Why BJJ Is So Hard To Learn?
BJJ has become, perhaps, the most popular fighting style in the last two decades due to the rise of modern MMA. It has emerged as a very good fighting system for self-defense, or any type of combat. But all these benefits come at a certain price as BJJ is really hard to learn.
In fact, BJJ is often seen as the hardest martial art as you need around 10 years on average to reach a black belt. Some people could do it in less, but overall, you need to spend nearly a decade of your life training hard in the gym. BJJ is a complex fighting system where you can’t fake it till you make it.
Keep reading this article to find out more about why BJJ is so hard to learn, and what makes it harder than other arts.
BJJ is not beginner-friendly
Don’t get us wrong here, BJJ training will change your life for the better and you will feel nothing but the positive vibes in the gym. But no one can deny that the beginnings are hard, so be sure not to believe in the fairy tales. In the beginning, expect to eat many humble pies, and try to focus on surviving the first months.
If we have to pick just one art that will test our ego the most, that will be BJJ. From the first time you step on the mats, BJJ will do everything to kill your ego and desire to train. Although this is mentally hard, it will show you whether you want to truly learn BJJ or not. The math in BJJ is simple, either you give up in the first couple of months, or you get hooked and stay in the gym for the rest of your life. There is no third scenario.
Things get even worse if we speak about training and specific techniques. Beginners start sparring against other students from day one, and they do this in every single class. Since you don’t know anything about grappling, you will get submitted left and right all the time. Expect to tap out hundreds of times each month.
For instance, other arts like Muay Thai or Boxing as more beginner-friendly. Whether you have a talent for striking or not, you won’t have a hard time picking up the basics and learning how to strike. But BJJ differs a lot here because each move and technique is very, very complex. It takes time to learn these moves, and how to apply them in sparring or match.
BJJ is very complex
The main reason why BJJ is so hard to learn is that techniques are very, very complex. Even the masters who spend their life learning BJJ would often say that learning never stops. Rolling on the ground is often seen as a chess match where you have to think three steps in advance. Unlike in other arts, the emphasis in BJJ is on leverage and technique, not sheer power.
Most beginners spend their first year of training learning and drilling the techniques. Their initial goal is to apply some of these moves in sparring, which would feel like you have just won a tournament. But in most other cases, you will get choked out, which is normal and a part of the BJJ journey.
You need to learn various sweeps, trips, throws to get the fight to the ground. Then, you must know all the positions, escapes, how to set up the attack, and many, many other small things before you can submit someone. Although being defeated all the time is frustrating, it is the only way you can learn all these things.
Over time, you will recognize when is the time to pull a specific move to defend, reverse the position, escape, or attack with a choke or joint lock. This is one of those things you can’t learn without being in that positions hundreds of times before.
The learning curve is long
As you have probably realized thus far, the learning curve in BJJ is very long. The progress is much longer than in other arts, notably if we are talking about the first couple of years. On top of that, you must stay consistent and motivated. You must show up at least 3 times per week to keep up with the techniques and enjoy steady progress.
On average, students need around 10 years to reach a black belt rank. This is almost twice as much as in some other arts like Taekwondo for instance or karate. And bear in mind that you need to stay healthy, show up in classes every week, and do not take long breaks.
Some people may do it in less time, but this depends on numerous factors like age, talent, or athleticism. But overall, one has to dedicate their entire life and invest a lot of their time in BJJ to succeed. Each belt rank has certain requirements and although this looks simple on paper, it’s not and it often takes years to move from one belt to another.
BJJ is physically and mentally hard
BJJ training is very hard and it will put your body through huge stresses. Although it doesn’t include strikes like other arts, the injuries are quite common. In fact, one of the factors that determine how quickly you can get good at BJJ really depends on your ability to stay healthy. Sooner or later, all students have to go through some type of injury on their journey.
This is mainly because sparring in BJJ is often done at a high pace and intensity. On top of that, you will often spar with people much stronger, heavier, or skilled than you. This will, at some point, take a toll on your body and mind. And like that’s not enough, you will spend an entire year or two being submitted all the time. Although this is not a big deal, it can get frustrating and it’s even normal to get sick of it. There will be times where it would be hard to stay motivated and keep on showing up to classes.
Yes, BJJ provides a ton of fun and has many physical and mental benefits. It will improve your confidence, mental resistance, and make your body stronger. But on the other side, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and you will go through many ups and downs on your journey.
How to get better in BJJ and progress faster?
Though BJJ is hard to learn, there are more than a few things you can do to speed up your progress. By this, we don’t mean taking shortcuts or making your life easier, that doesn’t work in BJJ. Instead, be sure to focus on developing good habits and follow some of these rules:
- Show up to classes — you can’t expect to get good at any martial art by showing up once per week. As a beginner, aim to attend the classes at least 3 or 4 times per week to keep up with the classes.
- Embrace the journey — or in other words, understand that BJJ is hard and that the progress is slow. Focus on the bigger picture and what will come in the future. This will help you deal with all the struggles when things do not go as expected, or when you get submitted all the time.
- Drill the moves all the time– the best way you can boost your progress in BJJ is by endlessly drilling the techniques. BJJ is all about repetition and drilling the moves as much as you can.
