Means?

So what will it mean if I pass my upcoming Purple Belt exam in Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Other than putting away my dear, old Blue Belt, I mean.

The good news is that these exams only come up every fifth promotion, so I won't have to be doing another anytime soon.

The belts start out nice and pristine when new. With the next four promotions, stripes are added on. No tests in any of that.

The minimum requirements are an 8-month training period, during which 100 appropriate classes must be attended. My wife and I travel quite a bit, so for me to make my attendance requirements I'll probably take an average of more like 10 months per level.

That all means that I can roll along making uninterrupted rank progress until 2019.

That might be as high as I ever get. I'll be 63 by then. That is still plenty young if one just wants to learn, and to roll a bit. If one wishes to really drill this stuff in, it is incredibly ancient.

For an old Purple Belt training with the Gracies in LA, they just decide when he's good enough, and then promote him up to Brown. It might take a long time, but he'll get there.

For an outlander like me, the system is quite different. A guy like me has to get through all his Purple Belt Stripes, and then book an exam in LA, and manage to pass it on test day. I don't know if I'll be up for the intensity of training required.

Then it would all start again for the road to Black Belt.

Might just settle in at Purple.

Failing my upcoming exam would suck. My next opportunity would be a full year later, making any higher aspirations just that much less likely.

Yes, Purple sounds good.