What did it take to make purple?

[ironliongreenbelt]

I've been a blue belt for just over 3 months. Already I have purple set as a goal instead of stripes. What I want to know from purple belts is how long did it take to get there and what, if anything, was mandatory for the rank?

[drx604]

i have no clue, give me another 5 years (hopefully less)....

[Avenged]

I got my purple about a year after getting my blue but that was training twice a day 7 days a week...plus a 1 month trip to Brasil....I still dont really know what is "needed" to be a purple except for smoothness. Thinkin back from when I was blue to now everything is much more effortless, and I try not to force anything...Thats what good jits is about.

[360OmApLaTa]

it took me like 3 years and a permanent messed up ankle

[Avenged]

it took me like 3 years and a permanent messed up ankle

I think he means a purple in BJJ

[Benu]

It's hard for me to say a definite amount of time... but I got my blue belt in Nov 2007 and my purple in Jan 2010, so that's 2 years and 2 months, give or take. I think I was a little longer on white belt that most people are, meaning I was pretty mature for the blue already, making it faster for me to get my purple. I also think I got my purple partly because I was teaching actively for 4 years. So 26 months and 5-6 times per week, meaning about 600 training sessions and maybe 10 tournaments.

I don't know about smoothness, I would never describe my jiu-jitsu style as that. My style is very straight forward and lazy... I like to lurk in the trenches and lure my opponent into traps that I set up for them from the guard. On top I just force my will on my opponents, kind of brutal I would say.

The biggest difference from blue to purple is the understanding of jiu-jitsu. This is crystalized as posture and pressure in my mind. I don't think the techniques I use are very much different from what they were 3 years ago, but my posture and pressure is much better. Of course I am fine tuning the techniques too, but mainly I would say it has come through the understanding of those two previously mentioned things.

So I don't think it's anything you can really measure by asking your student to show you X amount of techniques. The only way to measure it is by rolling with them.

Ofcourse I competed also succesfully as a blue belt too. Tapped out a very good purple belt in a final match of a tournament etc. I personally didn't feel like earning my purple when I got it, but I've done very well in tournaments last year, problably my best competition year even if I haven't been able to train as much as I used to.

[drx604]

anyone know how long on average a non-teaching blue belt takes to get purple? not that i'm in a rush, just wondering

[Benu]

I think it's very individual. But I would say 3 years for your average joe who trains 3-4 times per week. I think the purple belt is a huge milestone in your jiu-jitsu developement, you need to know alittle about everything and a lot more about most stuff. I can't remeber who (it was a brazilian black belt) told me on a seminar once, that after your purple belt you should mainly be refining your timing and pressure until you reach your black belt, when you reach it you start learning everything again, from the beginning.

Not sure if I understood what he ment correctly, but I think he ment that you need to push your A-game to black belt level from purple and once you reach bb you need to start making everything your A-game. Toughts?

[Avenged]

Ive heard before at purple is when its generally accepted that you have a good understanding of jiu jitsu. There are tons and tons of whites and blues (some good some bad) but purple takes some commitment, knowledge, ability to display skill, and a lot of mat time to get to.

[drx604]

i'm approaching 2 years as a blue belt and i just finally feeling like i deserve one... no rush for purple ... i wanna be that old guy that has been training for 10+ years and still a blue belt