Blue Belt Crossroads

You're the same grappler as you were the other day when you were a white belt. All the things you needed to work on then you need to work on tomorrow. Guard retention, sweeping, passing guard, controling position, submission. Blue belt is still a beginner belt IMO.

sample everything. don't get stuck by defining yourself as a "half guard player" or a "butterfly guard player."

once you see you like 2-3 positions a lot, figure out how to get to each from the others. then branch off from there. like knee shield? then explore deep half. like butterfly? then explore SLX.

repeat for passing, escapes, transitions and subs. blue belt is a hell of a journey

Solidifying your basics and start concentrating on building your own game and identity on the mats.

Don't worry about concepts yet. Blue belts still don't know much. Learn as much as you can, play with as many positions as possible, your game will naturally coalesce as you grow towards purple. You'll find the positions you like to play and naturally play well, those will become your A game, and then you can build on that foundation and close holes between purple and black.

Try to learn as many different things as possible as a blue belt. See the belts of BJJ.

As a purple belt...that feeling doesn't really change. Some days you're the hammer, some days you're the nail. That's the way she goes, just keep training.

Develop your "A" game for when you want to win and play around with a "B" game for fun.

When you think about it, there's a huge difference in a top-tier white belt and a day-one beginner. That difference is shared across all belts, so as a day-one blue belt you're expected to be as close to day one as you are to the purple belts.

I'm a year into blue, and you definitely grow into it more than you'd think. I suppose that when the day comes where you feel like you're a good blue belt you'll probably be given a purple belt.

I'm a year into blue, and it's been a growing experience. I've been having a lot of fun with it to be honest. All the pressure of learning the curriculum, getting the fundamentals and being discarded as the blocky beginner were just shed right off. now I just train for me and finding what I like, what works for my body type and exploring the "fun" stuff. Fundamentals are still paramount, drilling takes on a new focus and I actually welcome the target on my back. I wouldn't mind staying at blue for a good long time. Without realizing it, I've started getting an identity. Upper belts are starting to comment about my game and ability that actually feels good. It's no longer the "heavy" or "really strong" but they're using what I've been doing as a example for things they're teaching/showing. Getting kinda frustrating though when you start exploring something, it starts clicking and you feel good about it, then professor teaches everyone the counter to it. Makes me think they're conspiring against me in private lol. Let's keep on rolling blue brother!

blue to purple is a hard transition

this is the belt where you start to develop a game, and learn to set stuff up in advance. you should try to develop some of your best/favorite moves to a point where it works on everyone.

then people have to develop counters or avoid the situation entirely, and you will really start to learn how to play chess by manipulating situations and setting them up in advance

Not quitting.

White belts jack their game on you cause they still dont graps the essence and purity of the art, for them jiu jitsu is about that colored belt. Just get do what you use to and try to work your memory in order to remember your mistakes and not repeat them. When I roll with blue belts, they, indeed, still do white belt mistakes but as some of them approach the purple, I begin to notice that their old time mistakes never come back cause they remember. Rolling with purples, I realized that they just added more risk taking to their game and add more mat time experience. Rolling with all belts, I just notice that the fundamentals are the staple and the chief cornerstone of their game. Dont try to change everything cause you've got that blue belt around you. That's the worst possible mistake you can do. Just try yo remember things everytime you roll. I still see some blue belts flatten their legs and get top mount !!! That's bad. I rolled with a blue whose arms were so stiff that I think he forgot everything about loosening up while rolling. I rolled with a blue belt who mostly shoot for ankle or leg lock all the time and never realize I was ALWAYS defending it well. I realized that another blue belt just never spent enough time on finish their subs.

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Enjoy jiu jitsu.

Is normal.

When I got my blue, a brown belt told me

"congrats, now white belts are gonna try to kill you, and upperbelts are gonna stop going easy on you"

I was like, you guys were going easy on me? was I there?

But yeah, congrats, and just go train.

I'll try to avoid getting overly philosophical by just describing roughly what I did from blue to purple.

Familiarize yourself with as much of the game as you can and start developing paths to and from positions (Stephan Kesting's free BJJ roadmap can be a good place to start).

Always have two things you are working on.

One, trust your instructor, pay close attention, make notes if you want/can, follow their tutoring.

Two, have something you are very interested in and want to work on that is practical for your game (not some crazy sub or transition that you'd never practically get into at your current stage). This doesn't have to be complicated but should be a deep dive and suite you personally. I spent weeks or months on each one of these things for myself, with much help from YouTube, occasionally instructional, and of course training partners and coach, usually after regular class was over. This included techniques like how to finish an arm triangle without cranking the neck, how to solidly get to and finishing an arm triangle under high resistance, how to get and finish a leg triangle under high resistance etc. Whatever you find yourself struggling with or you find interesting or might fit your body well.

Competing occasionally, not too often so that you have time to culture new knowledge/ability but often enough to give your skills and spirit a check. I competed roughly once or twice a year, and made a point of learning from every competition, win or lose (I won more than I lost but I learned more from losing).

Concept wise, consider the fundamentals of not just BJJ but of body mechanics and movement as it relates to BJJ. If you like, look into things like Rob Biernacki's conceptualization of base, posture and structure. Solidifying your own and breaking down your opponents is one way of looking at great meta concepts of what BJJ is about. Also look into some works like the book "Becoming a Supple Leopard" and YouTube physical therapists like AthleanX help with both your body posture and movement and to help your recovery from nearly inevitable occasional injuries and for maintenance.

...all the other things I'm forgetting ;) ....

Blue belts fall into two categories mostly. Good white belts who people were already trying pretty hard against. And bad ones who people held back against until they get their blue and are now getting their first experience with a real crossface. Sorry you are in the later group.