I'm not sure if it is just me, but spending a little time at Purple belt really adjusted my mind set more than anything. Kind of like a pit stop in the journey. I will admit at blue belt I really felt that I knew so much and that I even went as far as thinking I had too be faster, even stronger than anyone else. Straying away from what is important. And that is learning proper technique. At purple belt, I was able to realize I don't know shit. But I have matured a lot and have been able to really see and accept all of my weakness and flaws in technique and even in training. Having the discipline of drilling over and over again and knowing the importance of this. The place I am now really forced me too really focus and re-adjust. I am blessed with a great team around me, that helps in the progress of every single member. I was wondering if anyone came to this at Roxa or even before?
I know it doesnt contribute much to the thread but as a blue belt this post helped me out a lot. Thanks, VU when I get to a comp. As a side note (as a spanish speaker) it really throws me off to see the word 'Roja' associated with purple belt. It looks/sounds like the word Red in spanish! 
If you realized that you don't know anything at purple... you are doing fine. I remember someone started a thread for black belts to discuss what they would have done differently and a lot of them said:
1. Take their time and enjoy the journey
2. not have allowed themselves to get injured so much
3. trained lighter....
brixx139 -I know it doesnt contribute much to the thread but as a blue belt this post helped me out a lot. Thanks, VU when I get to a comp. As a side note (as a spanish speaker) it really throws me off to see the word 'Roja' associated with purple belt. It looks/sounds like the word Red in spanish!
Thank you! I changed that to Roxa haha. My mistake :) I have been able too do a lot of thinking. And I cant thank my teammates enough for this. We're always thinking of ways too progress.
Current purple here too. As a blue at a point I think you actually believe you hav got it figured out. It wasn't till about 7 or 8 months into being a purple that out hit me that I only had a beginning of a start of an understanding. Changed my whole game. Now, the more I learn, the more I realize I don't know....
i am 7-8 months into my purple and have just recently started overhauling my game. By now I have the techniques that I rely on but I am straying away from those to try new things. Like new guards that I know I will be smashed using. I read some place that at purple you should be working on buildng on your game but I am just going to throw out my current game and start a new one and hopefully down the road they will overlap. For the record there is nothing wrong with my current game and it works fine. I just want to explore all the possibilities of BJJ. I started this the other day and got smashed up pretty good by some big blues and purplrs, was like being a white all over again!
When I got my purple I thought the more fancy moves I learned the better I'd be. But after watching and reading a lot about Kron, Rickson, Ryron, and Akins; I realized I needed to go back to what bjj was designed for. Using the time tested white belt moves you learn through your journey in the white belt. I now started looking at it from an MMA and real life scenario. Can I be hit in this position? How do I conserve energy? How do I attack, will it be with this A-G grip attack? Or will it be, A-B and B be the finish. I think purple for everyone is the belt where you truly find yourself. Many black belts I know said that purple was the belt they defined themselves in. 
I'm glad too see I'm not the only one like this. At first I really did think it was a problem. Now I view it as a great time to really change my focus before I make the last steps towards all our goal of black belt. Shit I even am going back and really making sure I have the basics down set. Something at a blue belt I would have never done. Working on improving my competing game while understanding and experiencing new ones.
What do you think sparked this in you guy's? Were you having problems with other purples belts in competition or in training? Did you notice your basics or game wasn't as sharp as you thought it was? Or something else I would really like too know.
DeanBlas - I'm glad too see I'm not the only one like this. At first I really did think it was a problem. Now I view it as a great time to really change my focus before I make the last steps towards all our goal of black belt. Shit I even am going back and really making sure I have the basics down set. Something at a blue belt I would have never done. Working on improving my competing game while understanding and experiencing new ones.
What do you think sparked this in you guy's? Were you having problems with other purples belts in competition or in training? Did you notice your basics or game wasn't as sharp as you thought it was? Or something else I would really like too know.
i am older and smaller than most of my training partners and i do really well against them. My game has been sweep from the bottom usually spider guard, side mount to submission. i have worked on this for the past couple of years and pretty efficient at it. So, there is nothing wrong with my current game and it is dependable. I just want to explore other things so i can be well rounded. Like from the bottom. I always try to get back to spider where i am comfortable. I have started forcing myself to deep half and a lot more x. Even when things get rough I dont go back to where I feel comfortable. I am also finding new ways to get to and keep the back instead of staying side/knee on belly. It has been a rough road when you roll against good aggressive guys. BUt that will only help me get to where I need to be faster. At blue I developed a guard that worked for me out of neccesity because tired of being smashed. Now I am doing it for fun if that makes sense.
"I'm not sure if it is just me, but spending a little time at Purple belt really adjusted my mind set more than anything"
Not just you. I've been a purple for a couple years. About six months ago I was experiencing a serious case of purple belt blues. People always talk about the blue belt blues--where you go through a tough period where nothing seems to work, but if you can stick with it, you'll grow and emerge stronger. I went through that at blue, but I was surprised that it also hit me so late at purple, because prior to that point I was pretty happy with my game. Sure, I had had lots of peaks and valleys over the years like we all do, but this one was different.
Anyway, for a few months I was super depressed about my game, and even had serious thoughts of quitting. Fortunately I worked through it, but it did require me to reevaluate everything about my game and how I train, and forced me to dig deeper into each technique, looking for the tiny details that make them work. When I emerged from that process it put me at an entirely new level in my game, with a much deeper understanding. It was as if I had been wearing sun glasses, but then one day took them off and could see more clearly.
This is the most amazing aspect of Jiu Jitsu--that at every stage there are challenges to overcome. Most people who start training BJJ will eventually quit due to those challenges, but if you can stick with it, when you do emerge, the feeling of accomplishment is awesome. At every stage I've had periods where I think I have it all figured out, but then I'll get to a new level and realize how little I really do.
Right on man. That help's out too read. Your right you have to just stick too it even through the hard. I'm glad you were able too overcome!
FRAT
When you are a purple belt --if you're lucky-- you'll realize you don't know anything.
When you are a brown belt, GENERALLY you realize you don't know anything.
And when you are a black belt --unless you're an idiot-- you KNOW you don't know anything.
BJJ is INFINITE and any time you think you are close to "getting it down", you are really probably just close to having a dose of reality about just how deep the current layer of misconceptions you are operating under, really are. It's a never ending process --just ask any Red Belt.
What would you say helped you advance the most at Purple Belt?
Drilling?
Sparring?
Competing?
shen -
When you are a purple belt --if you're lucky-- you'll realize you don't know anything.
When you are a brown belt, you GENERALLY realize you don't know anything.
And when you are a black belt --unless you're an idiot-- you KNOW you don't know anything.
BJJ is INFINITE and any time you think you are close to "getting it down", you are really probably just close to having a dose of reality about just how deep the current layer of misconceptions you are operating under, really are. It's a never ending process --just ask any Red Belt.
lol,this
Shen hitting the nail on the head!
The more I pick up, the more I realize I don't know.......
Shen for the win on that one
I figured this out about a year into BJJ. I remember making a list of all of the techniques I "knew" (i.e., that I had seen once and thought I knew) at white belt. I looked at the list of techniques I had written and thought, "wow, that's a lot!"
When I got my blue belt, I started to see all of the stuff I didn't know. My mental image was of a wall being knocked down, and discovering a vast cavern beyond it. That led me to realize that if I could see stuff I didn't know, then there must be a vast collection of things I don't even see. And I also realized that even the stuff I thought I understood, I didn't.
And that's pretty much held true until now (purple for almost 3 years). I don't know shit. It's really the most exciting thing about BJJ: that there is just endless potential.
When you feel best about BJJ, it's time to get your head out of your ass.
trianglegrrl - I figured this out about a year into BJJ. I remember making a list of all of the techniques I "knew" (i.e., that I had seen once and thought I knew) at white belt. I looked at the list of techniques I had written and thought, "wow, that's a lot!"
When I got my blue belt, I started to see all of the stuff I didn't know. My mental image was of a wall being knocked down, and discovering a vast cavern beyond it. That led me to realize that if I could see stuff I didn't know, then there must be a vast collection of things I don't even see. And I also realized that even the stuff I thought I understood, I didn't.
And that's pretty much held true until now (purple for almost 3 years). I don't know shit. It's really the most exciting thing about BJJ: that there is just endless potential.
I like that. I'm going too make this list tonight. I'm sure it will help even more. Thank you TRIANGRRL