Two Inches

​There’s a famous Gracie quote that says “ a belt only covers two inches of your ass, you have to cover the rest”. If you’re my student, that’s what we are trying to achieve. The goal is always going to be how hard can I make the life of the person across from me? At the end of the day there is an immense gap in what constitutes the different belts across gyms, so if you get promoted that means I’m fairly confident you can make a person of that belt levels day really hard, it means I think if someone picks a fight with you they will regret it. Nobody cares if you have a black belt in Jiu Jitsu…trust me. So imagine how little they care about the belts leading up to it. I know that my black belt really only means anything to me, because it’s a recognition of perseverance and dedication. I also know that I would likely get whooped if I entered any major IBJJF tournament at blue belt. That’s the weird thing though, I know I am a Jiu Jitsu black belt and I also know that it only means something to me. It doesn’t matter in the micro world that is grappling and it doesn’t matter in the macro of everything else. I can only focus on improvement, any recognition that comes is inconsequential. Becoming a black belt was such a long term goal, and then it was a fleeting moment. I legitimately forget about it, even though I put it on in some form nearly everyday. The point is just enjoy grappling for the sake of grappling, because the belt only holds the meaning you personally assign to it.