Belt Promotion and "Fighting Up"

Having only had my blue belt for half a year, I'm sure there are others who can speak to this subject better than I. However, it's something I find very intriguing.

I felt like I'd put the mat time in and I knew the requirements for the blue belt test like the back of my hand. Yet, I wasn't sure I was ready to be promoted. I'd regularly get destroyed by blue belts and even a few of the white belts consistently tapped me even though I outweighed them by 40-50lbs. Obviously the instructors know best though, so when I was told it was time to test, I didn't argue. I made it through the test without any major mistakes in spite of the nerves making it feel like I was at a tournament in front of thousands. I felt very proud but my first though was, "now I'm in the advanced class with the big fish, Professor is going to see it was a mistake to promote me".

Those first few classes were extremely humbling. Suddenly I was pitted against guys who outweighed me by 40-50lbs and were purple and brown belts. Needless to say, I learned what most folks do as new blue belts: white belts don't know what they don't know, blue belts only know that they don't know anything. All that being said, it was almost like a magic switch had been flipped on my jiu jitsu game. Blue belts could still beat me, but guys that were destroying me before were having a tough time with me only a couple weeks later. White belts who were beating me, now seemed to be letting me work my game with transitions and submissions coming fluidly and often. I've heard the term "fighting up" used to describe this phenomenon. It's the idea that simply being promoted improves your game through positive mental change.

Was this abrupt change merely a mental block being lifted? Was it the confidence my professor had  allowing me to have confidence in myself? Was it small amount of mat time with upper-level belts? My guess is, it was a combination of all three.

I wonder if the next promotion will feel the same? Do they all feel that way. I really hope so.

So tell me, did you guys feel this? What has the promotion experience been for you?