Really I think it's because Phil secretly hates my purple gi, and now it clashes with my belt, so he thinks I won't wear it as much :)
Lots of other people promoted too, including our fearless leader Phil who got his first stripe on his black belt.
The cruddy thing about promoting early -- things -- are obvious: people mutter about it, you get targeted, you feel like there must be a clerical error somewhere.
The good things: no more anxiety about Pan Ams or Mundials this year, and an incredible feeling of awe, humility, and motivation to work harder. And camaraderie.
13 comments:
One thing I have always been told, you are never promoted early...you are promoted when your instructor thinks you are of that level. They are the black belts, you are the white...err I mean blue...they know better than you.
Remember, all the blue belt means is you are no longer a beginner, and your tourney wins, and your dedication are a testiment to that.
Enjoy it, and get to work on that long road to purple...you have now surpassed me...you are the senior student. :)
Mad props!
Your head should TOTALLY swell on getting this early promotion. You EARNED it with ALL those extra classes, going to COMPETITIONS very early in your career, taking on whoever was available, and usually WINNING. Plus by being a woman with guts and the heart to do your best each and every time.
Now go out and use the "newbie blue belt aura of invulnerability" to pull off moves with aplomb that you've been stumbling over as recently as last week.
Know that the "aura of invulnerability" will wear off in about a week, and you will have to spend the next YEAR proving yourself to your classmates, who will never back-bite you, but WILL challenge you. Yes, the target on your back is real. Represent well, play your game, SURVIVE.
It's useless to agonize over whether you know enough right now to be a proper blue belt, or can execute or roll well enough to represent the belt. No matter how bad you think you are now, you will think you are worse in a year. In the meantime what counts is your heart, your toughness, your bouncing back from injuries and taking everything your classmates can dish out. One day, maybe sooner than you think, you WILL be dishing it back to them, and THAT kind of (low level) revenge is sweet.
Then you will hit the magic plateau where you don't care about it anymore. I mean you CARE but you don't worry, fret, agonize, get cold hands, feel the jitters, you just don't give a sh*t anymore whether it's a good training day, a bad training day, whether you get owned or are the owner. All you care about at that point is your personal journey to be the best you can be.
Jiu jitsu is a marathon, not a sprint; a chess game not checkers; a mental game more than most people realize (stick it out!). I haven't personally found anything more fun to do in my life, and I've seen and done a lot.
congrats!
also, where do you get a purple gi?
Thanks so much-- it's nice to hear it even if I still don't "believe" it in my heart! BTW I was always the senior student at least in age... if there were ever enough women in a division to have it, I qualify not only for masters but for directors! :)
The purple gi came from Mart Severtson at Badgerland Jiu Jitsu in Madison WI... you can google them and order them online, they come in all childrens' and adults' sizes, and Mark is great to work with. Please tell him you saw it here, he is one of my sponsors and I appreciate his support very much!
Whoot, congrats!
Congrats!! I felt like a target when I got my blue belt too... if only because my teammates wanted to break it in for me.
Congratulations!
I got my blue belt on schedule but I didn't feel like a real blue belt until here lately. Now it's time to put on purple and I will probably go through the same feeling.
I love your purple gi. My school is strict on the gis we wear. White or blue only. Blue gis can only be worn by blue belts and above. Otherwise I would mix it up more.
congratulations!!! Well deserved, I'm sure.
Congratulations, Georgette! Great words of wisdon from everyone. With a new belt comes a new mindset. You'll be amazed at how quickly you're game will improve, knowing that more is expected.
Dan and 2Old are very wise!
Well done :) Also, never tell a black belt that they are wrong... lol THEN you'd certainly be a target.
Way cool! Mucho congrats!
Don't worry about not feeling ready for the blue yet: from what I've read on the net, and thinking how I felt last year, very few people do. ;)
Hi Georgette! Thanks for dropping by my site. And congrats on that BLUE!!! I'm sure you deserve it, as your instructor won't give it to you if he doesn't think so :)
I ended up using the Keiko white/pink as well, because it's been on bargain sale for more than a month but no one still wants to take it. I managed to shrink it by putting it in warm water, and was hoping to shrink it some more by putting in the dryer. But it has shrunk to a manageable size now, and I am loving it!
Your purple gi looks badass! Would want to own a green gi, too :)
My yellow gi is quite cheap (I got it for $105) because it's a kid's gi. The size is perfect for me (I'm 5'1", 110lbs.) but the lapel is just too thin because it's a kid's gi. Will never wear this in the comps.
My husband and I are 4 stripe white belts, about to be promoted to blue. We, too, feel undeserving of the upcoming promotion... as it feels a bit early as well. We have voiced are feelings to our instructor, and are even considering asking him to wait on promoting us. It's nice to hear from another woman in the sport going through a similiar situation. Makes me feel like we should just let it happen as it's meant to be. Congrats on your blue belt....rock it with that purple gi!! :)
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