I am a purple belt with 2 stripes. Two and one half years ago I had a full hip replacement and have not been on the mat since. I now want to get back into Jiu Jitsu but I have moved to a different city that the one that promoted me to purple.
My question is since I have not trained in that long AND since I am permanently going to be very inflexible in the hip and limited in my physical ability, should I just go into the new gym as a white belt and work/roll slowly. Or be a terrible purple belt?
Thank you for your advice.
Keep the purple.
I think it's up to you. You are a purple belt if a legitimate instructor promoted you, and nothing that happens to you physically changes that. However, if you will be hung up on it and it will always weigh on you when you go train, put on a white belt and relieve yourself of the pressure. Personally, I think you should wear your purple proudly and simply inform your new team of your limitations.
If you earned that belt under a legit instructor, then its yours to keep. I would let your new instructor and teammates know your medical history. No one in their right mind would expect you to roll at a purple belt level after a two year layoff for a hip replacement.
Don't worry so much and forget the drama of what belt you are.
The only thing you really need to be concerned about is that if people don't know you they may go extra hard thinking your a current purple belt so you'll probably crush them.
Turn up as a purple and introduce yourself and your situation to the class.
Sound and sensible advice.
wear your purple, let them know about your lay off and hip.
my insturcotr had a full hip replacement and although he cant roll full speed is still a black belt. after you rehab and get yourself back in the swing of things youll realize that your knowledge is still there and you will modify your game for your condition.
keep the purple.
Man u earned it. Talk to the instructor. He should want you to were it. Train smart and work yourself in slow.
Wear the purple. You earned it!! Although BJJ is a "performance-based" art in many ways, the knowledge you gained in the past is still in your mind, even if your body has fallen behind. You may simply be a better coach now than a fighter. The best fighters (in any combat sport) can usually destroy their teachers in an actual fight - it's what's in the mind that is the MOST important.
Having said that, best wishes for a full recovery!
Was it an online promotion? go for white
Was it a blood & sweat & tears purple? THEN WEAR THAT MOTHERF*CKER PROUDLY!!!
Daniël / Carlson Gracie Holland
enemymaker - Was it an online promotion? go for white
Was it a blood & sweat & tears purple? THEN WEAR THAT MOTHERF*CKER PROUDLY!!!
Daniël / Carlson Gracie Holland
LMAO!! Nice!
Lots of good answers, talking to the instructors is probably the best idea.
If you feel more comfortable, and would enjoy wearing a different belt talk it over with the powers that be where you are gong.
In any case, the important thing is you want to keep training FOR YOU!!
We have a brown belt at our school who stopped training for 16 years. He got his brown when he was 17 and didn't resume training until his mid 30's. He won't wear the brown. He doesn't wear a belt. Everyone at our place understands.
vegard - We have a brown belt at our school who stopped training for 16 years. He got his brown when he was 17 and didn't resume training until his mid 30's. He won't wear the brown. He doesn't wear a belt. Everyone at our place understands.
He should get to wear a special belt, because I think he has set some type of record.
Camo maybe?
FingerorMoon -vegard - We have a brown belt at our school who stopped training for 16 years. He got his brown when he was 17 and didn't resume training until his mid 30's. He won't wear the brown. He doesn't wear a belt. Everyone at our place understands.
He should get to wear a special belt, because I think he has set some type of record.
Yes, especially as - according to the IBJJF guidelines http://www.ibjjf.org/graduation.htm - you must be at least 18 years old to get a brown belt (and, in practice, very few people that young get brown belts).
Since when did brownbelt become 18??
Didn't pretty much all the Gracies (the older generation of Rorian, Rickson, Royce, etc...) get their blackbelts on their 18th birthday ? ...and even then only because their dad was stubborn and made them wait until they were 18.
that's what I thought, fingerormoon. I saw something that said black belt is now 19, but I always thought it was 18, and 16 for a blue belt.
the guy that trains at our gym is from brazil and has always been around jiu jitsu.
i say wear it with pride Marcovia-- i am sure the instructors n peeps there would know ANY one with that type of procedure would be wrecked physically let alone with a 2 year gap of non action.
i dont care wwhat belt you are ...that is a traumatizing ordeal physically and pychologically.. at best u can just rehab with the traiing protocols and teach to stay active in your mind :) i believe truthfully you will adapt TREMENDOUSLY mentally and see things ALOT faster and different since your physical state will be lacking causing the mental area to compensate more to balance the overall makeup.
I have met and trained with some browns and blacks that were older and nowhere near the "ass kickers" they must have been at one time. I respect the work they put into getting to that level of recognition, and I respect even more the humility they had getting on the mat with younger, stronger, faster and in some cases just plain better grapplers. Talk about checking your ego at the door...
I am a battered and bruised brown belt with my own physical limitations at age 43. Whenever I make black belt, I will be older and even more beat up. I will still get on the mat and roll with people though. vegard beats me up everytime we roll and I wouldn't have it any other way.