Why does getting a BJJ black belt takes so long?

This question goes more towards any Brazilian practicioner here, since you might know better since you train in this art. I just dont get why it would take 8-10 years to have a black at an art that is linear( but I have to admit affective) such as BJJ. I have never trained in BJJ but according to my eyes, it is all about getting the other dude on the ground and beat him on the ground. Maybe there are techniques to learn on the ground, but I still dont get why it takes so long just for this. BJJ according to me has no internal arts training and etc. it is just training 8-10 years in grappling on the grounds and takedowns i guess. Is there more that they do that I dont know about? Most martial arts takes 3-5 years, but 8-10 years?? for BJJ, or is it because they really want bjj black belts to be good so the future of BJJ wont have fighters that will disgrace the Gracies?

Why does getting a BJJ black belt takes so long?
Most martial arts take 3 to 5 years now because westerners have no patience. If you don't give them a belt every six months, they walk out (Others think even that is incredibly long - they expect to be taught something super-deadly and infallible within two weeks of joining). Because schools are businesses, they're aware of this and have adjusted. The best schools are the ones that still give you your belts slowly and demand a greater degree of perfection and expertise in the techniques.


In feudal Japan, apprenticeships (To become Samurai) would last several years and would require constant training (not twice a week for two hours). This basic martial arts education would then be followed by a period of apprenticeship of another several years with an experienced samurai.


If you think about it that way, 10 years part-time is actually quite short for a black belt.
Reply:takes so long because they have to let you build up money to take it and give you a belt in return.
Reply:you act like getting a black belt should be no big deal. in fact, it is an illustrious and honorable attainment and there is no reason in the world it should be quick. in fact, if you ask me, everybody these days give them away too quickly.
Reply:I get this question a lot from people who are interested in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and the answer is quite simple, really. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu masters promote their students based on PERFORMANCE rather than KNOWLEDGE. There are many, many, many techniques in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and learning them all isn't necessarily a requirement for the illustrious black belt status. The only way to get promoted is to succeed in both tournaments and training. You have to prove to your master and everyone else that you are capable in their Martial Art. So in short, you have to be an outstanding practitioner of the art to succeed and gain promotions. Actually, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is one of the only Martial Arts out there where as the belts get higher, the Martial Artists are actually better. I mean, yeah, every now and then you might see a white belt tap a blue belt, or a blue belt tap a purple belt, etc. etc. but it isn't very often. The reason it takes so long and so much effort is to preserve the integrity of the art and ensure that it doesn't simply become a buisness venture.





Also, in response to anyone else who has the belief that it is to "get money." Brazilian Jiu Jitsu would probably make much, much more money by giving belts out FASTER. Most people, in America anyways, who practice martial arts will lose interest in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu before they get their black belt. It takes an extremely dedicated person to achieve such a rank, and money becomes of no importance at that point, it's about the art, not the green. I've actually been to schools where the master of the school doesn't charge high ranking purple belts or above, because they actually aid them in teaching the lesser belts, and they realize that it's no longer a passing fad for the student who has ahceived such a rank.
Reply:the need of money. from day one in jui jitsu you learn black belt techniques. so that is about it. check out lloyd irvin. he has given blackbelts out in 3 years.
Reply:That's going to vary from school to school and instructor to instructor. I have heard of some schools promoting some students in BJJ in as little as 5 years, however, patience is always a key to martial arts. You might see some "McDojos" offer black belts to students with only 2 years experience, but for some reason have over 10 belts. That is a bigger red flag than a school that takes up to 8 years for a black belt to be produced, as the schools make a lot of money in a little time with each belt test. A total rip for gaining little to no knowledge. Just make sure you check out the credentials of the instructors prior to making a decision on what school is right for you.
Reply:A blue belt I know had been held back by his instructors so he left. seemed it made them look better to have highly experienced blues so they could claim an awesome curriculum. he walked, and now has been black listed and cant get any higher in this country. so maybe they hold them back for this reason, or because its harder, or because you need to have an amount of suck up in you. if you are too distant from the instructor and not his slave and servant, you may also not achieve what you seek. though this is only one experience it cant speak for every reason.
Reply:You're asking the wrong question. Don't ask why it takes so long in BJJ to get a black belt. Ask why, in America, it only takes a couple of years to attain this position in most other martial arts. Talk to someone who has practiced a martial art in Japan and they'll tell you that it takes a decade in most arts to attain black belt. Why? Because a black belt has the ability to move on and teach what he has learned to others outside of the tutelage of a master of the artform. A black belt also has a certain degree of responsibility to uphold traditions, to continue education on his/her own, etc. All of these 15 year old black belts in Okinawa-te, Shotokan, tae Kwon Do, etc. they are all McDojo black belts. They joined a McDojo, fast food of martial arts, and got a black belt before they hit puberty. Same goes for soccer moms and "contact karate" practicioners who have very little experience but have already got a black belt. Seriously, if it was about money, BJJ would give away belts like hotcakes for the right cash input. The fact that it can take nearly a decade to attain the coveted black belt is a testament to the purity of a school.
Reply:its takes taht long to amster it realy it should take longer for all the arts but most anymore just hands belts out liek candy