Remember that a certain belt can have a lot of variety in skill levels. Jeremy Horn was technically a blue belt when he gave Shamrock the fight of his life; Jon-Olav Einimo was (and still is, I think) only a blue belt when he beat Rigan Machado in ADCC (Rigan had an injury, but still, even qualifying for ADCC is an accomplishment in itself)
I also agree with what Water Dragon said - the best fighters are usually the ones with a “base” discipline that they’re very good at - for you, that could be judo, I guess.
That said, not everyone has a “base” art - Frank Shamrock, Evan Tanner, and Dave Menne all just call themselves “freestyle fighters”
Your responses give me a lot to think about. Thank you.
The highest level I got I guess was the instructorship from Paul Vunak (the one that I don’t know if its good anymore LOL )
But seriously, I remember eating lunch with him in a Chinese restaurant and asking him flat out if he really thought I was good enough to have it.
He said he thought I was, the thing I had to come to grips with was whether I thought I was.
It was almost as if I didn’t trust his judgment! And even after it just sits on my wall…
I emailed Burton Richardson once about that kind of thing, and he said I was putting an unfair expectation on the “ranking” as if I am supposed to be invincible or something, and it just doesn’t work like that. So hmm I may just be too hard on myself too.
If I lost would people be mad at me? Would they say I suck?
etc. Anyone else sometimes feel that kind of thing?
I’ve won much more than I lost, but occasionally I come up against a grappler much better than myself and eat it LOL, but no ridicule ever comes except in my own mind.
Definitely something to bring out a bit and analyze maybe.
LOL )