BJJ Grading FAQs

What time does it start

Grading Starts on Saturday at 11am and will finish at 12.30

What do I need to wear?

Wear a white gi and make sure your belt has the correct number of stripes.

How do I know if I’m eligible for grading?

Everyone is welcome to attend and take part in the grading. There are no entry requirements. I would advise all current BJJ students to attend and take part so you get an idea of what’s involved in our gradings and also to help support your team mates.

I haven’t been training enough in BJJ / I haven’t been training in the Gi?

Come along and take part anyway so you can help support your team. You would want them to be there to support you.

What techniques do I need to know?

Grades are awarded based on knowledge of BJJ as well as performance on the mat. There are no specific techniques you need to know for each grade.

Will it be too hard for me?

No. If you have been training regularly in our normal BJJ classes you won’t find the grading day any more difficult than a normal class. Obviously for students going for higher grades the grading is tougher due to more rounds of sparring however you by the time you are ready to grade to a higher belt you will be more than ready for these challenges due to your consistent training.

How much are the grading fees and where can I pay ?

We don’t charge for gradings. You earn your belt by training consistently for years and years and being a good training partner. At the higher belts you may need to pay a registration fee to the Ibjjf to have your belt officially recognised and certified.

Is it possible to be ungraded ?

Yes. This Saturday we will officially be introducing ‘ungrading’. This is a special ceremony for students who have been promoted to a particular belt but have slacked off significantly or avoided training with tougher sparring partners. We will also be removing stripes from students who’ve been training for an extended period of time but still cannot escape from Mount.

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DKMMA Zero 2 Hero MMA Training Camp

 Always wanted to LEARN MMA and test yourself in competition?

Here is your opportunity!

The Zero 2 Hero 6 Week MMA Training Camp is back!

Contenders will train in 4 sessions per week for 6 weeks learning the fundamental skills of Mixed Martial Arts.

Start Date is Monday 13th January!

They will then fight on our Bushido Amateur MMA event at the end of the program.

The matches are held under a modified ruleset which allows the participants to gain valuable experience while minimising the risk of injury.

This program is limited to 12 Participants.

We are now taking bookings for the next Contenders program.

This course is suitable for complete beginners of all fitness levels. Once you complete the course you will be given a opportunity to compete in our Bushido Amateur MMA competition.

WHAT DO YOU GET?

6 weeks of training 4 times a week!

High level coaching in BJJ & MMA from our highly experienced team!

MMA Training uniform!

Train alongside our current competition team!

Opportunity to Compete in Bushido Amateur MMA!

WHO CAN JOIN?

We are only taking 12 contenders!

It is open to people of any skill and fitness level. Ideal if you have done zero or very little training before.

=================================

What are you waiting for?

Book your Spot here :

https://dkmma.com.au/mma-zero-2-hero-course

Long Term BJJ Training

Eleven years ago since I got my black belt and I thought this would be useful advice for anyone who is in the earlier stages of their JiuJitsu training. 

Although it’s definitely important to have goals I think it’s also important to realise that goal setting will only get you so far. You have to enjoy the training in order to stick with it and to train consistently. 

Most people won’t really enjoy training, they might enjoy it for the first few weeks or months but after that the novelty will wear off. 

That’s why all the gradings and coloured belts in martial Arts were invented in the first place. To motivate people into training consistently because they feel they will get some kind of tangible reward at the end. 

The bad news is these rewards can be meaningless and don’t really work. If you don’t train consistently you won’t make progress and if you don’t make any progress you won’t enjoy the training. 

Even after you reach a major milestone such as a black belt you realise that you still need to keep training to maintain and improve on the progress you have made. The longer you train the smaller increments of progress you will make and the time between these improvements seems longer. 

Real Martial arts and combat sports training is tough and it isn’t for everyone. I think most people will figure out within a few weeks of their first sessions whether they want to do this long-term or not. 

To me, martial arts is a lifelong pursuit. It’s about gradually improving my skill level, understanding and ability even if it’s only a small amount every year for as long as I possibly can. 

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Learn Mixed Martial Arts at DKMMA Melbourne


Fairfields PREMIER MARTIAL ARTS SCHOOL
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The DKMMA program is the top choice for martial arts training in Melbourne. Check out our Exclusive Online Offer today or request more information!
DKMMA is Melbourne’s #1 destination for MMA. We follow a structured approach to MMA training and pride ourselves on coaching excellence while providing a safe and welcoming environment for all levels and abilities.

MMA has rapidly risen to become one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports in the world. As popularized by the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), MMA is a combination of the very best of all martial arts and combat sports. MMA is a proven form of self-defence and a fantastic way to get fitter & stronger.
The DKMMA curriculum caters to students of all fitness levels, from complete beginners to experienced professional fighters. Our highly-qualified, professional coaches have the expertise and experience to help you reach your goals.

DKMMA is the home of one of the longest-running MMA Teams in Melbourne.


DKMMA classes place a strong emphasis on combat effectiveness, correct technique, building confidence and personal development. You will get fit and learn new self-defence skills while training in a safe, structured, and professional environment.




DKMMA is renowned for its quality coaching and training. Our coaches are some of the most experienced in Australia with over 25 years of experience in competing and coaching.

DKMMA is home to several state and national champions. We cater to all different levels from complete beginners to experienced Professional MMA Fighters.

What Will I Learn In MMA Class?
You will learn how to integrate striking and grappling skills together in MMA classes as well as how to apply them inside the cage and how to train and prepare correctly for an MMA fight.

Why Train MMA At DKMMA?

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DKMMA is the Premier Martial Arts Academy in Melbourne. We have World Class coaching in a World Class Academy. We have everything you need under one roof with classes in BJJ, Muay Thai, Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts.
You will develop your MMA skills safely & effectively & achieve your personal goals at ACSA.

MMA combines the most effective techniques from all Martial Arts Styles as proven in the UFC and other Mixed Martial Arts events.

Each MMA Class at DKMMA focuses on the highest percentage combat tested techniques.


Our Classes are professionally planned, structured, and supervised.We follow a precise curriculum that maximizes your MMA learning and development while allowing you to learn in a fun, safe and cooperative environment.


Get fit, lose weight, and increase strength while learning Real Martial Arts

Learn new skills from experienced Black Belt coaches while training alongside a great team of supportive training partners.

Develop more mental focus and increased energy levels while releasing stress and making new friends.

Learn Effective self-defence skills that will give you the confidence to protect yourself and your family.

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Bushido Fight Night 3 - Full Fight Card

Live MMA Action in Melbourne

Just over a week to go.

Bushido 3 - The Last Samurai will be back at @thornburytheatre

Tickets: www.acsabushido.com

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How to get your BJJ Black Belt.

                                    

BJJ differs from other martial arts in that there are no clear requirements for getting your black belt or if there are, they vary from school to school. 

https://dkmma.com.au/beginners-bjj-course

Other traditional martial arts, on the other hand, usually have very clear-cut criteria about what you need to do to achieve each belt on the way to becoming a black belt. In karate, for example, there are certain techniques you have to be able to demonstrate and katas you have to perform before you can move up a belt. Even in Judo, which is the closest thing to BJJ, there is a progression path used all over the world for accumulating competition points, demonstrating certain techniques, and then performing the Nage no Kata to obtain a black belt.

Grading requirements can vary greatly from place to place in BJJ. Some schools measure belt advancement solely by the amount of time served and classes attended, while others focus on the number of techniques demonstrated for each belt. Others, such as my original academy (Carlson Gracie London), based belt progression on performance in competition. If you didn’t win a tournament at your current belt then you don’t progress to your next belt.

Your instructors will pick the best grading criteria that work for them, and your school will probably have its own variant, but in general, there are several keys to making progress in BJJ.

Don't focus on the belt.

Instead, focus on improving and learning. It usually takes 8-10 years of consistent training to achieve black belt status. Some people get it faster if they train full-time. Others, like myself, will take longer. (12 years in my case). If you enjoy the training and it becomes a part of your life, you won't care if it takes 3 years or 25 years. The journey is more important than the destination.

Avoid Burn-Out

Aim to train consistently rather than overdo it at the start. Don’t train 7 days a week for 3 months and then quit. Train 3 times a week for 7 years and then you’ll achieve your goals.

Compete.

I’ve been training in BJJ for approximately 22 years. The people who compete always make more progress and stick with their training. You don’t have to be a full-time competitor or quit your job to focus on BJJ competition but my advice would be to compete at least a few times at each belt level along the way to get accurate feedback on your strengths and weaknesses. 5 to 10 minutes in real competition can be the same as 6 months of relaxed training in terms of your development.

Real Training

Be clear about what counts as training time. If you’ve been training in BJJ for 8 years but have had several 6-month breaks or periods where you only trained once a fortnight then that doesn’t count as 8 years of training. Also, if your training session consists of you trying to overpower and tap out the new white belts rather than focusing on your learning and development then that also doesn’t count as real training.

Be a good training partner.

Your coach has your best interests at heart. They want you to make progress and eventually get your black belt because it reaffirms to them that they are doing a good job as a coach. However, they also want what’s best for the other nineteen students on the mat. If you’re a crappy training partner or even worse a dangerous training partner who risks injuring the other students there’s a good chance the coach doesn’t want you on the mats and won’t promote you. Learning how to be a good training partner is perhaps the most important BJJ skill you can learn.

Come try out my BJJ classes at DKMMA in Fairfield, Melbourne.

https://dkmma.com.au/beginners-bjj-course

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The Problem with Amateur MMA

I've had a lot of involvement in Amateur MMA over the last twenty years first as a competitor and then as a coach. My first amateur fight was on my coach Fred Rados Pancrase event in London in September 2000. I competed in around 30 amateur matches in events such as Pancrase and KSBO before graduating to pro rules fights.

I competed in MMA to test myself and gauge my progress rather than seeing it as a career. Becoming a professional cage fighter wasn't a viable career option back in the early 2000s, MMA / NHB / Cage Fighting was a freak show sport back then and was still banned in most places.

Over the years MMA has become more and more mainstream. The sport of amateur MMA has also progressed a lot to the point where there are now large international amateur MMA competitions. I think this is great and I would always encourage my fighters to gain experience as an amateur if they are serious about having a successful fight career (I have previously made the point in this article - http://www.dkmmacoaching.com/2019/10/the-importance-of-amateur-mma.html?showComment=1598179230582#c7257568754422585315)

However, there are several problems that I see with the sport of amateur MMA which will need to be addressed for the sport to continue to grow:

Amateur MMA as a Pathway to Professional MMA:

The first problem is that it is obviously not really necessary to compete as an amateur to compete at the highest levels in MMA.

Every aspiring fighter wants to fight in the UFC, Bellator or One FC but Amateur MMA isn't always seen as a pathway to the highest level of competition.

It is unheard of in boxing for a fighter to turn pro unless they have had a long and successful amateur career. Almost every top professional Boxer in history was also an amateur champion before turning professional.

If we look at most of the champions or top ten fighters, they didn't compete in amateur tournaments - they came straight from the elite level of other combat sports - wrestling, kickboxing or Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Of the current UFC champions, there are very few that have had any amateur fights before starting their pro career.

Having a lengthy amateur career may lead to the fighter taking excessive unnecessary damage when it could be argued that you would be better just developing elite skills and competing in one of the three areas of wrestling, striking or BJJ and then transferring to MMA. 

There are also arguably even easier entry pathways to make it to the big shows. These include building a  'padded record'. Fights against opponents who are picked specifically to lose so you can get into the big event with an undefeated record or having a flamboyant screen personality and getting there via a reality TV show. 

Obviously, the problem with these last two options is that you will quickly get exposed once you actually fight at the higher levels but nonetheless they do seem like attractive alternatives for the up-and-coming fighter who is trying to fast-track his way to the top.

Not enough fighters to make Amateur MMA worthwhile

As mentioned above many fighters will just go straight to pro or will focus on competing in individual sports such as kickboxing and wrestling so that leaves a smaller talent pool of amateur MMA fighters. This, in turn, makes it difficult to hold worthwhile MMA tournaments or MMA circuits because the best fighters probably aren't competing so even if you win it might be meaningless in the long term.

Another problem is that with amateur MMA, there will never be enough fighters willing to step up and compete. At every 'MMA' Gym there will be members training and even competing in kickboxing or grappling but very few training in both & combining styles and even fewer willing to step up and compete, usually citing the reasons that they haven't been doing enough grappling recently because they've been focusing on their striking or vice versa. Of the few that do compete, they will usually only compete once or twice rather than committing to a longer-term amateur career.

One of the reasons for this may be that there just aren't enough regular amateur events to build up the necessary numbers of fighters. Most amateur fighters are lucky if they get the opportunity to fight three or four times per year compared to sports like amateur boxing where you could conceivably fight every weekend.  

The problem of what is the difference between an amateur and a pro?

In most sports, the term 'Professional' usually has connotations of being a super-elite high-level athlete. This is usually the case in sports such as football or basketball but fighting is a different story. Anyone who has been involved for any length of time knows that being a ‘professional fighter’ is usually a meaningless term. Anyone can get a professional fighter's licence regardless of their skill or ability whereas not everyone can become a professional football player. The reason for this is that in combat sports the focus is less on skill level and more on selling tickets.

It is not uncommon to see amateur fighters who are light years ahead of some 'Professional' fighters in terms of skill and experience. This is something that would usually never happen in other sports and for that reason, it makes the entire concept of Amateur and Professional MMA somewhat meaningless.

I think a useful idea in the future would be that fighters aren't granted a professional fighters licence unless they have a minimum number of legitimate amateur matches with a specific winning ratio or have equivalent high-level experience in another combat sport.

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Why MMA Fighters must train in regular classes - MMA Melbourne

Why do some MMA fighters have successful careers while others start off well but then quickly go downhill?

I’ve seen fighters have a lot of success early in their career, then they stagnate, they stop improving and gradually get worse and worse results. How can we explain this deterioration of skill level and results?

There are several factors that can have a bad long term effect on a fighters career.

The Fight Camp Problem:

One common thing I see with many fighters is that once they have a little bit of success they stop attending regular classes and instead just want to do their own fight training, They just want to do their own padwork and sparring rather than attending classes like the regular students,

They see top professionals like Floyd Mayweather training like this so they assume that's what they should be doing too. They also think they’ve become too good to train with the regular students and that all the training should be focused around them and their competition goals,

The reality is that if you are already an elite world champion like mayweather then it makes sense not to do regular classes. There's a point of diminishing returns, time is better spent doing training that is solely focused on you. Also, if you are already a world champion you can afford to pay your trainers and sparring partners a full time salary so they can work around your schedule,

Why do fighters think they don’t have to come to regular classes?

They think that training in the regular classes with non fighters will hold them back. This is not true. I have seen many recreational students who have a much higher skill level in specific areas than the professional fighters. The fighter would actually benefit tremendously from training and sparring with these non fighters.

They believe training should be all just focused around them, This is completely unrealistic, Even if the fighter is paying his trainer 10-20% of the fight purse, it is very unlikely that any decent or suitably qualified trainer will be willing and able to devote all their time over the course of an 8 week training camp.

They think they already know everything that's being taught in class so there's no point wasting time practicing it again. This is usually never the case. There isalways more to learn and more skills to be refined and improved upon.

Disadvantages of only doing fight training:
There are several common patterns which I notice from fighters who only do ‘Fight Camps’ rather than regular training. These include stagnation and deterioration of ability.

Fighter is happy in the short term because he gets to train on his own terms. It's all about him, he feels like a professional and builds his ego but it's a disaster long term,

The fighter may be able to maintain their current level of skill, technique and fitness but is not improving and will not be capable of beating the next level of opponent.

The fighters coach who was probably responsible for the initial success doesn't want to work with the athletes who don't attend his classes regularly as this sets a bad example to the other students.

This often leads to the fighter finding other coaches who are willing to work them but usually the replacement coaches are inexperienced and just trying to make a name for themselves which will ultimately do more harm tahn good to the fighters career.

Why should fighters keep training in classes?
Its very important to continually keep improving and updating your skills. MMA fighting is a game of levels. If you beat a fighter of one level then you will have to move up to the next level to keep progressing your fight career. The level of skills and ability that was required to beat your previous opponent will not be enough to beat your next opponent.

This is especially the case in the sport of Mixed Martial Arts where the overall skill level rapidly increases from year to year. The level of skill required to win a state or national title even a few years ago would likely not be enough now.

Check out our BJJ & MMA Classes at DKMMA:

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Jake Shields and Masakazu Imanari seminars - MMA Melbourne

We have two great seminars coming up soon.

Firstly we have UFC legend Jake Shields on Thursday 12th September at 6pm. This seminar will focus on Shields unique style of  'American Jiu-jitsu' blending BJJ with Wrestling specifically for Nogi Grappling competition and MMA.

Follow this link to book:
https://www.panchomichael.com.au/products/jake-shields-no-gi-seminar-thursday-september-12-australian-combat-sports-academy-thornbury

Then on Sunday 22nd September, we have Japanese MMA and Grappling Legend Masakazu Imanari.
This seminar will focus on Imanaris unique style of Leglocks.

You can book in here:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/masakazu-imanari-leglock-seminar-tickets-67336690855

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Becoming a Fighter

Long Term Athlete Development in Combat Sports

Since the beginning of our fight team we have consistently followed a long-term development program for our fighters. The Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Program is commonly found in elite level sports but is often ignored in the world of Fight Sports.

Stages in Fighter Development

The first stage in our system is to make sure the students have a solid foundation in the fundamental skills before progressing onto sparring in the gym. If they train consistently they can then progress to local inter-club/novice sparring events. After that they can move on to amateur fights and then finally onto Professional fights. 

Why do we follow this structure? 

We want to produce world-class competitors not just fighters who can win at local level events. Some coaches don't believe its necessary to follow a long term system like this. They believe their fighters are already good enough to go straight to Professional fights. In my opinion taking short-cuts in this area may seem like a good idea in the short term but can seriously damage the long term prospects and growth of a fighter.

Learning about your fighters

One of the reasons we follow this Fighter Development Program is because we learn just as much from the novice level events as the fighters do. Coaches can learn the strengths and weaknesses of their fighter, how they perform under pressure, how they respond to coaching and instructions during the fight and what areas they need to work on and improve upon as a team before the next event.

Improving your coaching

Becoming an effective coach takes constant learning, practice and evolution. Novice fights are a great opportunity for the coach learn how to best warm up the fighters, what instructions to give before and during the fight, how to adjust strategy during the fight and learning about how the fighter copes with and responds to the stress and pressure of competition.

Development of the Fighter

Becoming a great fighter is a long process. Novice fighters need to make mistakes and learn from them. They need to try new things in an arena where there is less risk if it goes wrong. Mistakes in Novice fights are no big deal. They are actually beneficial because they highlight areas of you game that will need improvement before you step up to professional fighting.

The Cost of Making Mistakes

If you make those same mistakes in professional fights there is usually an additional risk of serious injury as you will be up against much better opponents. There's also a risk to your career as a professional fighter of losing your fight contract, losing your motivation and confidence and ultimately derailing your career before its even started.

Taking time to develop as a fighter

Novices are not ready to jump into Professional fights straightaway. Not everyone is cut out to be a fighter. Novices need the opportunity to figure out if the sport is actually for them. They need to gradually experience the fear, stress and adrenaline dump in a safer environment. The fighter can then begin to figure out how to deal with the pressure of competing, managing the stress, fatigue and fear and learn to not let these factors affect his performance in the fight.

Better for the sport

I believe it's detrimental to combat sports to have first timers fighting on professional events. The public shouldn't have to pay to watch fighters who haven't yet mastered the basics skills of the sport. Seeing first timers with no amateur experience fighting on professional fight shows makes fighting sports look amateurish. Fighters should have a minimum of 10 matches away from the public eye before stepping into the ring in front of paying spectators. 

No shortcuts

I believe taking short-cuts may seem like a good idea to some young up and coming fighters who want to make a name for themselves but will ultimately cost them a lot in terms of their long term development and future prospects in the sport.

Here's another Article I wrote on how to Prepare for your first MMA Fight:

http://deniskellymmacoaching.blogspot.com.au/2012/01/getting-ready-for-your-first-mma-fight.html

'I've found that taking shortcuts will get you to the place you don't want to be much quicker than they get you to the place you want to be.'

Lennox Lewis

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