Ah, the innocence of earning that first colored belt for adults involved in the sport of Jiu Jitsu, the long-awaited and eagerly anticipated blue belt. When you earn that blue belt, it is a mixture of pride at having solidified your rank at this incredibly difficult sport where you will see a large fraction of people who step onto the mats quit before ever reaching that level, and anxiety at diving into the world of more advanced practitioners. Blue belt is the first major milestone reached in your Jiu Jitsu journey, and it is a symbol of something earned and not given. Everyone starts with a white belt tied around their waist, but far fewer ever obtain the rank of blue, and the numbers continue to dwindle the further you go along in this sport. Blue belt is just the stepping stool on this path, because there really isn’t a major difference between white and blue except for a tiny margin of knowledge and skill, and those white belts will be salivating at the mouth at the new target now on your back.

I can honestly say blue belt was the only belt I really looked forward to. Perhaps it was my naivety and innocence at not realizing the level of skill that existed in the world, so rather than revering a promotion, I anticipated it. Now that I have travelled to gyms all across the country and competed at some of the highest stages, I am in no way at all trying to rush for the next belt, especially as a 3 stripe brown. I see the talent that is out there and I am perfectly content taking my time along the way. Blue belt is also when things begin to change. Even IBJJF thinks so with wrist locks now being legal, and being able to participate in open weight divisions and no gi competitions, something that was previously withheld from at white belt. Blue belt also signifies to those just starting out that you have put the work and time in to ultimately progress in Jiu Jitsu. You are now in a position others just starting out will look up to, so it is up to you to exercise that power wisely and with caution.

All of your coaches, professors, and instructors were once where you were now, and that’s got to be an exceptionally comforting feeling. Leveling up always brings a sense of pride at your accomplishment, even if it is associated with commingling feelings of anxiety at understanding that there is still so much further to go. It is always best to try and alleviate some of the pressures we put on ourself and enjoy each step as it happens. In fact, when asked for some blue belt advice from the upper belts, they all touched on this topic. How it is a marathon, not a sprint, and we will burn ourselves out and break our bodies down if we feel we need to be at every single training session. Rest days are needed, and you won’t regress or lose your skill by taking rest days or not going hard every time you train. Your team is there to support and love you and are always proud to see you compete and get after it, even if you don’t achieve the desired results that specific competition. Blue belt is really where you feel welcomed into the BJJ gym family.

Speaking on that, it is always important to be at a gym that you love and one that is a good fit for you. Sure, that gym is the one that promoted you to blue belt, but at the end of the day you are still a paying customer and deserve to find happiness at the right one. Consistency is key, and you can still keep showing up at the perfect gym for you without overdoing it as well. Looking back, this is definitely something I wish I had done now that my body screams in protest with daily movement. I take a lot more time now at brown belt to set aside time to drill and hone the skills I utilize while practicing the areas I need work and it makes me happy to see so many people coming up in the sport already ahead of the game. I fought way too much when I was training early on rather than learning how to be better so I would need to ‘fight’ less in my rolls. I am a student at every belt color, and will continue to learn on the mats as an instructor, student, teammate, and training partner until the day I die.

Oh, little blue belts, just like little boy blue, so innocent and young (in the sport) and still not grasping everything associated with that job. It can be a lot to take in, and it’s hard to navigate a lot of the feelings that come with it, both happy and sad. Blue is just one tiny step forward in the leaps toward greatness, and it can be disheartening when you think that blue means you will be slaughtering any and everyone of lesser rank (blue belt blues). The longer you train Jiu Jitsu, the more you realize that belt is merely colored cloth to keep your gi closed and you can be caught by anyone. Take pride in your accomplishments and achievements, but understand there is so much left to learn. Come blow your horn and get on the mats, and even when it doesn’t feel like it, you are always getting better than you were yesterday, and most importantly, a massive improvement from the ‘white belt’ beginner version of you. Embrace the grind, and all that it entails, and get ready to be pushed from your comfort zone to enable growth and rise up to all the new challenges that come your way. Blue belts of today, black belts of the future.

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