someone that didn’t know it. Cool stuff!

Here’s the deal. Don’t push it. You WILL get that stripe after enough time has passed and you prove you can do your basic moves over and over the same way. It feels like an eternity but it’s all about patience. And when you do get it this is what it feels like:

Have you seen anyone any happier that that!? NEVER! LOL

Quick Tip:

Try to work with blue belts and up if you get the chance. Usually those guys will slow down during a sparing match and even give you helpful tips along the way. The higher belts typically do not want to smash you. It’s also time for them to try something they have been working on. Heck, you will probably catch a few of them when they mess up too. I’ve been caught probably a hundred times trying to catch a new guy with a fancy new arm bar setup or something similar. So just have fun with it.

Never forget to tap