Hi guys, If any of you on here happen to be a purple belt in brazilian could you just give me a quick sort of summary of what you know. Just what standard a purple belt should be upto, like where they should be comfortable, techniques they should know or anything like that. Also if anybody holds a BJJ black belt, could you please specify when you would give a student a purple belt? And also the major differences between a blue and a purple belt, if there are any?

Thanks a million guys. Jim

The BIGGEST difference is in the GUARD PLAY of the purples compared to the blues. Of course that isn't all....

The purple belt has more TIME in. That's what makes him generally better than the blue in most aspects. This added experience gives the purple more attributes such as better timing and sensitivity.

The purple's technical command will be greater as well. And even though the purple may not know a great many more techniques than the blue, the added experience helps him to better apply the techniques when wrestling.

Perhaps one of the main differences is that the purple is usually much better at COMBINING techniques. He's more able to flow between them. So if one should fail or is countered, he is already onto the next move in the chain. He can also think about more than one move at a time. In other words, his ability to create strategy is better. He can think several moves ahead and set up certain things which the blue is often not able to do as well.

The amount of overall strength used in rolling is also likely to be diminished as a purple because of the higher technical command. Thus he will be able to roll longer and not tire as easily. This is often coupled with a better ability to RELAX on the mat - something that a LOT of people have difficulty doing.

The purple's defensive skills are often more highly developed. Hell, everything is. But the purples timing out of guard passes is usually so much better than blues, that they are often able to more easily recover guard without the passing happening as frequently (as it happens to blues). If the pass DOES occur, the purples are usually working more transitional defense and don't seem to get caught as much flat on their backs with their arms killed.

Lets just say that purples know about the same things (a little more usually though) as blues, but they just better at it. Their timing and mat experience is just that much better.

Gotta have your escapes down so you don't have to think about them.

Gotta have the ability to play closed and open guard, and to be able to RECOVER the guard and prevent passes.

Again, I have to say that the best thing about purples is that their GUARD play is usually MUCH better than the blues. They're beginning to develop the impassable guard (theory).

With all this said, it's completely subjective and depends on many factors such as, prior experience, athleticism, wrestling or football background (if applicable), conditioning, sandbagging, etc.


Here's a link you may find helpful:

Harris Progression



I'm sure that Fletch will add some insight to this as well. Nice thread!




-John

I cant answer too well but with my experience which is only a couple months is that the purples in my class are long time students, 5+ years where the blues are usually 2-3 years. The purples are very strong and seem to have dedicated alot of their lives to BJJ. They usually assist our instructors and can explain things well and teach classes if a black belt isnt around. They can sweep very very effectivly with minimal effort due to their great technique. Almost impossible not to get mounted and if your a blue in our class you struggle very very hard to gain position. My school doesnt give stripes until purple also, dont know if that even means anything really.

Most purples HAVE dedicated themselves tremendously to jiu-jitsu. Considering that a very small percentage of people new to the art even make it to BLUE belt and an another smaller percentage make it to purple, dedication is almost a requirement for that belt.


-John

Thanks heaps guys. I was thinking it had alot to do with the game being developed and their ability to apply techniques in wrestling. Lol, I'ts kind of strange, there are no set (syllabes)(spelling)? are there? Because its up to the teachers discression, does it result in a wide range of ability in purple belts from school to school and around the world?

Thanks again.

By looking at the website posted above, it clearly shows a well thought out learning process from belt to belt, with clear technique requirements at each level. So my assumption is, there is a set syllabus of techniques through all BJJ that can be traced back to a specfic instructor... some learned under gracie, some machado, I dont know any details really but I think its safe to assume they all teach different. Honor seems to be highly regarded in BJJ and if you say you know it, you better prove it... so I doubt many teachers want a blue belt who doesnt know just as much as other blue belts in other BJJ schools, or whatever belt... know what I mean ?? Competition makes everyone better, honor makes you do your best, alot of honor and alot of competition in BJJ.

JamesLightningBolton wrote:

Quote:

---

I'ts kind of strange, there are no set (syllabes)(spelling)? are there? Because its up to the teachers discression, does it result in a wide range of ability in purple belts from school to school and around the world?

---

It depends on what the instructor is looking for. Some of them place more emphasis on certain things. The bottom line is “game”.

It pretty much follows like this; when you can roll competitively with the blues, you’re a blue. When you can roll competitively and give game to the purples, you’re purple.

So really (in theory), there should NOT be a wide gulf of skill between purples from one school to the next because so much of the rank is established through inter -school competition. You are essentially graded by performance against your peers. That would include such things as your general size, age, along with ability.



GuitarNinja wrote:

Quote:

---

Honor seems to be highly regarded in BJJ and if you say you know it, you better prove it... so I doubt many teachers want a blue belt who doesnt know just as much as other blue belts in other BJJ schools, or whatever belt... know what I mean ?? Competition makes everyone better, honor makes you do your best, alot of honor and alot of competition in BJJ.

---

Yeah…that and dishonor. There’s some of that as well. As long as there are human beings involved, you’re going to get a mixed bag.

Competition does tend to make the school better as a whole. Some tournaments aren’t worth crap though. Two notable one’s I can think of were poorly managed and ran. You show up expecting to roll by the late morning or early afternoon and you’re still standing around waiting to be called by early evening. Etc. Then when you through your time was coming, it’s delayed yet again. That’s not saying a THING about the judging…..


Dereck wrote:

Quote:

---

If that were only true. More then once David Meyer (Machado) has taken my Instructor and partner along with him to aid him in teaching. As they are both blue belts he tries to guage those he is teaching and unfortunately more then once those claiming to be blue belt or higher were not necessarily the case.

---

And the opposite is true as well, where you have people who are whites or blues that should have LONG been blue or purple (sandbagging). That’s the SCOURGE of BJJ, in my opinion. I mean, if you’re the next belt, you’re the next belt. They keep you down just so their school can win a few more tourneys with at a level below your true ability just to clean house. I think that’s dishonorable as well.

Like I said earlier…as long as humans are involved in the process……


-John