In my 8 years of teaching Jiu Jitsu I've seen more people quit at white and blue belt then all other belts combined. As a white belt there are a lot of factors for this and we often overlook the obvious, Jiu Jitsu is NOT for everyone. Blasphemy you say, maybe.

Can everyone do Jiu Jitsu? Sure. Does everyone like Jiu Jitsu, again I would say for the most part everyone who tries Jiu Jitsu likes Jiu Jitsu. The same thing can be said with surfing. Ask any one who has tried to surf and they usually say they had a blast. Ask why they don't surf regularly and you'd realize it takes more then having fun to want to pursue something, it takes passion. If you don't have a passion for Jiu Jitsu, if you don't love it, your journey will probably be a short one.

At the white belt level people who quit usually quit because they realize that although they enjoy Jiu Jistu it simply isn't for them. They have more fun lifting weights, watching TV, playing video games or just living life then they do on the Tatami. Like those who quit surfing before they learn to turn, before they get barreled, before they really truly learn to appreciate the ocean and nature, these people are missing out on some of the best parts. Jiu Jitsu gets better the longer you play!

My first instructor once told me, people I talk to who quit Jiu Jitsu all regretted it, I never met a black belt who regretted their journey. Till this day it holds true. Is Jiu Jitsu for everyone? I don't know for sure but don't think it is, I do know that it is for me.

*One new thing we hope to bring to the OSS blog is insight and techniques from Jiu Jitsu practitioners, teachers and competitors who live Jiu Jitsu. The first article is written by myself, I first put on a gi in 2002 and started regularly training in 2003. In 2007 I started down the teaching path. My views and opinions are just that, my own. I am sure like with any thing the more I learn the less I'll know so my views can and probably will change over time!