Often, the term ‘pulling rank’ is used when talking about the military. This describes the act of a superior using their position of authority to gain benefits over military members with lower status. For instance, you could have a sergeant who gets a soldier to clean their boots for them.
Outside of the military, this term isn’t as common. However, if you train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu then you may hear of it from time to time. Like the military, pulling rank has similar connotations when spoken about in BJJ. In this article, we shall discuss how this works, and why it’s not exactly a good thing either.
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Examples of pulling rank in BJJ
Higher belts choose who to roll with
Perhaps the most common form of pulling rank in BJJ is when higher belts choose who they roll with. For instance, two white belts could have agreed to spar, when suddenly a brown belt interrupts them before they begin. The brown belt then tells them that he will spar instead, and that they should accept his authority.
This isn’t massively common but it certainly happens. In some cases, a higher belt may get to pick who they roll with beforehand. This is a bit different. Overall, most people will accept the higher belt pulling rank. However, you have to question why they get the priority. Of course, they’ve trained more and have higher skills. Still, this doesn’t explain why they get the priority of intercepting rolls. Nonetheless, most gyms will accept this behavior as generally, higher belts are treated better than lower ones. Even if you don’t like this, these are the rules of most gyms.
Moving away from higher belts when rolling
Often, if two people are rolling and they bump into other people rolling, then someone will stop and move away. This is common sense and is done in the name of safety. Obviously, if you’re swept backward and your elbow lands on someone’s head, it could be quite dangerous.
However, most of the time – it is expected for the lower rank to move. The main explanation for this is that higher belts should get priority as their rolls are more technical and their positions aren’t as fluid. Still, it once again nods to the philosophy that higher belts are higher value compared to newer BJJ practitioners.
In fairness with this one, usually lower belts are more likely to go wild when sparring and could be more dangerous with their movements. At the same time, if it’s the higher belts who are acting dangerously then perhaps it is they who should move.
Higher belts have priority off the mats
In some rare cases, higher belts may even pull rank outside of the training room. Although rare, there have been stories of this over the years. For example, in some cases higher belts may have a priority over using the showers, or parking spaces outside of the gym. Although this may sound extreme, it can happen. This is a clear red flag and shows signs of a toxic gym.
Obviously, as a grown adult, you shouldn’t let people take priority over you based on their belt color. This goes without saying, but sometimes in the heat of the moment in certain gyms – it can happen. Always remember to trust your gut in these scenarios and don’t let people boss you around. Remember, if you’re uncomfortable at a gym, you can always leave and go elsewhere.
Pulling rank isn’t particularly a good thing
As we’ve established above, just because pulling rank is a thing in BJJ – it doesn’t always make it a good thing. In some cases, enforcing a rank and hierarchy isn’t a bad thing. In some cases, if it’s lining up in grade order then it may be a little traditional – but it’s also pretty harmless.
On a similar note, you could make the claim that higher belts should be prioritized whilst training – because they’ve put the work and dedication in over the years. It’s only natural that people who have dedicated more will get more favors – whether this is good or bad.
At the same time, often the excuses given for the scenarios listed above seem quite tenuous. Regardless, whether you agree with pulling rank or not – the fact remains that in most cases, BJJ and its culture isn’t changing anytime soon. So, for the time being you’re probably going to have to suck it up until you’re a higher rank one day.
