Being a Blue Belt is like putting a target on your gi.

I have only been a blue belt for week and I have been to work out 5 times and it just feels different.

I feel like the higher belts go a little  harder on me not giving me the benefit of age that they did when I was a white belt.

The stripped white belts also are working harder to get the satisfaction of saying they taped out a Blue Belt (which is much more satisfying then saying I taped out an old guy white belt).

On the opposite side the newer white belts now tap much quicker then they did before.  They seem to think that the Blue Belt means  if I get them in a Submission Hold that I will be able to finish it better then before.

I also spar a little different.  Last week going against a white belt who I have done well with in the past I wanted to work on getting out of a guillotine so I let him catch me in it twice and I got tapped twice with what were more neck cranks then chokes but I still taped.  I guess I got to just keep eating the humble pie and being a blue belt does not bring any special magic powers with it.

Not sure if anyone else who has been promoted to Blue Belt feels this way.

It is funny.  Sometimes I keep looking down at my Belt to make sure I am really Blue Belt.  I was told by many before I became a Blue Belt  that I rolled like a Blue Belt.  Now I'm a Blue Belt I am starting to think maybe I need to work a little harder to make sure no one thinks I roll like a white belt.