We get questions every now and again here at Jiu Jitsu Times and some of them are really interesting. Recently a reader sent in this question, and I’ll do my best at answering it.
“Should a lower belt student ever be able to tap out a higher belt in BJJ?”
For starters, I want to clarify my opinion on belts: they (plural) mean nothing. An individual’s belt can mean the world to that individual, and can hold significance to those immediately around them, but a blue belt world champion is probably on the same technical level as an average, non competing hobbyist black belt.
So are we talking about a hobbyist black belt and a blue belt world champ???
Another point to be made on this specific subject: there are world class grapplers who are white belts in BJJ. A Sambo master of sports is a white belt in BJJ if they have never been promoted by a BJJ instructor. A catch wrestling expert or a Luta Livre black belt is technically a white belt in BJJ. However, chances are a master of sport in Sambo or a Luta Livre black belt can tap out BJJ black belts.
Another thing to take into account is that not every black belt rolls the same way every time they roll. I’ve rolled with black belts who were working on their armbar defense so they let me put them in an armbar, and sometimes I managed to get the tap, while other times they got out.
I’ve rolled with black belts who were much smaller/less athletic than I am and I was able to use my athleticism to get the better of them. Like it or not, size and athleticism do play a roll during live rolling.
Yet another very important point to think about is that most people put their bodies through hell on the road to black belt. Many people don’t make it to black belt without having messed SOMETHING up, and some black belts are not in great shape in comparison to a fresh white or blue belt.
I’ve seen white belts tap out brown and even black belts when there was a major size disparity or when it was submission only and the white belt was freakishly strong. These sorts of things happen, and aren’t necessarily an indictment of the upper belts’ skills or an affirmation of the lower belts’ skills.
Anyone can catch anyone given the right circumstances, mistakes can be made either by accident or deliberately to test oneself. Size, strength and physical condition can play important rolls in the performance of a black belt against lower belts, and very often ones’ belt rank is not a direct reflection of their available skill set.
If you are an upper belt, have you ever been submitted by a lower rank? How about the humble white belts among us, have any of you ever subbed an upper belt? Guess what, nobody cares, go train! 
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