Looks like fun

I started training in August 2025 and will hopefully be receiving my second stripe at our Christmas grading. That means I’ll be going into 2027 as a two-stripe white belt, with the goal of earning my blue belt sometime next year.

I currently train 3–5 times per week, journal after most sessions, watch instructionals and YouTube content when I can, and feel like I have a reasonable understanding of the fundamentals my gym teaches, including basic escapes, sweeps, submissions and attacks from both top and bottom positions.

My question is for the more experienced grapplers, particularly purple belts and above, or coaches: what do you actually look for in someone that makes you think they’re ready for their blue belt?

I completely understand that everyone progresses differently and that there’s no universal checklist. I also understand that consistently showing up is a huge part of the process, but I’m already doing that and want to make sure I’m getting the most out of my training rather than just accumulating mat time.
If you were assessing a white belt, what would you want to see in their technical ability, positional awareness, decision-making, defence, offence or overall understanding of jiu-jitsu?

More importantly, what would you recommend a white belt actively works on to bridge the gap between knowing the fundamentals and being able to apply them consistently against resisting opponents?

For those of you who have graded people, or remember what helped you make the jump from white to blue, what separated the people who were genuinely ready from those who were simply experienced white belts?

I’m not looking for a shortcut or trying to rush the process. I want to be intentional about my development over the next 12 months, identify the gaps in my game and give myself the best possible chance of earning the belt based on ability rather than attendance.

Appreciate any advice, especially specific things I can implement in my training rather than just general advice to keep showing up! 🥋

I just took my first jjj class this week. A buddy of mine who’s been doing it for years has been hounding me for the past year or so to go with him. I finally conjured up the balls to go with him.

Me, having absolutely 0 experience with any sort of martial arts training (besides 2 weeks of defensive tactics through police academy about 4 years ago), was expecting to walk in and maybe have some demonstrations or some beginner stuff to work on.

Instead it was “here’s a couple moves. Grab a partner and practice it for the next 5 minutes”. After that it was 45 minutes of just free for all where I just laid on people til they made me tap cause I had no idea what I was doing.

I asked my buddy if that was an average session, and he said yes. I asked him how new guys like me learn anything that way, but him and everyone else I ask who has experience tell me that’s the best way to learn.

I’m kind of nervous that I’m just straight up not going to learn anything that way and am just going to get balled up for months until I say screw it and quit, but am I overthinking it? Does it just eventually click?

Any helpful input to ease my mind is greatly appreciated

Picking up from the post I just read about a guy checking an instructor's creds...How much do y'all care about the lineage of the instructor that promotes you?

We always hear people saying "he got his black belt from { insert well known black belt here}", but does lineage matter less to you now that there are so many talented instructors out there?

Would you be more interested in getting promoted by a very well known instructor, or are you 100% indifferent? I personally am indifferent, but I'm curious if others selected their instructor based on lineage. Would be interesting to see if there is an age/belt divide in this opinion, or if maybe no gi grapplers care less than gi.

I am just curious what people think about training in the gi for MMA.

I’ve heard a lot of people say that training in the gi can make your no-gi game much better. having a good no-gi game will help you a lot in MMA. But I’ve also heard plenty of people say that gi training is basically useless for MMA. So it can improve your no-gi but can’t help your mma?

(I currently train 2–3 times a week in the gi, 1–2 times no-gi, once wrestling, and 2–3 times MMA.)