When it comes to BJJ articles, white belts and blue belts get quite a bit of attention.
This makes sense. Students at white belt are just beginning jiu-jitsu and obviously need the most help. Blue belts are going through the dreaded “blue belt blues” and need someone to help them keep their chin up.
But what about purple belt? What exactly should the person who managed to make it to the halfway point in BJJ focus on?
According to second-degree BJJ black belt Nick “Chewy” Albin, that will ultimately depend on your coach. Still, he has some valuable information for our purple belt or soon-to-be purple belt readers.
Besides being one of the hardest belts in BJJ, blue belt is also the sampling belt. It is the belt where you sample various different styles and moves and try to find out what you like.
Purple belt is the belt where you find what you like and further develop it. This is the belt where you become a half-guard player or foot lock specialist. In fact, if you’re a black belt and you’re anything like Professor Albin, your current game is probably just a more developed version of your purple belt game.
Nick Albin describes purple belt as the “prototype belt.” It is the belt where you’re a beginning version of your black belt self.
Albin also uses the analogy of the iceberg, as purple belt is the belt where you see the tip of the black belt you will eventually become.
So, what should you be focusing on as a purple belt? That depends on what type of BJJ practitioner you are. But whatever type you are, you should know it by the time you hit purple belt, and develop it.
Consider purple belt the first glimpse of your black belt.
