Registering for a tournament in a belted system when you have no belt

[gyoja]

Off the bat. At first I'd have low enough student count that it would be doable. Hopefully I have more coaches by the time I need them.

How many days a week do you plan on having your school open? Weekends?

 

[skribs]

How many days a week do you plan on having your school open? Weekends?

Depends on if I get fired from my day job or not.

I'd still like to train BJJ. So my plan if I'm still working is open up 2-3 days per week at a community center, and do BJJ the other 2-3 days of of the week. When I have enough students to make it a full time gig, switch to 5 days a week (maybe also Saturdays), quit my day job, and do BJJ in the mornings.

If something happens to my day job, I'll skip to step 2.

 

[gyoja]

Depends on if I get fired from my day job or not.

I'd still like to train BJJ. So my plan if I'm still working is open up 2-3 days per week at a community center, and do BJJ the other 2-3 days of of the week. When I have enough students to make it a full time gig, switch to 5 days a week (maybe also Saturdays), quit my day job, and do BJJ in the mornings.

If something happens to my day job, I'll skip to step 2.

Did you get something worked out with a community center? If so, what terms were there?

 

[skribs]

Did you get something worked out with a community center? If so, what terms were there?

There is no community center. Yet.

 

[gyoja]

There is no community center. Yet.

Let us know what you find out.

 

[skribs]

Let us know what you find out.

I mean my community doesn't really have one yet. We're a very new development.

 

[Dirty Dog]

I mean my community doesn't really have one yet. We're a very new development.

Local park? YMCA? Your back yard?

 

[skribs]

Local park? YMCA? Your back yard?

There are parks but it gets too hot in the summer here. And most of those haven't been developed yet in my area.

No local YMCA yet.

My back yard is tiny and slanted (on a hill).

To give you an idea of how new the development my town is, this is what Google thinks my neighborhood looks like:

The red box is approximately where my house is.

More than half of the lots still look like this.

 

[Dirty Dog]

There are parks but it gets too hot in the summer here. And most of those haven't been developed yet in my area.

Wimp. Sweat is good for you!

No local YMCA yet.

Define "local" as you're using it?

My back yard is tiny and slanted (on a hill).

So? Training on uneven ground is excellent.

To give you an idea of how new the development my town is, this is what Google thinks my neighborhood looks like:
View attachment 30943

The red box is approximately where my house is.

More than half of the lots still look like this.

This may be a crazy idea, but it's possible you might need to go more than 2 blocks from your house...

 

[skribs]

Wimp. Sweat is good for you!

Define "local" as you're using it?

So? Training on uneven ground is excellent.

This may be a crazy idea, but it's possible you might need to go more than 2 blocks from your house...

The other neighborhoods are more complete, but the amenities aren't there yet.

 

[gyoja]

There are parks but it gets too hot in the summer here. And most of those haven't been developed yet in my area.

No local YMCA yet.

My back yard is tiny and slanted (on a hill).

To give you an idea of how new the development my town is, this is what Google thinks my neighborhood looks like:
View attachment 30943

The red box is approximately where my house is.

More than half of the lots still look like this.

Are you a handy guy? Ever consider building a deck in the back yard to use as a training area?

 

[skribs]

Are you a handy guy? Ever consider building a deck in the back yard to use as a training area?

There's not much buildable space there (per code).

 

[gyoja]

There's not much buildable space there (per code).

Sorry. I’m spoiled living on 2 acres. 😂

 

[skribs]

Sorry. I’m spoiled living on 2 acres. 😂

My back yard is 15x40. However, 5 feet on each end is unbuildable for utilities, so really the buildable area is 10x30.

 

[HighKick]

I think for this thread, @Dirty Dog had the best suggestion. Barring that, I would probably just look at their rank system (based on what ranks are for different forms) and how long it takes in that art to get to each, and base it on that.

In general, my preference I think is still to do things the way I was originally planning. At least for now. However, right now my fallback plan is a change in approach, one piece of which is a change in how I would handle rank.

I also think @Dirty Dog is spot on.
It would stink to spend the time, and money just to show up and discover there are conditions you do not meet to compete.
Opens are usually looser on the rules, but nothing is worse than seeing a person compete Down a division/belt or two just to win a medal.
And this is very difficult to moderate as a tournament host unless people are signing up with their school.
I have had to DNQ people who I knew were trying to cheat. Just sucks the fun out of a tournament.

 

[gyoja]

My back yard is 15x40. However, 5 feet on each end is unbuildable for utilities, so really the buildable area is 10x30.

What’s the nearest town and how far away is it?

 

[dennis63]

Step one: Wear a white belt.
Step two: Win the tournament.

But seriously, I have heard it said that in the old days in Japan, there was not "belt system." The tradition was that you just didn't wash your belt. It started out bright white. Over time, it got worn and dirty, and stained with blood -- yours or someone else's -- which turns black when it ages.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

Step one: Wear a white belt.
Step two: Win the tournament.

But seriously, I have heard it said that in the very old days in Japan, there was not "belt system." The tradition was that you just didn't wash your belt. It started out bright white. Over time, it got worn and dirty, and stained with blood -- yours or someone else's -- , which turns black when it ages.

That's an old myth that does not hold up, unfortunately. I was told the same as a kid except that sweat/dirt turned the belt, not blood