Choosing and/or changing instructor and/or BJJ affiliation
Brazilian JiuJitsu is a longterm commitment; during the course of your training situations occur that would question your choice of school and/or professor. I personally have changed schools twice; once based on picking a school that had lunch and morning classes vs only evening classes, then again picking a school that had the schedule I wanted and was closer to where I lived, both of these two schools were of the same affiliation. I have seen fellow students change schools for all kinds of reasons some legit some not ie not getting their stripes or promotions they wanted. My question is; should a student stay with a school/ instructor from white to black belt? I see many black belts changing affiliation, why?
6 Comments
If you find an instructor who is good for you, you could stay with him. Also if your team mates are good… and all is good.
But I don’t buy the idea of instructor owning his students and sharing some secrets that are only knows by him and by leaving the tribe/team person is breaking some kind of code.
Getting to know BJJ from various instructors has some benefits. New instructor sees things in different way which can be helpful.
Ohhh yes secret techniques.....and the tribal code. I have only heard of these things lol
You have to do what is in your own best interest and what helps you to progress
There are a lot of factor that can come in to play
Sometimes it is scheduling, where classes are more convenient for you sometimes it is location, I used to travel two hours to train and now I train closer to home
It can even be pricing, or the attitude some display on the mat, whether other students are helpful and respectful or everyone is in competition mode all the time
Way back it was not considered proper to change schools and take that schools technique with you
I believe the term was"Creonte" but these days there is so much information out there and all the big schools have u tube and or instructional videos etc So I don't think it is a big issue anymore
Train where it suits you best
JRT6, post: 64419, member: 2970
Most of the black belts I know didn't get their black from their original instructor.
I believe that a very small percentage of people who start their bjj journey make it to black belt; let alone making it to black belt from their original instructor.
Based on that I wonder if there would be less drop outs if students would change school/instructors at more regular intervals ie changing school/instructor at Purple then again at Brown belt.
Possibly students dealing with the blues at a particular belt would be better to change schools vs taking a break all together.