Talk:Alberto Fraser
From Styled IN ITALY - italiano
I'd pick the blue belt for me and my friend, for two rnsaoes. But first let me say that your comment about not becoming friends with your instructor is a false dichotomy. If the guy wasn't someone I wanted to hang-out with and become friends, why would I want to be with him all those hours on the mat?So, why the blue belt?First, most people have no ambition to be Mundial champions so they have no need for a black belt coach. The black belt will have survivor's bias it makes me think of Suzuki's quote; In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert's mind there are few. The most important things in Jiu-Jitsu can't be taught anyway, that's why it takes ten years to get a black belt. You have to be on the mat for thousands of hours to get that feel. That's the only measurable different between the blue and black belts anyway. It not how many moves they know, it's this abstract feel of when to use those moves. Even a native English speaking black belt couldn't convey that.Second is price. A blue belt instructor would be significantly cheaper than a black belt. And if this is something I'm committing to for the long-haul, the difference will mean thousands of dollars. And thousands of dollars extra for what? Something that can't be conveyed, something that can only be experienced?Talk to any high level player and they'll all say the same thing. After the first six months on the mat they learned more from their training partners than from their instructors. Knowing this I often wonder why there aren't more garage training groups.Everything else being equal (facility, location) I'd send my friend to the blue belt and I'd go with him.