just got promoted to purple belt last friday and im still riding the high. wanted to start a thread for DFW grapplers to share their promotion stories.
my story: started training at 29, walked into my gym as a completely unathletic software developer who hadnt done anything physical since high school PE. first class i got submitted 11 times in 6 minutes of rolling and almost threw up.
four and a half years later my coach called me up at the end of class. i genuinely thought he was going to correct my technique on something. instead he wrapped a purple belt around my waist and the whole gym clapped. i cried. not gonna pretend i didnt.
what made it special is i EARNED it. there were so many times i wanted to quit. the blue belt blues hit me hard around the 2.5 year mark where i felt like i wasnt improving at all. two separate rib injuries that kept me off the mat for a month each. the temptation to skip class every single day.
but i kept showing up. and slowly the techniques that felt impossible started becoming automatic. the positions that used to terrify me became comfortable. and one day i realized i was tapping blue belts who used to smash me.
to any white belts reading this: the path is longer than you think and harder than you expect. but its the most rewarding thing ive ever done in my life. keep showing up.
DFW grapplers — who got promoted recently? i want to hear your story. every belt from first stripe to black.
congrats on purple!! thats a huge milestone. i got my brown belt last month at Lovato BJJ and it still doesnt feel real. 7 years in the making. purple to brown was the hardest stretch because the expectations are so high