What I Wish I Knew as a White Belt by Phil Proctor

Phil Proctor - Jujutsu Guy

Phil Proctor is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt under Lloyd Irvin and also holds a Black Belt in Judo. He teaches mostly at the Team Lloyd Irvin Aberdeen location but can be found on the mats of Crazy 88 usually once a week.

I wish I knew as a white belt that I should work on my weaknesses.

For example, when I was a white belt and even a new blue belt, (and other like me that are over 200lbs with some wrestling and/or Judo experience), I got a pretty good top game pretty quick. I wanted to tap everybody and viewed being tapped as a regression. The last thing I wanted to do in training was work from my guard. Internal dialog is something like this “That tough white belt may tap me if I work my guard. That can’t happen, because I normally tap them.” What nonsense that is.

For me, I didn’t progress until I started forcing myself to pull guard in training. It was tough. I downright sucked. I tapped. A lot. But….my guard got better and my overall game progressed. I finally worked my weakest area.

This is typical of white belts. It could just as easily be a lighter weight person that’s gets a great guard early on, but can’t pass. They, like everybody, needs to work that weakness until its not a weakness.

Philip Proctor
Team Lloyd Irvin
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt

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