Page 66 - CJMay25

CHORTEACH
Developing Black-Belt Choral Musicians: Transferable Lessons and Methods from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
ARTICLE

The Grandmaster Principle for commencement and conclusion of class. It creates
The journey in jiu-jitsu is a long one. On average, it a healthy sense of camaraderie and competition, incul-
takes a BJJ player ten years to achieve the rank of black cating a “never give up” attitude. Advancement in rank
belt—much longer than most traditional martial arts. also comes with added responsibility, so it is important to
All associations have slightly different criteria, but there hold upper levels to a standard of expectation commen-
is a standard from the International Brazilian Jiu-Jit- surate with the rank.
su Federation. It is usually predicated on time in rank, Once one achieves the rank of black belt, the jour-
proficient display of skills/technique, and character ney is not over. It is just the beginning. This is the point
with possession of a moral compass. The adult belt where one realizes that there is always more to learn by
ranks in BJJ are white, blue, purple, brown, and black. utilizing the grandmaster principle—i.e., “living with
Each belt has the opportunity to earn four stripes at the confidence of a black belt, while learning with the
every rank until black belt as a way to measure progress humility of a white belt.”
through the rank. At black belt, there are six degrees.
These benchmarks provide a support system with those
to look up to and those to bring up in their own re- Conclusion
spective journey, easily identifiable by the belts. It also In the end, the two art forms of jiu-jitsu and choral
provides teaching opportunities. music making are not too far apart. Both develop cre-
After skills are acquired, upper belts are often of- ativity, community, and focused skill-building—all ba-
fered opportunities to pass on knowledge to lower belts sic tenets of prosperous humanity. There are valuable
(perhaps with some far-away oversight). It develops re- cross-discipline lessons in instructional delivery, but also
silience and patience. Ranking up in BJJ is not guar- anecdotal reminders of connection, detachment, sta-
anteed. It is only through persistence and recognized bility, advancement, and motivation present in both art
self-improvement that one is considered for a level forms. Lastly, it is important to keep the play in the work
change. It is always amazing to see grown adults get and make it enjoyable for directors and singers. Both
excited over a little piece of white tape placed on the jiu-jitsu players and musicians typically come to their re-
black bar of their belt for the stripe. Even adults are spective art forms because it is fun, and it should be. Play
not so different from kindergartners. Everyone likes on, sing on.
that “gold star” of recognition that signifies progress in
effort and goals. Jeffery Wall, DMA, is professor of music and director
Many choral directors employ a council of ensem- of choral activities at Northeastern State University in
ble officers or chair positions, but that usually only Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He has over thirty years of mar-
accounts for a small portion of the roster. Directors tial arts experience and holds a first-degree black belt.
should consider a ranking system for the entirety of wall03@nsuok.edu
their ensembles. Perhaps it is simply pairing mentors
with mentees or perhaps it is a visible sticker on their
folders. It can identify higher ranking individuals as NOTES
someone to approach for help and direction.
White belts training with other white belts is where 1 Rener Gracie and Paul Volponi, The 32 Principles: Harnessing
most injuries occur in jiu-jitsu. Pairing upper belts with the Power of Jiu-Jitsu to Succeed in Business, Relationships, and
lower belts allows for learning to occur proficiently and Life (BenBella Books, Inc., 2023), eBook.
efficiently. The same can be true in choral ensembles. 2 Ibid.
When done properly, the ranking system develops a 3 Ibid.
strong sense of community with encouragement across
the ranks. Students who level up to the next rank are
applauded by their classmates, moving up in formation

64 CHORAL JOURNAL May 2025 Volume 65 Number 8