National Geographic Inspired Analogy About White Belts in BJJ
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ธ.ค. 2019
- In today's video I address a question from someone who's just beginning Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and they're curious about the high drop out rate with BJJ White Belts. He said he saw a video that said 90% of White Belts never make it to Blue Belt and he's wondering why that is.
Additionally he says that he has been training for 1 week and realizes BJJ isn't for him but that he will finish up his 3 month membership and then be done with it.
During the video I share a weird analogy that I used with my students about White Belts being like baby sea turtles. I know that's weird but stick with me here. A baby sea turtle hatches and immediately it moves towards the blue ocean. During this dash into the water it lacks the ability to move well and is bombarded with obstacles (mainly birds getting lunch). The turtle has one choice, just keep going forward.
A brand new BJJ White Belt lacks the ability to move well on the mat and is moving towards the Blue Belt. Like the turtle the White Belt has only one option to improve, keeping going forward, more specifically just show up.
Here's the national geographic video with the sea turtles I was talking about: • Surviving Sea Turtles ...
I also talk about the attitude of the person asking the question.
Hopefully this video is useful to you or at least maybe you'll find the turtle analogy interesting.
Thanks for watching!
-Chewy
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"I'm a slow learner" Then learn slow bro, it's not a race. Jiu Jitsu is a personal journey
Perfect. ❤️
Love this!
My son is young & a big, strong kid but is slower at leaening his sports than the others. I' d say its a good thing he doesn't have social media because none of his coaches acknowledge posts about him in his sports. They acknowledge just the top kids tho. Sad. Good thing he doesnt know it tho.
Jiujitsu is a race with only 1 winner. Learning slow and using what you learned fast are two different things.
@@cbrit6206 ma'am. Although I am not big on the social media thing .. Alot of stuff that gets posted on social media reflects what really goes on in peoples lives behind closed doors. In this case your son is being talked about. And not in a good way. My advice is find you a school that welcomes "slow learners". I enjoy teaching my fellow slow learners. Being that i am dyslexic i dont have a choice but to be "slow" and i wouldn't change it for the world. Your son sounds like cool kid. Maybe we can set up a virtual lesson or 2. No charge. Keep being an awesome mom to your awesome kiddo! Hope you remove yourselves from that cancerous gym. I hate the thought of him being singled out. It kills me. I hope the coaches are not fellow black belts because that would be embarrassing. My offer for some virtual private lessons stands. God bless-
“Dude, suckin' at something is the first step to being sorta good at something.” ― Jake the Dog.
Bacon pancakes
Jake is brilliant ❤️
I had this framed for my son.
@@JarrodHahn parenting done right
Assuming this doesn’t apply to someone divorced three times. Lol
“Observe as the new white belt is introduced to the habitat known as The Mat, curious and full of ambition, little does it know, everything here is to the death.” -Attenborough
Prior to earning my blue belt in BJJ I didn't feel as though I was learning much because as I got better, so were the other white belts I trained with. It wasn't until I rolled with a new white belt that I became aware of how much I'd learned. Now, whenever I find myself in a new learning curve, regardless of what area in life it happens to be in, I will never forget the day I rolled with that new white belt. Perseverance and PATIENCE go hand in hand.
This. You don’t realize how much you know until you just demolish ppl that are new, and then you’re like oh shit this is actually working
Same thing happened to me bro fr
Then you roll with a black belt and feel like that new white belt again 😅
Here's a quote for motivation, I've been saying it to myself lately:
"No one ever got worse at it by showing up to practice"
mtscountrytime86 You’ve clearly never seen a training accident.
M0lecular Ep1phany lmao
dude awesome
@ you also risk it when youre in top form.
Don’t you know Jiujitsu is a soul shattering bone shattering mind shattering strength shattering combat?
Why do 90% of the purple belts skip warmup 🧐
Leglocks Don‘t work cuz our knees are garbage
lmao..
lmao
lol Facts.
@@AckermanJiuJitsu Hahahah
"The secret to getting a black belt is persistence."
In my experience, three things make black belts:
1. An vision of who/what they want to become that is greater than the obstacles they will face.
2. A good coach who makes learning fun
3. A personality that takes pleasure from learning.
4. Ability to stay somewhat healthy enough to train.
Got my blue belt 5 days ago I after all those years and all of the self doubt… I can honestly say it was worth every second. I earned every single stitch on that belt.
Congratulations! I'm really excited to start this discipline in a week. Any advice for a rookie?
@@phelps1485 I just started today and I can say if you have a question, ask it cause you're teacher or even the people you group with are willing to help you
@@phelps1485 man, I know this was a while ago. But I’d say make friends with the higher belts they have so much knowledge to pass down to help with the journey. And you have that kinship knowing they’ve already ran through that fire
Years? How long does it take to get a blue belt?
#1 reason is injuries. Nothing kills motivation and passion more than injuries.
Keep training, the better you get the less injuries you will suffer from. I recall Joe Rogan saying the exact same thing. Don't get me wrong, they still happen. Also, strength taring will help.
That is true. Very true. You can avoid many injuries by taping early when you feel your arm extend. I avoid the open mat classes because my body cannot handle that much wear and tear. I also try to limit my rolling time.
Right. The "tough guys" expect things too soon from beginners.
Number 2 would be money... My bjj experience was like this:
First class i dislocated a toe, second week i almost get my elbow dislocated by an unnecesary sudden pull by a higher rank, about 2 months in of getting hurt every week, the peice went up 16% i couldnt pay for it anymore, had to stop training after third month
Yea sir! You become a prey for those knuckleheads
I just had fun and kept going. Later i looked down and my belt was black
Don't worry brother it happens to the best of us
and you were wearing jeans or a Gi?
,😂
You hit the nail on the head here " I just had *fun* ...." This. 100x this.
If people have given something an honest and fair go, and aren't enjoying it (and haven't been for a little while) they will almost certainly quit. I actually applaud them for that. Life is short. Why spend it doing something you really in your heart of hearts don't enjoy? I used to see plenty of people in my old BJJ classes who weren't enjoying class. You could tell by their body language they were dragging themselves to class. What's the point? IMO it's better to have a class with 8 people who love the sport and are dedicated vs 30 people who only sort of want to be there.
Bullshit
I'm 40 years old, when I started my BJJ journey I absolutely felt like a failure instantly and questioned myself if this was for me. I was smashed daily but what really got me going was higher belts complimenting me on that 20% I was doing right. "You have good body awareness," "you have good instincts trying to limit my leverage," "you've been rolling for 3 months only? Very nice dude." Although I felt I was a failure, my classmates were keeping me up and keeping me going to improve. I've been at it for a year now going 3-4 times per week, I don't see myself stopping any time soon.
I have been training BJJ consistently for a year. I literally have learning disabilities and I still feel like I barely have any idea what I'm doing. People who started after me have been passing me up. Guess what, I'm still going.👍👍
🫡
Same
how is it now
Good job and keep on going
Same! I have dyslexia, especially left-right confusion and difficulty memorizing sequences. Which is the majority of what we do in training, and you can’t get techniques right if you can’t remember the steps or which side of your body to move. Literally whenever I roll, it’s like every new technique I learned that day just flies right out of my mind and I resort to instinct. But each failure makes me more determined to improve. And over time, those instincts become the techniques that I’ve learned previously, and the more I practice, the more they become muscle memory
Chewi is a big reason why I didn't quit on juijitsu, if you're reading this thank you man!
🦍
@@sexualman1272 racist
I’m 49 and just got the first stripe on my white belt. One advantage of age is that it’s easier to understand that the journey is the destination. It’s very unlikely that I’ll ever be a black, brown, or even purple belt. I’m ok with that.
51 here, friend. Just started training a couple weeks ago. I know I’ll be a blue belt in 2-3 years if I stay healthy. I have no real goals after that. It’s like knowing you’re playing the 49ers next week so not focusing on the game against the Browns this week-one goal at a time, no sense worrying about the goal after this one.
Peter Altman the journey is everything!
The journey is the destination...I love it 😊
Hey dude, you are 49. You will live to be 59! You will be a black belt! Just keep coming! I started coming to class in 2001 and I’m counting down the minutes until I go TONIGHT! Just go- that’s it!
Hey 49 here just started 2 months ago loving it.
I just started on Jan. 4 (less than 3 weeks ago) and I’m 51 years old. I’ve never done martial arts before in my life. I’m sore. I’m exhausted. My friends think I’m crazy. But I’m also loving it at the same time. Weird.
My 12 year old son has been training for about 9 months. When he is a little bit bigger, I really want to be in good enough condition to roll with him. About my only goal right now is to get good enough to be able to keep up with him for as long as I can. One day he’ll beat me and that will be a very proud day for both of us. But because I’m working hard, we’ll both know that he earned it instead of just tapping an old man.
Also, it will be extremely cool if we both get our blue belts at roughly the same time. So maybe that’s a goal, too.
As someone who grew up not really having a father figure, this brought tears into my eyes. I aspire to be a father like you someday, keep it up 👍
You sound like a great dad. Keep at it 🙏
Bro, you’re A GREAT DAD. my father died when I was 16..I could never tell him that I started Brazilian jiu-jitsu, what’s especially sad because he was Brazilian..he would have been proud and trust me, you son will be proud of you. Best dad to imagine, one you can roll with, amazing !
Respect to a good dad .
I’m a father of a two year old who just started JJ. One day I will roll with my boy.
I can only speak for myself. I sucked for a LONG time, my coach even told me (in a respectful way) "you had A LOT of improvements over the last three months" I had been doing BJJ at that point for almost nine months. The biggest change I had was a shift in mentality. My pastor one service was saying sometimes the best way to preach a sermon is to understand that persons language. My coach's language was teaching, so I learned to be coachable. He also puts a lot of responsibility on white belts who have been there awhile to help teach new white belts, I told myself I had a responsibility to learn what was being taught. My coaches and teammates said I've improved leaps and bounds and I've been doing this now for about eighteen months.
I'm a one stripe white belt i've been going for 10 months, i needed this video
Derrick Riggs dame as you bro but the only reason stayed like this because I want to beat blue belts while still staying a white belt so why professor got to angry and said I’m going to give you a blue belt so you could train with the advanced belts
Maaaaan, I've been going for 9 months (about 2x a week) now and am still only a white belt no stripes! I envy your white stripe. Lol! We have a promotion ceremony in a few hours... hopefully I get my stripe today. 🤞
@@georgel.3357 let us know how it went dude :)
I would recommend you also do a striking art with BJJ.
UPDATE: Got my first stripe this afternoon! 😊 Oss!
Injuries are a huge reason too. I busted my ass training for two years and finally just got tired of crippling injuries happening every few months. Some people’s bodies are not robust enough for grappling. And some schools have a bunch of jerks who don’t particularly care if they hurt their training partners.
That’s why I started a new philosophy for myself. I don’t train twice with someone who fucks me up. Or someone who doesn’t know their own strength
Yea that’s part of it. Not knowing your bodies limitations or when to concede certain positions lead to injuries.
@@del7920
Gotta find out my strength by seeing whether I can break someones arm.
Right, my 3 rd day back after 5 years got my elbow blown by a female purple belt, didnt release after I tapped, maybe she didn’t hear me or such, I was on my knees I believe, an tried to stand afterwards, coach said it was because I tried standing up, but I believe she was playing to ruff/cranked too hard and combination of everything. She finally released after my 4 agony tap, but herd that loud pop and was too late, I said take it easy and she just looked at me like I was crazy, 2 weeks later despite still training lightly and avoiding rolling for the most part, I asked her why she did not let go and coach was there, but instead she became defensive/loud saying coach was right there. Never once said are you ok or something!
My 3rd week, after injury me and my partner is maybe 40Lbs heavier than me and I am 180, we’re drilling a leg head lock of some type not a choke lock but a head smasher and since we could not get it right we drilled it over and over with max force. He got it right couple times, but all that unneeded repeated max stress caused trama leading to TMJ, now clicking/popping of the jaw, cool right!
I don’t see why any move especially joint locks need to be drilled to the point of pain each time and why a person needs to continues tap during practice drill. When I was training MMA some years ago I blew someone’s ACL during belt promotion from takedown drill and also had my meniscus blow from someone yanking my ankle toward themwhen I was in side mount, and other injuries during that 7 month time frame, I made it to yellow belt and had to stop, couldn’t handle the knee injury was too much at the time.
Frank Torrez Jesus dude. Sounds like problems follow you. Any reason for that?
Either that or training at bad gyms
I did Judo for about 3 years, and the week I was seeing these awesome throws and the senior guys made it look so easy. When it was my turn to throw, I couldn't execute. I was like grrr I suck!! What I realized is that each technique has multiple dynamics you need to master to execute these throws. Moral is dont despise those small beginnings!!!
Yess, i am currently in judo and have been for about 5 years, still a green belt, but thats because my coach is very tough on us, and Throws and that look cool and easy, but its so hard to learn, and ive seen 20+ white belts quit after a few weeks, its crazy, ive never understood why really.
After a year + of BJJ I still don't feel like I know what I'm doing. I end up in bad positions ALL THE TIME. But I have this: more endurance then when I started, quicker reflexes, and more knowledge of the sport. I have also learned how to escape some of those positions that the higher belt/faster people put me in (or that I get myself into). It's not easy, but I keep going back. Thanks for your motivation!
I left my first gym because the training style was so spastic. There was no fundamentals class, they had white belts rolling with black, brown and putple belts. I was not taught the basics but they would teach me advanced chokes. It was all over the place and I felt like I learned nothing. There was ZERO drilling, and I was getting frustrated.
The place I am at now is much better. They have fundamentals classes twice a day Mon-Fri and I am actually learning.
I love my school because of this reason. The upper belts mentor us as well so we have the basic understanding. Seems like the school you were at was just unorganized or something
@@ronthemogul It was very unorganized. I learned very little while over there.
That kind of the whole point of the Gracie video he talked about. Called something like What is a Gracie Blue Belt. Fresh white belts really won't learn much if they are just thrown to the wolves. You just feel like, damn I suck.
@@pb3551 or you can feel like damn I need to get better so I can compete with them. It gives you a goal and obstucal to overcome. If I was the best in my gym I wouldnt go. I love getting beat it gives me motivation to get better. And when they cant nail that submission again I achieved a small victory. It's all your mentality. That's like 90 percent of fighting is mentality.
We drill daily at my gym but I still have to roll with blue-purple belts. I'm only one week in mind you but you learn a lot rolling with the higher ranks.
What stopped me was getting injured by more experienced upper belts just last year. I was a one stripe white belt and was really excited about getting better in the future, I remember that there was this one purple belt that injured me somehow every time we rolled together, he always cranked his subs full-blast each time he got a hold of an arm, I could never tap fast enough to prevent getting injured.
Well one day, this big purple guy got on top and locked up an Americana from side control, not even half a second later, before I even realized what was going on, **SNAP** .The first word out of my mouth after such a loud snap was "owww sh*t!" My arm was in the most pain I've ever felt before. So now I have the entire gym's attention after my elbow popped like a firecracker, all eyes on the dude with a broken elbow. I feel really stupid, and I'm in lots of pain.
Purple belt doesn't seem too upset about the fact he ripped someone's arm off, but the brown belt looks at me, then mouths in an apathetic tone, "we don't speak that way here, It's disrespectful." Well there goes any chance I had of getting good. Maybe if I were stronger things would have been different. I'll never know now.
Tyler ISSLA that sucks man, that guy is a dickhead.
Tyler ISSLA bro i was just a purple
Belt tryna show a white belt whatsup with bjj, i never knew when i snapped ur arm it made u quit bjj, im a black belt now bro i could teach u bjj for free due to breaking ur arm, u can get my # from the dojo we were at
@@bobwisely9745 what a shitty mindset
@@bobwisely9745 what the actual fuck...your trainer should have bullied you right the fuck out of their gym. Whats wrong with you?
Being a man is telling somone no I won’t roll with you Because (insert whatever ) somtimes verbally telling them
Bro I’m
New go slow. Really pays dividend
I've quit a half dozen times. But I've started one more time than I've quit. It takes forever to feel like you've made some progress, you feel like nothing more than a training dummy for the more experienced students, and it flat out physically hurts sometimes. I was never athletic. But, once you get over than first white belt hump, it is extremely rewarding. I'm more committed than ever to stick with it this time.
"The will to win can only be exceeded by the will to train" - Just started Ju Jitsu and Im 60.....screw that you can't teach an old dog new tricks - this video is brilliant and inspirational 👊👊👊
Bruce Langereis how is the training going, I’m 60 as well and I am considering starting
Ya I am 64 been doing it for over 40 years. It's easy to stay with it until something gets injured on you. Will one still walk the walk. Stand up is where the real men fight. If you can't then you have to go to the ground.
scott pomeroy Scott I’m loving it! A few aches and pains but it’s so engaging mentally and physically- highly recommend at the very least you try it! Private lessons best 👊🙏 good luck 😀
I think many "tough guys" find out real quick they aren't as tough as they thought and just give up. Not just in bjj but life in general.
This is a fact in some cases. Possibly most.
It's the distance from home to BJJ/boxing/MMA gym. If you need only to walk down to the gym a block away, I guarantee you'll go nearly every day. On the other hand, if you need to get into a car and drive thirty minutes, you won't.
That's why professional put the bedroom above the gym.
@@langhamp8912 That's a fantastic point. I go to yoga class all the time now because there's a studio that is literally a 4 minute walk from my house that opened last year. Before that, I maybe would've attend 1-2 classes a week (at best).
@@iorekby Ridiculous that these trainers talk about the lack of motivation when they could simply look at all the addresses of their students, plot that on a map, and come to the conclusion that student to gym distance correlates to attendance.
Indeed, that what two gymn owners I knew personally did. The distance is utterly correlated with attendence.
langhamp8912 my gym is 32 mins away and i go nearly every day
Showing up on days where I'm tired, frustrated as hell, and didn't even want to be there is what made me more mentally tough. Just keep showing up.
Thank you for this video. After finishing my first week of BJJ, I needed this. It’s so frustrating when I get my butt kicked for an hour straight in class BUT I know when I eventually do succeed it will be that much sweeter.
I'll never quit. Ever. I'm a slow learner but every time I figure out something new it's so wonderful and exciting and makes all the frustration melt away.
I'm gonna tell my girlfriend that you just called her a "baby turtle eating bird". She's not gonna like it 😂
By accident I showed my girl the episode "Discouraged Older BJJ White Belt Wondering," Is Even Worth It? "" (1:56) ... well, she is not my girlfriend anymore.
Piotr Cieślik The sacrifice was totally worth it. Good job!
Don't call your gf a bird.
Beta
@@TheLZempir3 maybe a birdie?
Started at 39 got my blue in 22 months 2 weeks ago love it
Congratulations mate!
@@nickbarnes8279 thank you...i should have joined a bjj club years ago i done muay thai for 7 years and gave up at 30 after i broke my foot in Thailand..lost the love of training in that and found a new love in bjj i am not going to stop until i die
@@dotsfrazer im 26 and started doing BJJ a few months into this year. Got a stripe on my belt and am in the same boat of thinking I want to do it until I die after 6 months or so, hope the same motivation is still there when I'm your age!
@@nickbarnes8279 i find it a great excuse to get away from the wife for a couple of hours wait until you are married thats all the motivation you will need to keep training 😀
That is good time !!! Do you do other martial arts. I was just doing BJJ , then I got creamed against my brother in boxing , so now i added on boxing and I do MMA beg class and I am 44
"It may seem difficult at first, but all things are difficult at first"
-Miyamoto Musashi
The Book of Five Rings
Not really. Actually the vast majority of things are easy at first. Otherwise you'd probably starve to death.
There is usually only two or three hard things I do each day and they are always maths or sport related.
I just started 1 month ago and I'm hooked! I've been lifting weights for 20 plus years and even though I'm in my early 40's, man I'm glad I at least did weight training because even though I started off super late!! That mature muscle helps out alot and when you combine strength and technique you get something very beautiful. Good video and thanks for that extra push 💥👍
There’s a bigger issue at play in my opinion and it’s that the learning side and the business side of bjj are at odds with each other. I don’t believe large class formats and teaching random movements lend itself to efficient learning and ends up leading to confusion and frustration for new white belts. There is no way one or two instructors can pay attention to 20+ students at once so naturally, the students that have the most natural ability will get the most attention while the rest are left to basically teach themselves using youtube or by asking blue belts which ends up with the blind leading the blind.
From what I understand bjj was originally taught in a 1 on 1 or small class format which allows the instructor to teach in a step by step manner (since everyone is on the same page) and each student received individual attention based on their strengths and weaknesses. Of course, this is inefficient from a business perspective since you can only teach so many students at once. Therein lies the problem.
I use to teach barbell training with each class limited to 4 people and even that was difficult. It was doable because there are only 4 or 5 main movements that are required to teach wheras bjj has thousands. I can’t imagine trying to teach 20+ students at once. From a business perspective, bjj’s only options are to charge an exorbitant amount of money for 1 on 1’s or have the large class format which leads to inefficent learning and higher attrition rates.
Excellent point. Seems like the cheapest solution for students who can't afford one on one classes would be to watch an organised curriculum online, then use classes mostly as a means of practicing with a real person & getting tips from instructors.
My reason: "I'm always glad I went to class". I NEVER regret going. I always feel like I did well, learned something(got smashed), or improved my health. Often all three. One more thing, I've been doing this for 2 years. And I have two stripes. Belts promotions are irrelevant in the face of what I've learned about myself and my classmates.
Nice. Ive never regretted going to class.....I have always been disappointed when it ends, always seems to go so quick.
This is a fantastic message and incredibly true. Loving the channel. Keep up the great work!
I'm 48 years old and started bjj training. During the second lesson I got a tear in my shoulder tendon. It hurt a lot. My doctor told me I will recover from it between 3 months to 1.5 years at most. But I'm not young anymore. If the pain doesn't go away, I'll quit
No pain go gain
@@humbleservant4402 he’s 50, at that point just carry a gun
@@humbleservant4402 Spoken like someone who doesn't have 30 years of injuries ;) It should be "No pain, no gain, unless you have too much pain, then you get arthritis and every day is painful".
@@thumper9633 Arthritis is a fault in the immune system that causes the body to attack its owns tissues in the joints and is not related to sport injuries
i feel as white belts we should be doing more drilling rather then rolling/sparring 80% drilling 20% rolling
I trained catch and it was very regimented in regards to drilling. Half the class would be drills of 2 or 3 techniques until sifu was satisfied that you were doing it right. Then wed move on to takedown defense or whatever then free roll/ sparring at end.
I agree 100%..
I also think white belts should only flow roll/slow roll for the first few months as well.
YES !! There is little drilling these days and most classes are all rolling because its less energy on the instructor. My Tues class ( I am going to quit) some days I get there and we do warm up and one technique and the coach is like we are going to roll now. I look at the clock and we have a full hour and the guys are all advanced and big. I am like time to go to work and BYE
@@davideric8250 same here they might show one or two moves and then your thrown to the wolves very little drilling and all sparring against guys twice your size and experience
"There's something about being in a room full of people where we're all sucking everything together."
I bet there is. *smirk
Haha
Ok that was funny haha
Bwahahahaha!
Wasn’t planning on quitting but I needed this. You are a great teacher sir, thank you!
As of right now, I'm fully focusing on my MMA goals, there are days where I can hold my own against my coach and blue belts, and then there are times where I'm not feeling it and being tapped out by a white belt. Its all about perseverance, it's all about showing up, its all about coming to class and treating every class like as if it's your first day learning a specific submission even though you've been taught that submission 1000 times. The first step is always showing up
I just started in BJJ a few months ago. I'm almost 50 yo, I'm the shortest and lightest at the gym, with a couple of injuries from my younger years, so essentially every drill or every time I roll i need to put a lot extra effort just to survive a bit longer every time with the bigger, stronger, faster and younger guys :)
However, I enjoy every training and every week that I get to "survive" in BJJ and learn a bit more, it fills me with a lot of satisfaction and I feel proud of myself. I don't plan to quit, I've never been a quitter and I'll go as far as my body allows me to or perhaps even a bit farther than that :)
Rico Zam 42 yo, started two months ago. I'm usually the oldest and one of the lightest as well. I get tapped more than submit, while I accept that statical reality, I do enjoy getting better and it's satisfying submitting a younger bigger guy. The only thing that bothers me is BJJ is rough on the body, is older guys take longer to recover from injuries.
I’m 48. I’m small only 5’5”. My body only allowed me to go about a year. Wound up eventually getting hurt pretty badly in class by a bigger guy. Had to go to the ER, then to surgery..the cost was over $10,000 and I couldn’t work. Lost my job. Anyway, it was very eye opening on how the dangers of BJJ can be very risky and sudden and unavoidable. I have a family and can’t risk anything like that again. For now I just hit the heavy bag and go to a regular gym for exercise. Best of luck to you. I only share my tale as a cautionary story of what can go wrong.
@@bi0lizard1 Sorry to hear your negative experience man. In these few months I've been practicing i've learned that I need to practice with people closer to my weight, definitely. Also I avoid the guys who I know take it too seriously and try to be extra cautious tapping sometimes maybe too early, I tell everyone I'm in this for fun and personal development I think they get it. But I'll take your advice and be extra-careful. Thank you and all the best to you!!!
@@ricozam7733 great way to start off. Martial Arts is dangerous
I love this. I love this about the social media age too that with all its negative, older people aren't being left behind because its so easy to stay in touch with everything. People of every age are starting something new or have a hobby Every person older than me gets my full attention and respect. Good going brother hope you're doing well.
Recently picked up an injury rolling at no stripes, tendon in my knee packed up. Trying to go easy and train through it has been really hard, saving this video for the toughest days, thanks Chewy!
I felt that same way for the first week, I was the only new guy and everyone else was there for at least 8 months, but just kept pushing it, 2 months later I am learning as much as the 1st day but my attitude is to push for more and go for it.
I'm a 43 year old white belt. I was hit by an eighteen wheeler in my living room 9 years ago. I've had multiple surgeries. I have a plate, 4 screws and 3 pins in my neck from a c6,c7 spinal fusion. My leg was broken in 3 places. I have torn cartilage in my ribs. (Which counts when someone has me in knee on belly) I have a ruptured L5,S1 disk in my lower back. I had my right bicep tendon reattached to my forearm with screws. I had my elbow tendon surgically repaired. I had surgery a year ago on my left hip. At some point I will need a full hip replacement. I train 4 days a week. I hurt less now that I train than before. Almost a year of training. It hurts but it feels so good. I wish I would have found bjj in my teens or twenties.
When like 90% of your videos I’ve seen are from like two years ago and then I come across one from like 15ish minutes ago. Nice to see you keep going man! 👍🏻
God just saw its been 3 years now since 🤣
Hi Chewy I’ve been training about 3 weeks now and I absolutely suck!! I think i’m just embracing the fact that it’s going to be like this for some time! I’m enjoying getting the crap beaten out of me 3 days a week and seeing where the journey takes me. Thanks for all the videos they’ve been absolutely invaluable to me.
I have the same outlook. I know that if I just keep going, I will continue to get better. Plus, you'll find that people come and go for all sorts of reasons. That guy who is dominating you now will take weeks, months or a year off and when he returns will be dominated by you. Those who keep training are the ones who win.
That’s all it takes. You’ll get there eventually with that mentality. Eventually there will be other new guys and you won’t be bottom of the totem pole.
@@aqdjbcr True...
I get it, and you're right, you have to enjoy getting beat up. Keeping in mind you will start to understand it and won't always get beat up:)
Good luck and keep going brother!
I trained for 3 months, then quit for 3 years, then had a bad divorce, and am now back at it. And realized my drive is to regain my confidence, to get in shape and to surround myself with the right people.
I am constantly amazed by this kind of thing where people expect to immediately become not only competent at a new skill but to excel at it. Particularly at athletic skills when they have lived very sedentary lives.
I just got my first stripe on my white belt yesterday and i'd like to thank you Chewy and this community for really getting me going and letting me know i'm not alone when i feel like i have so much to learn and to just stick with it.
where are you at now man?
@@LuukBilly after taking some time from selling a house and building a new one, 2 surgeries, and Covid shutting stuff down I’ve been a blue belt for about 5 months
When you start bjj, you will realize how much there is to learn. This will either drive you to keep at it, or drive you to quit.
Back in 2007, I decided to start training bjj but only lasted about 5 or 6 months and I regret never picking it back up until Sept 2018. I initially quit after getting injured and getting laid off, but the true, underlying reason I quit was because I was overwhelmed when I realized how little I knew, and how long it would take me to get really good, let’s say brown or black level. Even a blue belt level seemed very far away at that time. So I quit. Don’t be like me, lol. I am still training today and will never quit. I know life events will happen that may pull me away for chunks of time but I told myself I will never quit.
Good for you. That said, people quit for a myriad of reasons. Some of them are pretty legitimate reasons. I did BJJ for 6 years, got to purple belt. So for me, it wasn't about not knowing enough to not get crushed in sparring, or being overwhelmed, or lacking mental toughness to train, wasn't afraid to compete etc... it was simply I didn't enjoy training any more. Basically, the "why" I was training, as Chewy talks about, evaporated. Once that happened I couldn't get it back. I was done.
Everyone is different I guess.
@Bri T Yes, I am actually still training!!🙌🏼🔥
Dude, you’re amazing. The longest I reach psychologically into jiu jitsu, the further you get there. Thanks so much
My wrestling coach once told me something that for some reason stuck with me. “It takes three years if doing something before you’re really good at it. You might be better than some other people before that, but in your third year, everything just sort of clicks, and suddenly you understand why you’re supposed to do the things we teach you to do, instead of just knowing how to do it.”
What a dumbass. Depending on the skill that can be seconds or decades.
@@MrCmon113 maybe. Idk, I tend to pick things up really quick. Transitioning from wrestling to bjj also helped a lot, but something about that third year wrestling it’s when everything really clicked and I found my groove. I wasn’t stated material or anything, but I could finally compete and it wouldn’t be a question of “can I beat this guy” the question became more “what’s my strategy to beat this guy”
This channel has become the Bjj advice sanctuary 😂
No really it’s helped me a lot.
got my blue belt a few weeks ago...i love learning how to better my game i will not quit its not a race for belts its about being a better you then you were yesterday and ultimately who cares who beats who
Thank you for making this video mate, it’s really what I needed to hear. 🙏🏻
This applies to life goals in general. Great video. Definitely resonated with me.
This feels more like a direct reaction to the people who come into BJJ caring about progression/belts specifically. I started doing it this year because I grew up wrestling and really enjoyed it when it was away from the strong egos. To me it's just another game to play so I don't care about the belts at all. I think if I start doing Gi and happen to get a blue belt my reaction would be along the lines of "that's some sweet positive feedback on how I'm doing" but it's not at all a goal.
That being said, it is hard sometimes to keep going just because life happens. Kids concert, getting sick, just big time social anxiety even on a few occasions. I don't think I would doubt myself continuing to do it if the gym I was going to wasn't so damn expensive (or if I made more money) but that is a reality that is in the back of my head.
As a person whos career has caused me to move around alot, I can say there is another HUGE thing that drives the white belts away and its a way I filter out new schools when I arrive to a new city.. When I observe a practice and see that the Blue belts and above rolling with the White belts, and their purpose is to "get taps", and there is no actual learning going on, I move on to another school. If you as a Blue or a Purple belt cant tap a White belt, you need to take that thing off anyways. If you arent trying to help those lower belts learn, you dont deserve that belt (IMO). I recently observed a class where I just relocated to and when it came to rolling, White belts rolled with White belts and blue with blue, etc. It should be a learning environment, not one where youre there to stoke youre ego.
As a rule for me. I never go full blast with a brand new white belt. however, I will give them a sense of what i'm capable of. For example, i will mostly just pressure tap them. Also, after that first round, i will spend the next few rounds working with them.
Thats a good point...i went to an mma school where rolling basicly consisted of getting tapped and not knowing what the hell to do
The Reason?: to protect white belts from themselves. When I attended what must have been my 4th or 5th jiu jitsu class at the time, a fellow newbie white belt decided it would be a great idea to reap my knee in what was supposed to be light sparring. Me being green, I had no clue what was going on. I left class feeling a soreness in my knee and I figured it must have been a slight knock. Turns out my meniscus was torn to pieces. 2 and a half years later and my knee is not close to 100%. I am in discomfort daily. It fucks with me mentally. And, I'm 26. Having returned to jiu jitsu, I understand the logic now. White belts, who don't know enough technique, who aren't capable yet of controlling their strength in jiu jitsu, who have not learnt to control their breath and stay calm under the pressure, should not be rolling with other white belts. Roll and get tapped by the senior belts. You'll learn. Eventually, you will learn. While you're on that subject, how else do you think a senior belt drills new techniques? They need an easier, but resistant body. Appropriate levels require appropriate practice. Appropriate practice requires particular environments and particular subjects. TL DR: to protect white belts from themselves and from hurting other white belts, while giving a prey equivalent to a lesser challenge to higher belts, so they can practice their new techniques. Further point: white belts, start honing your fundamentals. Fundamentals begin with defence. Practice your fundamentals and defence and build that while rolling with higher belts. You increase your practical knowledge of what works and what does not quicker. Thanks for reading, and I meant no offense or harm by my input. I hope it helps.
Raehan Yogaratnam the way I see it is that the only time it’s harmful is when a senior belt is going at full strength against a white belt.
@@ralexi25 how's your knee now, if i may ask?
I’m watching this a year after it posted. I’ve been training BJJ for 18 months. I’ve been consistent. I’m not naturally coordinated or athletic. Having a reason to learn/train is vital. Thank God I had a reason. These 18 months have actually improved my character as much as my grappling.
Guys I won my first game after training for 6 months! I lost every game for 6 months but never gave up... Never give up guys yall can do it 👍🏻
The Gracie's video is largely about curriculum, which you kind of hit at from the other side. You talk about finding your "why". I imagine a lot of us try one school, find we don't like "jiu-jitsu" and walk away without realizing there's other ways we could have tackled the same mountain.
Ive been doing jiu jitsu twice a week for seven months. I am always looking forward to class.
Everything you said makes sense. The drop out rate also depends on the teacher.
Great Advice! I know a lot of the students at our school think like this.
Thanks for keeping people inspired!
There are a lot of extremely important variables you're missing here.
1) Most people who get into BJJ are hobbyists. It's one in a litany of things they're doing which include careers, families, and other hobbies. You touch on this, but not enough.
2) People have different temperaments and different values. I'd venture a guess that most holders of higher ranked BJJ belts are significantly more competitive than the average person. Many people may leave simply because they don't value the experience enough and the opportunity cost is too high.
3) White belts start getting injuries and may conclude the injuries are not worth it. Why permanently damage your body to learn a skill that you will probably never use off the mats?
Funny how you say the whitebelts will feel like they suck at the start, but if they keep going they will get their bluebelt, and not feel that way anymore.
I've been a bluebelt for half a year and I feel like I suck now more than ever.
Feeling like you suck and comprehending exactly where you’re at with your ability is different. At blue belt you may know that you aren’t shit but you also tap people out like crazy so you MUST know you have skill- this is the difference.
You got that crosshair on your back now.
I'm lucky, my gym had a new members offer going so I saved 15 quid a month. My teacher is a comedian and head case and the rest of the club are very nice... Zero ego! I have picked up a few injuries.. Had some times when I have been dominated and gone home feeling like shit but BJJ has turned into my therapy.. Without it I would be worse off. I can never see myself quitting and the thought of quitting really saddens me.
Great information and insight. Thanks for making this video and thank you to the guy who posted the question. It really helps knowing what to expect and how to push through it. 😉 👍
Thank you so much for this video. Ive been going to BJJ training for a month now. I love it - but feel all these worries (i suck, ill never get this, everyone hates rolling with me cus i dont know anything)...but I know that is ALL IN MY HEAD! Thank you for the pep talk - the real talk!
“Embracing the suck..” perfect...
When I joined, I told myself I’d go at least 2 days a week(no matter what) That gradually went to 2-3 days a week, but I always get at least 2 days. Been 3 years, and slow and steady has worked for me.
What belt are u?
I just started week ago
@@brandonbeasley8662 Good man, its awesome.. I'm a 2 stripe blue
Roger Gracie told a story like this. There was a guy at his academy who would turn up 2 days a week, _every_ week. No exceptions. After 5-6 years he got his purple belt, and was one of the toughest guys in his gym in rolling and one of the most technically proficient. Consistency > Intermittent periods of intense training
Well I'm bout 3 weeks again I tottaly suck and I'm super out of shape but I'm sticking with it
I love your channel. I want to get in shape, and learn how to move my body as well. You're super chill and not douchey like some other dudes. Always gonna watch your content.
I’m a pretty slow learner I’ve discovered, but I’ve been training for about 4 months and I have loved every second of it. I sincerely hope this person didn’t quit on themselves
I really struggled for the first 2 weeks at my Shotokan club after leaving Japanese Ju Jutsu (gassing out constantly as the fitness demands were way higher than the JJJ club). My sensei called me and persuaded me to keep going. I’ve never looked back and I live Shotokan now lol! Also my sensei has ALWAYS been there for me.
nice... where do you train at? Is that normal for shotokan to have a high fitness demand?
@@JK-nh6jp I no longer train (I left last year). Well it’s not like joining the military, but as you advance, you’ll be expected to be as fit as possible (something you develop through regular training anyway). I recommend doing some jogging/running if you can. Gradings get harder physically and mentally.
@@Wessex90
What happened to your living (loving?) Shotokan...?
I'm a white belt with just three weeks at this. I certainly am flipping around out there, can't breath, get tired fast. Last night I was tired and my daughter was sick, I wanted to stay home but I went to practice. This was one of my best practices so far and I'm making friends. I need a place to belong and even if I suck, I belong there.
Home Guitar Player same. Been doing it for four months. Your cardio will improve with time. Also add in a weekly exercise routine in between classes. Good luck?
Those amazing practices will come out of nowhere. Huge mood booster. Keep it up!
dont give up , ur body will get used to it ,
Good on you bro, hey you won't suck soon if you keep that spirit
42 years old and I just joined last week. Watched a few videos and everything is exactly like you said. No offense and just trying to survive. One day at a time and keep showing up. Good stuff.
Two weeks in. Needed to hear this. Thx!
Chewy, with all due respect, your video is 100% blaming the student. Remember that the OBLIGATION of the teacher, is to try to keep students motivated by paying attention to them. If a student feels the teacher just do not even knows him, they will just quit.
True!
"because jiujitsu is hard"
The complexity is insane. Its the Physics of Martial arts while Boxing is the Chemistry and Wrestling is the Earth Science
@@davideric8250 wtf kind of analogy is that?
@@cesaralvesdemoraes3187 what kind of question is that?
@@cesaralvesdemoraes3187 🤣
People have insane expectations in BJJ... the fact, you cannot be a blue belt in 3 months unless its the fake Gracie Combative programs. People want to great in only a few months and dont realize that the average person spends 2 years to just get blue.. To get purple can be 4-5 years after.
Did my 2nd class today and I was so lost. But I love it, because it shows me how much I don't know and how vulnerable I am. Just gonna keep my nose down and keep trying to hopefully one day be competent!
My reason was getting my arm broke by a purple belt at relson gracie bjj in cbus because he was mad his wife left him...
"Embracing the suck" is so true! Your explanation of the learning process sounds a lot like the frustration in aikido. We have many, many people who quit after 5th kyu because they aren't patient enough to get to 4th kyu. My Sensei only tests us if he feels we're ready and after he sees we're totally exhausted. (I think the thought process is we use our instincts instead of thinking about techniques too much.) I think a lot of people are obsessed about their rank. People in jiu jitsu know that blue belt is a difficult rank to achieve (just like 3rd kyu in aikido), so if they don't get it quickly, they quit and try to find another dojo that will award them their desired rank quickly. It's a shame that many people are in martial arts just for a reward.
dont compare aikido to bjj
@@aulendilthegreat873 Let's just say that I understamd your sentiment, but my dojo was not like most aikido dojos. We learned a form of aiki-jiu jitsu and pressure tested our techniques in every class. So, aikido ranks in my dojo meant something.
@@claredin Same here, Daito Ryu. I use aiki principles every time I roll and they are a force multiplier.
Very motivational. Thank you. Tried once before but thinking I'll try again. I'm definitely a "slow learner " . It's a real thing.
Im new to bjj and this was interesting to hear. Thanks for the insight.
Once people stop thinking about promotions and put the focus on improving technique and increasing stamina jiu-jitsu becomes a lot easier and fun.
I join Judo and they treat me quite well at first week, the second week they like torture the students, from 30 people only 6 remain. I doing it not for a belts, but I doing it for fun and I really want to know about Judo.
Starting my very first class tomorrow at Renzo Gracie. Good video to watch! I’m nervous, but more excited than anything.
Start my first class on Monday. Thanks for the info!
"Sucking at something is the first step to being sorta good at something" -Jake The Dog
2 months in, and I’m excited and nervous every time I go to class still. A friend asked me if black belt was my goal. My only goal is to keep showing up.
I'm about to start this week and this video really helped me to set my mind right,not to think that I will never be a good fighter
Just started jiu jitsu and really needed this! Thank you. I use to be a wrestler and felt i wasn’t going to get the hang of jiu jitsu but I just have to keep showing up.
How is jits now for you?
Man I've been doing bjj for a little over a year now and everytime i roll with someone who isn't a white belt I feel like i suck. That being said i know im getting better because everytime i roll with a new white belt i see where i started at. Also i got my first armbar on a blue belt a month ago and then got a second one on a different blue belt last week.
Bro, I'm a purple belt and some days i feel that same. It's just that those days get few and farther between.
This is a very overlooked subject.
So happy I found this channel. People who train under you must be so happy
I am not super fast at picking things up in jiu jitsu. However, after a couple of months I have gained some competency. Things are starting to click and the little I know flows naturally. They say persistence is 90% of accomplishment. Great work on your channel.
I started bjj 3 months ago and I just got my 1st strip I’m so excited I think the hardest part was getting over being scared 😳
The 6 am class is the best class because it doesn’t mess with life much just that you have to wake up earlier
This has been on my mind for a few weeks and this seems an appropriate place to share. After training for four months I stopped going to BJJ not because of the activity, but the gym. I live in a small town, so there unfortunately isn't really another option. I actually really like the sport still, still part of subreddits and YT communities, but those guys all rolled really, really hard all the time. Full speed, full pressure on the subs. And they PRACTICE bending the rules (like grabbing a lapel and then full on punching you in the face with it "accidentally") and really seem to go out of their way to hurt you, like grinding forearms into my ears and nose. Thing is, they pretty much always win competitions and that's what they focus on. They brag about how hard they train and good it makes them in comps. I don't want to cramp their style, but dang man I'm brand new trying to learn how to frame and shrimp correctly and I can't do that if I'm protecting my face from strikes (in a non-striking sport). So yeah, I'm actually bummed about it but it got to the point where I started getting anxiety about going to class instead of excitement, then when I realized I pay a really big fee for this? Yeah, I'm out. Hopefully if I can ever move out of this crappy town I can find a gym better suited to me.
That sounds like a fuckawful gym. Youre better off out of there if thats how they train. Maybe thats fine for super competitive people who do competitions regularly or who are trying to transition to MMA or something, but for the rest of us thats extreme overkill. Like i had some rolls yesterday and got caught in a kimura and my partner knew it was cinched in but didnt crank it, he knew it was locked and id have to tap, so why crank it and potentially injure someone? Thats how a good training partner rolls. That sounds like a super shitty gym culture and id have left too.
I can recently relate this in some aspect bro. Been at my gym on and off for a few months now. A new blue belt joined our gym yesty. For context, I've rolled with both our instructors several times before and neither of them have EVER pulled a head crank on me the way this guy did. I tapped of course but fuck man, that was next level. All the while he's saying to me (I'm a white belt btw if you hadn't figured) "calm down". No one else has every told ME to calm down during a roll, I'm almost convinced he was telling himself to calm down. Anyway assholes exist in gyms for sure bro, and as a learner, I'd say the right guys know when and when NOT to go full blast on subs with newbies. Also gotta remember some guys "light" can often not be measured by what you consider to be light.
@AbraKaDaniel this is a ridiculous statement. You have to have an environment that allows you to learn some skill before comps. This isn't gladiator training, it's bjj
@@psalmtree2813 i agree and disagree a good hard sparring session make you strong and tough. Sometimes slow and somwtimes hard and fast like you do with a woman.
@@humbleservant4402 went a little far there.
Great video! Needed to hear this today. Thanks
You're the man! Thanks for all the positive insight!
I'm seeing a common theme here. As a 41 year old purple bet, the best thing I did to reduce injuries was strength training.
A good S&C program, and maybe something like Pilates or Yoga can really help. Plus a good gym culture. Any decent gym should allow you to flow/slow roll instead of going 100% if you are carrying any knocks.