I hope many of you will keep training and become a black belt eventually (if not a black belt already).
It depends on how much time and energy you can realistically afford on BJJ. Your general athletic abilities as well as your previous martial arts experience matter, too.
For most people, it can take anywhere between 10-15 years to become a black belt. And if you are on the quicker side, you could achieve this rank within 5-10 years.
I suppose most people start practicing BJJ for various reasons, but without really knowing much about what’s involved in it. Their reasons for continuing to practice BJJ can vary, too. On top of those potentially different reasons, I believe most people get into BJJ deeper and deeper as they make progress, and they find it fun to keep practicing and get better at it.
And so, becoming a black belt becomes a reasonable goal for… probably anyone who decides to keep practicing this art.
While being a black belt hardly means being a master of BJJ, it’s probably way more than just being “good enough.”
But, then, how good is good enough?
Typically, blue belts have a general understanding of basic positions and submissions. I’d say they know enough to handle most non-trained opponents around their size, at least in a grappling context.
But they might struggle with opponents bigger & stronger than them.
Purple belts know more than blue belts and should be able to execute basic techniques more competently. If you reach the purple belt level, I suppose we could say you have succulent grappling skills.
And you could reach this level after a few years of training – perhaps 3-5 years for most people.
There are exceptions. The color of one’s belt is sometimes not the most accurate indicator of that person’s skill level, either.
But for most people who start practicing BJJ, I suppose becoming a purple belt may be an excellent intermediary goal.
By the time you become a purple belt, you are almost halfway through your journey to becoming a black belt. Keep going and get that belt.
When you become a black belt… you finally reach the start line as they say.