bjj is skill based. this is different from many knowledge based styles. For example, in karate, you can test when you know all of the required techniques for a particular level and demonstrate reasonable skill with them - kata, self defenses, etc.

bjj isn't like that. In bjj, you are usually are not considered for promotion until you can consistently keep up with or beat people one rank higher than you. This ensures continually progressing skill level.

I kind of like that. Much like Wrestling, you know where you are by what you are able to do when you practice.

It's good to a point. Skill vs others is a criteria, but not the only criteria. Otherwise older people and those with some handicaps could not get promoted. It also usually has to do with time on the mat. You put in the blood and sweat and you tend to get rewarded for it.

Ah, that makes sense as well. That way, a plateau doesn't necessarily stall you out?

I hope you'll excuse the slight thread derailment, but speaking of promotions, my shootfighting instructor was awarded his black belt in BJJ last week. He is the third (I think?) BJJ black belt we have now. The fuss made over it I think helps highlight just how huge an effort it is to reach that rank. There was no formal grading exam, he was just considered to be ready.

http://www.bjj.com.au/profile_bill_gray.htm

Congrats to your instructor! That is very cool, indeed.

Awesome. Shoot him a congratulations from me!

My school has rank tests every 8 weeks or so. It is a combination of knowing proper technique, and performing it in freestyle matches. You can't even come to the test if our instructor doesn't think you're ready.

We use a level system with 9 levels (as per the program we're certified under which is David Meyers' program), and have assigned a different colored belt to each level, so it's different than any other BJJ program I've seen, but you still won't be making black belt for a long time, and not without a lot of hard work.

At some more traditional BJJ schools I've been to (in terms of belt systems) It's usually White, then Blue, then Black, with years in between ranks. I've seen Purple belts used quite frequently between white and blue as well.

I'm sure it's like every other style though: depends on the school and the instructor.

My school has rank tests every 8 weeks or so. It is a combination of knowing proper technique, and performing it in freestyle matches. You can't even come to the test if our instructor doesn't think you're ready.

We use a level system with 9 levels (as per the program we're certified under which is David Meyers' program), and have assigned a different colored belt to each level, so it's different than any other BJJ program I've seen, but you still won't be making black belt for a long time, and not without a lot of hard work.

At some more traditional BJJ schools I've been to (in terms of belt systems) It's usually White, then Blue, then Black, with years in between ranks. I've seen Purple belts used quite frequently between white and blue as well.

I'm sure it's like every other style though: depends on the school and the instructor.

I've never seen that one. IME, it's usually white, blue, purple, brown, black.

I've never seen that one. IME, it's usually white, blue, purple, brown, black.

So you've seen purple belts coming after blue??

Even more evidence that they're just to hold up your pants anyway.

I've never seen that one. IME, it's usually white, blue, purple, brown, black.

So you've seen purple belts coming after blue??

Even more evidence that they're just to hold up your pants anyway.

in most karate styles I've seen, purple comes before blue. However, I have never seen a bjj school that ranks blue higher than purple.

Interesting. I'm originally from New Hampshire, where I still do most of my training, and most schools here have their own proprietary belt system. (There's even a school I trained at for a while that uses various colors of camouflage belts. I opted out of wearing them while I was there.)

The couple more traditional BJJ schools I've been to in Boston had either:

White, Blue, Black

or

White, Purple, Blue, Black

Regardless of the belt system, the sequence and time frame in which you learned the techniques was usually very similar from school to school. (Or at least a lot more similar than all the different belt systems I've seen.) A lot of the schools in NH that I mentioned also taught Karate or TKD or some striking art, and the belt system for BJJ that they used was the same, or very close to the one used for Karate, etc. So that makes sense as to why I've seen purple come before blue there.