Is it just my impression or more and more students are thinking they know when they should get the next belt?
Or maybe it has been always like this, but since there are more practitioners nowadays we hear more about this. All I know is that for one reason or another and since I travel often and have contact with many academies, I'm disgusted with so many stories of student who are pressing or telling other when and why they should jump to the next color, or students who are still (example) blue belt and are already talking about the date they will get the brown belt.
As I have wrote before, when I got my purple, brown and black belt, every time, I was caught by surprise, I always thought I could have wait longer. In fact, when Rodrigo Comprido told me he was going to give me the black belt in 2001 I gave numerous reasons why I wanted to wait and I actually convinced him to only give me in the next year (2002).
I also mentioned before that I stayed from 12 years old until I was 15 as a yellow belt, I was dying to get my orange and green belt, I had friends from school who were getting their belts, but for whatever reason It was never gave to me, I don't know the reason, because I never asked and never brought this subject up to my instructors. You know why? Because the student DOES NOT KNOW WHEN IS TIME TO CHANGE THE BELT! It's not up to him, it's not based on a simple fact (such as rolling well with higher belts) it's a mix of various aspects that only the master knows.
I really HATE to be pressure about this, even if it's in a very subtle way. DON'T DO IT, If I think you are asking about the belt, I will maybe add an extra year for your waiting
.
If you didn't get the belt you were hoping for after the belt ceremony, don't be upset with your instructor, be angry at yourself for setting such a low standard to your level.
Don't come after with a puppy face asking what you need to work to get the next belt, cause all I hear is "Why I didn't get the next belt?" You don't really want to know what you need to work, you want to know why I (or your instruction) didn't give you the belt. And the answer for that is because it's HIS decision, not yours. Don't worry about the color, worry about the knowledge and the color will change before you even want (just as it did with me in purple, brown and black belt).
The best thing I heard from a student was: "Felipe, don't worry about giving me a belt, worry about giving me the knowledge"
There is no better mindset and gives the instructor total freedom to help you achieve your best. If you don't think like that, you better start to change your mentality before is too late.
Felipe Costa
Try now! Use the code: BBBFREETRIAL to get free access to this techniques, watch this 10 seconds video: