Guys, guys! I discovered that I have a super power! It was totally unexpected. I was just messing around, not really paying attention, and BAM it appeared. A white belt made a comment about me doing something strategic. It was completely assumed a) I had a reason for what I was doing b) I was making an excellent choice. Why was this assumed? Because I have achieved a form of legitimacy in jiu jitsu – I have a purple belt.
It reminds me of the bit in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:
More importantly, a towel has immense psychological value. For some reason, if a strag (strag: nonhitchhiker) discovers that a hitchhiker has his towel with him, he will automatically assume that he is also in possession of a toothbrush, washcloth, soap, tin of biscuits, flask, compass, map, ball of string, gnat spray, wet-weather gear, space suit etc., etc. Furthermore, the strag will then happily lend the hitchhiker any of these or a dozen other items that the hitchhiker might accidentally have “lost.” What the strag will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.
By wearing a purple belt, a lower belt will automatically assume the purple belt knows what they are doing, has a plan, will execute that plan, is playing with you, is second guessing you, etc.
True for Spidey and all purple belts
As someone who has struggled with Impostor Syndrome (every day all day!), I can assure you, this feels bizarre – the level of assumed competence is greater than what I attribute to myself. Perhaps it is a way of easing into your belt – you see others’ expectations and either you naturally rise to it or you work to where you mentally feel okay with it. Perhaps it is just a natural thing. Whatever it is – it’s a cool superpower!
JiuJiu’s Question: What is a legitimacy superpower you have? It could be sport or life related. How has it affected you? Also, how badass is it to have a superpower? 🙂
Bwahaha, I am laughing so hard at this because it’s true. We have a new crop of white belts with the new university semester, and they so adorably think I know what I’m doing, while in my head I’m just making stuff up and hoping it works.
Hahaha right! Hopefully one day I’ll catch up to where I THINK I should be as a purple. But who knows – maybe by that time I’ll have a different color around my waist, and the catching up will begin anew. And yet the saga will be played out in my head alone, with me as the sole audience member. Everyone else will just see my belt, which shall act as a mental cushion.
Congratulations! You think it is bad now, wait till someone ties a black belt around your waist. I’ve had mine for years and it is still weird.
Thanks! Oh yeah – I can’t even imagine. I heard a black belt tell me something to the effect of them not being that good and inside I was saying “Yeah riiiiight.” People believe you less and less as you progress!
Haha I have a similar effect on white belts as a purple. I often try to pull side control or give my back so that they’ll have a chance to work on attacks. There are often reluctant to take advantage when I do that because they’re convinced it’s some sort of trap
Isn’t it weird when you finally realize it? On some level I totally feel like I did the first day in class – wuuuut – I can’t do aaaanything. Then you realize those folks who you saw doing that magical thing called jiu jitsu – you’re now the jiu-gician!
Ha – yeah, that can be fun. I’ll often do random nonsense wrapping up the gi, and because I’m a purple belt, the white belts will think I’ve got some grand plan. E.g., if you grab their gi and wrap it around your foot, even if you have no idea what you’re doing, if you’re a higher belt your partner will often go on the defensive. Entertaining. 🙂
But yeah, actually feeling legitimate, that’s a whole other thing. I can’t think of a time I felt 100% confident about anything I’ve done in the act of doing it, ever. Impostor Syndrome is tough to shake.
I totally relate! Inside, I am convinced I don’t know anything whatsoever about jiujitsu, and that it was a mistake to even think I possibly could learn anything about it AT ALL EVER. And then, every so often, I find my self telling a new person how to do something and realizing that – hmmm – I might have learned something from everything I’ve been taught. All credit to my wonderful teachers and their patience and commitment!!