Guest post by James Duscio, a BJJ black belt under Walter cascao vital and runs Cascao Evolution BJJ out of Las Vegas nv.
The belt ego is a real thing. No blue belt minds tapping to a purple belt, but god help them if that blue belt ever taps them. When it does happen, the reactions can go several ways, most of them not so good. It can ruin the vibe of the class quickly, causing underlining tension and extreme self doubt. So if and when you do get tapped by a lower belt, what is the most effective and proper way to deal with it?
First of all, there are many factors to consider when taking into account why you got tapped out. Size, strength, reaction timing, endurance, power, speed, mindset, and age all play a role in who has the advantage. Technique and strategy are not the only factors in combat, otherwise 55 year olds would be winning the UFC belts and ADCC titles every year. In a perfect world, the belt color around your waist would guarantee your results and with your ego it kind of does, but in reality, besides death and taxes, nothing is a guarantee.
Scenario one: Lower belt catches you in an arm bar.
Just before the full extension happens, you begin to give tips on how to improve and finish the submission. Who are you fooling? I have seen this scenario happen so many times. If it got to that point, he doesn’t need those last second details at that moment. Don’t try to dilute the situation by making it seem like you gave it to him. Save the tips for after the roll, and give the up and comer his credit, he got you.
Scenario two: Lower belt catches you in a triangle choke.
As soon as it happens, you instantly play it off as you were just flowing at a low intensity and they caught you off guard. Bottom line, you can roll at a nice flow and still be defensively solid. You underestimated you opponent, which breaks one of the oldest combat principals. Give your opponent credit, he didn’t underestimate his opponent like you did because of a belt color.
Scenario three: Lower belt locks in a kimura and taps you.
You say nothing, you slap five and roll again, but this time you absolutely smash him like it is the world championship finals. Let’s be honest, if you drastically up the intensity from your usual training flow with your opponent with ill intentions, it becomes a pissing contest and very obvious that your fighting to assert your fleeting dominance. This runs the risk of ruining the friendship and trust with your training partner. You can and should up your technical game to match his progression without rolling like an ass.
Scenario four: The lower belt slaps on a heel hook, you don’t tap and your knee goes POP!
Ego, ego, ego. The art and the techniques are so effective that anybody can get caught. And even if you don’t feel you should tap, you should, because the damage will happen regardless. Pain tolerance will not save you from a technically sound joint lock. By not tapping you chance getting an injury that can take you off of the mat for months. Just tap and move on.
We all have an ego, it serves a purpose, but also hinders our progress in life and on the mats. We train to improve ourselves and if we have a training partner that is able to expose a weakness, be thankful and not defensive regardless of the belt color. It happens now and then for a variety of reasons. Enjoy your training, get over yourself and leave the ego at the door.
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