How did you earn your blue belt, how long did it take?

[MadMatMonster]

Sub'ed a purple when I was a white, but didn't just sub him. I tooled him. After that I got my blue.

[Ba Bu]

I just earned mine on Saturday. I took the brutal drive to Toronto to test under Professor Omar Salvosa. It was something like a 2-3 hour test. It was a white belt only testing. At the end, he started giving out stripes. He called me up and gave me my fourth stripe (and I thought that I had failed to get a blue belt). Then, he called the other guy testing for blue up and gave him a stripe. Then he gave out a few more stripes and called the other guy back up saying "I almost forgot." And I'm thinking, "ah shit, he's gonna get the blue belt."
But Professor Salvosa said "Do you feel like fighting?" and he said yes so I was called out. He caught me in a triangle which I escaped to side control, only to get caught in another triangle. I applied an ankle lock while in the triangle, and had my elbow on his rib. I heard a tap and a yell. It turns out his rib broke somehow. I was announced winner. It sucks, becuase he was very strong and probably would have beaten me.

I was then matched with a blue belt who I armbarred. Then another blue belt with (2 stripes I think). That match ended without any submissions. Then I went with another blue belt 2 stripes who choked me out at the end. Then I had to fight a purple belt who I almost armbarred. Then I got a blue belt.

It was the most tiring thing I've ever done. You could combine my 6 mma fights into 1 and it wouldn't be as tiring.

[Byrtnoth1]

My school doesn't do testing, nor do you have to win a tournament (though doing well in a tournament can certainly help). We fall into that category where the coach just gives you the stripe or belt when he feels like you're ready. Unfortunately for us, that could be a long time! He's flat out told me before that he will hold off promoting people for as long as he possibly can. He says he never 'gives' belts, people have to 'take or earn' the belt, and that he will only promote people that excel.

That being said, we've been talking recently about my game, and about my fight training. And he says if I keep developing at my current rate (which is a big if, since I'm sure I'll hit plateaus that'll slow me down) I should be able to have my blue belt by Sept/Oct 09. Which would be about 14 months of training. But that's going 6 days a week, and sometimes (2-3x a week) twice a day. I'm getting well over 20 hours a week in the gym.

[Kyduh]

Whichever, I would recommend to any new student that they get into the habit of some form of note-taking. Definitely helps (though I can't speak for higher belts, as I'm only a blue).

My coach requires this. He was never particularly athletic, so he got crazy good at Jitsu by taking an engineers approach to it. He has a very academic training method.

I just earned mine on Saturday.

Congratulations! That's a great story to go with it. Coincidently, you will now hate ANYONE who got a blue belt from Royce.

I'm getting well over 20 hours a week in the gym.

You lucky, lucky bastard

[chadthebad]

i got mine in about 11 months i worked my butt off like 5 nights a week and every compitation i could go to i went. allthough i honestly think i got it a lil soon i still worked very hard for it

[The Don]

My school doesn't do testing, nor do you have to win a tournament (though doing well in a tournament can certainly help). We fall into that category where the coach just gives you the stripe or belt when he feels like you're ready. Unfortunately for us, that could be a long time! He's flat out told me before that he will hold off promoting people for as long as he possibly can. He says he never 'gives' belts, people have to 'take or earn' the belt, and that he will only promote people that excel.

That being said, we've been talking recently about my game, and about my fight training. And he says if I keep developing at my current rate (which is a big if, since I'm sure I'll hit plateaus that'll slow me down) I should be able to have my blue belt by Sept/Oct 09. Which would be about 14 months of training. But that's going 6 days a week, and sometimes (2-3x a week) twice a day. I'm getting well over 20 hours a week in the gym.

My School is a lot like this.. you just train and then one day they hand you a stripe or a belt... I know Royler is very strict about handing out belts when you get one from him you know you earned it cause it feels like it took forever. I am still a white belt and expect to earn my first stripe soon and should soon be entering my first tourney.

[bunkerdnoi]

2 years, tournaments, and sprained fingers.

[Smithers]

2 years, tournaments, and sprained fingers.

I have to tape my fingers every time I roll. My hands are a mess.

[JanneM]

I got my blue belt in about 8 months. Is started training BJJ 2005 summer and got my blue in early spring 2006. Did 8 months of MMA before starting Jiu-Jitsu. But did that in a different city and had 10 months brake after my amateur MMA fight in 2004 and before starting BJJ.

[KCBrunoTostesBJJ]

I'm hoping to have earned my blue belt after Grapplers Quest in NJ March 7th.