Bulletproof For BJJ Podcast 42: Why Blue Belts Quit BJJ

Are you an experienced white belt? Due for your Blue Belt sometime soon? We don't want you to disappear. It is a well-observed cultural phenomenon that 1 in 3 blue belts retire - but why? JT & Joey go deep on this mysterious occurrence and how you can avoid the pitfalls of the Blue Belt Blues:
- The Problem with attainment
- The 'Cool Runnings' Phenomena
- Black Belts are not untouchable
- Expectation VS Reality
- Attainment VS Process
It's possible to achieve your Black Belt but there are many pitfalls along the way - Receiving your Blue Belt is one of them. This episode will give you the strength and insight you need to stay on the BJJ path.
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[@danielbiczo7711]

I think what is also important in this topic, is that you have to remember why you started and if you inital reason was an a “easily” attainable goal like getting in shape or learning self defense you are gonna quit as soon as you attain these goals, which are kind of in the realms of blue belt, but if your initial reason was maintaining a good state of mental health, then you are just going to keep attending no matter the belt colour

[@bulletproofforbjj]

You make a great point there Daniel. Thanks for sharing that!

[@garymanrose7784]

My guy 🤜🤛

[@Itzak15]

What are some good goals? Not sure if I have anything deeper than learning self defence/grappling like you mentioned

[@kaibe5241]

I'm not even sure you need goals. I think if you focus on the journey more than anything else, you'll stick with it.

[@blockaderunner]

I think that it may be the recurring cost, but if you're well-to-do or debt-free etc, then you would have no qualms about staying with it. I think that most try to go to class too much because they're paying bi-weekly etc and they're trying to maximize their purchases, but if you're just takin it easy cause you're easily able to make the payment, then you're not gonna get burnt out because you just do it in moderation like maybe 2 or 3 times a week. I can't be going Every damn day. I can't afford to get hurt due to over-taxing my body in my 40s.

[@adriantrue6989]

I started training BJJ in Jan 2016 while living in Mexico, got my blue belt 2 years later. Since then I have got married, continued trying to be the best father I can be to my two young sons, studied a Master's degree while working a full-time job, lived through lock down(working as a teacher), moved my family to a whole new city and new jobs, schools etc, and then 3 months ago moved my family half way across the world to Australia. With all those things going on I have only added 2 grades to my blue belt. I have struggled to have consistency with life happening around me. But I still keep keeping on with BJJ. Now that we are settling down here in Australia long term, I have found a new BJJ gym and continue my journey and will hopefully find that consistency. Some days I feel I will be a blue belt forever, but not once have I ever entertained the thought of giving up. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I'm in it for the long term. Osss

[@shrimuyopa8117]

I believe overall it deals with the fact that the person has come to a realization and put into action that they enjoy other activities, things, or people than they do jiu-jitsu. They might not tell you that but it is the case. This obviously over-simplifying it but that is the reality. If it is injuries, that prevent them from training, they enjoy having a healthy body over jiu-jitsu. Nothing wrong with that. If it is a financial reason, they enjoy spending their money in other places. If their new bf or gf is taking up too much of their time to train, they enjoy those people more than jiu-jitsu. If they started attending a university and that takes up too much of their time and finances, they want that more than jiu-jitsu. If they found a different hobby that takes up their time for jiu-jitsu, than they enjoy that more than jiu-jitsu. This isn't a religion (some people treat it like it is) and none of these things are wrong. Sometimes it takes people a while to realize that they don't actually enjoy doing jiu-jitsu over other things in their life. These blue belts might not even be able to articulate that either. For us that love this martial art and sport, it is hard for us to comprehend that at times. We like to think that these blue belts have just grown frustrated and disillusioned to where they can't make progress. We think to ourselves, "If they could just push through and get past this barrier they would be golden or they need to change their mindset or how they train." When in reality a lot of these people it took them a while (2+ years) to realize that they don't love jiu-jitsu as much as they like other things in life.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

fantastic point! No disagreements there.

[@colasfalon6470]

Brilliantly stated. And very likely to be the majority of the cases. I'd like to add in one more ingredient to the mix...ROI. The payoff/skillset/value that one gets from making it to blue belt is a CATEGORICAL one; an individual goes from not-knowing BJJ to knowing BJJ (as an overgeneralization). And that is a game-changer. For most blue belts, they will always retain enough to be categorically different than the non/never-practitioner. But the difference between blue belt and all the other ranks is not really categorical. There is no longer a qualitative change, but simply a quantitative change. And the investment needed for that quantitative change is pretty significant. And that brings us right back to your original point. Cheers

[@FrenchyRider574]

@@colasfalon6470 C'mon man a good black belt would destroy a blue belt... There are levels to this game. I'd say a black belt is "categorically" different form a blue belt.

[@SenraethX]

@@FrenchyRider574 True. Though running into a BJJ black belt is not the top concern for most people

[@JackBeddows]

​@@colasfalon6470 Add to that that, and continuing with your terminology, even just as a martial artist, or for self defense, you're literally wasting your time past purple belt, because at that point, the holes in striking or stand up grappling are categorically more important than continuing to refine an art that literally only handles 1/4 of the combat ranges. I struggle with this, because at the same time, I do like jiu jitsu better than other arts, but I recognize that my brown belt may or may not mean anything if my wrestling and striking suck, in terms of self defense.

[@Jiu-JitsuJourney257]

Also, blue belt for me was climbing and reaching the peak of one mountain to see another, much larger one to climb. This journey is one step at a time.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

absolutely. Go forth!

[@isaacsutton3052]

100% agree. Yeah, and there is so much to work on. Hand-fighting, clinching for over/underhooks, trying to make the same guard passes work for different situations, learning new passes, searching for different setups/positional controls for submissions that used to work on white and blues, but don't work on purple and brown belts. All while balancing work and family. It takes alot of critical thinking, studying jiujitsu to get to purple and be able to adapt to most situations and be deadly with your subs.

[@timvn2079]

just found out about this podcast and have been watching non stop for 2 hours. very informative and easy to watch. keep going guys!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Great to hear it! Thanks for joining in : )

[@LIVINGINWILMINGTON]

Love these podcasts! I’m a two stripe white belt and I’m learning a lot from these episodes!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Hey Phillip, thats so good to hear! Thanks for joining the conversation.

[@ChrisGFields]

Fellas…. THANK YOU. I’ve been training for two years and I’m itching for my blue belt. I know I am getting better, but all you both have said I am either going thru or seen in my gym. Needed this! 🤙🏾

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Glad it resonated!

[@cloonancpa232]

Probably one of the issues is the rate of skill progression is so high between white and blue that there is a natural excitement as seeing those skills increase so quickly. For a lot of guys, you get to blue and need to be satisfied with smaller gains.

[@projectdren806]

6 month Blue belt - Still have imposter syndrome. Some good white belts tap me, other stronger ones give me trouble. I can tap 2 other blue belts regularly. The other blue belts destroy me. I went from white belt 2 stripes to blue belt in 1 night. (We were super behind on promotions.) Now I have a stripe on my blue. I feel like I'm not as good as the other blues I roll with. I can absolutely vouch for everyone going harder on you. It puts a target on your head! Sometimes wish I was still a white belt lol. All in all, I keep reminding myself I started it for my fitness and in that respect it's been a huge success!

[@ConveyApp]

I was the ultimate at quitting at blue belt. I got my blue belt in 2002 and quit in 2003. Eventually I came back in late 2019. I’m still grinding and am still a blue belt. I feel so much more comfortable in my blue belt now.

[@krb0123]

Why did you quit when you first got it?

[@ConveyApp]

@@krb0123 I went back and looked at some photos from when I got my blue belt. I actually got my blue belt in 2001 not 2002 as I originally thought. So I was a blue belt for a good 18 months before I eventually quit. I moved an hour away and really injured my shoulder at the time. I’m a purple belt now, I got in late March of this year.

[@krb0123]

@@ConveyApp Hell yeah congrats man. Glad you got back into it.

[@Lifecounselor710]

Trained from 2007 to 2014 got my blue belt in 2010. Had to finish grad school and just returned last month. The game has changed so much it’s exciting

[@crs53189]

I was honestly just auto-piloting through KZbin while I was working and this podcast just showed up. This conversation captivated me. I want this mindset.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

stick around, we got plenty to say!

[@carminecalante8682]

This has got to be the best bjj podcast on KZbin. 100%

[@bulletproofforbjj]

thanks so much!

[@eddietheblasian2043]

I'm glad I got into BJJ as an older person, I don't think of any of these things, I just show up and train...

[@bulletproofforbjj]

thanks for watching!

[@michaelmangan7963]

I feel this too. I’ve known a lot of people who got into it when we were in our 20s and 30s. None of those people train anymore and most quit at blue belt too. Most surprising to me, a friend who was a D1 wrestler and was winning gi and no gi competitions in his weight class. He does kickboxing now. He was getting really hurt at the comps and his wife asked him to quit. I think as an older person training, we don’t have the ego to push to that point. Tapping doesn’t destroy my confidence or ego. I truly don’t care who wins. It’s just interesting to figure out what works and what doesn’t for each person.

[@magcitrate]

When ppl say, “hey you’re a blue belt.” I say, “it’s a white belt. It’s just blue colored.” 😂

[@bulletproofforbjj]

: )

[@Swanmaster123]

Great podcast, love the transparency. Currently a late stage white belt on the verge of getting my blue later this year. Don't really talk to my coach or experienced belts about their journey, so am curious what the future may look like for me. Seems like it doesn't get any easier, but I've been a white belt for what feels like so long I don't know any better (under 2 years).

[@JMU365]

It's really nice to hear someone explain the mental challenges that I've been going through from a perspective of someone who overcame them.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

glad to hear it!

[@drakejansen1445]

Rolled with a higher belt today new to my gym. Nogi and no ranked rash guards , so it wasn’t obvious what rank I was, and he asked if I was at least a blue belt. It was the first time I’ve felt like I earned my blue belt, even though it was hard to tell if it was an insult or a compliment lol

[@bulletproofforbjj]

glad to hear it!

[@LostFishingAus]

Cracking episode boys! REALLY enjoyed it! as someone who's not long started their journey with jiu jitsu I totally understand the hyper focus on the belt system, I've recently received my second stripe " SPAZZY WHITE BELT" and will be competing in my first Comp on Sunday, I need to just be present and enjoy the process instead of trying to visualise a blue belt around my waist. subbed 🤙

[@kaibe5241]

Ryan Gosling on the left has really nailed the aussie accent!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

haha we will let Joey aka Ryan Gosling know!😂

[@user-lo9xj3cn8j]

Getting a blue belt is exhilarating and crushing at the same time. You’ve climbed the mountain. But you’re now bottom of the heap too and purple seems like it’s up beyond the clouds. I got purple in November. YEARS as a blue belt, so I was ready for the feeling of being bottom of the pack again for a while. Many quit because they think they don’t like BJJ that much. But in reality, a lot of the “not liking” has to do with the difficulty in being relentlessly consistent. The sense the gains are smaller and harder won (they are). That’s what makes BJJ hard.

[@oscarpotes9973]

Starting my BJJ Journey on Thursday and these videos are definitely getting me more motivated nd informed 🙏🏼🙏🏼 i appreciate it guys! These podcasts are amazing

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Hey Oscar, welcome to the club! Glad our podcasts are helping you on your journey.

[@oscarpotes9973]

@@bulletproofforbjj watching your podcast on what food to eat to improve your BJJ as i type this 🤣🤣 videos are amazing guyssss

[@jessegarciaiv5380]

@@oscarpotes9973 still going?

[@benchiaravolloti8832]

The cool Runnings reference had me subscribing again!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

whatever it takes to get you back in

[@derrickrobinson7269]

Lol it's funny. As a new Blue Belt who had to relocate due to work to another gym, there seems to be a gap where I still am better than the white belts but the blue belts feel like purple belts and I'm learning a lot from them. Also, there's a purple belt from ANOTHER gym that's also there and he seems to be behind all the blues, including me. It's insane the fluctuation of standards from gym to gym

[@bulletproofforbjj]

I remember rolling a black belt when i was travelling in Rio. I was a hungry blue belt at the time, and I was all over this guy the entire round. I was on top of the world. At the end of the roll he was super gassed out. I thanked him for the roll, then he told me it was his first time back on the mats in 10 years! And yeah, the fluctuation in skill level is real.

[@sktng62]

Great video and depth of insight thank you

[@bulletproofforbjj]

you're welcome!

[@anon2034]

When you hit blue belt you hit the point of diminishing returns. Around Blue Belt 2 stripes you hit The Big Plateau. After that (but let's say you decide to push and reach to purple) if you train for self defense or MMA you should invest your time in other areas like striking, wrestling and clinching and throws etc. It's just not a optimal spending of your time.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Fair point

[@anon2034]

@@bulletproofforbjj Love your content! Please make more :)

[@ericgirard-realtor9813]

Rolles Gracie got knocked out by a brawler even though he had all these ADCC championships under his belt. A black belt in bjj doesn't mean you're great at fighting, within the mma world, just you're great at the gi game of bjj.

[@bluelightmoon777]

​@@ericgirard-realtor9813exactly. Kron gracie also got destroyed by cub swanson and he is a decent mma fighter at best, surely not near the top fighters.

[@AndrewLaReal]

Except that would happen with anyone who tries to win in MMA just using one style. Kron failed because he didn’t cross train

[@MrZeroLag]

Really helpful advice guys 🥋 happy rolling👍

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Glad to hear it! Thank you for joining the conversation : )

[@seanpatrick2889]

New blue belt here. I definitely feel the pressure to smash all the white belts now…so this was good to hear!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Its your moral obligation!

[@thefreedomproject4777]

Jiujitsu it's not for everyone, it's hard, physically and mentally demanding, you can and will get hurt/injured, clases are not cheap, requires dedication passion and discipline. As for me and many others we just can't see ourselves not doing it even if we feel stuck for some time.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

You're absolutely right, and the reality is that the vast majority of us will quit one day or another.

[@thefreedomproject4777]

@@bulletproofforbjj Ill quit when I die. 🥋

[@user-sg8kq7ii3y]

ANYTHING requires dedication, passion, and discipline. A person can have extreme dedication, passion, and discipline in one activity, but not in another. I used to tutor athletes at a D1 college. Many of these top athletes are BEASTS when it comes to training for their sport. They practice with 100% intensity. They run on their own, lift weights every single day. They play with and fight through injuries, etc. They show immense mental toughness and fortitude when it comes to athletics. But ask them to do a good job at writing a term paper, and many of them can't apply even an ounce of effort into the process.

[@jqhn316]

Oss. BJJ requires lots of time and money. You better have a good job and health insurance…shoulder, back, and knee surgery and physical therapy will set you back financially.

[@user-sg8kq7ii3y]

@@jqhn316 And if you have a job where your need to use your body on a daily basis - like if you're a construction worker, plumber, electrician, delivery person, dentist, surgeon, warehouse worker, mechanic, etc., then expect to take lots of time off from work because I honestly don't see how you can go to work, and do your job effectively, when you got an injured knee, shoulder, elbow, wrist, fingers, etc.

[@timothyotoole8224]

so true, I am one strip from purple, then pandemic hit , still train at home , now me and my son are back to class in January. can't wait.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Pandemic ruined all of our careers!

[@samgomez2088]

I quit BJJ as a blue belt because from Day 1 I was just getting myself ready for MMA. I spent 2 years going to Muay Thai classes and BJJ classes, and the past year and a half has been split between MMA classes and wrestling classes. I don't think I'd ever go back into a BJJ only class unless I thought my MMA game could seriously benefit from it.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Makes perfect sense Sam, gotta keep it relevant to your goals. All the best with MMA!

[@hortondigital]

Great episode. Blue belt here...Subscribed.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Good to have you!

[@devonanderson1832]

I feel so motivated at blue I couldn't imagine quitting, Training is what I do everyday..without it Idk what I would be spending my time doing. Once BJJ has become apart of your daily routine and lifestyle its very hard to quit..no matter how tough it gets. For me Jiu Jitsu fills a void in my life and without it..Idk what I would do with that empty space / time. Theres days when you're the hammer and days when your the nail...but it feels so good to be the hammer after being the nail for so long & idk thats why I do it.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

I would argue a lot of us who stick with it share this sentiment : )

[@kevin-carr]

Congrats Devon on the blue belt! I think on top of what you said having a physical sport keeping you healthy provides great long term benefits. Having some physical exercise (in our case rolling with Bjj) keeps us feeling young 👍

[@devonanderson1832]

@@kevin-carr awesome reply Kevin. I completely agree brother.

[@leebruno1722]

Amen brother

[@devonanderson1832]

@@leebruno1722 hey keep working brotha let’s keep working better one percent everyday. Thats it and that’s all Osss

[@imhassane]

There are two things I want to build and keep for my 70s, 80s and even 90s if I reach there: BJJ and Dancing. BJJ for the flexibility, the strength, the mental aspect of it, the cardio and the social connections and competitions and dancing for the social connection and the fun part of it, the joy of meeting new people. Haven't started dancing yet but will this year

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Sounds like some great goals right there.

[@t-bone7988]

This was a good listen. I trained at a competitive gym in Sydney for years and got my blue belt back in 2018 and then quit when covid ruined things, lockdown etc. I reverted back to what I knew which was my tennis, lost weight and muscle and only now miss the BJJ human element side of it. Finding it extremely hard to jump back into the fire that is submission wrestling. The moment you quit it’s ten fold to get back into the swing of training regularly when I exited the sport from being obsessed with my skill acquisition and progress. This clip motivated me to go back. Still a two stripe blue belt haha 👊🏽

[@batuzayaga]

I started doing BJJ in early 2016. First it was hard but I never skipped a class in 1 year. After 1 year of consistent training when i was 4 stripes white belt, life happened and stopped training. After few months i could back to training but I lost the momentum, it was really really really hard to back so i couldn't, but deep in my heart i was still missing the BJJ. 6 years later, this february i decided to go back and started training. It was harder than my first starting but i did not listen the monkey in my brain. I got my blue belt few days ago. And i really feel bjj helps my mind and body. Go back training brother. Good luck !!!

[@joshuaamado559]

Blue belt here. Been training for 5 years now. I started at 19 years old and have been a blue belt for 3 years now. Life is just too busy to train as much as I want. I am starting my career and leaving for another state. My career is going to involve traveling every year or 6 months for the next few years. I want to train as much as I can but I know my bjj journey is going to be a long slow road with a lot of time off. As much as I love it, it’s not putting food on my table and I just need to put more important stuff first. I know one day I’ll earn my black belt but that may be 15 years or 30 from now. I’m gonna compete as much as I can and train when possible but bjj is like a lover that was never meant to be for me.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

the timing doesn't always work, at least not for everyone. It's a long game, so no need to put pressure on yourself. You'll be back when the time is right.

[@ShaneHarveyMusic]

In certain circles, usually ones who try to enlighten their own personal growth, the saying is: “how good can you stand it?” Sadly thru much of our time here on earth and from a young age, experience teaches us the we can’t actually stand it when it is good old sabotaging traits continually rob us from being able to bathe in whatever we accomplish. Its only thru hard work and personal growth can we come to a place of feeling deserving for the good things that occur.

[@RoZaxTheGreat]

Started at 20 in the Gi and stopped after 6-7 months of it. Then only did nogi for about 3 years on and off and was definitely blue belt level by that point. Then pandemic hit and didnt train for those 2 years and then a year after 2022 - Jan 2023. Just got back into it and doing both nogi and gi. So I guess I'm a 7 year white belt lol.

[@hushed6160]

this was so interesting to watch as a competitive gamer. there's a plateau of skill-level in ranked gaming, mainly referring to FPS as it requires the highest levels of focus, that occurs around Gold. often developers will reward the player with skins, charms, and trinkets at this "Gold" rank and often this brief satisfaction is enough for the person and whether they desire to progress or not, they immediately dissolve their focus and auto-pilot for the rest of their days. this often results in un-managed anger in the ones that still wish to perform but don't ever start climbing again.

[@PhilippeRmiche]

Failing with a safety net is the fastest way to improve. Try something and fail hard. Now get feedback. What should I have done? Retrain your instincts. Put yourself in the same spot and do better until you master and whatever you fear is what you should do more.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Spot on!

[@bobbydabutcha]

It's strange to re-watch these videos and look back to how I was when I wrote my original comment. I have grown so much within a year, not so much technically with new techniques but how I can apply my same techniques and how much more efficient I became over the course of a year (now two years at Blue belt). That and how much I matured and grown since then. It's a noticeable transformation on and off the mats.

[@intimatespearfisher]

When your mind tells you that getting good at something will be awesome, you do it. As you get better at it you gain encouragement and keep going. As you get to a high level, quite often something clicks and you realise that no matter how far you take this skill set, and no matter how successful you are at it, you know deep down that it doesn't lead to ultimate fulfilment. Then what does?

[@lampleather2574]

“Seen people go from white belt to brown belt, in the same time that I’ve been a brown belt for” I’m not a brown belt but I definitely felt this^

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Its a brutal reality!

[@SomeGuy486]

Good discussion

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Oss

[@tomsawyer7429]

These two are so funny and have good chemistry!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Thanks brother- tbh it's just straight Brother heckle Banter! 😂

[@BEN.SEACRET]

I’m a blue 1 stripe. Focus was heavily on the blue and how to get it. Once I got it I realised I’m only a year into my life time journey. My focus shifted from what was around my waist to well what do I like to play. Where do I get stuck. What’s my go to sub. Realising this is a 10/20+ year plus journey is massive. Nothing but time, embrace the Minor details that make huge differences. You may just get your new belt and be tapped by a lower belt (I did) the difference is I know I’m not going anywhere, nothing but time to improve, congratulate😮 people when they roll well against you. No egos needed, they go home with a sense of pride and you go home with someone to work on, what’s better than that

[@Unibot47]

These guys are funny. Love when he was describing the blue belt he used to train with, he's listing off his attributes, buddy's like "Seems like a nice guy" lol

[@ATMR34]

I'm a starter, 3 weeks, but I havent tought about belts, my mind is on surpassing myself, because when I was smaller I did taekwondo, and went to red, but could finish because the dojo moved locations and couldn't get there, but it was a ego being in that belt, than the achievement I wanted to surpass, now I dont think in belts, I'm in learning and building my self, and I'm helping my son in that thinking.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

best of luck with your journey!

[@breadispain]

I got my blue belt in 2012 and quit sometime in 2013 with 2 stripes. I came back and started training again about 2 years ago and Im still at blue but definitely want to make the next step and eventually get to purple

[@stcmedia]

I think people underestimate the commitment that is required to keep training consistently when they start. They worry they will never get to black belt, but BJJ is for life, so have the attitude that you will never be done, BJJ is just what we do.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

agreed!

[@XxDreamBotxX]

@19:15 it’s called the Dunning-Kruger effect/curve

[@Mendleson]

Hi guys from 🇬🇧, going bk training after 9 years out, I’m that blue belt who stopped 😂😂 but in my defence my missus had our first son 🤷🏼 just subscribed

[@bulletproofforbjj]

ahah welcome back! no shame in that - we have many priorities in life. hope the re-entry is smooth

[@matang1rau]

Quick question , where do you guys recommend training in Sydney who heavily focus on gi comp training ( I live in the Ryde area) opposed to no gi , thanks.

[@turninn]

I was a new bluebelt rolling with a experience brownbelt that mainly trained in ngie. I caught him in a loop choice and he resisted to long and went to sleep. This brown belt was and is levels better then me but I got lucky! My takeaway is that it doesn't matter what's your belts is or skills you have lover belts can always catch, and that's ok

[@justiceblack1222]

This is a good life talk.

[@Janumanji]

Well, I agree in general, but a lot of people quit because just lost interest in the Art. I mean,for a lot of people became a part of life, but for a lot is just another sport... and then move on and tried something else. How many of Bjj students first did something else?? a lot, either other aamm or another sport that they don't practice anymore. Dunno, I "quit" table tennis and thai boxing at "blue belt" level on those sports. Great podcast!! Enjoying the conversation...

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Hey Jano, you make a great point there. Thanks for sharing, and watching the show!

[@myrtonen]

What a nice conversation, thanks! There's a slightly disturbing, humming echo from either the mic frames or the room, maybe too much gain? Good job anyways.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

thank you for the feedback. We do have the occasional tech issue. i will check this out and hopefully stop it happening again!

[@ZatoichiRCS]

27 years in BJJ. The reasons are many for quitting BJJ. In my observation is that BJJ has no curriculum/ Rubric. The teachings are awful that has no set-ups. Little takedowns. Then, you get injured. These videos need scripts because it’s all over the place.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

great point you make there! sorry the scripting isn't up to scratch

[@DarkMuj]

Zatoichi these aren’t videos they are podcasts. Conversations! Wouldn’t want the lads to lose their natural flow would you? C’mon man

[@edwardskrod]

Jiu jitsu is really freaking hard. But most people can stick with it long enough to earn a blue belt at your typical school. It’s an achievable goal worth pursuing. Once the goal has been achieved, they leave since it was the reason they were coming.

[@trooperjoe73]

Blue belt is like the new year. It seems like something is changing, but nothing changes. Not everyone comes in for the long haul. Most come in, try it out, promote once, and move on to something else.

[@jimryan6023]

I reckon some guit when they realise what it takes to be good, its too much commitment if you have a difficult occupation busy life or are older with injuries.

[@JD-np9ii]

You have to consider that different people have different goals. While one guy is training to become a champion competitively, another is training for acquiring open hand self defense skills. A Blue belt is sort of like the Event Horizon for the attainment of such open handed skills (against the common foe) and other aspects of life such as work, family, and relationships invariably take the front seat.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Don't disagree with you there!

[@Trillvil1]

Those “blue belt competitors” are black belts lol I think we should keep the belt systems realistic

[@bulletproofforbjj]

hahah, they're tough for sure.

[@bullfrogjay4383]

My coach always says there are blue belts then there are BLUE BELTS. meaning that belt rank is a vast expanse. There are blues that are casuals and then there are blues that stay in comp mode that could tap Thanos. He says most quit at blue for many reasons but the biggest is because it is hard to build themselves up to the degree of being rewarded purple. But I'm a white belt and have no clue 🤣 just repeating what he said.

[@badxradxandy]

There's sandbagging.

[@vicn1349]

@@badxradxandy some only move as fast as their instructor decides to promote them

[@davewhite756]

What if they have black belt skill when they have someone’s back but white belt skill when mounted because they never let themselves get mounted?

[@alexcardoso4487]

It's a very long graduation also probably the longest this can be very frustrating for some people A practitioner who gets a black belt in 10 years, for example, probably spent about 4 at blue. But with the changes in training didactics, we are already seeing fighters that in 4 years are already flying. Here in Brazil the culture is to keep the guy in blue for a long time even if the guy has already submitted purple and brown belts. Not long ago here a 15 year old green belt submitted a black belt in a very tight roll.

[@kellaway-1578]

I quit for five six years. Made my way back and I'm more motivated than ever. I think a lot of people get Intimidated by the next step from blue to purple. Now I don't care about grade. I just want to be good at jujitsu

[@bulletproofforbjj]

sounds like the best approach. welcome back!

[@leebruno1722]

Ive been a white belt for 5 years due to inconsistent training. The belt never mattered to me. Im doing this thing till i cant anymore. This shits the most fun ive ever had in this life.

[@0hopscotch0]

Ive gotten surpassed by people who started after me. But ive also been shelved here and there due to injuries and less time to train due to work. I dont trip onit tho ill get to the next level when i get there

[@Jiu-JitsuJourney257]

I’m a three stripe blue belt. And I can’t fathom quitting this. I’m all in.

[@cherokeeoutlaw2.011]

These things change as time passes and your life moves forward...it may not for you but I was all in at blue belt too in 2009...now with kids and a career I go when I can

[@Jiu-JitsuJourney257]

@@cherokeeoutlaw2.011 that’s the stage I’m at currently. 33 with 2 kids and a career. I’ve made my children, wife, and my career the number one priority but I also prioritize my jiujitsu.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

lets go!

[@Jimi1124]

11 years as a white belt, 6 months as a blue. I do many of the things discussed in this podcast...I have had problems with maybe 4 or 5 people since I started. Up until 2021 I could count the number of times someone tapped me on one hand 😆....but now I train at 2 different gyms...and 1 of my coaches gives me the business 😆 🤣 😂.....I have very little problems with others....but its interesting to have more years training bjj than most people on the mats....and the color of your belt is white. Now it's the exact same thing with my blue belt with 1 stripe 😆. I tell people before I roll with them how long I have been training....I have no idea what belt colors really mean having been around this game since 2011....but I can honestly say, we're all on the mats for different reasons...and whether people quit....or don't quit....you have to have a purpose for being on that mat.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Purpose is everything when you are pushing yourself.

[@dustsettles6099]

How old are you two lads? I'm 35 3 stripe white, and wish to plod to blue and continue until I'm dead, slow and steady wins the race. Going to another club with different level makes sense, the club I spent my time at, really competitive. I got smoked always, but learnt a lot. Changed countries and the blue belts were nothing in comparison, I felt embarrassed as a white belt when I swept them, took back etc It was awkward! Secretly enjoyed it, but just longed to go back to the other place where the level/expectation was higher.

[@timandersen2386]

What’s your thoughts on purposefully going to places where expectations are high. And I guess further to that see expecting a lot of yourself as a huge growth opportunity?

[@timandersen2386]

Is this a usual blue belt mentality 😅

[@bulletproofforbjj]

If you like to push your level - go where the level is high. Seek adversity my friend.

[@hong-enlin4651]

Injuries, I got no injuries from training boxing lightly for few years. But with BJJ even at a low level you will get hurt, sometimes big ones. It's even worst in Judo.

[@thecasuallongsword]

it’s roughly at a point of first burnout. probably burnout at 4stripe whitebelt but they pushed thru to blue for the milestone.

[@ctGONZOles]

20:27 the strap, the fasha wha? 😂

[@bulletproofforbjj]

JTs Portuguese is impeccable

[@gingercore69]

Well, another reason people leave at bluebelt is that bluebelt has enough of a reputation outside of bjj that its enough with that... And also... Outside of bjj in particular, by the time you are a bluebelt you already learnt everything you need, you just need to not loose practice... Like... If you go to mma, having a bluebelt in bjj is usually enough grappling if you complement ut with good striking, maybe add some wrestling or something else... To spice things up... You are not going to be doing just jiujitsu in there so you can complement with other things to make it work

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Yep, totally agree with you.

[@marcuspacheco3815]

So I've never done jujitsu. But I've done other martial arts. Which means I've left other martial arts. I think the right question is: at what rank can a person adequately and reliably defend themselves from a random attacker? When do they have the fundamentals down? So I don't even know what rainbow scheme blue belt fits into. One of the martial arts I did was karate it has the original belt system, the only belt system that made sense.You got a white belt it turns black over time. That's the concept so the colors are simple yellow because you sweat through it green for grass stains repeated sweating and grass stains you eventually get brown and then it turns black. There are no stripes in between, stripes are obtained for specific purposes by black belts. The most important being like your third stripe because then you can teach. But here's the real truth: green belts are ducking dangerous. They know how to fight, this is the rank they learn to fight with controlled head contact, your average person (scratch that) gang member on the street cannot even come close to them. For some people myself included karate mastery was never the point the point was to be able to defend themselves. So here's my question at what rank should you quit jujitsu if obtaining a jiu jitsu black belt is not your goal? Obviously black belt takes a serious time investment time that could be spent at idk, boxing class, Muay thai, judo, karate, etc.... Or maybe they went there because their real gold is to become a judo black belt and they wanted to sharpen up their newaza. Which if you plan to defend yourself you kind of need.... Maybe you don't need it if you were a black belt but go try to apply your jiu jitsu on a blue belt that quit that's been boxing for a year and you'll learn very quickly oh shit.... This dude is way more dangerous than you remember. Especially if you agree to a rule set that isn't strictly jujitsu. Then you're going to learn real real quick that you don't know anything. So what rank should you quit at? If you're not planning to make jujitsu your life? Is that a blue belt? Cuz that's why they're leaving. At karate for example I left a green. Why? Especially when willing to commit time to go do something else afterwards? Like to you that doesn't make sense. Why? The answer is easy to understand, I ran out of people that were a challenge to fight at beginner classes. In order to get to brown belt I had to learn a ridiculous amount of kata and it was just too slow. That was too big of a Time investment and two many potential injuries to make essentially zero progress for the sake of progress's sake. I could defend myself in a way I couldn't defend myself before so why am I still here? Do I need that next piece of colorful fabric? And ultimately the answer for me was no. I can and have defended myself from multiple people on the street. Does that mean I can take on karate black belts now, I mean ones from a pretend school yes lol (karate isn't as well regulated of word as jiu-jitsu), but like if you go to a legit kyokoshin, shorin Ryu or kudo karate school no, hell no. But at the end of the day does that matter? Like how many black belts are out there mugging people? I'm sure there are one or two but that is rare. Like it sounds like a stupid question but it's a legit question. Where is the crossover threshold? When are you going to jujitsu for the whole purpose of jujitsu mastery and not to continue to learn the basics of defending yourself on the ground? Beyond that you're in the meta game. Now you're winning Jiu-Jitsu through tricks and techniques you wouldn't use on people that aren't already really good at jiu-jitsu. Would those tricks even work in a real fight? I see people in Jiu-Jitsu competitions climb up onto people. That's a nonsense skill you've learned there. You do that to somebody on the street and they know judo and you're going to end up with your brain on the sidewalk. That's a technique only for Jiu-Jitsu people specifically to win at jujitsu, no one who cares about learning to defend themself is going to take the time to figure that out. That's where people are going to leave. Doesn't matter what martial art it is because some people don't care about colored fabric. If that rank is blue belt, you have your answer. Go back and look at some blue belt paperwork. Did those people who leave right down their reason for attending was learning to defend themselves? Well then they really didn't quit did they, they achieved their goal and now they moved on. Sure you can tease them and they'll never be as good at jujitsu as you but when did they say that was their goal? Did they say that or did they tell you what they were going to do the whole time? In which case you're not being a very good teacher and you haven't been a very good teacher. Because you have transposed your goal with their goal. Maybe you should have spoke to that person at the beginning and said okay well you should leave when you make a purple belt or Blue Belt or magenta cyan whatever position on the rainbow you feel like that is... Again I don't know what belt that is cuz I haven't taken jujitsu. If you asked me for karate I would tell people about halfway through green or if you make it to Brown. You should just stop. If they want to keep going they want to become a master a grand master whatever coach etc Great cool awesome. But if they don't care about that teasing them about it after the fact is only stroking your own ego. You're not doing anything for them. You're not being a good teacher you're being that Dad that wants to live their dream through their kids. 🤷 You didn't answer the question at all you didn't even think about the question you were asking you simply explained why you didn't quit. WTF does that have to do with anything? What are you doing differently now to ensure that those people that we both know are going to quit get the proper training at the right time so that they can defend themselves? Maybe it's a discussion with them that says hey look just stick it out till purple belt, maybe it's making sure they know how to do XYZ before you give them that blue belt.... Hopefully it's not sitting around being self-confirming Chad's that tease ghosts. 🤦 How could a guy win a world championship at white belt. There's clearly a problem with your belts. If you come from another karate school to my old school and you're a freaking brown belt then you're a freaking brown belt. That's also a big problem. If you're holding people back because in your mind there is some kind of timer running in the background you're doing it wrong! Was that guy really a jerk or is that guy a world champion? Who's the jerk? That dude or all the guys he beat with pretend black belts? They should be the ones to go back to white belt shouldn't they? 🤔 Like your obsession is not getting them to quit in this video. How to motivate people to stick it out but what if they don't want to? You know they are free to make their own choices and their choices might not be the wrong choice, that's your subjective opinion and frankly unless you're taking jujitsu it's not worth very much. What rank should they "quit" at? When have they achieved their goal not your goal their goal.... ?

[@bulletproofforbjj]

You have a point. Thanks for watching!

[@barrykee8876]

I think a bunch of people quit because they have other things to do that are more important. School, work, life advancement, just other more important goals. Pretty simple really, people look at the time required and the end result and figure bjj is pretty pointless at some point. More important things, they get to blue belt and go, "my time would be better spent"

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Absolutely. Don’t disagree with that at all.

[@Khalil-Ibrahim21]

I did quit at blue I really loved bjj but as a relative old guy 37 I tried to compete with the young bloods in the gym. That took away a lot of fun but having my comeback in 2 weeks

[@christiano27]

How did it go? :-)

[@asalamalecom7096]

Everything mentioned in this video I am going through. I really liked the comment at the end “no one’s watching, no one gives a fuck” so true….I’m getting better at not giving a fuck to tapping to white belts (I have been a blue for nearly a year now and only train 2 times a week max) and after watching this I do feel like I’ve flushed another bit of that ego out of me. Great video guys and thanks. So true about each belt tho right….always someone coming up behind that’s hunting for you 😂😂😂 rascals

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Yeah man always someone at your heels!

[@bobbydabutcha]

Blue belt is a weird belt. For me at least. You know enough to defend and escape, you know the positions and fundamentals, you know Jiu Jitsu at the very basic sense but you don't know enough to completely defend yourself against much bigger or stronger people by a larger margin (130+ lbs.) For me, the problem is that I am trying to have crisp techniques, less strength and speed against big strong spazzy white or even blue belts that still have white belt habits (spazzy, a ton of strength, etc.) while at the same time trying to develop my overall game; Passing guard, developing and playing with different guards, sweeps, transitions, take downs/defenses etc. I love being at Blue belt, because I actually know Jiu Jitsu and have a progressive path to follow. White belt was just like WTF everyday all day lol and that in itself was a weeeeirrd long fun journey in itself and it was an absolute blast!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

i'm sure a lot of people would resonate with your experience there! Each belt presents it's own unique challenges, no doubt.

[@amirarbat7641]

Time commitment- too many early morning workouts gets old who can maintain 8 years of 4 days a week getting to the gym st 6 am

[@davedave8608]

the blue belt blues 💙

[@bulletproofforbjj]

we all get em

[@juiceman7649]

I mite be an outlier but the buzz of attaining my blue belt still goes strong a year on every time I look at it or wrap it on I still get stoked , Get ya Belt guys Osss 💙

[@romazzeojr]

Im my opinion after 1/2 years as a blue belt, you are already good and you can be very competitive specially if you are using your A game. Going back and training things you are not good is too tolling on the mind and progress is harder. Thats why many quit, we want quick things nowadays and you are already at a level that is satisfying. But if you are doing it for the journey, the culture, get better as a person, if you love the sport and not the belt system you will get there. Lets goooo!!! (I am still trying to get out of it 😂😂)

[@ronanmcconnon9935]

you guys are funny af

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Thanks fam!

[@nickk707]

I’m a blue belt and the day after getting my blue belt I ruptured my acl lol just had surgery no idea when I’ll be able to get back in the gym or if I’ll be able to without high risk of reinjury.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Oh man, sorry to hear that! I've posted a couple of videos talking about my return to JJ after ACL surgery too. You might find those handy. Best of luck.

[@christiano27]

Hope your recovery is going/has gone well. Are you training yet?

[@nickk707]

@@christiano27 have trained once but don’t have full range of motion back just going to gym not sure if I’ll return to bjj

[@christiano27]

@@nickk707 Do what's best for you, dude. Take it easy and I wish you a full recovery!

[@Lord_Sully]

We quit (I quit) because I felt like I got to the level of definitely being able to hold my own in a self defense situation... what next? I keep grinding and beating up my body to maybe compete? Or to make sure I can beat up someone who tries to rob me rather than just escape the situation? Or grind for the feeling of promotions? None of those were super important to me and I did get a lasting knee injury not just bumps and bruises. Switching to powerlifting now

[@Arcadianx98]

I quit at blue belt too for 3 years and came back 3 months ago. It is a rude awakening to see how prepared you really are…you lose so much. Despite working out I still felt sore in new places (like that day 1 feeling) cardio was crap despite having good running cardio. Despite having head knowledge I learned, I felt like. 2 stripe white belt again. The body just forgets. You should definitely keep your membership and go in once a month at a minimum just to maintain your blue

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Can't argue with that. A most rational reason to move onto other pursuits. Best of luck with the PL, too.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

returning after a long lay off never feels good : )

[@olliemountford8408]

Can we get a bullet proof rashy? shipped to UK

[@snickzonesnickzone5242]

Cool running 🏃‍♀️ 😂❤

[@ericgirard-realtor9813]

I quit because life got in the way and since trying to come back I asked myself, "why?" It's more grappling. I want to learn how to use bjj against strikers and in mma.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

sounds completely reasonable to me, best of luck with the no gi game!

[@geoffcoombs2058]

To put it simply, it’s so hard getting blue belt but even harder to get to purple

[@nick0424]

Isn't the biggest leap blue to purple? I am still at blue belt 7 years later. I have had to focus on my business, family, child, etc... All my contemporaries are purple and above. I can only train once a week and at that pace I will never be a purple belt. I have had to adjust my expectations accordingly and most of my progress has been through self-study and open mats. It can't define who I am like it defines some people around me, however, I also don't want to quit. So here I am, a perpetual blue belt that will be there for the foreseeable future.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

I would say the biggest leap can realistically be any of them, and it all depends on your journey. I feel your situation, have been there myself. Stay in there (if it means enough to you, of course).

[@nick0424]

@@bulletproofforbjj I see your point. Thanks for your reply!

[@rowlinzonvaldeavilla3964]

No need to rush if you don’t plan on competing. The journey itself is the goal.

[@Arcadianx98]

I disagree. I’m 3 stripe blue now and there’s a whole new world of takedowns I need to master, single X and X guard, the world of leg locks, etc. Being able to try these new things without fear and falling back on my fundamentals when needed is so much fun. So much more to learn and basics to perfect.

[@cameronscott4440]

As a white belt i have no interest in competition or competing in a sport. I'm only interested in learning the ability to dominate another man if i have to in a street fight situation. As a 6 foot 3 210 pound male i believe i will be able to do that at blue belt.

[@sunlight9814]

check your microphone parameters mates. The sound sounds like from a tube sometimes

[@FTroop37F]

My first BJJ class was earlier this week and in my experience... Oh wait, I don't have any experience. I'm a new guy who just learned where the water machine is :) Good talk guys. I met a good bunch a people who could have easily smoked me, and didn't. I'm just happy that I finally started. I'm sore and stiff in places I haven't been in years...in a good way.

[@bulletproofforbjj]

Sounds like the perfect first session! Well done, and welcome to the grapple club.

[@mooremikey1977]

Why did your guard game fail when you got to brown belt??

[@jarrettmaurice3070]

Testing for my purple in a month and the reason most of the people I’ve seen not come back after blue was because of kids. Then they get used to being fat and tired so they now they have the shame of coming back rolling like a 2 stripe white belt. And most can’t take the ego bruise. Which sucks because no one else cares or should about your skill in BJJ. I guess my first 2 years was getting wrecked by purple and brown belts i trained with so I got used to failure. It hasn’t gotten easier. Only more tolerable with the techniques I can actually hit now HA!

[@bulletproofforbjj]

i hear that!

[@billnerp]

LOL - I was like "what a movie pull" and then I realized that I had made a mistake. Silent Running does not have a Jamaican bobsled team in it 🤣

[@bulletproofforbjj]

haha thats a great mistake. Don't worry we are not here for the facts- simply the entertainment.😂

[@House_of_Zodd]

I'm a blue belt that "quit" I'm going back today after a few years. Life just happened and I couldn't make the trip personally me not going has had nothing to do with the belt