Bjjudo- no point in telling your side to kying418. In his world as long as it is Brazilian it is right.
White to Blue: Around a year and change
Blue to Purple: 10 months
Purple to Brown: 1.5 years
Brown: I've been a Brown for around 2.5 years.
Karate and JJ background before BJJ.
I train 4-7 days a week unless I'm injured.
I've taken more private lessons than I can remember.
I've never competed in BJJ 
Bjjudo
Although i can't argue with your progress, u make it sound like it is the student fault he is not advancing as fast. It first and for most is up to the teacher to determine promotions. The teacher may have different reasons to hold u back... Good and bad reasons and sandbagging is one of them but not the only. I know quite a few people who wreck the people who compete, but they themselves do not compete. Yet they can still take 2-4 years to advance in the upper belts. I see you're situation being more of an argument against the necessity of taking 10 years for a black belt, but not the rule. I think taking years to progress through the ranks helps with character development like patience and perseverance. 
1 year to Blue
4 years to Purple
2 years to Brown
1 year and counting...
Except for a year period as a Blue, I've rarely not attended a class. I train twice a day, most days.
White to blue 2.5 years
Blue to purple 3 years
I've been a purple for 18 months
white to Blue 9 months
to purple 2 yrs
to brown 2 yrs
to black 2 yrs
checkuroil - One-two years to blue
Two to three to purple.
Two to three to brown
Two to three to black.
Pretty simple
.
3 stripe White belt = 5 months
:)
Many people believe there is more of a martial arts aspect to bjj- which includes maturity, honor, character, etc.
Granted, others feel this is hokey- as long as you kick ass on the mat, you should be promoted.
I fall somewhere in the middle.
I would like to think that when I do promote people, 70-80% of the promotion is based on their mat skills.
However, the remaining % is how they behave at the academy and represent my lineage.
If the person is a complete ass, no matter if he wins the Mundials, I would rather them train elsewhere than represent my academy.
Likewise, I think as a person rises in the ranks, they should be less of a jerk. I truly believe BJJ should help transform people to become better people...not just better submission artists.
To me, if a person is an ass, he doesnt deserve to ever be promoted to black belt.
(I know this is an extreme viewpoint- thankfully there are plenty of other gyms people can train and get promoted at, and thankfully I dont have to earn a living off of running a bjj academy.)
White: 1.5 years
Blue: 2 years
Prince: 3 years
Brown: Almost 4 years
BenBJJ - White: 1.5 years
Blue: 2 years
Prince: 3 years
Brown: Almost 4 years
I never became prince. Lucky fellow.
sunderground -JarringJarred - White - blue: 6 months
Blue - purple: 2.5 yrs
Purple - brown: 2 yrs
Currently a 3 stripe brown with 1.25 yrs at this belt.
Train on average 4 days a week (about 10 hours/week) I've competed once as a white belt (silver) and once as a brown (gold in weight and silver in absolute). Lack of interest and time, started my phd as a blue belt, has made me compete less. It's now a race to get either the black belt (who knows how long) or phd (about 6 months) first. I'm not sure which will feel like the bigger accomplishment.
What school and who gave you the brown after 5 years?
Correction:
Blue -> purple : 1.5 yrs (mis-typed on iPhone).
I got my blue from Bill Hosken (a Rigan Machado BB in Colorado springs) and my purple/brown from both Bill and Finnie McMahon (an Amal Easton black belt in fort Collins, where I live now and train 95% of the time).
kying418 - Many people believe there is more of a martial arts aspect to bjj- which includes maturity, honor, character, etc.
Granted, others feel this is hokey- as long as you kick ass on the mat, you should be promoted.
I fall somewhere in the middle.
I would like to think that when I do promote people, 70-80% of the promotion is based on their mat skills.
However, the remaining % is how they behave at the academy and represent my lineage.
If the person is a complete ass, no matter if he wins the Mundials, I would rather them train elsewhere than represent my academy.
Likewise, I think as a person rises in the ranks, they should be less of a jerk. I truly believe BJJ should help transform people to become better people...not just better submission artists.
To me, if a person is an ass, he doesnt deserve to ever be promoted to black belt.
(I know this is an extreme viewpoint- thankfully there are plenty of other gyms people can train and get promoted at, and thankfully I dont have to earn a living off of running a bjj academy.)
awesome viewpoint!
white to blue 18 months
blue to purple 2 yrs
learned that bjj is more about personal progression than who beats who and ego driven assholes don't last
and don't bodyslam chicks...thats a dick move
White-Blue:23 months (out 3 months due to a torn rotator cuff)