Belts?

Some BJJ news caught my attention.
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Here’s the headline of the Jits Magazine article I read:
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“IBJJF Refuse To Recognise Enson Inoue As A Black Belt”
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Enson Inoue is a legendary veteran MMA fighter from Hawaii.
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He has Japanese roots and spent many years living in Japan as well.
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Also, he’s one of the pioneers of BJJ in Japan. People started asking Enson to teach BJJ in the early-mid ’90s, because he was a BJJ blue or purple belt under Relson Gracie at that time (I think), which was still rare in Japan… or anywhere outside of Brazil and the major US cities.
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I started training around 2002 in Australia. My first coach was a blue belt.
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So, being a colored belt meant a lot more in those days than today.
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If you are a white, blue, or even purple belt, and have access to brown/black belt coaches/training partners… you’re in a way better environment than those who started practicing BJJ in the ’90s or early 2000s.
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Anyway, I digress.
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Enson Inoue got his black belt awarded by John Lewis, who received his black belt from André Pederneiras of Nova União.
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So, it’s not like Enson came out of nowhere and started wearing a BJJ black belt.
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This news caught my attention because Enson Inoue awarded a black belt to my coach Tatsuya Onose in 2005.
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My coach is certified as a 3rd degree black belt under IBJJF. Although… he might have someone else as his black belt giver on paper. I don’t know.
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But I feel it’s a funny situation to be in.
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I’m a BJJ black belt certified by IBJJF… and I received it from my coach, who is recognized by IBJFF as a 3rd degree black belt…
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… and now IBJJF doesn’t recognize Enson Inoue as a BJJ black belt.
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I don’t care so much about this whole belt thing. It is important to some extent, but it’s not the most important thing.
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BJJ belts and stripes can give you a sense of where you’re at in your journey for sure.
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But they are only signposts.
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When you’re on your BJJ journey (or any journey), it’s better to focus on making progress and enjoying that process…
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… rather than constantly worrying about whether you’ve arrived at a certain signpost.
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So, if you’re always inclined to ask, “Why am I not an X belt yet?” more than anything else…
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Ask yourself instead… “How can I improve my skills today, even if it’s a tiny bit?”
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If you keep asking this question and working on it, you will eventually reach your next level.
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Enjoy the ride.