A lot of people get into Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as a form of self-defense. Of those people, some make it to blue belt which is the second belt after white belt. In short, whilst the blue belt is considered a beginner belt – it is still way off white belt in terms of skill and technique.
You may remember watching blue belts when you first joined and thinking to yourself just how good they are. However, as you move up the belt ranks, blue belts become less of a threat and so become less rated in terms of skill. Having said this, blue belts can still be tricky, as we will discuss below.
For the sake of argument, when we refer to blue belt we don’t mean a world champion. We mean your average hobbyist who trains a couple of times a week and has a life outside of BJJ. We also don’t mean a token blue belt who is older and barely spars. In short, the example used is your typical blue belt.
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So, how dangerous are they?
Compared to an untrained person, blue belts can be very dangerous. For example, a blue belt will know a few basic takedowns and understand the mechanics behind them. Whilst their stand up may not be excellent and may lack the precise details that the higher belts have – it should also be acknowledged that they would be far superior to most untrained people. Because most people don’t know much grappling, securing a takedown should be easy. Blue belts are also equipped in basic Guillotine defenses so there’s probably little chance of getting caught in a sneaky submission.
Once on the floor in a top position, the blue belt should also be good enough to pass with relative ease and avoid getting swept. In short, if the blue belt secured a takedown it would be very, very difficult for them to lose in a BJJ setting or in a street fight.
If the blue belt opted to pull guard, in a BJJ setting they would also be absolutely fine and would be able to secure a number of sweeps or submissions with relative ease. This is where fighting becomes more of a grey area however, as with strikes involved things aren’t as easy. With all physical attributes equal, the blue belt should still do well from the bottom.
This is because most blues know basic self defense such as overhooks and technical stand-ups. Because of this, it would be possible to scramble back to your feet – or even sweep or submit if confident enough. This may not be easy and you may take a few hit – but against an untrained person, it should be doable.
Blue belt vs a bigger guy
BJJ is good, but it isn’t a silver bullet. Again, in a BJJ sport setting the blue belt should still be able to beat most untrained bigger and stronger guys. In brief, the knowledge gap is just far too wide. Things like head placement, a variation of sweeps and footlocks should be enough to beat a bigger guy in a BJJ match. Of course, there is a point where the strength gap becomes too big. For example, a 60KG blue belt may struggle against an athletic 120KG guy who is double their weight.
The blue belt may lose on points if they get passed, but the benefit of BJJ is that you’ve always got a chance. You could possibly sneak in a choke or leglock if the chance presented itself. Similar situations have been seen in MMA where the smaller guy is losing but manages to get a quick submission and win.
In MMA however, this is where size really makes a difference. We’ve just looked at a blue belt vs a bigger untrained guy in BJJ – but what about in MMA? The problem here lies with stand up. The bigger guy would probably win stand up due to being more powerful with strikes. So, the option is then to take them down. However, this is tough as taking down stronger opponents is naturally difficult. Even with little training, finishing a single leg can be difficult, or attacking an ankle pick is riskier due to the consequences if they go wrong.
The alternative is to pull guard. However, if you don’t sweep instantly then yet again the weight difference may lose the blue belt the fight.
Of course, weight and strength matters up until a point. If there’s 10-15KG in it then the blue belt has a good chance, especially if they know heelhooks and good entries. However, if the opponent is over 15KG heavier then the gap begins to become too big.
The physical benefits of being a blue belt
Many people get into BJJ out of shape and it’s a good way to become fit. At some point, if you train consistently then at blue belt you will reap the rewards of regular training. This comes with more efficient cardio, efficient movements and stronger and conditioned muscles. In short, your body changes and becomes more athletic.
Athleticism is key for BJJ and self defense in general. For instance, if your cardio can last 30 minutes in sparring compared to someone who can only last 10 minutes then at some point you win. The same applies to hitting moves better, after a while, the small percentages start to add up. Not to mention strength which speaks for itself.
Because of this, sometimes being a blue belt brings its own benefits other than technique. If you compare two equally skilled people but the one has superior cardio and strength, there will only ever be one winner.
Are blue belts dangerous against higher belts?
Based within a BJJ gym, the answer is yes. It is rare but not impossible for blue belts to start tapping brown and black belts. This is especially the case as the blue belt gets closer to becoming a purple belt. Basically, a blue belt may have a specialized area. For instance, they could have a very good spider guard and triangle set up from the position. This means they could catch higher belts with the move if the other person hasn’t experienced it before. Again, if the blue belt is strong and athletic, then submitting higher belts will naturally become easier.
At the same time, the blue belt is still a newbie rank and is in the middle, above white belt. As blue belts can sometimes catch ranks above them, they can also be caught by those below them. For instance, whilst they may dominate most white belts, blue belts are still human and aren’t perfect. This means they may slip up or get hit with a gimmicky move if unprepared. In short, being a middle belt has its pros and cons. Because of this, you can expect to see blue belts doing some things great, whilst struggling in other areas. From a training perspective, this is quite natural.
Summary
Overall the blue belt is a newer rank in BJJ but should still be respected. Generally, it means the practitioner is somewhat dedicated to the art and takes it fairly seriously. One thing to consider is the time it takes to become a blue belt. In terms of hours, a blue belt in BJJ may be a black belt in Judo or Karate. Suddenly the blue belt starts to sound more respectable. With this in mind, the average blue belt can be dangerous on the mat whilst being even more dangerous away from a BJJ setting.
As most people are a blue belt for several years and it’s usually the longest-held belt after black belt, why not invest in a quality hemp blue belt whilst you’re at it?
