You made it to blue. You survived the blue belt blues. You have just been strapped with your fourth stripe, and the realization that purple belt is around the corner is starting to set in. The purple belt is a rank that requires excellence. To make it to blue, you didn’t have to be good anywhere, you just had to be competent everywhere. As a purple belt, you should be good everywhere, and high level somewhere.
That’s a high expectation, but you have made it this far and there is no going back. How do you ensure you will be ready to level up? What should you be focusing on?
Know Your Games
Your primary focus as a blue belt has been to build games. You should have a strong game from each position, and some B and C games available. Are these games clear in your mind? Could you write down your decision tree?
Teach Your Games
Not everyone will be a coach. Not everyone can be a coach. But teaching is important. If you can’t teach your game, you don’t understand it. From a different view, teaching your games is a fundamental step to mastering your system. Not a coach? No problem. Ask to borrow a class for a few days.
What is your gym good at? What are they missing? Can you take on a system that adds to the skillset of your team? This is what you should be thinking about as you approach purple belt. The more you develop the more sharing your knowledge becomes an important component of your development. As you continue to advance you should be adding to the field of study. That’s a tall order. Start in your gym. Later, you will be tasked with adding to the entire body of knowledge.
Solidify Your Opportunities
Be good everywhere. Don’t have a stand up game? Time to study. Bad at mount escapes? Time to study. From white to blue you had to ensure you understood the fundamentals and filled your holes. Now you need to strengthen your weaknesses. You are coming into purple belt hot.
Heart Check Yourself
What brought you to Jiu Jitsu? Has that changed or stayed the same? As a purple belt you should have a very clear understanding of your Jiu Jitsu purpose. Define what drives you. Progress at high levels looks different than it does at lower levels. It’s not a matter of learning new techniques. It’s a matter of understanding concepts, and managing your long run relationship with a demanding art. Truth be told, it’s not always fun. Sometimes it’s grueling. Sometimes you don’t feel like showing up. You have to have an understanding of why you keep going that is stronger and more everlasting than anything that will hold you back. Understand it, and don’t forget it.
Respect This Art
By now, you know sometimes Jiu Jitsu practitioners go astray. People talk trash. People behave badly. People use Jiu Jitsu as a means of creating strange social hierarchies that they try to use to their advantage. You are approaching a level of Jiu Jitsu that will grant you high levels of respect. You will become a resource on the mats. You may become the teacher. Use your position for good. Leveling up is more than recognition of your skill and hard work, it is an increase in responsibility to share the art and ensure everyone has access to a great Jiu Jitsu experience.
Get Ready
That’s your path. You have been brought to level four as a platform to launch you into the purple belt stratosphere. Focus on these points and you will be leveling up in no time.