In martial arts it can take 2-3 years just learning how to use your own body. You spend the next 2 years perfecting imposing your techniques on the opponent. Jiujitsu takes it a step further....spending the next 5+ years learning how to make the opponent fall into your techniques instead of you imposing your techniques on him. Striking martial arts, such as taekwondo, it takes around 4 years to earn a black belt legitimately. Much of this time is learning how to use your own body to deliver techniques on an opponent. Learning to kick someone in the face, for example. Now imagine from that point learning how to trick your opponent into falling their face into your kick. That's jiujitsu. It isn't enough to put someone into a choke or armbar. Anyone can do that with little training. Jiujitsu in part is learning how to trick your opponent into falling directly into your technique, without you having to forcefully impose your will on them. They fall right into your techniques for you.
So let's say that someone spends an average of 2 years in each belt in jiujitsu. Honestly depending on the club and the individual one can spend anywhere from 6 months to 2 years at white belt. In my observation of rank progression, much time is spent at white belt it is mostly learning how to move your body and getting accustomed to maneuvering and operating on the horizontal plane and getting comfortable fighting from your back. White belt is about learning how to survive. Blue belt is spent learning how to impose techniques on your opponents. Purple belts spend lots of time perfecting the basics learning at the previous two belts and start the process of using combinations and setting traps. A brown belt is a black belt that isn't yet consistent in the application of advanced principles.
Regardless of the level you are constantly learning how to improve your defenses against higher belts, and how to completely shut down lower belts. You are learning how to survive against the higher belts and perfecting the subtle nuances of your techniques against lower belts.
Lots of progression in jiujitsu depends on your own body type. Smaller players will spend lots of time working from the bottom. Larger players spend lots of time playing from the top. Flexible players might use somewhat unconventional techniques more than other players. While there is a basic road map of progression it takes a experienced coach to be able to direct someone in what will work best or them based on an individual's body type and athleticism. Someone flexible with long legs could make great use of the leg triangle choke while someone with shorter legs and less flexible should learn it, the triangle choke will not likely be the most used tool for that person.
So it takes 10 years or so to earn a black belt in jiujitsu because while you are of course learning how to execute techniques, this is only half the art up to black belt. A large portion of the other half is learning how to trick the other person into falling into your technique. After all, that is what jiujitsu is about in essence. It is why the term itself is used as a means to describe the very act of utilization of trickery and deception in order to do whatever it is that you do.
So let's say that someone spends an average of 2 years in each belt in jiujitsu. Honestly depending on the club and the individual one can spend anywhere from 6 months to 2 years at white belt. In my observation of rank progression, much time is spent at white belt it is mostly learning how to move your body and getting accustomed to maneuvering and operating on the horizontal plane and getting comfortable fighting from your back. White belt is about learning how to survive. Blue belt is spent learning how to impose techniques on your opponents. Purple belts spend lots of time perfecting the basics learning at the previous two belts and start the process of using combinations and setting traps. A brown belt is a black belt that isn't yet consistent in the application of advanced principles.
Regardless of the level you are constantly learning how to improve your defenses against higher belts, and how to completely shut down lower belts. You are learning how to survive against the higher belts and perfecting the subtle nuances of your techniques against lower belts.
Lots of progression in jiujitsu depends on your own body type. Smaller players will spend lots of time working from the bottom. Larger players spend lots of time playing from the top. Flexible players might use somewhat unconventional techniques more than other players. While there is a basic road map of progression it takes a experienced coach to be able to direct someone in what will work best or them based on an individual's body type and athleticism. Someone flexible with long legs could make great use of the leg triangle choke while someone with shorter legs and less flexible should learn it, the triangle choke will not likely be the most used tool for that person.
So it takes 10 years or so to earn a black belt in jiujitsu because while you are of course learning how to execute techniques, this is only half the art up to black belt. A large portion of the other half is learning how to trick the other person into falling into your technique. After all, that is what jiujitsu is about in essence. It is why the term itself is used as a means to describe the very act of utilization of trickery and deception in order to do whatever it is that you do.
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