Revolution

It is time for a revolution at Coast Martial Arts, our local Gracie Jiu-Jitsu school.

Our Blue Belt class has been largely content to receive training as it has been presented by our instructor. The teaching is top-notch, and clearly fits the students' needs, but it is geared towards solid learning.

I bet you can't see how that's a problem. Let me explain.

Of our ten Blue Belt students, 4 are starting to express a desire to take the Gracie University exam. This requires an entire different type of training. The nearest example I can give from the normal would be getting ready for a college final exam. The professor has already taught the material, and it's up to the student to study.

When I did it, I'd been doing extra test prep as I went through the course, and it still took me over an extra month of cram time before I actually performed the first exam section. I'd call one cram month to be a minimum, and two months would be much better.

The good news for our current folks is that there are a bunch of them interested at once. They can form a sort of study group, and can drill the material over and over together.

Interestingly, there are 3 more who are ready, and who could also become part of this team. That would make a group of 7. I did it as part of a group of 2, and know that more would have been much better.

The only possible glitch would be that for bureaucratic reasons, it is most efficient for future rank progress to do the Gracie University exam after earning a locally-awarded rank stripe. Of the potential group of seven, 3 have such local belt stripes.

 

Of the remaining 4, two are currently due local stripes, and a third will come due in about a month. The forth is greatly overdue, but missed a couple of years of training, and has only spotty current attendance. I bet if he were to join the exam/cram team, his attendance would tighten up greatly. There are no guarantees with these kind of local promotions regarding when they are awarded, but it looks pretty good for all 4 of these folks.

 

If all go for it, it would be a team of 7, all with local stripes or soon to have them.

 

For the 3 of not part of the group, it would also be beneficial. I'm that only one to have completed this exam, but it would be a wonderful review to be involved in. The other 2 folks have the test in their future, and working alongside the team would only help their readiness as well.

 

Call it two months of cramming, and by the fall we could see 7 students with shiny new Gracie University rank stripes on their belts, to add on top of existing locally-awarded stripes. They will have caught up to me, which would be great. It would also be wonderful for future new Blues to have such a large reservoir of seniors who are fully knowledgeable of the first level of Blue Belt material.

 

I hope they go for it.

 

I would.