An unexpected milestone

OP
Tony Dismukes

Tony Dismukes

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
7,577
Reaction score
7,611
Location
Lexington, KY
Congrats Tony!

Now prepare to get your *** kicked! ;)

My instructor told me: "I feel sorry for you- you're going to have a great big target on your back this week."

That said, I dropped in at a friend's school for some rounds this morning and held my own fairly well. I did feel the pressure to roll my best.
 

tshadowchaser

Sr. Grandmaster
MT Mentor
Founding Member
MTS Alumni
Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
13,460
Reaction score
733
Location
Athol, Ma. USA
I missed this thread yesterday so
Congratulations on this accomplishment
 

Gnarlie

Master of Arts
Joined
Dec 13, 2011
Messages
1,913
Reaction score
445
Location
Germany
Wow, congratulations. If your martial spirit, ability and personality reflect the way you conduct yourself here on this forum, then you really deserve this.
 

Xue Sheng

All weight is underside
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Messages
34,275
Reaction score
9,392
Location
North American Tectonic Plate
Attended a Carlson Gracie Jr. seminar today and got a shock at the end when I was informed that I was being promoted to black belt in BJJ.

I honestly thought I had a couple more years before I had to worry about being promoted. I think Carlson was probably applying a curve for old guys. There were three other brown belts at the seminar who are at least as good as me who didn't get promoted - but they're all 20 years younger than I am.

Anyway, I've got some holes in my game that I thought I had time to fix before I reached black belt. Now I've got to work even harder in order to catch up to my rank. I've been training about 12 hours a week on average. I wonder if my body can handle bumping that up to 15 hours per week.

View attachment 19197

Congratulations, it is a hard black belt to get and if Carlson Gracie Jr. thinks you're ready...you're ready
 

Instructor

Master of Arts
Supporting Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2012
Messages
1,641
Reaction score
549
Location
Knoxville, TN
Tony, Congratulations! Getting a black belt in BJJ is no small feat. I am sure it is very well deserved sir.
 

Hanzou

Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 29, 2013
Messages
6,770
Reaction score
1,330
My instructor told me: "I feel sorry for you- you're going to have a great big target on your back this week."

That said, I dropped in at a friend's school for some rounds this morning and held my own fairly well. I did feel the pressure to roll my best.

Do you feel more pressure to perform after getting your black?

One of my instructors (2 stripe black) told me that he refuses to tap to a purple if he's visiting another school.
 
OP
Tony Dismukes

Tony Dismukes

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
7,577
Reaction score
7,611
Location
Lexington, KY
Do you feel more pressure to perform after getting your black?

One of my instructors (2 stripe black) told me that he refuses to tap to a purple if he's visiting another school.
Yeah. I will never refuse to tap - that's not a good way to keep my aging body in one piece. What I am doing is forcing myself to stay more focused and not allow myself to be lazy while rolling.
 

Hanzou

Grandmaster
Joined
Sep 29, 2013
Messages
6,770
Reaction score
1,330
You got any big plans for that belt Tony? From what I hear, bjj black belts are in pretty high demand around the country for instruction. You thinking about sticking with your current gym, or maybe open up your own gym somewhere else?
 
OP
Tony Dismukes

Tony Dismukes

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
7,577
Reaction score
7,611
Location
Lexington, KY
You got any big plans for that belt Tony? From what I hear, bjj black belts are in pretty high demand around the country for instruction. You thinking about sticking with your current gym, or maybe open up your own gym somewhere else?
Part of me would eventually like to have my own school where I could shape the curriculum based on my own ideas. That's not going to happen anytime soon. For one thing, running a successful school takes as much work on the business end as on the martial arts end and I don't have the time, energy, or money to invest in that now. For another thing, I don't yet have the martial skill set that I would want to properly teach the curriculum that I have in mind. Right now I'm in a good place where I can teach a couple of classes per week and spend the rest of my time learning from other people.

Maybe when I'm getting ready for retirement I'll can open my own school and devote myself to it full time.
 
OP
Tony Dismukes

Tony Dismukes

MT Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
7,577
Reaction score
7,611
Location
Lexington, KY
@Tony Dismukes Congrats :) Just curious. Do you also have a Black belt in Muay Thai?
Muay Thai doesn't generally use a belt system. I do have an apprentice instructor's license from the TBA (Chai Sirusute's organization) and when I got that my kickboxing instructor (Oscar Kallet) awarded me a black belt in his own eclectic kickboxing system, for whatever that's worth. My striking skills are ... adequate but not particularly advanced.
 

Transk53

The Dark Often Prevails
Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2013
Messages
4,220
Reaction score
836
Location
England 43 Anno Domini
Muay Thai doesn't generally use a belt system. I do have an apprentice instructor's license from the TBA (Chai Sirusute's organization) and when I got that my kickboxing instructor (Oscar Kallet) awarded me a black belt in his own eclectic kickboxing system, for whatever that's worth. My striking skills are ... adequate but not particularly advanced.

I thought so. I have seen a few school web pages that refer to the instructors holding Black belts. I guess that it just used as generic term for those of you at that level.
 

kuniggety

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Jan 3, 2015
Messages
795
Reaction score
272
Location
Oahu, Hawaii
Having lived in Thailand, none of the schools there used a belt system. It's just something you train and when you're ready you hop in the ring. It's a lot like boxing in that regard.
 

seasoned

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2007
Messages
11,253
Reaction score
1,231
Location
Lives in Texas
Congratulations, Tony.
Promotion by surprise means your head is in the right place and noticed. A hunger to learn and the humility to boot goes a long way. Good for you, well deserved.
 

yak sao

Senior Master
Joined
Aug 18, 2008
Messages
2,183
Reaction score
761
Congrats. A black belt in BJJ, from one of the Gracies no less, truly means something.
 

donald1

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Messages
3,533
Reaction score
810
wait a second... that means there going to start hitting you harder and more often right? o_O one minute your stretching or practicing techniques then BAM! ...right when you least expect it

joking aside, good job! you earned it!
 

Buka

Sr. Grandmaster
Staff member
MT Mentor
Joined
Jun 27, 2011
Messages
12,952
Reaction score
10,444
Location
Maui
So....Tony, how's it been around your club since you became a "man of the cloth"?

Target on your back? No target to speak of?
Inquiring minds want to know.
 

Latest Discussions

Top